Craftsbury Municipal Forest Committee

The town of Craftsbury owns two parcels of forested land that we manage as municipal forests: 40 acres on Coburn Hill and 187.5 acres on the Hatch Brook Road. Where the boundaries of the town land meet the road, they are marked with this sign.

Craftsbury’s Municipal Forest Committee oversees management of these lands, making recommendations to the Select Board [see Municipal Forestry Committee meeting minutes]. We welcome volunteers to attend meetings and help with work days. 2024 Members: Robert Linck (Chair), Rob Libby (Co-Chair), Ann Ingerson (Secretary), Barbara Alexander, Ben Alexander, Jim Jones, Logan Jones, Stuart LaPoint, Mike Renaud, Jane Solomon

In 2005, forester Ross Morgan conducted an ecological inventory of the Coburn Hill lot.

In 2018 and 2021 Orleans County Forester Jared Nunnery worked with the committee to develop forest management plans that outline current conditions, management goals and activities: (Coburn Hill Management Plan and Hatch Brook Management Plan). The two locations have slightly different management goals due to their different terrain, with more emphasis on recreation and forest management for the uplands at Coburn Hill, and more emphasis on wildlife habitat and dispersed recreation for the wetter lands at Hatch Brook. Both areas are open to the public for hunting.

In spring, 2024 the town forestland on Hatch Brook was renamed the Jim Moffatt Memorial Forest, recognizing the many years that Jim dedicated to the town’s forests and trees, including clearing up the title on the Hatch Brook land, planting and harvesting trees at both town forest locations, and identifying boundaries by wading through beaver swamps.

To Visit:

Coburn Hill: map. There is a small parking area, with a kiosk, on the east side of Coburn Hill Road just as you enter the town forest. Starting from that lot, a rough trail marked with flagging leads to the ledges at the eastern edge of the property, where there is a view of the Common when the leaves are off. The west side of the road has no developed trails as yet. With the exception of a small interval on the north side, the boundaries have recently been blazed so they should be easy to find.

Jim Moffatt Memorial Forest: map. This forest is made up of three former parcels linked in a rough “M” shape. Across from the junction of Hatch Brook Road with Paquette Road is a pullout where parking may be available. This pullout is about midway between the eastern and western edges of a parcel formerly known as the Webster lot, which also includes forested land south of Hatch Brook Road and west of the open fields along Paquette Road. At the western edge of the Jim Moffatt Memorial Forest, a parcel formerly known as the Blueberry lot extends from the Hatch Brook Road to the northeast. Linking these two parcels, and enclosing a triangle of private land along the road, is a third parcel formerly known as the Baker lot (sometimes referred to as Clapper-Baker). Beavers are very active throughout this area, which makes trail maintenance a challenge, so please bring a compass or gps to explore. An old road follows the edge of the Blueberry lot, but blowdowns might be numerous. At the eastern edge of the Webster lot, it’s possible to follow a branch of Hatch Brook north and westerly onto town land.

History:

Both town forest locations originally had homesteads and were retained by the town in lieu of back taxes owed – in 1936 for the Coburn Hill forest and from 1942-1958 for the 3 lots on Hatch Brook Road. Since that time, these forested lands have provided lumber for several town buildings, earned thousands of dollars in stumpage from timber harvest, and Academy students and other volunteers have planted trees in both locations.

In the 1970’s the town of Craftsbury applied to receive official state designation of its municipal forestland. In 1974 the state’s Municipal Forester, John Green, wrote a brief management plan. Green also mentioned the Academy woodlots, including 160 acres on Coburn Hill, owned since 1868, that was possibly the oldest town-owned forestland in the state. Some Craftsbury Academy graduates remember planting trees and conducting other forest management activities at the “Academy Pines” on Coburn Hill in the mid-1900’s. That 160-acre parcel was south of and distinct from the current Coburn Hill town forest, and the land was sold several decades ago.

The town forest on Hatch Brook Road saw considerable blow-down during Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and an extensive salvage operation removed most of the downed trees. At about the same time, substantial cutting was done at the Coburn Hill site. Funds from these timber sales are retained by the town in a “logging account” that is occasionally used by the town for projects related to forests and wood products (including supporting flooring costs for the new Academy gym and replacement trees for the Common).

Beyond its role in managing town forestland, the Municipal Forest Committee also advises on the health of trees on the Common and promotes public awareness of our forest resources. About 10 years ago, Municipal Forest Committee members Jim Moffatt and Stuart Lapoint collected photos of large trees throughout the town. Photographers included Elinor Osborn, Steve Wright and June Cook. (The Craftsbury Conservation Commission also held a Big Tree Contest in 2022.)