Walk the 4,700 acre Smokey House forest and you’ll notice how it ranges in elevation from 800’ to 3500’ and includes a diverse array of ecological types and wildlife habitats.
You will see alpine conditions as well as rich lower elevation forests on limestone soils. If you are lucky, you will spy numerous species that need large, unbroken habitats which they find in the Smokey House Center forest. And because the entire forest has been permanently protected, you’ll see flourishing rare plant and animal species.
Depending on the shoes of the person in which you are walking, you will see unique value in our forests. Smokey House Center and professional foresters carefully manage the forest to provide periodic income and support for the regional timber economy. In order to ensure we are managing the forests optimally, this past year we updated our forest management plan, which the state of Vermont approved in the fall.
For students of all ages, the forest provides an important educational resource, serving as a hands-on learning tool. And finally, and equally noteworthy, is the significant watershed value that is provided by the forested headwaters at Smokey House Center that eventually reach Otter Creek and beyond- though flippers, rather than shoes, may be best for that view.