The VH trails sit in a private forest, originally slated for a federally funded conservation easement to protect more than 1200 acres from any future development. 

In 2019, the state’s Act 250 Jurisdictional Opinion over the trails disqualified the 550+ acre trail area from a permanent federal conservation easement, thus unintentionally sabotaged forest conservation in Vermont, and punishing a conservation focused landowner for hosting recreation.  

In 2023, the other half of the forest on Victory Hill (600 acres) , not subject to the State’s Jurisdictional, will be permanently conserved by a USDA funded Conservation Easement.