Why does cutting trees create valuable habitat?  Right now, the vast bulk of Vermont’s forests are essentially middle-aged.  We’ve all heard the surprising statistic that at the height of the sheep craze in the 1840’s, about 80% of Vermont was open agricultural land.  Now that ratio is reversed, with almost 80% of the land forested.  But that middle-aged even-aged forest, existing in a culture where we try to  suppress forest fires and prevent floods, is not as susceptible to the natural fire and flood disturbances which consistently created large natural openings in the forests in pre-colonial times.  Nature just isn’t creating ESH in our modern forests at the same rate that occurred in the past.  As early as the 1960’s scientists documented declining populations in birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and even invertebrates that rely on ESH for part of their life cycles.  The situation has become critical for some species.  For example, the New England cottontail rabbit no longer exists in Vermont due to lack of suitable habitat.  Other ESH-reliant species in decline include woodcock, rose-breasted grosbeak, veery, yellow-bellied sapsucker, bobcat, least shrew, bog turtle, and a clutch of butterflies.

When the ski area when out of business and the slopes were no longer mowed, the gradual reversion to forest created valuable swaths of ESH on the mountain.  But that early regrowth is by now no longer early.  The ski slopes are starting to look more like middle-aged forest.  The ten-year plan to increase habitat variety on the mountain aims to turn back the clock by re-opening the five major ski slopes, one every two years.  Cutting the young hardwood trees that are growing on those slopes won’t kill them.  They’ll come roaring back via stump sprouting.  You can take a look at this process yourself by walking up to the former Meadow ski slope and seeing the regrowth already underway there.  You’ll also see how blueberry is thriving thanks to the increased sunlight, how milkweed has returned, how hawthorns are producing heavy fruit crops.  The nipped tops of the stump sprouts show that browsers (deer?  moose?) are enjoying the buffet.  Wander up in winter and you will see tracks of many small mammals that have set up housekeeping in the brush piles.