Hogback Mountain Conservation Association
Route 9, Marlboro, Vermont
Preserving a Mountain Treasure
Facility Use Agreement
The Conservation Area (which is owned by the Town of Marlboro) is protected by a conservation easement held by the Vermont Land Trust. The easement states that the Town has the right to "issue temporary special use permits or licenses authorizing the commercial or non-commercial use of the Protected Property for
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recreational
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community entertainment
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educational
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agricultural
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forestry, or
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research purposes"
provided that the proposed use does not interfere with use of the conservation area by the general public and that the use is consistent with the purposes of the conservation easement.
The Town of Marlboro has a permit process for groups that wish to hold events on Hogback. Download the permit application, which is formally known as a Facility Use Agreement, here. There is no permit filing fee. Submit the completed application to the Town Clerk, either in person, by mail (Marlboro Town Clerk, PO Box 518, Marlboro, VT 05344), or by scanning and emailing the completed application to townclerk@marlborovt.us.
Once your application has been submitted, a Town-appointed Hogback Preservation Commission member will review your plans and may contact you to discuss the details. The permit process allows the Town to interact with event organizers to be sure users know what activities are and are not allowed, and to consider whether to grant a variance to the rules in special circumstances.
*Although the use of firearms for lawful purposes (e.g., hunting) is permitted in the Conservation Area, the Town of Marlboro asks that you seek verbal permission to do so.
The following are not allowed:
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motorized vehicles (except snowmobiles on the VAST trail)
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cutting vegetation
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overnight camping
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fires of any kind
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smoking
There are no bathrooms in the Conservation Area.
Depending on the size of your group and the length of time you will be in the Conservation Area, you may be required to provide sanitary facilities (port-a-potty or camping potty).
Type of Events Requiring a Facilities Use Agreement*:
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Events not co-sponsored by HMCA or the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum that are anticipated to include more than 20 participants;
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Events with activities not normally permitted in the Conservation Area (see above);
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Events where a participant fee is required;
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Events where alcohol (or marijuana) is available;
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Events with activities where participants spend a significant amount of time off-trail;
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Events lasting >3-4 hours or repeated several days (in which litter and human waste are likely to be problems);
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Events in which motorized vehicles are used, e.g., ATVs, snowmobiles, electric bikes, etc.
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Events requiring installation of equipment or construction of any structures.
This list is not meant to be definitive - other types of events that we haven't considered may be proposed and permitted. Please contact us to talk about your ideas so that we can help guide you through the permit process.
Detail of the Hogback Mountain Conservation Area near Route 9
Conservation Area land is shown in green. Areas shown in black and white are privately owned.
Note that the land directly abutting both sides of Route 9 is NOT part of the Conservation Area, but is privately owned. The Town of Marlboro has been granted the right to have visitors to the Conservation Area use a small number of parking spaces in two of the parking lots. If your group needs more than a few parking spaces, or wishes to use the fields or other land directly adjacent to Route 9, you will need to contact the appropriate landowner for permission. Contact the Town Clerk for contact information for adjacent landowners.