For decades, Hartland Winter Trails (HWT) has relied on goodwill and a variety of handshake agreements to keep its trail network open. But when land changes hands, access to parts of the system can disappear overnight.
Now, after years of uncertainty, a key section of the trail network will be permanently protected. The Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) has just conserved 68 acres at the heart of the system, ensuring that a critical gateway to the trails remains open — no matter who owns the land. “Sometimes, after a tremendous amount of effort and support by a lot of people, dreams can materialize,” Andrea Ambros, the executive director of Hartland Winter Trails (HWT), told the Standard. “Now this property will be here for generations to be able to use and enjoy.”
Although it began as a small loop in one Hartland resident’s backyard, the HWT network has now grown to cover roughly 15 miles of trails, which are groomed for cross country skiing and snowshoeing each winter.
The trails span almost 30 private properties and while the parts of the network that cross other parcels still remain unprotected, the new conservation easement ensures that the central hub of the HWT will always remain available. “This is a huge deal for HWT, because the property covers the main trail area where about 90% of people get onto the trail system and start their adventure,” said Ambros. “It’s also the easiest part of the trail, where you could put together a couple of kilometers of skiing as a beginner.”
Ambros first approached the property’s owner, Timotheus Pohl, about conserving the parcel roughly 25 years ago. He was immediately on board, but turning that vision into a reality proved challenging. She began working with Pohl and the UVLT on the finalizing potential purchase in 2020, but despite his enthusiasm, the process took nearly five years, and Pohl, who passed away last March, did not live to see it completed. “There have been a tremendous number of hurdles and obstacles in the way,” said Ambros. “Right up until the day that it was finalized, I just wasn’t sure that this was ever going to happen.”
UVLT purchased the Pohl property for roughly $600,000, half of which was raised through private donations from a collection of more than 40 households. The remainder came from a $228,000 grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and a $100,000 contribution from the Town of Hartland, which residents approved at the 2024 Town Meeting.
Currently, the trails on the property are only open to the public in the winter, but now the plan is for many of them to become available year-round. “It’s extremely exciting,” said Ambros. “I have personally always wanted to see that area become a four-season recreational area.”
The parcel, which is now known as the Timotheus Pohl Conservation Area, sits between Route 12 and Quechee Road. It’s walking distance from Hartland Three Corners, and should it become open all year, it has the potential to provide a safe pedestrian connection between Hartland Three Corners and Hartland Four Corners. “It’ll be publicly accessible, and it’s huge. It’s a complete game changer for the town,” Rob Anderegg, the chair of the Hartland Conservation Commission told the Standard. “There’s no other parcel of land in Hartland that’s publicly open that’s anywhere close to this size.”
The conservation deal covers most — but not all — of Pohl’s land. UVLT excluded roughly 7 acres in hopes it could eventually become affordable housing. The land is rich in sand and gravel, which makes it less desirable for conservation but also challenging for septic installation. While no developer has stepped forward yet, the UVLT is hopeful one will eventually take on the challenge. “They’re willing to just be patient until they can find the right developer to turn that into the kind of housing that they want,” said Anderegg.
Even if it does take years before affordable housing can be created there, having property set aside for the purpose is a significant achievement, according to Gus Seelig, the executive director of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. “This entire project is such a wonderful outcome for the community, because it really balances the needs between housing and conservation,” he told the Standard. “The parcel is close to everything in the community, so it’s going to give the town open space, it’s going to maintain some hay land, and it’s going to, one day, provide housing.”