The Vermont Wilderness Association first came together in the 1970s to promote what became the Vermont Wilderness Act of 1984.  Now a coalition of 14 state, regional and national organizations, including AMC, the VWA has been working since 1998 to pass a new wilderness bill for the Green Mountain National Forest.  AMC and our VWA colleagues applaud the Vermont Congressional Delegation's release of the Vermont Wilderness Act of 2006, and will work hard to pass this bill before the end of the year. 

Although this wilderness bill offers an outstanding legacy to the people of Vermont, it does leave out several key areas that we would like to see included in the final bill:

• The proposed Glastenbury Mountain Wilderness Area, northeast of Bennington, should be expanded to the Kelly Stand Road to the north, and should completely encompass the summit and flanks of Glastenbury Mountain.
• The headwaters of the Winhall River and the Winhall River Valley should be included in an extension to the Lye Brook Wilderness Area.  This region to the west of Stratton includes a mosaic of linked high-elevation marshes and river systems, supporting rich wildlife habitat.

More Information

• Senator Leahy's statement for the Congressional Record
• AMC's press release on the Vermont Wilderness Act of 2006