Windham Regional Woodlands Association and Hogback Mountain Conservation Association present a tour of an active timber harvest at Molly Stark State park in Marlboro, Vt. The intent of the harvest is to enhance habitat for snowshoe hares while protecting existing recreation trails and park infrastructure. How these multiple goals are being balanced will be the focus of the tour. We will observe mechanical harvesting, where the operator sits inside a protected cab and uses joy-stick-type controls to fell, de-limb, and cut logs to length. Tim Morton, State Forester from the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, will lead the tour. Representatives from Long View Forest Contracting will be there to explain details of the harvest.

Parking is very limited at Molly Stark in winter, so we'll meet at the big parking lot on the north side of Route 9 just west of the gift shop at Hogback and carpool from there. If you plan to attend, please notify Tim Morton at Tim.Morton@vermont .gov. He will contact people if the tour must be rescheduled due to weather. Dress warmly, more so than for an ordinary snowshoe hike, because we'll be standing and observing more than hiking. Snowshoes are strongly recommended.