This is the forty-fifth diary in my ‘Expanding the National Parks” series. Prior diaries are linked at the bottom of this diary.Last Time I was in Utah, this time I’m in Vermont, the Green Mountain state. Vermont, despite its small size, has quite a bit of federal land — 7.5% of the state is federally owned, good for 19th in the country, behind Florida and just ahead of West Virginia. Vermont is one of 18 states, along with Guam and Puerto Rico, to have 0 national monuments. I will be proposing giving it its first monuments. Currently, Vermont has 1 national forest, 2 wildlife refuges and 2 historic sites and other NPS units.
Vermont
Total Area 9 616 sq miles
Land area 9 216 sq miles
Water Area 400 sq miles
Coastline 0 miles
Additional Monuments-2
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS -2
* Green Mountain Estimated Area 1.1 million acres
Would convert the existing national forest into a national monument, and which would run the length of the state from the border with Massachusetts to the Canadian border. Originally proposed as a national park in the 1930s on two separate occasions, the first covering 1 million acres, the second proposal covering 150000 acres, neither proposal got past Congress. there was even a 1936 proposal to create a national monument in the area and name it after Ethan Allen, but FDR ended up not doing it. this proposal would follow the original larger proposal, incorporating the existing national forests official boundary of some 820000 acres as well as other state-owned and publicly owned areas running along the mountain range on both sides.
* Calvin Coolidge Estimated area 23000 acres
would incorporate both the Calvin Coolidge state park and forest, as well as Coolidges home, into a national monument to honor the 30th president of the United States. Coolidge served 6 years in office, after the death of Harding in 1923. He famously refused to run for re-election in 1928, an election he likely would have won, reasoning that 10 years in office was more than any previous president and that he would be in office until 1933.
EXISTING AREAS
NATIONAL FORESTS-1
* Green Mountain Established 1932 Covers 399 151 acres
The largest swath of public land in the state, the forest was originally created in 1932 to after fire and overlapping ravished the range. originally covering 102000 acres, only 1800 of them federal, the forest has expanded over the decades to where its official boundary now is 821040 aces, and around 400000 is federally owned. the forest contains 8 wilderness areas covering around 101000 acres. the forest is split into two unit, Southwest and Central, with the 36000 acre White Rocks Recreational Area lying in the southwest section.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-2
* Silvio O Conte Established 1997 Covers 31216 acres (In CT, MA, NH and VT)
http://www.fws.gov/...
The Connecticut River, part of the refuge, is shown above
One Of 2 refuges that spans 4 states, Silvio O Conte currently covers over 36000 acres, most of which lie in Vermont and Connecticut,the refuge covers nearly 1000 acres in Massachusetts, split into several small units. The refuge covers portions of the Connecticut River watershed, which covers 7.2 million acres in all. a CCP is being created for the refuge which will likely result in the refuge being expanded further.
* Missisquoi Established 1943 Covers 6642 acres
Located on the eastern side pf Lake Champlain near the border with the Canada, it is the only refuge entirely within Vermont. Initially created in 1943 uinder the Migratory Bird Conservation act, the initial refuge size was 1,582 acres, and has grown in size over the ensuing years to where it now covers 6642 acres. Declared a Ramsar Wetland in 2013, the refuge covers a range of habitat from floodplain forests and wetlands to bogs, uplands and grasslands. the refuge is home to the states largest Breat Blue Heron rookery, which ranges in number each year from 250 up to 600.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-2
*Marsh-Billlings-Rockefeller NHP Established 1992 Covers 643 acres
Named after the original and subsequent owners of the house , the park conserves over 600 acres near Woodstock Vermont. the House, and a plot of 40 surrounding acres were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967. The House was originally build by Charles Marsh , a prominent Vermont lawyer in 1805. His son Charles served in Congress in the 1830s as a Whig and served under both President Tyler and President Lincoln in diplomatic posts . Charles’ views on land stewardship, summed up in his 1864 book “ Man and Nature, Or the Physical Geography as Modified By Human Behavior”, presaged the conservation movement which would take root in the country over the coming decades. in 1869 the House and grounds, then covering almost 250 aces, were bought by Frederick Billings , one of the founders of the Northern Pacific Railroad, who had made a fortune in land speculation in California during the Gold Rush. Billings greatly expanded the acreage of the poerty and greatly enlarged the house. His granddaughter Mary French Rockefeller and her husband Laurance donated the house to the federal government in 1992. the park was chosen to be Vermonts representative in the National Parks quarters collection, it will be the 4th quarter released in 2020, and the third to last of the 56 quarters released. nearly 30000 people visited the park in 2011.
* White Rocks NRA Established 1984 Covers 36400 acres
Located in the Green Mountain National Forest, the recreational area protects over 36000 acres, and contains 2 wildernesses, the 7,823 acre Peru Peak Wilderness and the 6, 725 acre Big Branch Wilderness. The Appalachian trail runs through the recreation area for 30 miles, and the area also hosts camping and over 60 miles of snowmobile trails . in 2007 the NRA was renamed the Robert T Stafford White Rocks NRA in honor of former Vermont Governor Robert Stafford, who had died late in 2006. Stafford served as Governor from 1959 to 1961 then served in Congress from 1961-89, the first 10 years in the house then from 1971 onward as a Senator.
This concludes my virtual tour of Vermont. Next time I will be in Virginia, checking out Monticello. As Always, Comments and imput by readers are Welcome. See you in the comments!
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama www.dailykos.com/...
2 Alaska www.dailykos.com/...
3 Arizona www.dailykos.com/...
4 Arkansas www.dailykos.com/...
5 California www.dailykos.com/...
6 Colorado www.dailykos.com/...
7 Connecticut www.dailykos.com/...
8 Delaware www.dailykos.com/...
9 Florida www.dailykos.com/...
10 Georgia www.dailykos.com/...
11 Hawaii www.dailykos.com/...
12 Idaho www.dailykos.com/...
13 Illinois www.dailykos.com/...
14 Indiana www.dailykos.com/...
15 Iowa www.dailykos.com/...
16 Kansas www.dailykos.com/...
17 Kentucky www.dailykos.com/...
18 Louisiana www.dailykos.com/...
19 Maine www.dailykos.com/...
20 Maryland www.dailykos.com/...
21 Massachusetts www.dailykos.com/...
22 Michigan www.dailykos.com/...
23 Minnesota www.dailykos.com/...
24 Mississippi www.dailykos.com/...
25 Missouri www.dailykos.com/...
26 Montana www.dailykos.com/...
27 Nebraska www.dailykos.com/...
28 Nevada www.dailykos.com/...
29 New Hampshire www.dailykos.com/...
30 New Jersey www.dailykos.com/...
31 New Mexico www.dailykos.com/...
32 New York www.dailykos.com/...
33 North Carolina www.dailykos.com/...
34 North Dakota www.dailykos.com/...
35 Ohio www.dailykos.com/...
36 Oklahoma www.dailykos.com/...
37 Oregon www.dailykos.com/...
38 Pennsylvania www.dailykos.com/…
39 Rhode Island www.dailykos.com/…
40 South Carolina www.dailykos.com/…
41 South Dakota www.dailykos.com/…
42 Tennessee www.dailykos.com/…
43 Texas www.dailykos.com/…
44 Utah www.dailykos.com/...