ATHENS, Vt. – The Vermont departments of Fish & Wildlife, and Forests, Parks, & Recreation are holding a public meeting to discuss future management and use of Turner Hill Wildlife Management Area located in the towns of Athens and Grafton, Vermont.
The public meeting is on Thursday, April 18 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. It will be held at the Athens School on Brookline Road in Athens, Vermont.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for members of the public to review the highlights of the draft long-range management plan and ask questions. A short presentation will open the meeting, followed by a discussion with comments recorded by staff. This is the first management plan that has been created for this site. The plan focuses on wildlife habitat improvement and protection of rare, threatened and endangered species. The draft plan and general information about these lands is available on the Forests, Parks and Recreation website (https://fpr.vermont.gov/turner-hill-wildlife-management-area). A hard copy will also be available in the town offices of Athens and Grafton.
The 1,052-acre Turner Hill property is owned by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and managed for fish and wildlife, as well as to provide the public access to enjoy these resources. It was created in 2011 as part of an effort to conserve beaver-influenced wetlands for the federally-endangered Northeastern bulrush. These wetlands provide a home for many other species of plants and animals, including otter, moose, muskrat, ducks, geese, salamanders, frogs, and trout. The site also contains forested habitat containing beech, oak, and cherry trees that produce food for a host of species including bears, ruffed grouse, turkeys, and songbirds.
For more information, contact Chris Bernier, state wildlife biologist, at chris.bernier@vermont.gov or Aaron Hurst, state lands forester, at aaron.hurst@vermont.gov.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need. Individuals making such requests must include their contact information. Please send an e-mail to Chris Bernier at chris.bernier@vermont.gov or call the office staff at 802-828-1000 (voice), 1-800-253-0191 (TTY).