How it Works

The Catamount Trail Association currently holds 32 easements, protecting 27 miles of the Catamount Trail. Along with additional easements held by other organizations, nearly 80 miles of the Trail on private land are permanently protected.

Sometimes CTA partners with other organizations to protect the Catamount Trail with a trail easement as part of a larger conservation project. Some of these protected trail sections are on conserved properties, and on others just the trail corridor is protected.

To learn more about how easements work , check out our What is a Trail Easement? page.

In some instances it makes sense for the parcel of land to have only one conservation easement, in which case the Catamount Trail is protected as an asset of the parcel with more stringent restrictions in place as well -- including no subdivision or development on the parcel at all. These sections of the CT are protected through conservation easements rather than trail easements. CTA has partnered with the Stowe Land Trust (SLT), the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on these projects.

To see a list of all the protected sections of the CT, check out the CTA's Trail Protection Work to Date.

CTA has developed a Trail Protection Plan, which outlines the protocol of our efforts to protect all 300 miles of the Trail in perpetuity. Recently, CTA has also compiled an Easement Stewardship Plan. This document includes important policies and procedures for upholding CTA’s obligations to have a sound easement drafting and stewardship program.