The Green Mountain Club has released a Press Release requesting that “The Scar” be avoided during the spring melt off. During this time, the cut on Big Jay will be extremely vulnerable to erosion damage. During a work day this past fall, a Green Mountain Club led work crew installed erosion control devices. The Club fears that these erosion control devices could be damaged and rendered useless if the area sees foot traffic.
The press release also refers to an initiative to engage backcountry skiers in land management discussions:
In related news, GMC recently met with a group of backcountry skiers to discuss the development of a Vermont Backcountry Skiers Code of Ethics (Leave No Trace). We discussed the need to develop or identify an organization that can coordinate backcountry skiers to engage in land management discussions relating to the use of public lands for backcountry skiing. Stay tuned for more information about this initiative.
This is a positive step forward that was absent from how the Green Mountain Club handled the Big Jay situation this past winter, especially in regards to the meeting announcing the restrictions at the Jay Peak Resort Stateside Lodge. Any discussions of backcountry skiing land management must include concessions to the backcountry skiing community about maintaining thinned out backcountry tree skiing lines and locations. The Green Mountain Club seemed hostile to this issue at the Big Jay meeting. Backcountry skiers will also be forced to agree to concessions for such a land management proposal to succeed. The backcountry skiing community awaits further details on this meeting.
2 thoughts on “GMC Press Release: Illegal Scar on Big Jay Vulnerable”
Does anyone know what happened with the trial of the two suspects who allegedly cut down all those trees? They were supposed to be tried in January, but I heard no news since then.
Good question, David. I have not heard anything nor have I spotted any additional news articles. Though most skiers and riders may easily have missed a small article during some of the best skiing of the season. As it is, this GMC press release was posted to the GMC web site in April and I only just stumbled upon it recently. Looking forward to hearing information and I will post anything that comes my way immediately.