At Audubon Vermont, we work to protect birds and the places they need today and tomorrow. There is much work to be done in Vermont, given these forests are home to one of the richest breeding bird populations within North America. With approximately 76% of Vermont’s landscape currently forested, fulfillment of our mission can only happen through the complex and multi-faceted effort to protect, conserve, and manage Vermont’s forests across its many ownerships. To this end, Audubon’s staff ecologists and foresters, recognized experts in their fields, routinely collaborate with other natural resource entities to provide guidance on policy and resource management decisions. Our goal is to promote science-backed forest management practices that safeguard the health and longevity of our forest bird communities.  

Accordingly, over the past two years Audubon Vermont has been working with partners to influence the approach the US Forest Service’s Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) will take to managing the roughly 8,275 treatment acres of forest as part of the Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project (TGIRP).  The project has garnered significant public attention at both a regional and national level, attracting substantial input during public comment periods as part of the planning process.  Partaking in this process, Audubon Vermont, the Vermont Natural Resources Council, and Dr. William Keeton of UVM collaborated to offer science-based guidance on how the USFS could modify their original proposed approach to manage these forests in ways to better protect and conserve vital forest habitat conditions for birds, bolster the resiliency of the forest to climate change, and concurrently increase rates of carbon sequestration and storage.  

On December 3rd , 2024, the USFS released their draft decision on the TGIRP, proposing an alternative approach (called ‘Alternative C’) to forest management based in large part on our group’s comments. Our collaborative has been pleased by this decision. We feel that this development represents an important moment for these forests and for the birds that call them home. 

Although our collaborative is satisfied with the decision, the feedback and concern voiced from some members of the community surrounding the Telephone Gap project is providing a valuable educational opportunity for a deeper discussion around the topic of forest management and forest conservation in Vermont. Here Audubon Vermont hopes to provide clarity on our position regarding the Telephone Gap decision, highlighting what we see as significant about the decision as well as address concerns about its potential impacts—all through the lens of Audubon’s commitment to conserving quality, connected, and climate-resilient bird habitat. 

The Importance of Forest Management for Birds 

Vermont’s forests play a vital role in supporting local and hemispheric bird populations. Species like the Wood Thrush, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager depend on the complexity of healthy forests for nesting, foraging, and carrying out their full life cycle. These habitats are dynamic; they change over time due to natural processes that cause disturbance to the forests, like storms, pests, pathogens, and natural habitat engineers (like beavers) as well as human intervention. The complex forests that emerge broadly contain a diversity of tree species and other vegetation; multiple generations of these trees, many large-diameter trees, both live and dead (so called ‘snags’); and an abundance of dead trees on the forest floor.  These are some of the conditions we typically think of when we envision the ideal old-growth forest.   

Unfortunately, 19th-century Vermont experienced wide-scale deforestation as forests were cleared for agriculture and other uses. This period was followed by the widespread abandonment of these lands, allowing forests to begin to grow back anew, but with all measurable levels of diversity dramatically reduced. 

Less than 0.5% of Vermont’s current forests truly escaped the 19th century untouched (and let’s call such rare remnant forests the true “old-growth” forests of Vermont). From an ecological point of view, Vermont’s forests, including those of the Telephone Gap area, are still underdeveloped and, on-average, generally lack the complexity that would otherwise be found in the functional old-growth forests that existed previously.   

It takes centuries, if not millennia, of natural disturbances for forests to develop the rich complexity of a true old-growth forest. Yet, with declining bird populations, growing threats from climate change, and the need to leverage the capacity of our forests to sequester and store carbon- the need to gain this lost condition is urgent.  Thankfully, we have tools to protect and conserve old-growth forests- from supporting passive management, often through designated natural areas and wilderness, to active approaches that can help restore this condition more rapidly through thoughtful, science-based forest management practices, that, yes, may involve the selective cutting of trees in the form of logging.  Such activities can be prescribed in a way so as to accelerate the restoration of the missing complexity that birds and greater biodiversity need.   

Furthermore, the complexity we're discussing here doesn't just relate to any single mature forest condition. We're also working to create a varied, connected network of different forest habitat types across the landscape. For example, young forest habitat, which many bird species rely on, is often lacking in areas where forests have aged uniformly without disturbance; some experts estimate that pre-colonial northern hardwood forest of the northeast US contained more young forest habitat than we see on the ground today.  Sadly, the birds that specialize on young forests, like the Chestnut-sided Warbler and Mourning Warbler are currently experiencing some of the greatest population declines. By carefully planning selective harvesting and other management techniques, we can ensure that Vermont’s forested landscapes remain vibrant, diverse, and capable of sustaining both wildlife and human communities. 

A Success Story in the Telephone Gap Decision 

The US Forest Service’s decision to adopt an alternative approach for the TGIRP marks a promising achievement in balancing ecological restoration with sustainable forest management. This new approach maintains protection of all state-mapped old-growth forests known to exist in the project area. These forests have been verified on the ground by natural resource experts using the definitions and standards established by the VT Agency of Natural Resources’ (Vermont Dept. of Fish and Wildlife’s) Natural Heritage Inventory Program and Vermont Conservation Design.  Furthermore, the decision goes even further and introduces new protective measures to identify and safeguard additional areas with substantial old-forest characteristics, utilizing scientific metrics and research developed for these forest types.   The decision also shifts the management approach for a substantial amount of acreage of mature forests, which were previously slated for more intensive management, to climate-smart ecological forestry practices promising to accelerate the development of old-forest traits in areas where such conditions are currently lacking. 

Additionally, the decision includes the creation of young forest habitat in degraded forest areas where biodiversity is currently low. Young forest is a rare yet vital habitat type in the project area and the scale of proposed young forest creation for this project is in line with Vermont Conservation Design's regional targets, further demonstrating a thoughtful and science-driven approach to management. 

Overall, the new decision as to how the USFS will manage the forests of Telephone Gap represents a more rigorous, science-based strategy compared to the previous proposal. It not only protects critical old forest conditions but also sets the stage for the future health and resilience of Vermont’s forests by addressing current deficits in biodiversity and ecological complexity, all without compromising overall forest health. This decision sets a strong precedent for public land management in Vermont, highlighting how ecological forestry can achieve both conservation and sustainable management goals such as the procurement of forest products, like timber. 

Furthermore, this approach- specifically the focus on applying science to conserve and restore mature and old forest within our National Forest system, is one of the first in the nation to meet the call of President Biden’s April 2022 Executive Order 17042, “Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies". 

The Telephone Gap decision is a step forward in demonstrating how conservation and management can work hand-in-hand to protect Vermont’s forests and the birds that depend on them. By protecting forest complexity where it exists and enhancing habitat diversity where it is missing, this project supports the ecological values we hold dear. 

Audubon Vermont remains committed to advocating for thoughtful forest management that benefits birds, wildlife, and people alike. We invite our members and supporters to join us in celebrating this success and to continue engaging in the important work of conserving and safeguarding the future integrity of Vermont’s forests, the birds that call these forests home, and our greater cultural and natural heritage. 

To explore how Audubon Vermont is working to protect birds and their habitats, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Together, we can ensure a future where birds thrive in healthy forests.