Mad River Glen is moving to secure more than 1,100 acres of surrounding forestland in what is described as a once-in-a-generation conservation opportunity that would permanently protect critical terrain, ecological habitat and the backcountry character that defines the Fayston skier-owned ski area.
The Mad River Glen Cooperative has exercised a right of first refusal on the land after being notified that the current owners – the Mad River Corp., the family of the late owner Betsy Pratt and a small group of longtime associates – had received a formal offer from an outside buyer. Under the deeded agreement, the co-op had 30 days to match the offer.
It responded with a $2.5 million bid to purchase the land outright. The offer that triggered the right of first refusal was for $2.5 million from Lyme Mill Brook LLC, an anonymous family foundation managed by Lyme Timber Company. Mad River Glen received it in mid-October and had 30 days to respond and shareholder approval needed in 75 days.
Without a lot of fanfare, $585,000 from 240 donors has already been raised for the project before the fundraising campaign officially started.
‘CONTROL OUR DESTINY’
“The overall sentiment was that this opportunity would never come around again. And that the shareholders should purchase it and control our own destiny and the future,” general manager Matt Lillard said.
“For the first time since 1995, the co-op has a chance to control its destiny well beyond the boundaries of the main ski area,” he added.
The acreage stretches from Route 17 to the spine of the Green Mountains, and from Mad River Glen to Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen. It includes the well-known 19th and 20th Hole terrain skier’s right of Antelope as well as roughly 50 acres north of Route 17 abutting Camel’s Hump State Forest.
Though the outside bidder is also involved in conservation and had planned to maintain public recreational access, Lillard said co-op leadership felt strongly that ownership should remain with the skier-owned co-op.
The land has long been part of the ski area’s cultural and ecological footprint. It provides backcountry access, wildlife habitat, and watershed stability. Should Mad River Glen ever seek to expand snowmaking or other infrastructure in the future, Lillard noted, crossings and intakes would likely rely on that same landscape.
The co-op’s right of first refusal dates back to the 1995 sale that transformed Mad River Glen into the nation’s first – and still most successful – skier-owned cooperative. At the time, Pratt retained ownership of the 1,100 acres but granted the co-op first rights should she or her successors ever choose to sell.
THE TIME TO ACT
“We were presented with the proposed transaction in October,” Lillard said. “The board held two emergency meetings, and the sentiment was unanimous. This was the time to act.”
The co-op is now working to raise the $2.5 million land purchase, with a January 15 deadline for securing commitment of funds. Co-op members will need to vote to secure the property with the funds committed.
To handle the purchase, the nonprofit Stark Mountain Foundation will acquire the property on the co-op’s behalf. All donations for the land campaign will flow through the foundation.
“The outpouring of support has been phenomenal,” Lillard said. “People understand that this is about more than skiing. It’s about keeping Mad River Glen independent, wild, and welcoming for generations to come.”
The agreement pursued by the outside conservation buyer included a mandatory conservation easement. Under the co-op’s purchase, Lillard said, the land would ultimately enter conservation as well – but with terms tailored to the ski area's long-term needs.
PUBLIC ACCESS A PRIORITY
Public access, he added, will remain a priority. The current plan is to keep the terrain open year-round for public recreation. Once funds for the purchase have been secured, MRG has time to craft a specific conservation/recreation plan.
“Ultimately, we’re going to have two years to determine that. What we want that is beyond conservation easements that others would have created is to conserve the land as it is now with the options to figure out the future. And we’re considering that those options will outlast you and me, we’re securing our future well beyond this generation and working 40-60 years down the road,” Lillard pointed out.
“Thirty years ago our skiers took a leap of faith on the co-op idea. That leap created the most successful ski co-op in the country. This is another one of those moments,” Lillard said.
Contributions to the land-purchase fund can be made through the Stark Mountain Foundation at starkmountain.org, or by emailing
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