Mad River Glen has raised about $1.3 million toward its $2.5 million goal to purchase more than 1,100 acres of surrounding forestland, clearing a major fundraising milestone as the ski area moves closer to closing on what leaders describe as a once-in-a-generation conservation opportunity.
Fundraising accelerated after the Mad River Glen Cooperative signed a fully executed purchase-and-sale agreement with the land’s current owners last week on December 12, according to general manager Matt Lillard.
“As of this weekend, we are at about $1.3 million in fundraising to date,” Lillard said. “A lot of people were waiting for this benchmark – the purchase and sale being signed.”
The agreement sets a firm timeline for shareholder votes and the closing of the deal. If all approvals move forward as planned, the cooperative expects to complete the purchase no later than February 26, 2026.
“Essentially means that, if all goes well, we’ll be closing on the purchase no later than February 26,” Lillard said.
The cooperative exercised its right of first refusal after being notified in mid-October that the landowners – Mad River Corp., the family of late owner Betsy Pratt and longtime associates – had received a $2.5 million offer from an outside conservation buyer. Under a deeded agreement dating back to 1995, the co-op had 30 days to match the offer.
The land in question stretches from Route 17 to the spine of the Green Mountains and from Mad River Glen to Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen. It includes backcountry terrain, wildlife habitat and watershed areas that have long been part of the ski area’s ecological and cultural footprint.
Lillard said that the Mad River Glen cooperative board would be meeting this Saturday, December 20, and would be setting a date for a special meeting and vote during which shareholders will vote whether or not to authorize the board to spend the funds raised for the purchase. That special meeting is expected to be in early February, Lillard said.
A previously discussed January 15 fundraising deadline is expected to be extended to January 31.
“That is mainly because it took us about two weeks to just hammer out the details of the purchase and sale,” Lillard said.
Those details included timing of the closing and a conservation commitment written into the agreement. Under the terms, the cooperative would acquire the land for mission-related purposes and work toward permanent conservation after the purchase.
Lillard said a land-use management plan will be developed after closing with input from shareholders and conservation and recreation groups.
Public access is expected to remain a priority, with the land open year-round for recreation. The cooperative would have up to two years after the purchase to finalize conservation and recreation plans.
“Ultimately, we’re going to have two years to determine that,” Lillard said. “We’re securing our future well beyond this generation and working 40 to 60 years down the road.”
The fundraising goal remains $2.5 million.
“We are over halfway there,” Lillard said.
Donations are being accepted through the nonprofit Stark Mountain Foundation. Contributions can be made at starkmountain.org or by emailing
More information about the land acquisition is available at madriverglen.com.
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