Saving Mt. Ascutney: 10 reasons why

A group of citizens want to preserve the land around an ancient volcano known today as Mt. Ascutney. They present a 10-point justification to help motivate and move forward a plan to accomplish their conservation goals.

http://www.denpubs.com/Articles-c-2010-10-05-77709.114134-sub_Saving_Mt_Ascutney_10_reasons_why.html   
Saving Mt. Ascutney: 10 reasons why

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Saving Mt. Ascutney: Chris Harris, Barry Levas, Marybeth Reville, Willis Wood, Tina Wood, and George Ainley of the Weathersfield Land Preservation Association and Conservation Commission. Missing: Steve Aikenhead.
October 06, 2010
More than 122 million years ago, a giant intrusion of molten magma, called a pluton by geologists, formed deep below the surface of southeastern Vermont. Over the course of millions of years, feeder pipes coming off this subterranean cauldron of liquid rock forced their way through Precambrian basement gneisses and Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks to reach the surface. The pipes would pump several hundred cubic miles of seething magma to what probably was a giant volcanic complex far above. During a prehistoric moment in time of great mountain building and continental plate collisions, this mighty pluton spewed out its hellish contents onto the planet's surface in the form of molten rhyolite lava and lethal pyroclastic ash clouds.

By the time the dinosaurs died out, the pluton drained the last of its fiery belly; evidence of this magma mass's surface outpourings, as well as thousands of feet of crustal rocks, are long gone—slowly eroded away. Lost seasons of erosion left behind a giant peak of solid rock, seemingly frozen in time—at least to human eyes. Today, this once violent crucible—assigned by geologists to the White Mountain plutonic-volcanic series of igneous rocks—is better known as Mt. Ascutney.

Now a group of citizens affiliated with the Weathersfield Land Preservation Association are interested in preserving the modern natural scenic beauty and wildlife that surround this once mighty volcanic complex. These citizens have just established a 10-point justification that will help motivate and move forward a plan to accomplish their conservation goals. The idea is to raise needed funds from residents to help save Ascutney land that was privately owned.

Weathersfield Land Preservation Association's Steve Aikenhead likes to quote native Vermonter and former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge's wisdom; in fact, Silent Cal is now part of the "Top 10 Reasons to Save Mt. Ascutney".

Aikenhead and the Weathersfield group created the 10 reasons with sincerity, seriousness and just a dash of humor:

"1. It's just some beautiful lower slopes we're trying to save, not the whole mountain.

"2. Most of the funds needed have come from state and federal sources—let's get some of that money back for good causes here at home.

"3. The Weathersfield Land Preservation Association is donating $10,000 of the $30,000 needed in local funds, and pledges already received reduce the remaining need to $9,000.

"4. Do we really want to see a housing development on these undeveloped hills as we drive up Interstate 91?

"5. The Town of Weathersfield, and anyone visiting, will gain a town forest with public trails, a babbling brook, upland views, and a wetlands pond—310 lovely acres.

"6. Over 4/5 of all money received, all beyond taxes, legal fees, and administrative costs, will go to the Springfield Recreation Center, as specified in the last (land) owner's will.

"7. The frogs in the pond will thank you.

"8. The deer and other wildlife will thank you.

"9. Summer hikers and winter snow people will thank you.

"10. The thanks from all those who use the land will be forever (the Upper Valley Land Trust will make sure of that).

"11. This is a bonus reason, which can be used to replace any of the first 10 you don't like or as unexpected icing on the cake: President Calvin Coolidge in 1928 said, 'Vermont is a state I love. I could not look upon the peaks of Ascutney, Killington, Mansfield, and Equinox without being moved in a way no other scene could move me.'"

"Just like President Coolidge," according to Aikenhead, "the people who are trying to save the scenic slopes of Mount Ascutney are moved by the beauty of this mountain."

Check It Out: If you would like to help the Weathersfield Land Preservation Association raise the needed, remaining funds to save the foreslopes of Mt. Ascutney, make out a check to WLPA and mail it to: Bart Mair, Treasurer, 326 Henry Gould Rd., Weathersfield, Vt. 05151. If you have any questions or would like to know about volunteer opportunities, call Steve Aikenhead at 802-263-5439.