Bear Notch Road , West Fairlee, VT 05083(Orange County)

As with many areas of Vermont, the property has been shaped by its former uses, including an intensive period of farming and homesteading. Today, many of the forest stands naturally became established after farming ended on the property in the early 1900s, and many forest stand boundaries are well-defined along stone walls and wire fences. The property is defined by the Bear Notch valley at its center. The majority of acreage sits within this valley which is drained by Bear Notch Brook. The western section of the land rises to Wormwood Hill, where much of the red oak reserves can be found. The propertys extreme eastern area hosts some of the best sugar maple stands but also includes a pine stand. Terrain is dominated by moderate to steep slopes, although fairly level terrain exists off Beaver Meadow Road and at the propertys center along Bear Notch Road.

Bear Notch Forest was a multi-decade work-in-progress for its owner who started a family lumber business after returning from World War II in 1946. Today, the forest is almost equally hardwoods and softwoods with a strong population of sugar maple as well. A 2015 inventory calculated a forest-wide commercial acreage of 1,091 and high stocking of both total volume and acceptable quality stems. In addition, Capital Timber Value is calculated to be $1,380,600 ($1,202/total acre).