Mount Ascutney rises 3,000 feet above the town of West Windsor, Vermont. For generations, the ski resort at its base was the community’s center of gravity—until warming winters and a vanishing snowpack drove the resort out of business in 2010. Without a steady stream of visitors, property values dipped, local businesses faltered, and longtime West Windsor residents feared their town’s identity as a hub for outdoor recreation could fade away.

So a group of locals united behind a wild idea to save their mountain: they’d buy it.

Watch the film to find out how Trust for Public Land helped the people of West Windsor bring their ambitious plan to life:


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