CONCORD, Mass. – Hermitage Inn Real Estate Holding Company, LLC is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to impact waters of the U.S. in conjunction with work at Haystack Mountain Ski Area in Dover, Vermont.

The applicant is proposing to place fill in 70,348 square feet (1.6 acres) of waters of the U.S. in conjunction with the rehabilitation of the existing ski area at Haystack Mountain and Hermitage Inn lands into a year-round resort, which will include ski lifts, adequate snowmaking facilities, recreational trails, approximately 550 residential homes, new Club House and amenities. An additional 5,554 square feet (0.13 acre) of forested wetland will be cleared.

The work also will involve the upgrade and expansion of the existing snowmaking system and additional trail coverage. The snowmaking improvements will involve the expansion of the existing Mirror Lake snowmaking pond, upgrade of the existing Cold Brook withdrawal, and construction of the new “Siegel Pond” snowmaking pond. The overall goal of the snowmaking improvements is to increase trail acreage from 147 aces to 193.3 acres and to increase snowmaking coverage on Haystack Mountain Ski Area from 127.4 acres, representing 87 percent of the current total of 147 acres of terrain, to 100 percent coverage of the proposed 193.3 acres of skiable terrain.

The work is proposed in various streams and wetlands adjacent to the existing Haystack Mountain Ski Area and Hermitage Inn off of Gate House Road in Dover. 

The public notice, with more specifics on the work proposed by the Hermitage Inn Real Estate Holding Company, LLC, can be viewed on the Corps website at www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands.

Public comments on the work proposed by Hermitage Inn Real Estate Holding Company, LLC (file #NAE-2005-2458) should be forwarded no later than Oct. 20, 2016 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Vermont Project Office (ATTN: Michael Adams), 11 Lincoln Street, Room 210, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Michael Adams at 802-872-2893 or 978-318-8485 or by email to michael.s.adams@usace.army.mil.