Bruce & Doreen Jones

Finding Balance in the Woods

For Bruce and Doreen Jones, owning a forest has always been a dream. After living over 20 years in California, they moved back east in 2018, ready for a change of pace—and ready to care for a piece of land they could manage themselves.

Their 260-acre property in Rochester, Vermont is a place where they are constantly learning, balancing forest health, wildlife habitat, pasture expansion, and recreation.

From the West Coast to the Green Mountains

Bruce and Doreen both lived in Vermont previously, but Doreen’s career moved them to California in the late 1990s. While out west, they volunteered with the National Park Service and other conservation groups, deepening their appreciation for land stewardship.

Still, Vermont always felt like home, and they missed New England’s seasons, open space, and quiet forests. In 2018, they returned, purchasing their land with the goal of actively managing it while keeping it wild.

A Multi-Use Forest

The Joneses’ property is enrolled in Vermont’s Current Use program and serves multiple purposes:

50 acres of meadow – Hayed by a local grass-fed beef farmer.
Recreational access – Bike and snowmobile trails cross portions of the land.
Wildlife habitat – The couple is working to maintain healthy woodlands for Vermont’s native species.

Balancing these different land uses has been one of their biggest learning experiences.

“How do you keep pastures open while ensuring wildlife thrives? How do you support recreation while protecting forest health?”

These are the questions Bruce and Doreen navigate as they develop their long-term stewardship plan.

A Big Step into Forest Management

This past winter, they took on their first major logging project, working with a forester and a logger to clear-cut select areas. The goal?

Expand pasture
Encourage natural forest regeneration

“We took a big swing with this project,” Bruce admits, but both he and Doreen were impressed by the care taken by their forestry team. They were particularly encouraged by their logger’s environmental awareness, learning that even in a business-driven industry, responsible forestry remains a priority.

While the stump removal and reseeding are still in progress, the project has already given them a new appreciation for forest management.

Lessons in Stewardship

Since purchasing the land, Bruce and Doreen have embraced a steep learning curve—from forest health to navigating Vermont’s Current Use program.

One of their biggest challenges? Invasive species.

Doreen has taken the lead in fighting chervil and barberry, working hard to remove them with minimal herbicide use.
The process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but they are committed to restoring the native ecosystem.

They also monitor wildlife, getting to know the creatures that call their woods home while working to enhance habitat for future generations.

Bruce and Doreen joined Vermont Woodlands Association (VWA) in 2018 and have found it to be an invaluable resource.

They regularly read the VWA newsletter to stay informed on forestry issues.
They attend events and workshops, including a logging event in Northfield, which gave them deeper insight into responsible timber harvesting.

Looking Ahead

Bruce and Doreen’s focus now is on:

Finishing their winter logging project
Starting the reseeding and reforesting process

Their long-term goal is simple but meaningful:

Maintain the land’s balance – Keeping the land productive for farming, healthy for wildlife, and accessible for recreation.
Continue learning – Understanding the best ways to support their forest’s natural processes.
Support the wild – Encouraging biodiversity and a thriving Vermont landscape.

Owning and managing 260 acres is no small task, but for Bruce and Doreen, the reward is in the process—learning, adapting, and growing alongside the land they love.