WCAX is reporting Alan Ritter appeared at a status conference today regarding the legal proceedings. Paul Poulin was not at the conference in Newport, VT. The article suggests that both alleged cutters confessed to game wardens about the destruction of state property after initially denying the charges. Both men have plead not guilty to the charges. The damage is estimated at $48,000 not including labor. The men face up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines if convicted.

• WCAX Article: Alleged Trail Blazers Hit a Road Block

WCAX has picked up an Associated Press report regarding the two men charged with cutting trees on Big Jay. According to the article, Paul Poulin and Alan Ritter pleaded not guilty to felony charges of destroying state property. The judge ordered both men to stay away from Big Jay during the pending phase of their case.

• WCAX Article: Accused ski trail vandals ordered to stay away from Big Jay

Burlington Free Press has posted an online multimedia report depicting the damage done on Big Jay. The photos presented show a cleared trail approximately twenty feet wide in most sections. Pictorial evidence suggests that the cutting was done using chainsaws. Stumps as large as a foot in diameter are presented in the presentation.

Burlington Free Press Multimedia Report on Big Jay 

The Times Argus is reporting that two men were arrested for allegedly cutting a trail on Big Jay to be used for downhill skiing. Big Jay is part of the Jay State Forest. Skiers from neighboring Jay Peak Resort regularly access Big Jay via a ridge connecting the two peaks. The two men local to the area are charged with destruction of state property which is a felony charge carrying a maximum sentence of $5,000 fine and five years in jail.

Times Argus Article