Boxborough Conservation Commission approves $5,000 grant match for Patch Hill invasive removal

BOXBOROUGH — February 4, 2026 — Boxborough Conservation Commission commits $5,000 to invasive management and backs $25,000 open space plan article. The commission voted unanimously at its February 4 meeting to appropriate $5,000 from its Conservation Trust Fund to match a SuAsCo CISMA grant for invasive species removal at Patch Hill Conservation Area, where contractor Oxbow will conduct a management plan and selective herbicide application targeting Asiatic bittersweet and burning bush, with a project deadline of October 31, 2026. Acting Chair David Koonce, filling in for absent Chair Liz Markiewicz, also led the board to a unanimous endorsement of a $25,000 Community Preservation Act warrant article — over a parallel $10,000 option — to fund the town's next Open Space and Recreation Plan update, with Associate Town Planner Ian Gilson noting that a 10-year plan could cost roughly $50,000 in total. On a third matter, Koonce raised concerns about the condition of turtle tunnels and habitat barriers on the Campanelli property on Beaver Brook Road, calling the monitoring consultant's report inadequate and proposing a formal public records request to the state Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program — a vote the commission tabled until Markiewicz returns.