Dunstable Select Board endorses Fish and Game purchase of 38 acres for wildlife habitat

DUNSTABLE -- February 4, 2026, Dunstable Select Board unanimously backs state acquisition of 38 acres for wildlife habitat. The board voted 3-0 at its February 4 meeting to send a letter of support for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game's proposed purchase of two parcels, a roughly 30-acre undevelopable tract on Lowell Street and an eight- or nine-acre wetlands parcel on Groton Street, identified as Locus Map Track Numbers 2026-12 and 2026-16. The Groton Street purchase will connect to the existing Uncanoonuc Brook Wildlife Management Area. The board also directed Town Administrator Jason to develop a formal employee health insurance opt-out proposal, noting Dunstable is one of only three comparable towns not offering such a program; payouts in peer communities range from $2,500 to $10,000 annually per employee. NIMCOG Executive Director Jenny Reid reported the agency helped Dunstable pursue roughly $777,000 in state funding last year on an annual membership assessment of $1,254. The board appointed Pavel Chesinski to the Capital Planning Committee and architect Lucas Sturm as an associate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, both to terms expiring June 30, 2026.