Townsend Conservation Commission Tables Tree Removal Violation Spanning Six Properties

Conservation Commission · Meeting of January 28, 2026

Townsend Conservation Commission tables wetlands violation case after unauthorized tree removal hit six Townsend Harbor parcels. The commission voted at its January 28 meeting to defer action on a potential Wetlands Protection Act violation to its first March meeting, after Conservation Agent Colby Streeter documented stumps and cleared vegetation within 100- and 200-foot riverfront buffer zones on properties associated with the Townsend Historical Society, Hollingsworth and Bowes, and land leased from the MBTA by Squannacook Greenways. Chair James Gates called it "a major screw-up," and commissioners indicated a retroactive filing and a restoration plan will be required, with double fees possible.

In separate actions, the commission issued certificates of compliance for 73 Emory Road and the Squannacook Rail Trail, approved a negative 3 wetlands determination for a septic replacement at 10 West Elm Street with erosion-control conditions, and authorized two Mass Trails grant applications — a $1,000 regional planning match and an up-to-$20,000 application for a walking trail through Old Meeting House Park connecting to the rail trail.

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Source: the Conservation Commission meeting of January 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.