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Wildlife observer Marian Harman voiced concerns about the forestry report under consideration by the Conservation Commission for the 286-acred parcel known as East Boston Camps.
“There’s a very large swath of land between the road that goes up to the camp and Keyes Brook. So that very large area is all considered to be protected on the master plan map…that should not be logged, according to the master plan,” Harman said at the May 22 meeting. “I noticed in the logging report it does call for thinning there which would be a disturbance to that area which should be protected.”
Harman, who writes a wildlife column for a local newspaper, referred to the 2007 East Boston Camps master plan, saying some of the recommendations from the master plan and the forestry report do not match.
She recommended that the commission allow comments on the draft forestry plan before it is adopted.
But Commissioner Jim Gozzo said the goals for the forestry plan and the master plan are almost identical.
Chairman Peter Mahler noted that the plan was written by forestry consultants who met state requirements.
“We put forth the goals of what we wanted to see,” Mahler said. “And then they came up with a plan. Whether we’re going to implement anything within that plan is up to us.”
Mahler said the commission will hold a public hearing before any part of the forestry plan is implemented.
Watch the entire Conservation Commission meeting at westfordcat.org.
