Conway Select Board Postpones Finance Session, Flags DCR Acquisition of 107.7 Acres

CONWAY -- February 2, 2026, Conway Select Board flags DCR interest in 107.7 forested acres and $775,000 in pending grants. The board met briefly Monday, February 2, receiving notice that the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is considering acquiring 107.7 acres of privately owned forested land in Conway for conservation and recreation purposes; a parcel map will be posted to the town website. Town Administrator reported that Senator Mark Forrest's $75,000 earmark for Shelburne Falls was signed that evening, and that a meeting with the USDA is pending on a $700,000 earmark for a fire truck. The board's joint budget session with the Finance Committee, originally set for that night, was pushed to February 9 at 6 p.m. to allow time for additional budget information and to accommodate the town clerk's absence due to illness. A board member raised the question of proactive outreach to landowners on a proposed Blue Wave solar and battery storage project, noting the property is likely enrolled in Chapter 61A and carries a town right of first refusal; no action was taken but the Town Administrator agreed to consult land-use counsel Donna Wood.