Shutesbury adopts first conservation land rules
Conservation Commission · Meeting of September 10, 2026
Shutesbury Conservation Commission adopts its first rules for town conservation land, 5-0. The regulations, drafted with input from the police chief and town counsel, cover roughly 162 acres including the Southbrook conservation area and a new parcel off Pelham Hill Road, setting fines of $100, $200 and $300 for repeat violations. Resident Michael DiPierro, also a Planning Board member, pushed to strip out hunting as a permitted use, calling it the only activity with a "public safety" impact and urging a town meeting warrant article instead.
The commission kept hunting and fishing allowed by default "in accordance with state law" but added language letting it post specific areas closed to hunters, a mapping project targeted for around November. The same meeting approved, 5-0, a small project permit for Tricia Wanko at 35 Weatherwood Road to remove two dead trees near a wetland.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,628 words
Source: the Conservation Commission meeting of September 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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