Shutesbury Commission Holds Pre-Bid Session for Lake Wyola Trail Overhaul

Conservation Commission · Meeting of January 30, 2026

Shutesbury Conservation Commission fields pre-bid questions on a $75,900 Lake Wyola trail improvement project. Commission Chair Beth and Commissioner Scott Kahn held a Zoom pre-bid session January 30 for the two-phase design-build project, funded largely through a $72,900 Community Preservation Act grant, that aims to repair deteriorating bridges, address wetland resource damage, and improve trail alignments on commission-managed land. Prospective contractors from SWCA Environmental Consultants, Northeast Trail Works, Ty and Bond, and Saladino Project Property Maintenance attended.

David Alden St. Pierre of Northeast Trail Works raised the possibility of wholesale trail reroutes rather than in-place repairs, with the commission indicating openness to realignments that move trail out of resource areas. St.

Pierre also flagged that Lake Wyola carries a state Priority Habitat of Rare Species designation covering a small portion of the trail, prompting the commission to acknowledge it would need to coordinate with the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program before permitting. The first design deliverable is now targeted for June 1 after the contract award window was extended to 60 days.

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Source: the Conservation Commission meeting of January 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.