Shutesbury Conservation Commission Reviews First Draft Rules for Town Conservation Lands

SHUTESBURY -- May 28, 2026, Shutesbury Conservation Commission takes first detailed pass at draft land-use regulations. The commission spent the majority of its May 28 meeting reviewing a draft set of rules for the town's conservation lands, a document modeled on regulations from other Massachusetts towns and assembled by land management consultant Scott roughly 18 months ago. Key discussions centered on snowmobile trail designation, a proposal to expand resource-damage prohibitions to cover unauthorized removal of objects and animals as well as vegetation, and the contentious question of on-leash versus voice-control standards for dogs, an issue Chair Beth Wilson and Town Administrator Mateo agreed to hold for Town Counsel review. The commission voted 5-0 to continue an open public hearing on a notice of intent at 36 South Laurel Drive to June 11, the same meeting at which bids for Southbrook trail management work will be opened; the submission deadline for those bids is June 10 at noon, with a prospective-bidder site visit set for 4 p.m. June 5.