Commission flags encampment, unauthorized trails and erosion at Malley Farm; awaits Fish & Wildlife assessment

Conservation Commission members reported new, unauthorized trail construction, erosion and an encampment at Malley Farm (referred to in the meeting as “Malley Farm”), and agreed to await the outcome of a Fish & Wildlife assessment before finalizing a management plan. Commission member Doug Breyer said he and staff member Kevin walked the site and found what they described as an encampment with corrugated steel, fireplaces and tarps, as well as numerous new bicycle-style trails, cut saplings used to build berms and jump features that have scoured steep slopes and increased erosion. Members also noted a newly built footbridge across a brook at a planned bridge location; the structure used deck-like material and was described as no worse than the prior log crossing but not as a permanent engineered solution. The commission said Fish & Wildlife has accepted an assessment bid and that the commission will hold off on formal remediation until that process is complete. The police department asked for clearer coordinates for the encampments so officers can locate and inspect the sites; staff agreed to provide more precise location details or to walk the site with police if needed. No enforcement action or removal was taken at the meeting; members said they would incorporate Fish & Wildlife’s recommendations into a formal plan and continue monitoring for further trail-building and erosion.