Bedford’s Conservation Commission on June 24 authorized staff to work with Joppa Hill Farm to develop an integrated vegetation management plan and to apply for Moose Plate grant funding to implement the plan’s first phase.

Staff described longstanding issues at Joppa Hill Farm (also referred to as the farm in commission materials): invasive understory growth that obscures stone walls and fence lines, hampers fence electrification, and prevents equipment access to maintain pasture edges. The commission heard that mechanical mowing and selective herbicide use, followed by a maintenance mowing program, would be the proposed approach. Staff said they had walked the property with Mike Gagnon of the UNH Cooperative Extension and Doug Sion, the state pesticide coordinator, to scope work and identify priorities.

Commission members noted alternatives and complementary approaches, including rotational grazing and the use of goats and sheep to reduce vegetation, and asked that herbicide use be minimized and targeted. A commissioner described the project as having three priorities: maintain open pasture, control invasives (notably bittersweet in stone walls and brush along fence lines) and address trail erosion where runoff carries sediment downhill into neighboring Amherst.

Staff told the commission that the first phase would focus on the most urgent locations and that volunteers and farm staff would support work. The commission moved to authorize staff to pursue the development of an integrated vegetation management plan and to apply for Moose Plate funding in coordination with the farm; the motion passed with a second. Commissioners discussed outreach and education about herbicide use and agreed to emphasize low‑impact methods where feasible.

Why it matters: the plan aims to restore pasture fencing, improve trail drainage, reduce invasive species and enable long‑term maintenance at a working farm that hosts trails and grazing. The commission framed the work as both ecological management and an opportunity for public education about invasive species control.

Next steps: staff will work with farm staff and UNH extension to prepare the Moose Plate grant application, develop a phased management plan and identify equipment and contractor needs for mechanical clearing, herbicide treatments where necessary, and a maintenance mowing program.