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Commission approves New England Power transmission‑line wetland replication plan with two‑year monitoring
Summary
The commission closed a joint hearing and approved plans for wetland replication tied to a large-scale A1B2 transmission-line refurbishment; the approval includes a 2:1 replacement ratio and two growing-season monitoring requirement.
The Gardner Conservation Commission voted to accept a wetland replication plan tied to a large‑scale refurbishment of New England Power’s A1B2 transmission line and closed the public hearing after added conditions for monitoring.
Lisa Portante, representing New England Power and BLC Group, told the commission the team identified a replication site closer to Pearlie Brook and added detail to the plans to ensure groundwater and surface elevations would support wetlands hydrology. “We were able to identify an area within actually closer to Pearlie Brook,” Portante said while describing the updated plan set.
Commissioners and consultants discussed access logistics, invasive species removal and plant composition. The plan proposes a 2:1 replication ratio to compensate for wetland fill — including areas classified as outstanding resource waters (ORWs) — yielding roughly 10,882 square feet of replication. The applicant will install temporary matting for construction access to avoid new impacts to adjacent wetland areas.
A commission member moved to accept the plan with a two‑year monitoring stipulation; the motion passed with commissioners voting in favor. “I make a motion we accept the plan, with the stip the 2 year stipulation,” one commissioner said during the meeting; another commissioner seconded and the chair called the vote. The commission added a standard condition requiring the seed mix and planting specifications be submitted prior to construction and asked staff to confirm the monitoring schedule.
The commission flagged the need for a written seed/plug specification and explicit monitoring plan to be filed before construction begins and requested documentation that the proposed species mix and plugs are appropriate for the adjacent wetland type. The applicant agreed to submit the final seed mix and monitoring schedule as a condition of approval.
The hearing was closed after the vote. The commission will review monitoring reports over the next two growing seasons as required in the approval conditions.
