Select Board endorses Mass Audubon memorandum restricting herbicide use near wellhead

The Town of Hampden Select Board voted May 19 to endorse a memorandum of agreement with Mass Audubon that prohibits chemical herbicide application on town property, bars herbicide use within Zone 1 wellhead protection areas, and allows only targeted cut‑stem herbicide treatments in the interim wellhead protection area on Audubon land.

Mass Audubon representative Tom (last name not provided) outlined the organization’s restoration plan for a pine‑oak woodland and said negotiations over the memorandum focused on a town request for a 500‑foot offset for herbicide use from the town well. “We’re fine with staying more than 200 feet away…but going out to 500 feet covers that entire swath including the parking lot area,” Tom said, explaining the constraint this would impose on invasive‑plant management in the trailhead and parking lot.

Brian (town staff) and Select Board members discussed protection zones and on‑property limits. The memorandum that the board considered states that Mass Audubon will not use chemical treatments on the town parcel, will not apply chemicals within Zone 1 of the town wells, and will only use cut‑stem herbicide application (no foliar spray) within the interim wellhead protection area; the agreement directs readers to an exhibit map for Zone‑1 and IWPA boundaries.

Select Board discussion emphasized that no herbicide use would occur on town property and that Zone 1 protections are sacrosanct. A consultant explained cut‑stem application as a targeted technique in which an applicator directly applies herbicide to the plant stem immediately after cutting; the board was told these treatments limit off‑target exposure. The Audubon team said their NRCS‑approved plan calls for chemical treatment only every other year in the outer interim zone and that chosen chemicals (e.g., glyphosate or triclopyr formulations) are intended for targeted application and breakdown in soil.

Motion and vote: A board member moved to “endorse the memorandum of agreement as amended with the Audubon Society.” The motion was seconded and the board voted in favor (roll call not recorded in transcript); the chair asked staff to finalize signature logistics.

Why it matters: The agreement defines where chemical tools can and cannot be used near a public water supply and sets practical terms for the Audubon restoration project while protecting the town’s wellhead. Select Board members and Audubon representatives said they will proceed with stewardship planning and a notice of intent to the Conservation Commission was anticipated.

Ending: The Audubon team said it will bring the conservation commission notice of intent and continue stewardship planning; the board directed staff to prepare the final memorandum and arrange signatures.