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Conservation commission signs off on Keolis wetland maps and issues negative determination for vegetation-management work
Summary
The Needham Conservation Commission voted to accept railroad wetland mapping under a positive 2A determination and issued a negative determination for the commuter-rail vegetation management plan after hearing how chemical applications and mechanical methods are limited in sensitive zones.
The Needham Conservation Commission on March 13 accepted mapping for Keolis Commuter Rail and issued a negative determination for the company’s five-year vegetation management plan, actions the company needs before submitting its operational plan to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
The commission’s action came after Matt Donovan, representing Keolis, described a program that uses two annual road‑bed herbicide applications (late spring and late summer) delivered by a spray truck running directly on the track, plus additional brush-control work outside sensitive areas. Donovan said sensitive zones identified on the maps are restricted under CMR 11 and that the company uses only materials on the state’s approved “sensitive area” list for those locations.
Why it matters: Under state rules cited by Keolis (CMR 11), operators must limit chemical use in and…
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