Conservation commission clears MBTA/Keolis vegetation management plan with conditions and map confirmation

The Norwood Conservation Commission on June 18 granted a determination allowing herbicide and mechanical vegetation management under the MBTA/Keolis five‑year vegetation management plan and confirmed the plan maps for that purpose, while stopping short of confirming resource-area boundaries in the southern section without a safety/site visit.

Matt (representative) described the five-year submission required by CMR 11 and explained that the plan divides the right-of-way into color-coded zones (roadbed treatment, brush treatments, and sensitive IWPA/DE/blue/yellow zones) and restricts brush applications in the mapped sensitive areas. The work uses certified applicators, and applicators deploy environmental monitors and operate spray trucks on tracks where permitted. Matt said contractors reported no record of mechanical work in the jurisdictional area in the prior five years.

Conservation staff recommended a mixed determination: allow herbicide spraying without further filing (negative determination for the work) but require notice of intent (NOI) for proposed mechanical vegetation removal in buffer zones. Staff also noted that the commission had not been able to confirm wetland boundaries in the field because of Federal Railroad Administration-required safety training to access tracks; the town had not funded that training for staff. Commissioners discussed using a non‑binding comment on the form to limit the confirmation to use under the vegetation-management plan and to require an FRA site‑access/training step before any broader confirmation of boundaries.

After discussion the commission voted to issue a positive determination under Form 2A (confirming the maps for the purpose of vegetation management) and a negative determination that the work included in the vegetation management plan is exempt from an NOI for that purpose, with the condition language proposed by staff and the applicant to limit the determination’s binding effect for other types of projects. Commissioners asked the applicant to provide the model language other towns have used and to email the proposed condition to staff.

The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Commissioners Kelsey Quinlan, Anil Persad and Kalima Mustapha Woodburg voted yes. The commission also encouraged staff to pursue the FRA-required training so the commission can confirm boundaries in the field in future reviews.