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Acton adopts tree-clearing delay bylaw to deter pre-permit clearcutting
Summary
Town Meeting approved a tree-clearing delay bylaw prohibiting clearing one acre or more of forest on private land until required development permits are issued, and established restoration or payment requirements for unauthorized clearing.
Town Meeting voted to adopt a new “tree-clearing delay” bylaw that bars clearing an acre or more of forested land on private property unless the landowner has obtained an applicable development permit.
Select Board member Jim Snyder Grant, presenting the article, said the measure is designed to stop developers from stripping a parcel of trees before permits are reviewed and finalized. The bylaw does not create a new permitting step: proponents said it requires that clearing wait until a subdivision or site plan permit is granted rather than allowing premature removal. Exemptions include agricultural operations governed by a registered forestry plan, removal of diseased or blighted trees, emergency work and specified public entities. The Town Meeting…
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