Lakeville Open Space Committee plans landowner outreach; mailing costs and event logistics remain unresolved

The Town of Lakeville Open Space Committee agreed May 1 to move forward with a landowner outreach campaign that would mail state-produced pamphlets to owners of potentially conserved parcels and host an informational event for interested landowners.

Committee Chair David Salomas said the committee has received sample materials and that MassWoods (a state outreach partner) offered to supply brochures at no cost, but the committee must cover mailing and event expenses. Committee members discussed target lists, postage rates and volunteer/contract options for preparing mailings.

Why it matters: the outreach is intended to inform landowners about conservation tools such as Chapter 61 tax programs and permanent conservation options. Committee members said the work could lead to new conservation projects or referrals to regional land trusts.

Committee members and staff spent most of the meeting refining who should receive mailings. Options discussed included mailing to owners of parcels 10 acres and up, or 5 acres and up where parcels lie inside the committee—s priority protection areas (PPAs). The draft mailing list initially counted roughly 476 addresses; after removing public, town-owned and conserved parcels the working list was about 400 entries, subject to further deduplication and filtering.

The committee received cost estimates and operational cautions. A member reported a small test envelope with two sheets weighed enough to require a higher class of postage and that a post office estimate of $2.59 per mailing could make bulk postage the largest single expense. Members discussed pursuing town bulk-mail rates or a contracted mail service (Staples or similar) and noted both volunteer and paid options for printing and labeling envelopes.

MassWoods and local partners: the committee reported a recent call with a MassWoods representative and identified two potential presenters for a landowner event: a representative from Wildlands Trust and the state—s service forester. The committee also discussed using the library as a venue and including refreshments; organizers said they would plan an RSVP system but expect modest attendance — traditionally 20 to 30 respondents from large mailings.

Timing and next steps: committee members said they will continue to refine the mailing list, confirm bulk postage options, obtain printer bids and draft a cover letter for mailings. The committee expects to present a complete budget and a final recommended mailing cutoff at a future meeting; members said the aim is to be ready to conduct outreach ahead of the town—s fall meeting cycle if the budget allows.

Ending: the committee set follow-up tasks (finalize mailing list, check bulk-mail rates through the town, obtain two bids for printing/postage, and draft a cover letter) and will review postage and budget numbers at future meetings before authorizing any printing or mailing.