Acton proposal would bar clearing of 1-acre-plus forest until permit is issued

Jim Snyder Grant, a member of the Acton Select Board, urged Town of Acton voters to approve Article 33, a proposed Tree Clearing Delay Bylaw that would generally prohibit clearing of one or more acres of forest unless and until a development permit is issued, he said in a presentation ahead of Town Meeting.

The bylaw would not ban clearing outright, Grant said. "It does not outright prohibit the clearing. It just requires a project to be permitted first, rather than clearing first without approval," he said, adding the measure is intended to prevent developers from removing trees before securing subdivision or site-plan approvals.

The bylaw targets larger development or redevelopment projects, with an explicit one-acre threshold and multiple exceptions, Grant said. Exemptions listed in his presentation include work on public land, agricultural activity,…