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Consultant recommends larger shrub planting and deer protection for wetland remediation; DEC mapping questions delay solar project review
Summary
Board reviewed LaBella consultant recommendations to increase wetland remediation planting from 29 to 48 shrubs, remove a deer-vulnerable species, and add fencing or repellents; members asked for a revised planting plan and written DEC guidance because new DEC wetland mapping could affect a related solar project.
The board reviewed a consultant report and recommendations on Jan. 7 concerning wetland remediation plans prepared by LaBella (project consultant) for a site that had recent clearing in support of a solar project now on hold.
The consultant (Sonya, representing reviewer comments) recommended increasing shrub plantings in the delineated wetland area from 29 to 48 shrubs, removing one species judged vulnerable to deer browse (transcript used a name that the staff asked to verify) and adding non-plastic fencing or repellents to reduce deer impacts. LaBella's representative said they could quickly revise the planting plan to add the suggested shrubs, replace the vulnerable species and show fencing locations.
Board members and staff also raised unresolved questions that could delay the solar project: new DEC wetlands regulations and mapping effective as of Jan. 1, 2025 may expand state-regulated buffers in some locations (board members described the change as mapping that increases buffers from 100 feet to a wider range in selected areas). Staff asked LaBella to secure written confirmation from DEC or the Army Corps as needed to clarify whether the area is considered state-regulated wetland under the new maps.
Why it matters: The planting plan and the DEC jurisdictional question are prerequisites to advancing the solar project and to ensure the remediation area is properly planted and protected from deer damage. The board recommended continuing the item to the Feb. 3 meeting so the consultant can provide a revised planting plan and any required agency determinations.
Next steps: LaBella to deliver an updated planting plan (48 shrubs, replacement species, fencing/repellent recommendation) and to provide written documentation of agency determinations or correspondence confirming whether DEC jurisdiction applies. The board said it would continue the matter to Feb. 3 to allow the updates and any DEC responses to be reviewed.
