Commission issues positive '2A' boundary determination for Amtrak vegetation plan

Tom Lewis, representing Tech Associates on behalf of Amtrak, told the Springfield Conservation Commission that Amtrak’s vegetation management plan (VMP) expired at the end of last year and that the railroad is preparing a renewal now in a 45-day public comment period. Lewis said he updated maps this year to reflect revised GIS layers for water-supply recharge areas and the Natural Heritage priority-habitat layer and asked commissioners to review the maps and raise any questions.

Lewis said the VMP requires a municipal determination of the boundaries of wetland and water-supply resource areas along the Amtrak right-of-way and that products used for vegetation control vary year to year. “They can only use products that are listed on the state's sensitive-area material list, which is for buffer zones and sensitive water-supply recharge areas,” Lewis said.

Commissioners asked about herbicide names and whether imazapyr or other products would be used. Lewis responded that operational details and product lists are set annually in the yearly operational plan and that the commission should have received the current plan for public review.

After discussion, the commission closed the public hearing and moved to issue a positive 2A determination agreeing to the delineated boundaries for the Amtrak right-of-way vegetation-management plan. The motion passed on a roll-call vote.

What happens next: the VMP remains in its public-comment period and the municipality's positive 2A determination becomes part of the record the applicant will submit with the renewed plan.