Pownal conservation commission to present Poland Range Road Town Forest easement to Selectboard

The Pownal Conservation Commission will present a proposed easement for the Poland Range Road parcels to the Selectboard on March 9, commission members said at their Feb. 24 meeting. Chris Franklin, director of the Royal River Conservation Trust, said RRCT’s board has given formal approval to move ahead and that he will deliver a draft easement to Selectboard members by Monday, March 2.

Why it matters: The commission decided to call the parcels the Poland Range Road Town Forest and is seeking to clarify title on a parcel that, Franklin said, was taken by the town in the 1960s for unpaid taxes; the minutes do not identify that parcel by number. Franklin emphasized the town will retain authority over the land for future decisions about parking and trails and that the current forest management plan will remain in place; the easement language is expected to differ from the Elmwood Road easement because there are not existing trails on the Poland Range parcels.

What was discussed: Members debated whether a completed draft would be required when the commission first appears before the Selectboard; Wellens King referenced February 2024 minutes that suggested a completed draft was expected at first presentation. The commission also discussed how to treat a portion of the property currently used for town gravel storage: Franklin said the town could continue to use that area but that subdividing it into a separate lot would be costly. Bob Van Milligan reviewed an outline of key points the commission should present to the Selectboard.

Procedural next steps: Franklin said he will provide a draft by March 2 and send it to Selectboard members. The commission scheduled public hearings for April 13 and April 27. The Feb. 24 minutes record that the January meeting minutes were approved as written; no roll-call vote or tally is recorded in the minutes.

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.