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Commission hears staff report of roughly 1,100 stumps at solar site; DEEP enforcement discussed
Summary
Staff reported approximately 1,100 stumps counted at a separate solar‑installation site, raising questions about overlap between state siting approvals and town oversight; the commission discussed referring enforcement to state authorities and following up with the forester managing the project.
During the staff‑correspondence portion of the June 22 meeting the commission reviewed a large tree‑clearing event tied to a solar project. A staff speaker reported that a DEEP or staff field count found "approximately 1100 stumps" at the site, a total that staff said likely exceeds thresholds for additional review.
Commissioners noted the project had Siting Council approvals at the state level and discussed jurisdictional overlap. One commissioner said the town has limited ability to stop work once some state approvals are in place, but recommended contacting the forester who managed the work and allowing DEEP to pursue enforcement if appropriate. Public works had previously swept tracked soil from adjacent roadways, which originally brought the matter to town attention.
The commission did not take enforcement action at the meeting; members asked staff to follow up with DEEP and the forester listed on the project file and to report back if DEEP pursues enforcement.
