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Conservation Restriction Committee selects Woodsman Inc. to prepare baseline report, notes $20,000 grant
Summary
The committee said the town received a $20,000 grant to support steps needed to record a conservation restriction and voted to hire Woodsman Incorporated to produce the required baseline documentation report. Members set a follow-up meeting for July 23 and asked staff to confirm grant terms and outstanding habitat-plan review status.
The Conservation Restriction Committee voted to hire Woodsman Incorporated to prepare the baseline documentation report (BDR) needed to place a conservation restriction on a multi-parcel property, and discussed a $20,000 grant the town received to cover baseline documentation, habitat-plan escrow and land stewardship costs.
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by the committee chair, who said the session was being recorded and uploaded to YouTube. The committee first approved the minutes of its May 14 meeting by roll-call vote.
During the budget-and-funding discussion, the chair reported that the town had received a $20,000 grant on June 22 from a regional rivers/stewardship council to cover work related to meeting the requirements for placing the conservation restriction, and said she would confirm the grant agreement details with Kieran. Committee members also noted an outstanding $3,500 legal-defense fundraising target that had been planned as a quilt fundraiser; they discussed that any unspent grant funds eligible under the award could reduce the need for that separate fundraiser.
On bids for the BDR, committee members reviewed three responses: two lower quotes at about $3,200 and one substantially higher proposal at $18,500. Members said the higher proposal likely reflected larger firm overhead while the lower quotes came from sole‑proprietor firms. Anna Wilkins, introduced earlier in the meeting as from North County Land Trust, said the smaller firms had successfully worked with the group before and offered confidence in their work.
"I move we choose the Woodsman Incorporated," Emily Fine said when proposing a contractor; another member seconded the motion. The committee carried the motion by roll-call vote, and the chair said she would notify Kieran that Woodsman was selected to proceed with the BDR.
The committee also discussed field survey activity at the site by Dyliss and Roy, with members noting neighbors on Horseshoe Drive had asked about the flagging and that the surveyor may already have completed fieldwork. Members asked if the surveyors could provide a GIS shapefile so the conservation restriction can be filed with MassGIS after recording.
Committee members set their next meeting for July 23 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was adjourned at 7:41 p.m. by unanimous roll-call vote of members present.
What the committee will do next: the chair will confirm whether the conservation restriction was submitted to town council, check the grant agreement details with Kieran, follow up on the outstanding habitat-management-plan review, and notify Woodsman Incorporated to begin BDR work when appropriate.
