Infrastructure Committee hears forest-management plan for Essex Woods; staff names contractors for two city forest properties

City staff asked the Infrastructure Committee on June 15 to approve a 10-year forest management plan for Essex Woods that would run from June 15, 2026, to June 15, 2036, and described steps the city plans to take to protect recreation areas, water resources and habitat while addressing an aging capped landfill on the site.

Sophie (first name only in the transcript), a city presenter, told the committee Essex Woods is about 113 acres near I‑95, hosts mountain‑biking trails and a dog park, and contains a landfill capped in the 1960s that was not built to modern standards. "There are some places that are hazardous to recreators at this time," Sophie said, and staff has consulted with the state environmental regulator to develop remediation and safety steps.

The plan emphasizes forest health, invasive‑species control (including a substantial Japanese knotweed problem), pest monitoring (red pine scale, emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid), and periodic boundary surveys: "It's made up of nine different parcels," Sophie said, and staff recommends reestablishing internal boundaries and monitoring them on a five‑year schedule to prevent encroachment and unauthorized clearing.

Ben (Benjamin Bridal), City of Bangor project manager, summarized the broader forest‑operations work and contractor selection for two city properties. He said staff solicited estimates from three commercial timber contractors and chose Prentice and Carlisle for work on Roland Perry City Forest (reported at about 680 acres) and a former gravel pit property in Winterport (described as just under 200 acres). Bridal said the city will cap forestry expenses at no more than $25,000 out of an existing $57,000 annual budget and cautioned that, because of current costs such as diesel, harvests are unlikely to fully fund other services.

Sophie told the committee staff recommended no commercial timber harvesting at Essex Woods over the next 10 years except where harvesting would be used to promote forest health or public safety. The plan also proposes a 3–5 year pruning cycle, invasive‑plant removal, enhanced signage and educational materials, trail improvements guided by the Outdoor Sports Institute, and future repair or repurposing of the Powell Building for city or nonprofit use.

Committee members asked about site features tied to the landfill—fencing and vents—and Sophie said staff had located a 1971 letter describing past proposals to remediate the site and is coordinating remediation steps with the state regulator. The transcript refers to consultations with "DEB" and also references "DEP"; the record uses both forms.

A committee member asked whether council action was required to adopt the plan; someone in the meeting said, "So moved." The transcript contains no recorded second or roll‑call vote, and the chair closed the meeting at 06:49 PM. The transcript therefore does not record a formal vote outcome.

What happens next: staff said it will provide the final plan and supporting documentation for council approval. The transcript did not document a formal adoption vote or a schedule for the council to take a recorded vote.