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Selectboard begins review of draft policy to clarify maintenance of legal trails and easements
Summary
The board reviewed a draft legal-trail maintenance policy to clarify roles between landowners, the Conservation Commission, and the Selectboard for trails on easements and decommissioned roads. Discussion was tabled for more time and refinement before a summer rollout.
Chair Pat Haller introduced a draft legal trail maintenance policy intended to clarify responsibilities for trails that are rights-of-way or easements but not located on town-owned land. Haller said the policy is meant to allow landowners to manage their sections of trail if they choose, with oversight from the Westford Conservation Commission (WCC); if standards are not met the WCC could bring issues back to the Selectboard for resolution. He said the policy could support needed trail maintenance this summer but that additional review was needed before adoption.
Board members generally favored taking more time to review the document. Selectboard member Deb Jorschick asked to table the discussion so members could thoroughly absorb the proposed language. Kati and Jim Anderson, who attended, said they appreciated the effort and urged the town to finalize a workable plan. The board did not adopt policy language at this meeting and left the item for a future agenda.
