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DOT says roadside spraying is targeted and not using glyphosate in area; select board discusses buffers and opt-out agreements
Summary
The board shared details from a DOT contact that roadside spraying is done every other year, targets woody growth, uses three primary herbicides and adjuvants, and 'does not use glyphosate' for brush control in the reported area; the board discussed buffers, notification and property-owner opt-outs.
The board read and discussed a DOT email about routine roadside vegetation control after residents reported an unmarked commercial truck spraying along island roads.
Chair read portions of an email from 'Gus' at DOT explaining the program: applicators target specific woody plants in roadside buffers, work on a two‑year cycle, use low-pressure application to reduce drift, and offer individual vegetation-management agreements for property owners who do not want herbicide applied adjacent to their land. "We do not spray people's lawns or any location without specific targets," the Chair quoted from the DOT email.
The Chair also read the DOT statement that glyphosate is not used for the DOT brush-control program in that area, though it can be used for knotweed programs which were not active on the island. Board members said they were glad to learn the contractor was from DOT and that notification and buffer rules exist, and they discussed whether the town would want a DOT presentation to the public. "This program is done every other year," the Chair read, and DOT staff offered to present and answer questions.
Provenance: DOT program described and board discussion captured in the roadside spraying segment.
