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Commission advances work at Botelle School embankment; planting deferred
Summary
Volunteers and town staff cleared bittersweet and knotweed at the Botelle School embankment; planting is deferred until weather improves and Becky Eaton will coordinate wood-chip application and further treatments for mugwort, which cannot be treated with herbicide near the school. The commission noted about $160–$165 spent on black plastic for smothering mugwort.
Commission volunteers and town maintenance personnel have cleared substantial bittersweet and knotweed from the Botelle School embankment and flagged remaining invasive patches for follow-up. According to meeting notes, "Sean Mzullin mowed the full embankment as requested," and Becky Eaton will follow up with Troy from the Town crew to apply wood chips over remaining weeds and will stake the area to guide that work; planting is deferred until weather conditions improve.
The commission discussed non-chemical approaches because herbicide use is restricted near the school. Members recorded approximately $160–$165 spent on black plastic to smother a mugwort patch near the driveway and said they are considering a silage tarp for adjacent areas; they also noted uncertainty about long-term tarping effectiveness for mugwort and knotweed because rhizomes can persist beneath tarps. The commission assigned Becky to research whether an emergency exception could permit injection-based knotweed treatment in cases where infrastructure is threatened.
