Town board hears state-mandated forest conservation updates; keeps non-applicable subsections in code

At a June 8 public hearing the Burgess and Commissioners reviewed Ordinance No. 26-06-01, state-mandated amendments to Forest Conservation regulations. Staff explained the updates strengthen forest conservation and include two subsections—Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and multi-family housing for single structures with at least 25 dwelling units—that the town does not currently apply. After discussion the board recommended leaving both subsections in the town code but including the parenthetical note “(This was not applicable in 2026.)” so the language will be on the books if conditions change.

Staff flagged that the reforestation ratio under these subsections was reduced from earlier rules. Members of the Sustainability Committee and the Planning Commission had emailed questioning why the changes were not routed for committee review; the board said these were state-mandated updates and therefore did not require committee-level review. The public hearing closed at 7:07 p.m., and the item is scheduled for final action on the June 22, 2026 agenda.