Commission raises timber-harvesting and quarry impact concerns
Commissioner Neil O'Brien warned that current timber-harvesting rules could permit successive harvests by different owners that cumulatively cause deforestation; commissioners said quarry and wetland impacts may be beyond local control if state permits are issued.
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Commissioner Neil O'Brien urged the commission to review timber-harvesting language, asking whether a property owner who harvests the allowed percentage and then sells could allow a successor to harvest another percentage of the remainder and thereby permit substantial cumulative timber loss: "This could lead to significant deforestation over time." He argued the timber ordinance should be a "living document" to respond to invasive species and changing conditions.
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