2 hours ago
Lee — The Select Board saw “green” during their March 17 meeting after signing multiple letters, resolutions, and other documents touting the group’s focus on protecting the environment and public health within the town’s borders.
Farmland Protection Plan (FPP) Letter of Commitment
The first measure meeting the board’s approval—a letter announcing Lee’s commitment to protecting local farmland—presented a novel approach. If the action moves forward, the town will be among the first municipalities in Berkshire County and the state to entertain a program ensuring that designated farmland remains “intact and viable” for generations to come. Presented by Town Planner Brooke Healy as “a fantastic idea,” the effort is being made in conjunction with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission that is also targeting Williamstown and Adams for the program.
In the wake of the Commonwealth’s depletion of agricultural land and farms, the Farmland Protection Plan (FPP) is crafted similarly to a town’s master plan and permanently protects farmland so that property is not converted to other land uses. According to the state’s website, between 1997 and 2022, the state “lost 113,000 acres [of farmland], or about 3.7 times the size of the Boston area,” and is projected to be diminished by another 50,000 to 89,000 acres as counted between 2016 and 2040. The depletion is due to rising farmland costs that price out new entrants and the tenuous financial sustainability of the profession.
The grant-funded program will include taking an inventory of farmland, assessing future trends in farming, and developing plans plans to assist and save local agriculture.
The Lee Agricultural Commission is hosting a free presentation on “Farming in the Berkshires” on April 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lee Middle High School Cafeteria, 300 Greylock Street.
A copy of the FPP Letter of Commitment can be found here.
Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGAR) resolution
The SGAR resolution reinforces the town’s policy of not implementing lethal chemicals to deter rodents. Although the method is effective, Healy called its impact on the local ecosystem “atrocious.” Other wildlife consume the infected rodents, resulting in exposure to the deadly treatment. Secondary poisoning in pets, such as dogs and cats, because of the practice has also been noted, “consequences people don’t perceive,” she said.
The resolution recognizes the ecological risks associated with the practice and restates Lee’s commitment to ward off nuisance animals on town property using integrated pest management methods that, instead, secure food away from potential invasion.
For local birder John Felton, the action illustrates Lee’s stance on the use of the deadly rodenticides despite the chemicals being available to private property owners. “It’s really important for the town to set a positive example,” he said.
A copy of the SGAR resolution can be found here.
Large-scale renewable energy moratorium
In an effort to lower energy bills, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s March 16 Executive Order set goals intended to bring more clean energy into the state. As the Commonwealth hurries toward expanding large-scale renewable energy resources such as offshore, wind, and solar projects, municipalities are now required to establish bylaws by October 1 corresponding to these efforts, including a system to accept relevant permit submissions.
To date, no aligned projects have been proposed for the town, Healy told the dais, but inquiries have been made. However, that day may be coming, and Lee does not have any permitting regulations on the books pertaining to renewable energy projects, especially if a developer approaches officials proposing a less desirable project.
State guidelines as to how those local bylaws should be drafted have yet to be published. The Select Board’s approval of a six-month moratorium on large-scale renewable energy proposals allows time for the state to submit relevant documents detailing what is and is not allowed in the local process. Since the moratorium constitutes a zoning bylaw amendment, the action will be put to residents at an upcoming town meeting.
“We’re not against development, but at the right place, at the right time,” Healy said.
A copy of the moratorium language can be found here.
Installation of wireless smart meters resolution/moratorium
After taking up issues surrounding Eversource’s rollout of smart meters in the Berkshires over several sessions, Select Board members approved a resolution requesting a moratorium on the installation of smart meters in Lee and affirmed support for residents to be allowed to opt out of the replacement of their current devices without a charge. Previously, energy company representatives stated the utility would add a $34 monthly fee to the invoices of customers who choose not to have their meters replaced with smart meters.
The action stems from allegations that such meters are a hazard to public health by constantly pulsing radio frequencies, pose a fire risk, result in higher bills, and constitute an invasion of privacy by sending out data minute by minute. Eversource has consistently denied these claims, advocating that the new meters are more efficient and a cost savings since they obviate the need for technicians to drive by customer sites to read the devices.
A copy of the smart meter resolution can be found here.
A community forum discussing smart meters is set for 6 p.m. on March 23 at the Lee Middle High School Auditorium, 300 Greylock Street.
