*****This web site is currently Under Construction*****
FEMA Preliminary Map Changes:
Sturbridge Conservation Commission News & Information:
Click here for a map of Conservation Land. Please be patient, the file will take a few minutes to open due to its size.
*NOTE TO APPLICANTS: The Department of Environmental Protection released a NEW Notice of Intent Form 3 on March 1, 2008 concurrently with the newly released Stormwater Regulations. Applicants are responsible for submitting up-to-date Notice of Intent forms with applications submitted after March 1, 2008. New forms are available on the MA DEP Web site at http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/approvals/wpaform3.doc
*Please combine the new form 3 with application materials located in the 'Forms and Applications', 'NOI Application Forms' section of this web site.
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STU-002 bro_R4.pdfClick for a Brochure of the Heins Conservation Land
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CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS:
The Sturbridge Conservation Commission is always seeking volunteers for ongoing trails projects on Open Space. If you are interested in volunteering please contact the Conservation Commission Commission office at 508-347-2506 or email Erin Jacque, Conservation Agent at ejacque@town.sturbridge.ma.us
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Forest Stewardship Walk/Hike
Leadmine Mountain Conservation Land
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Agenda
9:30 a.m. Welcome
Elisa Cambell – Sierra Club
· Tick Prevention
· Other topics of importance
Erin Jacque – Conservation Agent
· Recreation
· Regeneration Harvesting
· Shelterwood
· Patch Cutting
· Low Thinning with treatment to encourage Old Growth Characteristics
· Clearing for Invasive Species Control
· Early Successional Habitat
Mike Downey - Forest Stewardship Program Service Forester
· Establishing Landowner goals (enhancing quality of timber, generation of income, produce firewood, promote habitat diversity, improve recreation, etc.)
· How forest cutting can improve habitats
· The importance of managing MA Forests – losses of land to development
· Opportunities for wood products – Green Certified
· Educational Opportunities
Return to vehicles 12:30 p.m.
THANK YOU TO ALL VOLUNTEERS PAST & PRESENT!
Thank you to all volunteers who participated in the Trails Committee Family Fun Day on June 5, 2010
at the Hein's Conservation Area
Thank you to all volunteers who participated in the Conservation Departments May 16, 2010
ADOPT-A-TRAIL PROGRAM OPENING DAY TRAIL CLEAN UP
Thank you to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints youth group volunteers for participating in our Annual Earth Day Trash Clean Up
Thank you to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints youth group volunteers for the valuable trail work completed on June 27, 2009
(See the newspaper article above)
Thank you to Darcy Foley and the Environmental Science students at Tantasqua for their great work on the Erosion Control Project at Hamant Brook.
Thank you to the Carpentry students and teachers at Tantasqua High School for their great work on the bridges!!
Left: New kiosk with map boxes at the Hein's Farm Conservation Land parking area.
Right: Dick LaFranchise, Public Lands Advisory Committee Chairman standing beside the new kiosk with map boxes at the Leadmine Mountain Conservation Land parking area.
National Public Lands Day
September 27, 2008
Volunteers at Heins Farm Conservation Area on Leadmine Road and Leadmine Mountain Conservation Land
Photographs from the June 7, 2008 National Trails Day Ribbon Cutting Celebration at
Heins Farm Conservation Area on Leadmine Road  
STURBRIDGE HEINS FARM TRAIL RIBBON CUTTING
Sturbridge, MA, June 6, 2008 – The Sturbridge Conservation Commission would like to thank all of the individuals, companies/business and organizations that made generous donations of volunteer service, work hours, machinery/equipment time for the Hein’s Farm Trail improvements on Leadmine Road in Sturbridge. This year for National Trails Day the Conservation Commission, Public Lands Advisory Committee and Trails Committee decided to improve/expand the trails system at the Hein’s Conservation Area on Leadmine Road. Efforts were made by Committee members to solicit volunteer labor, donated equipment and donations of funds to make the project happen. Because of volunteers this project has been a success.
The associated Committees will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony this Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the work, time and efforts made by all the volunteers and donors to improve and expand the trail system. The citizens of Sturbridge, and visitors to the trails in Sturbridge will appreciate all of the hard work that was put into this project for years to come. As we all know public funds for projects like this are limited, and this project was no exception. This project would not have been possible without the generous contributions these individuals, companies/business and organizations have made.
List of Donors and contributors below:
Significant donations:
Northern Tree Service
Ciesla Construction Company
New England Land and Lumber Company/ Herb Holden Trucking Company
Donations:
Stan Kaitbenski Construction
Soper Construction
Dave Kaitbenski Construction
Caron Construction Company
Sturbridge Rotary Club
Howlett Lumber Co.
K E Farm
Butch Jackson
Tony Crane
George Hammond
Joe Ostrenga
Tom Chamberland
Sturbridge Trail Committee:
Pat McGarrah Chair
Randy Redetzke
Sturbridge DPW: Installed 60’ of trail and hauled materials.
And the over 24 residents who, combined with the above have contributed over 250 hours of labor and $31,257.00 in value of equipment and materials.
Sturbridge Conservation Commission Information:
Conservation Commission meetings and hearings are held first and third Thursdays in Veterans Hall-2nd Floor of the Town Hall. Meetings begin at 7:00 pm, public hearings begin at 7:30 pm and the public is welcome to attend all meetings and hearings. Meetings which fall on holidays are automatically cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Applications for public hearings are due three weeks in advance of the meeting you wish to attend. Agendas or changes to the regular meeting schedule will be posted on the Town Clerks Bulletin Board, the Commission Bulletin Board and on the Town Web Site Bulletin Board at least 48 hours in advance of a scheduled meeting.
The Conservation Commission administers the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (MG.L. Chapter 131, Section 40), The Rivers Protection Act and related regulations as well as the Town of Sturbridge Wetland Bylaws, Regulations and Policies. The purpose of these regulations, policies and bylaws is to protect the wetlands, related water resources and adjoining land areas (buffer zones) in Sturbridge. This is done by monitoring and reviewing activities jurisdictional to the Sturbridge Conservation Commission through the permit application process. The Conservation Commission reviews projects that will likely have a significant or cumulative effect upon resource area values.
Wetland resource areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission are not always apparent. Any proposed activity that may remove, fill, dredge or alter a wetlands resource area is subject to Conservation Commission approval. Wetlands that are subject to protection under the bylaw and regulations include banks, beaches, isolated wetlands, marshes, wet meadows, bogs swamps, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, intermittent streams, seasonal wetlands, land under any of the above water bodies, land subject to flooding and land within 200 feet of any of the above areas.
The purpose of Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act is to protect the following eight interests: public and private water supplies, protect ground water, provide flood control, storm damage prevention, prevention of pollution, protection of land containing shellfish, protection of fisheries and protection of wildlife habitat. The Sturbridge Wetlands Bylaw is intended to provide more stringent wetlands and natural resource protection which also serves to protect/provide erosion and sedimentation control, protection of water quality, protection of rare species habitat, protection of recreational values, and protection of agriculture and aquatic activities.
The Commission has sponsors an annual Lakes Monitoring Program, and administers an annual Earth Day trash clean up.
This page is a work in progress. If you can not find information or would like to see something posted that is not here, please email or give us a call. Contact information is posted at the top of this page. Thank you
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