ASHFIELD – The Parks Commission has decided to drop the idea of banning gasoline-powered boats from Ashfield Lake, after hearing from many residents during a recent Parks Commission meeting.
“Democracy is working, and the community was able to come up with an understanding about how to use the lake,” said Parks Commission Chairwoman Helene Leue. “The lake is used for a variety of purposes, and it’s really important that everyone cooperate in making sure that gas doesn’t leak into the lake.”
She said the commission decided that a step to ban gasoline-powered boats on the lake “was not necessary or practical,” after discussing the issue at the meeting.
On Sept. 17, the Parks Commission gave the Selectboard a petition, signed by 58 residents, to ban gasoline-powered boats from the 37-acre lake. Besides 5 horse-power motorboats that use gasoline, snowmobiles and gas-powered augurs to drill holes in ice-fishing season are used on the lake.
Those uses were not discussed in meeting with the Selectboard.