AMHERST — A nearly 30-mile Eversource project to remove trees and shrubs along its right of way across 11 communities, from Northfield to Ludlow, will be discussed on Tuesday, April 14.
Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, and Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, have organized the community meeting that starts at 6 p.m. in the Town Room at Amherst Town Hall.
The idea is to get an overview of what is known as the WT-11 Transmission Right-of-Way Reliability Program Project, which will impact 29.3 miles of right of way, starting in Northfield and continuing in Erving, Wendell, Montague, Leverett and Shutesbury in Franklin County. In Hampshire County, the project impacts Pelham, Belchertown, Amherst and Granby, and work ends in Ludlow.
In these areas, Eversource has a powerline corridor that is between 125 and 335 feet wide, with plans to clear 278 acres and widen those corridors to 252 to 576 feet wide. The plan would remove all species of trees and shrubs with mature heights of greater than 30 feet.
While the formal public comment period for this proposal closed in November, Domb wrote in a Facebook post that she and Comerford “wanted to organize this additional opportunity for community members to learn more, ask questions and share their perspectives.”
The meeting follows a December meeting, held at the Pelham Library, in which National Grid outlined its plans. Shutesbury, Pelham and Belchertown are impacted by both projects, while Amherst will be directly impacted by Eversource and indirectly impacted by National Grid.
National Grid’s project crosses 16 towns, with other communities in the region affected including Conway, Deerfield, Leverett, Shelburne, Sunderland and Ware.
For those not able to attend in person, the meeting will be livestreamed at amherstma.zoom.us/j/82928590640. Questions may be submitted in advance via forms.gle/oLhtNo74WkiJzztQ8.
Information on both projects is also being disseminated by community activists at ResponsibleGrid.org.
