COLRAIN — Town Administrator Diana Parsons debriefed the Selectboard this week about a meeting she and Police Chief Chris Lannon had with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in which they discussed the inappropriate use of the wildlife management area on South Green River Road.
According to MassWildlife’s website, the Green River Wildlife Management Area consists of five parcels of land that encompass around 30 acres in Colrain, Greenfield and Leyden.
Parsons told the Selectboard that the inappropriate use of the wildlife management area has taken up an exorbitant amount of Lannon’s time during the summer, as people are violating the rules. At a previous meeting, Lannon had said that July 4 is typically the busiest time of year for his department at that particular area, saying that there were “1,200 to 1,500 people” there this past year during the holiday weekend.
Illegal parking, swimming and littering are three of the main inappropriate uses observed by Lannon and the Environmental Police. According to MassWildlife, there is a “dirt parking area for four to six vehicles” on the west side of the road. However, motorists are parking illegally on the side of South Green River Road to access the river.
A few options were presented by Parsons, including putting barriers on the side of the road, such as rocks or trees. Selectboard member Emily Thurber had mentioned that Colrain resident Matt Slowinski had previously offered to provide boulders to the town for a separate project, and suggested asking if he could provide any for this project.
Parsons also mentioned that the Selectboard could consider creating a parking enforcement bylaw. Right now, tow trucks are being called to remove the illegally parked vehicles. Parsons noted the removal of illegally parked vehicles is great for the tow companies, “but Colrain is not getting anything.”
Parsons said swimming is more difficult to enforce, as the line between fishing and swimming is thin. She said if someone is wading into the water with a net, for example, and happens to float down the river a little, that could still be considered fishing.
The Environmental Police are “very disturbed,” according to Parsons, because swimming is not allowed, though they do not have a policy to say “no swimming” on the signs. Parsons had suggested that Colrain put up some of its own signs, though Lannon expressed concern about sign pollution.
Littering is another problem in the area. While it’s already illegal to litter, it’s also the first regulation listed on the wildlife management area’s regulations. Parsons recommended that if the Selectboard were to hold a Special Town Meeting in the fall, the board should consider adding a warrant article to address some of these issues.
Adamsville Road bridge
Earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, Parsons updated the Selectboard on the progress on the bridge project on Adamsville Road over Sanders Brook.
The town applied for grant funding to repair the bridge back in 2022 and received $100,000 through the state Department of Transportation’s Municipal Small Bridge Program for fiscal year 2023. BSC Group was selected to handle the design.
“It’s becoming clear to me that the design is not done,” Parsons said.
A recent meeting with MassDOT left Parsons feeling “incredibly frustrated,” as the project has been under BSC Group’s purview since 2022. Parsons said she is “concerned that if [the bridge] continues to deteriorate, we could [be forced to] close it.”
Parsons also mentioned that BSC Group was recently awarded two more projects in Colrain — one for the Charlemont Road culvert over Holden Brook and the other for the bridge over Meadow Brook.
