NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The mayor has killed a controversial plan to remove invasive plants and log parts of the Notch Reservoir watershed.

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey on Thursday evening released a statement saying  the city would not be implementing the forest management plan.

 

"The plan was laid out by our knowledgeable and dedicated partners to address key threats to this property and would have helped the city proactively manage our watershed's forest," she said the mayor. "However, given the public outcry regarding the impact the project could have on the Bellows Pipe Trail, I have decided not to move forward with the plan."

 

Her email said she would make no further comments at this time.

 

The city was in line for a federal grant that would fund a stewardship plan through the Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts, of which the city is a member. The goal was to preserve the watershed, root out invasive species, promote sustainable growth in a changing climate by removing blighted trees and planting natives, and bring in some revenue as a "demonstration forest." 

 

The initiative is part of Mass Audubon's Forest Climate Resilience Program. Two demonstration forests in the partnership were eligible for three-year U.S. Forestry Service grants.

 

The planning had been underway prior to Macksey's administration but became more public when it was presented to the Conservation Commission in July. It only came to the commission because of the use of herbicides near the waterways.