SUFFIELD, CT — A proposed timber harvest at the end of Firestone Drive will need a full wetlands permit application after concerns about vernal pools prompted additional review.
Licensed forester Chris Casadei presented the plan on behalf of property owner Nick Cianci at the Conservation Commission's Sept. 8 meeting. The proposal calls for harvesting timber on 36 to 38 acres of a 76-acre parcel, according to the meeting minutes.
Casadei said existing logging trails would be used to limit the operation's footprint. He also said harvesting would not begin until after the start of 2027 because of hunting season.
Commissioners raised concerns about potential vernal pools and drainage in the floodplain. They recalled that vernal pools had been identified and mapped during an earlier proposal for a biodiesel facility on the property about 25 years ago.
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Members questioned whether town rules require a 100-foot or 150-foot buffer around vernal pools for forestry work. They agreed with Casadei to postpone the discussion while staff reviewed the old project file and applicable setback requirements.
At the Sept. 22 meeting, commissioners received an update that the state had advised submitting a full wetlands permit application because of the pools' sensitivity, according to those meeting minutes.
"The applicant indicated a willingness to do so," the minutes state.
Commissioners requested that the vernal pools' locations be identified and included in the application. The Sept. 22 minutes record no approval of the logging proposal.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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