ConCom Wants Quarantine of Invasives at Dump

Marion Conservation Commission member Jeffrey Doubrava proposed a quarantine of a section of the Benson Brook Road leaf disposal dump at the transfer station to prevent the spread of invasive species in Marion. On March 22, the commission as a whole approved a motion to allow Doubrava to draft a letter to Carver/Marion/Wareham Refuse Disposal District Executive Director Ray Pickles to propose a system to quarantine and then burn invasive species at the leaf mulching site of the public dump.

Doubrava said that the public discards invasive species such as phragmites, bittersweet, and bamboo, “and then three years later, people get this nice, green, clean mulch and they wonder what’s growing up there.”

Doubrava proposed burning the invasives every spring to stop the spreading.

“That’s a great idea,” said Conservation Commission member Norm Hills.

Doubrava said he spoke with members of the Marion Tree Committee, as well as the Sippican Lands Trust, “and they violently support the idea,” he said.

The dumpsite, though, is not under the jurisdiction of the Marion Department of Public Works; rather, it is under the management of the Carver/Marion/Wareham Regional Disposal District.

The matter will be discussed further at a future Conservation Commission meeting.

Also during the meeting, the commission closed the public hearing for Michael Popitz of Indian Cove Road to construct a second driveway in order to provide better access and easier maneuvering of Popitz’s boat.

After some consideration, including posing the idea to widen the existing driveway opening in order to increase maneuverability, the commission expressed a general opposition to the altering of wetlands for the purpose of maneuvering a boat. Popitz had proposed some wetlands replication to mitigate the filling in of wetlands, but the commission was unsure of the viability of the plan.

The commission will take a final vote on the matter at a future meeting.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 12 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

 

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