Townsend Conservation Commission Votes to Partner With New Trail Nonprofit on Town Lands

DOVER — April 8, 2026 — Townsend Conservation Commission backs trail nonprofit, snowmobile club, and calls in outside river scientists amid dam removal controversy. At its April 8 remote meeting, the commission voted unanimously on three separate actions: formalizing a partnership with the newly incorporated Townsend Trails Alliance to maintain and improve trails at Meeting House Park and other town-owned properties; issuing a letter of support for the Lunenburg Snow Riders' proposal to groom and maintain the rail trail in winter and seek an amendment to the MBTA lease barring motorized vehicles; and inviting the Native Fish Coalition to assess the health of the Squannacook River before any further steps on an ongoing state-backed study of Adams Dam. The dam study drew the Cemetery and Parks Commission into a rare joint session, with commissioners Robert Therrien and John Barrett arguing the grant is framed as a one-way study toward removal, not a balanced analysis. "It's pushing a narrative," one commission member said of the study's stated objective. Justin Baer of the Lunenburg Snow Riders told the commission his club has completed more than $250,000 in grant-funded trail work over five years, the majority benefiting hikers and bikers, not snowmobilers. The commission's next meeting is April 22, 2026, when meeting minutes from January and February, delayed by a town-wide technology outage, will also be reviewed.