Sturbridge Conservation Panel Launches Lead Mine Forest Plan Update

Conservation · Meeting of April 16, 2026

Sturbridge conservation commission launches update to 826-acre Lead Mine forest plan against a tight June 30 deadline. The Thursday meeting kicked off a state-funded rewrite of the 10-year stewardship plan for the Lead Mine Mountain Conservation Area, backed by a $15,905 grant from the state and due in draft form by June 30 to secure reimbursement. Commissioners also voted 4-1, with Ed Goodwin opposed, to approve a demolition-and-rebuild at 91 Shore Road on Cedar Lake, requiring a $5,000 bond and permanently barring the home's four-foot cantilevered deck from being enclosed.

Applicant Timothy Magliaro pitched a two-acre wildflower and pollinator meadow for his 116 Podunk Road project, telling the board "zero chemicals" will touch the land. The board opened with a moment of silence for Joe Levesque, a longtime presence before the commission who died recently.

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Source: the Conservation meeting of April 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.