MassDOT Yearly Vegetation and Herbicide Plan (I-190, I-290, Route 146)
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; the MassDOT staff names are as heard.
- What: Request for Determination of Applicability CC-2026-053 by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to confirm resource-area boundaries and whether its yearly vegetation management and targeted herbicide spraying along I-190, I-290 and Route 146 is subject to Conservation Commission jurisdiction (Wetlands Protection Act).
- Where it stands: determinations issued 4-0 on 2026-08-03.
- Next: MassDOT is to submit revised plans showing additional wetland areas before work begins.
The plan
- Spot herbicide use on weeds in guardrail gaps, behind curbs and in concrete medians.
Commission's role and decision
- The Commission confirms wetland boundaries so limited-spray and no-spray zones can be mapped, not the broader plan.
- Staff found three wetland areas within 100 feet of the right-of-way that are not on the MassGIS layer: Coal Mine Brook near I-290, a stream from Bovenzi Conservation Area (probably beyond 100 feet from the highway, closer to the parallel frontage roads), and a stream with bordering vegetated wetland near 384 Southwest Cutoff.
- Positive determination confirming boundaries with the added areas; negative determination 3 (work in buffer, no NOI) with conditions: no thermal treatment within 100 feet of a cold-water fishery, and a revised map before work; negative determination 5 setting the presumptions that exempt herbicide application from future review.
Discussion time
About 10 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 - Conservation Commission | 10 |
Log
- 2026-08-03 - Conservation Commission - Heard after an audio delay with MassDOT's District 3 engineer; staff-drafted determinations accepted by MassDOT and approved 4-0.