The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

conservation

Crusading for a tree’s comeback

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Lincoln Agricultural Committee newsletter and is republished here with permission.

By Heather Anderson

On a wintry, sun-dappled day in Flint Field, a man wearing a trapper’s hat with ear flaps braves the cold to check on a young chestnut orchard. He has just left the warmth of a senior citizen luncheon at Lincoln’s Parish House where—with all the fervor of a southern tent revivalist—he preaches salvation every Friday.

He’s not a Bible thumper, mind you. Nor is he bent on saving our collective soul. Instead, Mark Meehl — known about town as the Chestnut Man — is on a passionate (some might say evangelical) mission to save the beloved American chestnut tree from the brink of extinction.

“The native tree is largely absent from our forest, and we want it back. So, we’re working on it,” says Meehl, a 73-year-old retiree from North Reading. He adds, “Why wouldn’t you want something back that belongs here? It was man’s fault for its demise.”

By tinkering with Mother Nature, Meehl and a cohort of self-described “chestnutters” are part of a national movement to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut tree. Led by The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), it’s a decades-old pursuit. Meehl has been a TACF member since 2014. The goal? Restore the tree to its native forests from Maine to Alabama.

So far, the results have been underwhelming. But a new, genetically engineered, blight-resistant American chestnut tree called Darling 54 could save the day. Developed in an academic lab, Darling 54 is on the cusp of federal regulatory approval. In fact, 2026 could be a pivotal year for the American chestnut tree. “Because of modern genetic engineering, the future looks bright,” says Meehl.

This is a story about hope. And, quite possibly, rebirth.

Short history lesson

Once called the “redwoods of the east” for their height (up to 150 feet) and girth, the once mighty American chestnut tree was wiped out by an airborne fungal disease called blight, likely imported on trade ships from Asia in the late 1800s. The blight raged through America’s forests, killing about 4 billion trees by 1950, according to TACF.

Wildlife that depended on chestnuts as their winter food source starved. And an economy that relied on lumber — for cradles, coffins and everything in between — tanked. Historians consider it one of the worst ecological disasters in American history.

As for those chestnuts roasting on an open fire at Christmastime? A different species likely imported from Italy or China, Meehl explains. And those shiny, brown orbs used as ammunition in childhood chestnut fights? An invasive, non-edible (as in toxic) species called horse chestnuts.

Oh My Darling 54

Researchers at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry developed Darling 54, claiming it could better resist chestnut blight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a preliminary positive review last June, finding that the tree is “unlikely to pose a plant pest risk,” according to SUNY’s website.

But Darling 54 still awaits federal approval from the Food and Drug Administration (as chestnuts are a food) and the Environmental Protection Agency. All three prongs of government must declare it safe to humans and to the environment before pollen from these transgenic trees can be introduced to Lincoln’s orchard.

Mark Meehl checks on the American chestnut orchard at Flint Field. Meehl is the orchard manager in Lincoln as well as in several other towns statewide.

On a two-acre patch of town-owned conservation land in Flint Field, the young orchard was planted specifically in anticipation of breeding its trees with genetically engineered, blight-resistant pollen, Meehl explains. Started in 2021, the Flint Field Germplasm Conservation Orchard — GCO for short — is basically playing host to a national science project about transgenics.

Speckled with bluebird boxes, this fast-growing orchard is home to 400 wild American chestnut trees from diverse regional climates: 110 exclusively from Massachusetts; 230 from throughout New England, New Jersey and Maryland; and 60 from southern states such as South Carolina and Georgia. All trees are numbered, monitored, and catalogued in a TACF database managed by Meehl.

The reason for diversity? To see which region’s trees adapt best to the local environment in the face of climate change. The idea is to produce the hardiest trees, Meehl explains, and to capture their DNA.

If all goes well, he anticipates a high-volume, nut-producing orchard and, quite possibly, a controlled pollination with Darling 54 this summer.

But government deregulation isn’t the only hurdle. Those opposed to GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) are readying for a fight.

“Anti-GMO people are poised and ready to attack deregulation of Darling 54 even though no harm to the environment or to food safety has been shown,” says Meehl, adding that the food fight between GMO and anti-GMO people has been going on for decades. “The same blight-tolerant gene is found in strawberries and bananas, available (for human consumption) every day.”

Louise Bergeron, a scientist and past chair of Lincoln’s Agricultural Commission, also highly anticipates transgenic deregulation. She belongs to a niche group of chestnut enthusiasts who host orchards on private land.

Unlike many GMOs, the blight-tolerant gene in Darling 54 is not a pesticide, explains Bergeron, who recently moved from Lincoln to Petersham where she plays host to a 110-tree germplasm orchard. The blight-tolerant gene “is naturally present in native plants and grains such as wheat.”

Ideologically, The American Chestnut Foundation is not against GMO technology, either. But the nonprofit foundation has reservations about Darling 54’s effectiveness and recently pulled its support. By contrast, Meehl—project manager for the chestnut foundation’s Massachusetts/Rhode Island chapter—is keeping the faith.

Who is Mark Meehl?

“I call him ‘Chestnut Man’ and everyone knows who I’m talking about,” says Lincoln’s Carol DiGianni, oftentimes his tablemate at Fridays’ senior center luncheon. “I planted two of his trees in hopes they’d marry” but they’ve yet to pollinate. “They’re growing surprisingly fast.”

(Botany 101: A plant’s mission in life is to produce a seed. Because chestnut trees do not self-pollinate, they need at least one nearby tree to exchange pollen and produce fertile nuts.)

Meehl, who holds a degree in zoology, is strictly a volunteer. He travels across the state—sometimes by motorcycle—spreading his enthusiasm. He lectures, educates, and gives away American chestnuts and saplings at churches, schools, libraries, and senior centers.

Thanks to Meehl, students at Birches School, a nature-based K-8 private school on Bedford Road, are likewise crusading for an American chestnut tree comeback. He enlisted them, along with Auxiliary Program Director Ken Clarkson, to help care for the trees in Flint Field.

“It’s a good educational tool for us,” says Clarkson in a phone call, adding that old town maps show chestnut fields existed right where the school stands now. “Every March, we check in with Mark to coordinate seed planting. We propagate them right here.”

By taking a hands-on role, says Clarkson, “it helps give kids hope in bringing back this ‘mighty giant’ that was one of the most important trees in the ecosystem.”

When he’s not proselytizing, Meehl maintains chestnut orchards in other “host” towns including Weston, Littleton and Westborough; as well as a second orchard in Lincoln. It sits on the former Umbrello family farmstead, located just beyond the railroad tracks that cross Route 117.

Started 23 years ago by violin teacher John Emery, it’s a much older breeding experiment and involves 100 hybrid trees. The hybrids are a cross between American and blight-resistant Chinese chestnut trees. It’s part of TACF’s Backcross Breeding Program intended to create “a variety as American as possible” while retaining the Asian blight-resistant trait, explains Meehl.

Some early-generation survivors of backcross breeding still stand in the Route 117 orchard and produce nuts. But several “ghost trees”—trees that have died and their trunks turned white—haunt the orchard. Meehl, who inherited the orchard, has replaced several dead trees with more hybrids.

But the effort seems more like holding vigil.

The Backcross Breeding Program is all but defunct. “It’s a shame,” says Meehl. “A lot of work, all for naught. …I think the transgenic approach is much better at moving the mission forward.”

But first, the trees in Flint Field must survive New England weather and wildlife.

Standing amongst the scrappy trees, Meehl points to deer damage caused by bucks rubbing antlers against the trunks. On another trunk, he notices a wart-like wound—called a canker—caused by blight.

But a prickly burr that once contained three coveted chestnuts clings to its branches. And the dying tree has sent up new root shoots from the soil.

In other words, the tree has done its job.

“Trees are smart enough to know they’re in trouble,” says Meehl, who believes trees talk to one another through their root systems. “This tree is putting up a good fight.”

Looking out over the orchard, Meehl smiles wide like a proud dad. Overall, he is pleased with what he sees. The trees “are coming along just fine,” he says. “They’re really healthy.”

He’s envisioning a fireworks display of chestnut flowers this summer. Late bloomers, American chestnut trees reach full bloom by July 4, but typically not before they’re five years old. This orchard is approaching its sixth year. About 15 trees blossomed last season. Meehl expects four times as many trees to flower this summer.

Meehl ducks into a car for warmth after a tour of the orchard. He offers up a brown, prickly burr. A souvenir. Asked why he has devoted his retirement to crusading for a tree’s comeback, Chestnut Man is quick to answer.

“Most people want to leave the world a little better, to do something good for Mother Nature,” he replies, adding, “It’s just a wonderful tree. It won’t grow back on its own without man’s help.”

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Citizens’ petition seeks to ban certain rodenticides

A group called Save Lincoln Wildlife is seeking to ban the use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in Lincoln, saying the chemicals are harming raptors and other animals that eat rodents who have ARs in their systems.

Their citizen’s petition for the March 28 Annual Town Meeting asks voters to approve a home rule petition that would authorize the Select Board to ask the legislature to allow the town to ban the use of ARs. The town can’t do so without this step since pesticides are regulated by the state.

When rodents eat trap bait containing ARs, they usually don’t die right away, and the chemical — which prevents blood from clotting, leading to uncontrolled bleeding and death — builds up in the systems of predators including coyotes, hawks, and other birds that eat those rodents and can eventually cause their deaths as well, Trish O’Hagen of Save Lincoln Wildlife told the Select Board on Feb. 9.

“I can’t help but think back to the 1960s when there were only 500 bald eagles left in the country” due to widespread use of the insecticide DDT, which severely weakened eagle eggshells, leading them to break under the weight of parents during incubation.

Mice, rats and other pests are attracted to food in compost piles and garbage cans, and raptors are the best way to control them naturally — “and it’s sort of ironic,” O’Hagen said, since raptors are the ones being harmed by ARs in their prey.

According to Mass Audubon, the federal government banned the retail sale of second-generation ARs in 2015 due to the dangers posed to children, pets, and wildlife, but they remain legal and widely used by licensed pest control professionals in Massachusetts, so “homeowners really need to know the specific questions to ask” of exterminators, O’Hagen said. 

A number of other towns have banned the use of ARs on town-owned property (Lincoln doesn’t use the chemicals but has no formal ban). Cities and towns including Arlington, Billerica, Brookline, Concord, Lexington and Newton are also seeking legislative approval to ban the use of ARs on private property.

Donelan’s and Lincoln Woods have both switched from ARs to other types of rodenticide, said O’Hagen. The best methods to pest control are rodent-proof containers, blocking entry holes, and using snap traps or contraceptive rodent treatments, she added.

My Turn: Save Lincoln Wildlife submits citizens’ petition

By Save Lincoln Wildlife

Save Lincoln Wildlife, a town group focused on raising awareness about anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) and encouraging safer alternatives, has submitted a citizens’ petition to ban ARs in Lincoln. If successful at Town Meeting on March 28, the Select Board will send a home rule petition to the state legislature, since the state rather than individual towns regulate pesticides.

Highly toxic ARs poison rodents as well as children and non-target animals, such as birds of prey, wild mammals, and pets. These poisons enter ecosystems when poisoned rodents or contaminated carcasses are eaten by predators, or by accidental ingestion. Although Lincoln’s municipal properties do not use ARs, businesses and private property owners in Lincoln might be using them without realizing it. 

Here is the wording for the Town Meeting warrant article:

Citizens’ Petition to Ban Anticoagulant Rodenticides in Lincoln, MA

To determine whether the town will authorize the Select Board to petition the General Court for special legislation substantially in the form below:

That notwithstanding Chapter 132B of the general laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the Town of Lincoln may by ordinance prohibit the application of anticoagulant rodenticides within the Town of Lincoln, including application of such pesticides by licensed commercial applicators as defined in C.M.R. 333 10.00 except as allowed by the Board of Health to remediate a public health condition; this act shall take effect upon its passage.

Since 2024, Save Lincoln Wildlife has advanced safer alternatives to ARs through several initiatives:

  • Meeting with Lincoln businesses to discuss rodent control alternatives to ARs.
  • Partnering with Lincoln’s Board of Health to inform town residents about safer alternatives to ARs.
  • Co-hosting a MetroWest Rescue Raptor event with attendees from multiple towns.
  • Engaging with legislators at the July 2025 Protect Animals from Rodenticides lobbying day.
  • Tabling at local venues including Town Meeting, State of the Town, and the transfer station.
  • Surveying bait box locations on various properties townwide.

Stay tuned for upcoming outreach events to learn more about this petition and how you can switch to safe and effective rodent control methods.

You can learn more at:

This article was written by Pam Boardman, Deanna Johnson, Staci Montori, Trish O’Hagan, and Carrie Stamos.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Help with winter electricity bills (CFREE Tip #10)

By the Lincoln Green Energy Committee

1. Eversource heat pump rate

CFREE wants to let residents know about the lower electric rates for heat pump owners. Most recent heat-pump converts may already be signed up but if you have an older system you should make sure you are on this electric rate. Please check your bills to make sure you are!

Households with one or more heat pumps are eligible for a heat pump rate from Eversource, who estimates that it can save you close to 20% on your electricity bill. (Heat pump water heaters by themselves do not qualify.) We announced this back in November, but if you missed that and haven’t signed up (or been signed up automatically) it’s very easy to do so. Just click here. 

If you’re not sure if you’re getting this rate, look at the section of your Eversource bill where the delivery costs are shown. Look for “R1HP-Residential Heat Pump” shown on the attached excerpt from a sample bill. If you have a heat pump but your current rate is R1 or R3, you should ask to be changed to the R1HP-Residential Heat Pump rate, which is lower than either. Click here for illustrations. 

2. Bill relief for winter electric use

And in case you missed the January 23 email from Eversource, there’s a two-month rate reduction ahead, regardless of whether or not you have heat pumps. Note that the relief described will not cover bills for our very cold January. Here’s what they wrote:

We understand that managing higher electric bills alongside other rising expenses has been challenging. As part of ongoing efforts to reduce energy costs, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is providing $180 million in funding to help reduce your electric bills this winter. For your electricity use from Feb. 1, 2026, to March 31, 2026, the rate you pay will be reduced by 25%. Working collaboratively with our regulator and other utilities in Massachusetts, we have adjusted rates down in recognition of the sustained cold weather that has caused electric bills to be higher than this time last year, putting strain on household budgets.

Your total bill savings will be dependent on your energy use. If approved, this 25% reduction will be applied automatically, and you do not need to take any action. This 25% reduction will be reflected under the “current charges for electricity” section of your bill. Although the 25% is not its own line item, we reduced certain rate components to achieve this reduction.

CFREE (Carbon Free Residential — Everything Electric) is a subcommittee of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee. For previous CFREE Tips, click here. CFREE provides guidance on how households can reduce use of fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions to help Massachusetts meet statewide emissions limits set for 2030, 2040, and 2050. It also provides information about state and federal incentives that help reduce the cost of such changes. For guidance on such projects at your home, email lincolngreencoach@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.lincolngreenenergy.org.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Electricity rates for Lincoln Green Energy Choice will drop

The path of electric power. (Image courtesy MassClimateAction.org)

(Editor’s note: This is an announcement from the Town of Lincoln.)

Beginning in January 2026, prices for Lincoln Green Energy Choice, Lincoln’s electricity aggregation program, will drop for all program participants — the second such decrease in two years. The lower prices will take effect as the current electricity supply contract with First Point Power ends and a new 24-month contract with them takes effect. In addition, under the new contract, participants who are not already receiving 100% of their electricity from renewable sources will receive more electricity from renewable sources. 

The new prices and associated renewable energy content for each option are as follows:

  • Lincoln Standard Green — Price is falling 0.6 cents to 15.409¢/kWh, resulting in an annual savings of $64 for an average residential customer. Participants in Lincoln Standard Green now receive 71% of their electricity from new renewable sources in the New England region (MA Class I RECs). With the new contract, that amount increases to 77% in 2026 and 83% in 2027. Seventy-seven percent of Lincoln Green Energy Choice participants are enrolled in Lincoln Standard Green.
  • Lincoln 100% Green — Price is falling 1.23 cents to 16.119¢/kWh, resulting in an annual savings of $131 for an average residential customer. Participants in this option will continue to receive all of their electricity from new renewable sources in the New England region.
  • Lincoln Basic — Price is falling 0.9 cents to 13.731¢/kWh, resulting in an annual savings of $96 for an average residential customer. Participants in Lincoln Basic will continue to receive an additional 2% of their electricity from new renewable sources in the New England region above minimum state requirements for a total of 32% in 2026, 35% in 2027, and 38% in 2028.

Lincoln prioritizes building demand for new renewable energy projects on the New England grid. As a result, the additional renewable energy that is purchased for each program option, over and above the minimum amount required by state law, is from new renewable projects in the New England region (MA Class I RECs). 

The new prices provide long-term stability and are fixed for 24 months (January 2026 to January 2028). In addition, the Lincoln Basic price is lower than all of Eversource’s current Basic Service prices, which are in effect through January 31, 2026. The Lincoln Basic price is also lower than Eversource’s proposed February 1 prices. Because Eversource’s prices will change, future savings compared with Eversource cannot be guaranteed.

Lincoln Green Energy Choice has a record of providing measurable value to participants. Since the program’s launch in 2021, Lincoln Green Energy Choice has saved participants a total of more than $846,000 compared with Eversource’s Basic Service prices. In addition, because all program participants get more electricity generated from renewable sources than is required by law, Lincoln Green Energy Choice has enabled the community to avoid over 26.4 million pounds of CO2 emissions. This is equivalent to the emissions associated with driving an average passenger vehicle more than 33.9 million miles.     

No action is required for current Lincoln Green Energy Choice participants. All active program participants will be enrolled in the new lower price for their program option with their January 2026 meter read and will first see the price impact on their February 2026 Eversource electric bills. 

To enroll, change enrollment, or get more information, visit the program website at LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com or contact customer support with Lincoln’s program consultants at 844-651-8919. Large commercial accounts are subject to special terms and conditions.

Doherty’s project to accommodate new electric school buses

A map showing where the electric school buses (light blue) will be parked. The red line is the trench for the charging stations. Click image to enlarge.

Workers have begun digging a trench at the east side of the Doherty’s Garage property to install charging stations for a new fleet of electric school buses.

As part of the project, the grassy area now occupied by cars awaiting repair will be paved, expanded, and moved 21 feet closer to the tree line, though only one tree will be taken down. The EV transformer will supply electricity on two different meters for Doherty’s and the public, which will have access to two new charging stations in the adjacent dirt commuter lot. 

The Lincoln Garden Club’s plants in the area were removed but will be replaced, and there will be new plantings on the Lincoln Road side of the property to partially screen the school buses from view. The Planning Board approved the addition on October 28.

 “It’s going to be a huge improvement. Right now it looks like a junkyard. The site needs to be cleaned up,” said Paula Vaughn-Mackenzie, director of planning and land use.

Board members asked why the buses need to be charged and parked full-time at that location rather than at the Lincoln School or the DPW on nearby Lewis Street where they’re now stored. Scott Rodman of the Green Energy Committee, who has been working with property owner Mike Callender and Highland Electric Fleets, replied that the school had neither access to enough power nor space to park the buses with sufficient turnaround room — “much to my chagrin, because I thought was perfect place for them, too,” Rodman said. “I tried everything humanly possible.”

The buses also can’t be parked behind the garage building because it’s too close to wetlands. As for the DPW, the town expects to rebuild the site at some point, and when that happens, there won’t be room for the buses there either. It wouldn’t make fiscal sense to install the EV chargers there and then later tear them out and reinstall them elsewhere, Rodman said. “These chargers are very expensive — you can’t do it as a sort of temporary thing.”

A 2019 town study said that the DPW would have to be replaced at what was then an estimated cost of $15 million. Consultants looked at several alternate sites in town and concluded that the current Lewis Street was the most suitable.

For now, Doherty’s will keep some of its diesel buses as backups and for use on  field trips and longer athletic trips; eventually they will be phased out, Callender said. He asked the board to approve the plan right away to qualify for grant funding. The project needs to be up and running by January 1, 2026; “otherwise, several million dollars in federal and state funds may go elsewhere, and given the political climate, may not return,” he added.

Doherty’s and the school agreed earlier this year to amend their contract to allow introduction of the new buses, and the change will not cost the schools or town any additional money.

Though everyone agreed that electric school buses are a good idea though not without some grumbling about the fact that the application was submitted as a “minor change” to the property’s site plan.This meant that a public hearing was not required and some board members found out about the proposal rather late in the game, though Reid McIntire, project manager at Highland Electric Fleets, said they’d been working on the plan since April.

“I’m shocked that we just found out about this — you’re putting a gun to our head,” said board member Rob Ahlert. “I feel like it came out of nowhere, though maybe it’s all good.”

“On principle, I believe this is a major modification, but I also believe that this project needs to move forward,” said board member Susan Hall Mygatt, who urged the board to have a future discussion of what exactly constitutes “major” and “minor” changes to site plans. Ultimately, though, members unanimously approved the “minor change” designation and the project itself.

“This is a real chance to do something that would be unusual for a town as small as Lincoln,” board member Gary Taylor said.

Doherty’s Garage, a three-generation business in Lincoln since 1905, was sold in 2023 to 161 Lincoln Rd. LLC. The property and business activities were split up; Cindy Murphy (granddaughter of founder Matthew Doherty) and her husband Dennis still manage the school bus transportation and rubbish collection services, while Johnny Frangieh of Lincoln Petroleum runs the gas station and auto repair shop. 

Select Board highlights from Nov. 3 meeting

Solar array at landfill nears completion

The focus is now on wiring the system, according to Town administrator Tim Higgins. The contractor was able to use the existing conduit to Mill Street, eliminating the need for additional clearing and excavation through the woods. The equipment pad on Mill Street has been poured and the pedestrian path has been paved. The system should be mechanically complete this month and operational before the year’s end, assuming Eversource does what is needed to connect to the grid.

New building commissioner

Jon Metivier will start work as Lincoln’s new building inspector and zoning enforcement officer on December 1. He succeeds Mark Robidoux, who took another position in Southborough. The job responsibilities are not changing, said Assistant Town Administrator Dan Pereira.

L-S needs a new roof

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will request funds from both towns for fiscal 2027 to replace the high school roof. Preliminary estimates range from $3.3 million to $7.5 million, and Lincoln’s share of enrollment is 12.7%, meaning it will be liable for roughly $419,000 to $953,000. Town officials will ask the Finance Committee for its preference for a funding mechanism. The L-S School Committee will vote to authorize the project and debt, which will become effective unless one or both towns vote at Town Meeting to reject that vote.

Solar farm at landfill finally becoming a reality

Solar supports begin to rise from the landfill.

Construction on the solar installation atop the capped landfill is finally underway. When complete, the facility should supply all of the electricity needs of town-owned buildings except the Lincoln School, which have its own solar collection system to make them net zero.

The electricity will go directly to the electrical grid via the Eversource poles and wires on Mill Street and the town will then receive income from a power purchase agreement (PPA).

Lincoln won’t have to pay anything and will actually see three revenue streams from the deal. In addition to income from the PPA in the form of electricity savings — estimated at $170,000 to $200,000 per year — HESP Solar will make lease payments for use of the land and PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) for their personal property on the site.

A closer view of the panel footings.

The project was slowed by several factors including the pandemic and lengthy negotiations with Minute Man National Historical Park. The park owns the right of way on either side of Route 2A, so the town needed their approval to install power lines from the landfill out to the road.

The town will receive financial credits from Eversource for the energy produced, as well as annual property tax payments and payment in lieu of taxes.The facility is expected to generate about 1.4 million kWh in the first year, yielding about $150,000 a year for the town in total savings and revenue. 

In 2017, residents approved a “land swap” arrangement whereby some of the landfill property was taken out of conservation status in exchange for putting the same amount of land elsewhere into conservation. That land is part of the Wang property on Bedford Road that the town purchased, now the site of an athletic field as well as nine acres of conservation land.

Town gets grant to improve Stony Brook culverts

The culvert under Peirce Hill Road.

The town has received a state grant of $149,000 to collect field data preparatory to replacing three undersized culverts on Lincoln Road, Pierce Hill Road, and Tower Road over Stony Brook.

The Lincoln appropriation is part of a $2.9 funding package provided by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration to 21 towns with the goal of strengthening resilience against extreme weather events, improve water quality, reduce flood risks, and restore crucial wildlife habitat.  

“Massachusetts has over 25,000 culverts, most of which are undersized. By replacing these outdated culverts with larger, safer structures, we can better prepare our communities for severe weather,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said in a statement. “Investing in these projects now will save our cities and towns money on disaster recovery in the future.” 

A map showing the three culverts.

The existing Stony Brook culverts also act as barriers to fish passage, and larger culverts would reconnect 2.3 miles of the brook’s cold-water fishery and state-designated Outstanding Resource Water, enhancing wildlife populations in important wooded wetlands, Conservation Director Michelle Grzenda said. Certain stretches of the brook have been known to provide habitat for trout, and historical surveys have documented additional species including bluegill and American eel, she added.

The Lincoln Road crossing features a stone box culvert of undetermined age, while the Pierce Hill and Tower Road crossings have corrugated metal pipe culverts showing evidence of erosion. All three structures are undersized by current engineering standards and function as barriers to aquatic organism passage, Grzenda said.

“We’re very excited to have received this grant award,” she said. “I also want to gratefully acknowledge the Charles River Watershed Association for their invaluable assistance in the grant application process, which made this important watershed restoration initiative possible.”

My Turn: Protecting animals at Rodenticides Lobby Day

By Carrie Stamos and Trisha O’Hagan

On July 24, Save Lincoln Wildlife, a group of Lincoln residents, joined over 200 advocates from various Massachusetts cities and towns, along with 75 legislators and staff, for the “Protect Animals from Rodenticides Lobby Day.” The event also featured notable raptor ambassadors Falco the Red-tailed Hawk and Bella the Barn Owl.

We established Save Lincoln Wildlife after learning from Heather Packard from Mass Audubon about the toxic food web created by rodent poisons (rodenticides) and having follow-on discussions with Lincoln’s Conservation Department.

We learned that raptors, foxes, coyotes, and other beneficial predators play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of Massachusetts’ ecosystems. Unfortunately, many of these iconic creatures and even pets are poisoned and die after consuming rodents tainted with first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs and SGARs).

At Lobby Day (left to right): Sara Dunleavy of Carlisle, Staci Montori and Carrie Stamos of Lincoln, Meaghan Sinclair of Concord, and state Sen. Michael Barrett.

We at Save Lincoln Wildlife are dedicated to:

  • Educating the community about the dangers of rodenticides.
  • Promoting safer rodent control methods.
  • Encouraging other communities to join our mission.
  • Supporting Mass Audubon’s Rescue Raptors campaign.
  • Welcoming all Lincoln residents to participate!

You can learn more by visiting:

Thank you for your help. Our wildlife ecosystem needs us all!

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.