Ayer Conservation Commission Approves Wetlands Permit for Sawyer May LLC

AYER -- July 9, 2026, Ayer Conservation Commission approves wetlands permit and advances local bylaw overhaul. The commission voted unanimously Thursday to issue an order of conditions for a Sawyer May LLC project after the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife issued its approval July 1 with three conditions, including a required Turtle Protection Plan that project contact Joe Talbot confirmed is in development. Conservation Agent Heather Hampson incorporated all state conditions into the local order and added restrictions on work during vernal pool season (March 1 to April 15), no-dumping signage requirements, and a vegetation restoration mandate. The commission also discussed without a formal vote a draft wetlands bylaw featuring a proposed local fee schedule, ranging from $25 for minor work to $500 for larger projects, with amended orders at 50 percent of the original fee, and a proposal to extend the commission's regulatory buffer around certified vernal pools from 100 to 200 feet, a provision Hampson described as giving the town "oversight up at 200 feet instead of 100" without prohibiting work in that zone. The draft will go to town counsel before any public hearing is scheduled.

Correction (Nov. 3, 2026): An earlier version of this story misnamed the applicant, which is Sawyer May LLC, and said a member moved the approval; Vice Chair George Bacon made the motion. It also gave the wrong dates for the special town meeting (Monday, July 13) and the library bug hotel program (Wednesday, July 15), misspelled the names of Chair Jessica G. Gugino and members Jon Schmalenberger and Andrew MacGregor, and credited some remarks to members the recording does not identify.