Plymouth Conservation Commission: Whistleblowers
This page documents the failure of the Conservation Commission to do its job. It repeatedly violates the Open Meeting Law and issues waivers and exemptions with no legitimate grounds.
West Pond violations
Extensive violations reported and documented at 403 Federal Furnace Road in 2019. This includes destroying pond shore of a Priority Habitat pond with rare and endangered species. The Commission has refused to require the landowner to complete the “restoration” required by law. New violations occurred in March 2022 and were reported. When the Commission did nothing in 2019, a resident was forced to appeal to the state. Neither the state nor DEP have done anything to remedy the violations as of October 2023.
Herring Pond violations
Multiple violations reported by residents and Herring Pond Watershed Association. Violations reported in public meetings of the Conservation Commission. As of October 2023, the Commission has taken no action.
Boot Pond violations
Violations reported in 2022: clearing endangered species habitat, forests, vegetation on pond shore. Action to date: nothing reported
South Ponds Preserve – Town Forest violations
The Town is not doing its job to protect the Forest. The state is responsible too: find out more on this page. Violations are documented below
2022
August 17, 2022: violations continued the past two weeks. On 8/17/22 at about 7 p.m. fishing boat with gas engines go on the pond. The CR allows electric engines only. Harbormaster called. No signs say “no gas motors.”
August 4, 9:59 p.m. Illegal fire near aqueduct. Reported to Plymouth Fire Dept. and extinguished.
July 27, 2022-Wednesday. Erosion from Drew Road to Little South Pond in the Town Forest. This has been ongoing since 2020 when illegal parking on Drew Road eroded the road banking. Violation of Wetlands Protection Act, Conservation Restriction.
July 23, 2022-Sunday
Report of ATV’s accessing Little South Pond/Drew Road beach via the Town DPW water supply well site on Rocky Pond Road. ATV tracks observed on Little South Pond beach.
Police called, “too busy” to address report of about 20 people swimming in Little South Pond and using blow up flotation devices; cars illegally parked along Drew Road.
More to come…
2020
2020: Photos of destruction, Little South Pond, Town Forest
more to come
WEST POND VIOLATIONS! In the spring of 2019, my neighbor destroyed a rare species zone. The town put a restoration plan in effect that requires 75 trees, and shrubs, seed and loom to be planted. To this day it has not been properly restored. The majority of the area is still barren and on Dec 23, 2023, my neighbor went back into the RSZ and destroyed more habitat. We have a 15-minute video on it and pictures. My neighbor also has destroyed the no touch zone of a vernal pool to store construction debris. He also erected 8 ft tall barriers in the no touch zone of the vernal pool and in the RSZ. These are not legal. Only a post and rail fence 100 ft from the vernal pool and 50ft from West Pond is allowed. I have met with the town numerous times about all of these violations and Rich Vacca told me to my face that he was not going to enforce the law with my neighbor. My family has been paying taxes here since 1968. We deserve to be protected by the bylaws, but the town continues to turn a blind eye and the violations continue.
On February 6th the town granted my neighbor a recreational dock. We fought it for months. The existing violations are severe and should be resolved before anything else that affects the environment is even considered. Of course it got pushed through, but we are appealing.