Conservation Commission Evaluates Expanding Areas for Hunting
Photo: Martin Poirier c/o Shutterstock
Report on the Meeting of the Conservation Commission, June 24, 2026
This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.
Present: Andrey Guidera (chair) , Bruce Stedman, Tina Smith, Carol McNeary, and Rachel Loeffler. Absent: Jason Dorney and Sarah Matthews.
Staff: Erin Jacque (conservation agent) and Dave Ziomek (assistant town manager)
Should Hunting Be Permitted in Additional Conservation Areas?
The Conservation Commission continues its efforts to update the town’s Land Use Policy and Regulations. At the June 24 meeting, the commission began reviewing hunting regulations in conservation areas. Currently, hunting is allowed on six conservation areas: Podick, part of Atkins Flats, Katherine Cole, Lawrence Swamp, Simmons Farm, and the Holyoke Range (see map).
The town staff compiled a list of all conservation areas and divided them into three categories: where hunting is currently allowed, where it might be considered for permitting, and where staff recommend it be prohibited.
Conservation Commission Chair Andrey Guidera noted that, including hunting of small game, some hunting is allowed most of the year. Massachusetts general law (Chapter 131, Section 58) prohibits hunting within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling or building and within 150 feet of a paved road.
Commission member Bruce Stedman asked about the current use of 419 acres of Lawrence Swamp for hunting, since that is a complex area containing water supply and farmed areas. Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek said that a Conway School study of the area recommended additional signage, but did not recommend reducing hunting.
Guidera thought that the public land at Wildwood should be considered for hunting, but conservation agent Erin Jacque stated that its proximity to the large apartment complexes — with many students walking near the area to reach the middle school and high school — made it too dangerous to permit hunting there.
Edith Allison, who lives near the Kestrel Headquarters and Sweet Alice area, noted that hundreds of people come through that area. She asked how they would be safe if people were shooting nearby. She said she supports hunting but worries about safety in areas of popular use.
Guidera informed her that Amherst prohibits rifle hunting and that the slugs used for shotgun hunting lose their effectiveness at more than 100 yards, so someone struck beyond that distance would not be seriously hurt. He said that there are almost no accidents involving non-hunters and that most hunting injuries are caused by hunters falling out of their tree blinds.
Little progress was made in reviewing the list of potential hunting sites. The discussion will be continued at future meetings.
University Drive Restaurant Permitted to Add Five Parking Spaces
The Conservation Commission allowed the property at 40 University Drive — the former site of Savannah’s Restaurant and the Amherst Public House — to remove two landscape islands in the parking lot and replace them with pervious pavers, creating five additional parking spaces. Tom Reidy, an attorney at Bacon Wilson who represented owner Barry Roberts, said the additional parking spaces were requested by the prospective renter, an Italian restaurant.
The plans indicate that erosion control measures will be placed during construction to protect the wetlands to the south. Commission members wanted to ensure that the existing pervious pavers were functional and not clogged with sand and dirt. Also, Jacque said that a few conditions from the previous permit have not been met. An evaluation and possible repair of the existing pavers, as well as fulfillment of the outstanding conditions, were added to the revised permit.
The revision passed 4-0-1, with Rachel Loeffler abstaining.
Culvert Study Progressing: Public Meeting Scheduled for June 27
Stedman said that all of Amherst’s culverts have been assessed, except for a few on the college campuses. The data are being entered to develop a priority list for repairs. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission culvert group will hold an informal public meeting on culverts and flooding on the North Common from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 27.