Commission Halts Work Over Unapproved Lake Boulders

Conservation · Meeting of August 11, 2026

Stockbridge's Conservation Commission halted further work on a Mackinac Road shoreline project over an unapproved boulder wall blocking wildlife. Landscape contractor Rich Lasser of NatureWorks sought approval for new lakeside plantings, but members said a row of boulders already installed at 23 Mackinac Road never appeared on the approved plan and now functions as "a barrier for some critters." Clerk Sally Underwood-Miller separately disclosed that pesticide and herbicide language had dropped out of the town's wetland performance standards, calling it a gap she "did not notice... until I went looking for it." The board referred replacement language to town counsel and scheduled site visits for August 14 covering three other properties, including a guest house rebuild near Stockbridge Bowl and a forest-clearing request at 13 Rattlesnake Mountain Road. An emergency tree-removal certification for a rotted trunk at 108 Interlaken Road was approved unanimously as a boating hazard.

In the full story:

• Minutes and Routine Business
• 23 Mackinac Road: Shoreline Boulders and the Planting Plan Dispute
• Marshbrook Notice of Intent: Continued
• 13 Rattlesnake Mountain Road: Clearing Expansion Request
• 6 Arthur Fiedler Road: Certificate of Compliance Site Visit
• 108 Interlaken Road: Dead Tree Removal
• Cove Lane and an Informal Pond Inquiry
• 19 Mackinac Road: Guest House Demolition and Rebuild
• Performance Standards: Missing Pesticide and Herbicide Language
• 1 Stone Hill Road: Solar Array in the Scenic Mountains Overlay
• Weed Harvesting Update and Public Comment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 3,184 words

Source: the Conservation meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.