AMHERST — Numerous tall trees, such as white pines that are described as being “incompatible” with an Eversource transmission line, will be selectively cut and removed in 11 communities across the region, including in the Buffam Falls area of Pelham.
Yet, even though the company is defending the project as making power more reliable and preventing cascading outage events, area residents are continuing to raise questions in advance of local conservation commissions soon beginning hearings on the work that will span almost 30 miles, from Northfield to Ludlow.
At a recent community meeting convened by Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, many of those who filled the Town Room at Town Hall expressed concern for the conservation area near the convergence of Amethyst Brook and Buffam Brook.
Tony Rogers, of Pelham, said there is no reason for Eversource to do anything that would affect the heart of Buffam Falls, where people bring their dogs, go on hikes and jump in the stream. “There is no way any of those trees are a danger to the lines,” Rogers said.
JuPong Lin of Amherst, a poet and artist, described Buffam Falls as a “magical place” and “an interrelated place of magical being.”
“I think for a lot of us in the room it’s actually really painful to hear trees talked about only in terms of numbers and the risk of those trees to power lines,” Lin said.
The community session on the WT-11 Transmission Right of Way Reliability Program came about, Comerford said, after she was first alerted to the project in July 2022 by Judy Eiseman of Pelham. Since that time, she has been engaged with both the Franklin Regional Council of Governments and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
In August 2025, Eversource submitted an environmental impact review and there was an extended public comment period. Last December, Domb and Comerford were joined by Rep. Homar Gomez, D-Easthampton, and former state Rep. Natalie Blais, in asking that the review go beyond the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, which would have been a more streamlined process.
“This is a years-long process driven by constituents, and in partnership with the delegation and administration, and engaging with Eversource all along the way,” Comerford said.
In the affected areas, Eversource has a powerline corridor that is between 125 and 335 feet wide, with plans to clear 278 acres and widen to 252 to 576 feet wide. The plan would remove all species of trees and shrubs with mature heights of greater than 30 feet.
Bill Hayes, manager of Eversource transmission vegetation management, said the 345,000-volt line that runs 29 miles is the “backbone of our system” and has right-of-way widths of 300 to 500 feet and current cleared zones of 125 to 335 feet. On average, the lines are 60 feet in the air.
Depending upon the configuration of the line the clearance of 125 to 150 feet will increase to 250 feet, he said.
“The project is going to expand the maintained widths, primarily by cutting incompatible trees in the unmaintained area of the corridor,” Hayes said.
The company wants vegetation there but low-growth shrubs rather than trees that could interfere.
Hayes explained that the decision dates back many years and events, pointing to the Aug. 14, 2003 blackout that began in Ohio, though that didn’t affect New England, and the October 2011 snowstorm that took out transmission lines.
Jonathan Roberge, an environmental specialist for Eversource, cited the reliability of the system, climate resiliency and reduce risk of tree falls. Roberge said the project is not proposing wetland loss, but a change to a shrub-type habitat.
It will have federal, state and local permitting. “The important thing to note here is there will continue to be opportunities for comment on this project, both through MEPA filings and our filings with all the local conservation commissions,” Roberge said.
Shutesbury resident Michael DeChiara said this doesn’t mean it’s the right way to do it and questioned why National Grid is keeping its clearance at 125 feet for a similar project.
“The real question is if National Grid can do it, why can’t you?” DeChiara said.
Shutesbury, Pelham and Belchertown are impacted by both projects, while Amherst will be directly impacted by Eversource and indirectly impacted by National Grid.
“Your plan seems profoundly extreme and destructive, I think, to all of us,” said Shutesbury resident Sharon Weizenbaum.
Lara Wahl, also of Shutesbury, said she worries about keeping ecological systems intact and important areas, but others may not be aware because there is no trails access. She urges strong denial of permits.
“We’re so aware of the Buffam Falls area and how ill-suited and excessive what Everource is proposing is,” Wahl said.
Nina Keller of Wendell said there is a difference between the need for power and being an environmentalist.
“A responsible environmentalist is promoting conservation,” Keller said. “I haven’t heard anything about proof for projected needs.”
Comerford said she anticipates Eversource will be holding more community meetings to get feedback, and she also has a commitment from Eversource to visit Buffam Falls.
This iterative process will continue, she said.
“We’ve been at this for three-and-a-half years, and we’re going to stay at it with you,” Comerford said.
