NATIONAL GRID 2026 YOP AND IVM RECEIVED
nationalgrid
November 25, 2025 NOV 2 8 2025
CITY OF SALEM
Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo BOARD OF HEALTH
93 Washington St
Salem, MA 01970
Dear Mayor Dominick Pangallo:
In compliance with 333 CMR 11.06, 45 Day Yearly Operational Plan Public O ,�Z,- O
Notice, Review and Comment, please review National Grid's 2026 Yearly
r-
Operational Plan YOP at the following website QR code provided and a hard
;•;r.-t•
copy is available upon request): ''-�- �'°
https://www.nationaIgridus.com/Oasis/Operations-Documentation
A copy of the Environmental Monitor Notice is also available on the weblink above and
published under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). The map(s) for your
municipality can also be found on the weblink (scroll through the pdf to your municipality). If you
have any trouble viewing the maps, please contact me.
Please review the YOP map(s) that locate the right-of-way corridors and the plotted location of
known sensitive areas including public and private drinking water supplies. If there are any
additional sensitive areas located on or near the rights-of-way, please advise us as soon as
possible so we may establish GIS permanent records and implement appropriate field protective
actions. We particularly rely on this process to collect corrections to the public wells and
to record the location of private wells.
National Grid's YOP details specific information pertaining to the intended 2026 program.
Please note that the YOP also lists the rights-of-way from the 2025 treatment program in case
National Grid needs to request a "touch-up" retree.tment of a site: If upon review of the previous
year's treatments, National Grid finds a site(s) within your municipality that need follow-up
treatments, this letter serves as notification of that follow-up treatment. The individual
landowner(s) will also be notified about this work. Please note that scheduled rights-of-way are
subject to change based on workplan constraints.
This notification also serves as a 21-day herbicide application notification. As detailed in
National Grid's Five-Year Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and Yearly Operational Plan
(YOP), this treatment is conducted as a component of an integrated vegetation management
(IVM) program that also utilizes mechanical and natural control techniques. National Grid's
Five-Year Vegetation Management Plan (2024-2028) is posted at the above website.
As described in the VMP and YOP, the program will consist of a late winter-spring mechanical
control, cut surface (CST), basal treatment, or dormant stem; a summer selective foliage or cut
stubble, and, as necessary, fall CST, basal, or dormant stem treatments.
In compliance with 333 CMR 11.06-11.07, no herbicide applications will occur before the
conclusion of the 45-day YOP review period, the 21-day treatment notice and the 48-hour
newspaper notice. At the end of these review periods, which can run concurrently, no
application shall commence more than ten days before nor conclude more than ten days after
the treatment periods listed.
National Grid Vegetation Management 939 Southbridge Street Worcester, MA 01610
T: 781-290-8310 mariclaire.rigby@nationalgrid.com nationalgrid.com
Potential Treatment Periods*
February 1, 2026- May 30, 2026 May 30, 2026-Oct 15, 2026 Oct 15, 2026- Dec 31, 2026
CST or Hack and Squirt Foliar CST or Hack and Squirt
Basal CST or Hack and Squirt Basal
Dormant stem Basal Dormant Stem
Cut stubble
* The exact treatment dates are dependent upon weather conditions and field crew progress.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts recommended herbicides for use in sensitive areas listed in
Section 7 (pages 13-15) of the YOP will be selectively applied to target vegetation by
experienced, Massachusetts' licensed/certified applicators that walk along the rights-of-way
using backpack equipment. Copies of the manufacturers' herbicide labels and fact sheets are
also included in the YOP, Appendices 8 and 9.
The work will be performed by one of the following vegetation management vendors:
• Allen Chase Enterprises, Inc: 24 Co. Rt. 1A Oswego, NY 13126 (833)216-6337
• BluRoc: 15 Atwood Dr, Suite 301 Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 887-3653
• Davey Tree Expert Co: 1500 N Mantua St Kent, OH 44240 800-445-8733
• Lewis Tree Service, Inc: 300 Lucius Gordon Drive West Henrietta, NY 14586 (585)436-3208
• Lucas Tree Experts: 12 Northbrook Drive Falmouth, ME 04105 (800) 339-8873
• Stanley Tree: 662 Great Road North Smithfield, RI 02896 (401) 765-4677
• Vegetation Control Service, Inc: 2342 Main Street Athol, MA 01331 (978) 249-5348
This informational 21-day notification follows Chapter 132B, section 613 of the Massachusetts
General Laws, 333 CM 11.05-11.07 Rights of Way Management and Chapter 85, Section 10
of the Acts of 2000. National Grid's vegetation management program is subject to federal and
state regulations only. By statute, local permits or rulings are not applicable.
For in concerning safety of the herbicides, please contact:
MDAR-Pesticide Division-ROW Coordinator
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500 Boston, MA 02114-2151 Telephone: (617) 626-1782
Please contact me if you have any questions about the application and monitoring of the
vegetation management program. Email: mariclaire.rigby@nationalgrid.com Phone: 781-290-
8310
Sincerely(,
Mariclaire Rigby J
Principal Vegetation Strategy Specialist
CC: Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Private and Public Water Suppliers, MDAR
Municipality: Salem ROW: 1491
naflonalgr*id
RIGHT-OF-WAY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
Additional Information about National Grid's Integrated Vegetation Management(IVM) Program:
National Grid utilizes a program called Integrated Vegetation Management(IVM)to maintain its rights-
of-way(ROW)floor(WIRE ZONE AND BORDER ZONE in the above illustration).The ROW is the off-road
section of our lines,these are not the poles and lines that run along the roadside.The IVM program
encourages the establishment of a low growing plant community within the ROW using mechanical,
biological,& herbicide treatments. Our IVM program is based on 4-5-year cycles which schedule crews
to target incompatible vegetation as selectively as possible and then allows early successional ecological
communities(low-growing plants and shrubs)to help maintain compatible vegetation between
treatment programs. Because we have been using this program since the 1960's our ROWs consist
mainly of compatible growing species. It's important to note that the cycles allow us to treat different
ROWS in our system each year,so not all the ROWS in one town will necessarily be treated in the same
year.
The vegetation management work is being performed in accordance with 333 CMR 11.00 Rights of Way
Management and the provisions of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Regulations (310 CMR
10.02(2)(a)(2)that allow for the maintaining, repairing, or replacing, but not substantially changing or
enlarging,existing structures or facilities.This work is done to keep vegetation away from electrical
transmission lines and facilities to prevent power outages and ensures the safety and reliability of the
existing lines therefore, it constitutes maintenance of utility structures and facilities.
The herbicide maintenance work is also covered under 310 CMR 10.03 (6): Presumption Concerning
Application of Herbicides. (a)Any application of herbicides within any Area Subject to Protection under
M.G.L. c. 131,§40 or the Buffer Zone associated with a structure or facility which is: 1. existing and
lawfully located;2. used in the service of the public;and 3. used to provide electric,gas,water,sewer,
telephone,telegraph and other telecommunication services shall be presumed to constitute work
performed in the course of maintaining such structure or facility,and shall be accorded the exemption
of such work under M.G.L.c. 131,§40,only if the application of herbicides to that structure or facility is
performed in accordance with such plans as are required by the Department of Food and Agriculture
pursuant to 333 CMR 11.00: Rights of Way Management,effective July 10, 1987.
National Grid uses field GIS software to gather data on the ROW. Before we begin any ROW vegetation
maintenance work, professionally trained forestry staff field inventory the ROW 1-2 years ahead of the
scheduled maintenance year and prescribe the work for the crews. Each site is GIS mapped and
designated with a land use type,site prescription,and any special notes.When making the prescription
all land use factors are considered: proximity to water,sensitive areas,wetlands, landowner concerns,
priority habitat,etc.GIS shapefiles/locations of wetlands and other sensitive areas provided from the
state and local municipalities are added to our GIS. In addition,all the necessary state listed buffers have
also been applied to our GIS. (Please see Appendix 6 of the YOP for the list of buffers). National Grid
Forestry staff and contracted field crews conducting the ROW work all use the GIS software in the field
to help identify the work and sensitive area requirements.
In addition to using GIS field software, National Grid chooses to only use herbicides from the MA
Sensitive Materials List.These are herbicides that may be used in sensitive areas. (ex:wetlands). In areas
where we use herbicides,the herbicide treatments are selectively applied by trained, licensed
applicators using hand-held equipment.Two methods of application are primarily used.A preparatory
Cut and Stump Treatment(CST) is made where trees must be hand cut near inhabited areas,roads,and
for all trees over 12 feet tall.A foliage application consisting of the same materials is made selectively to
target species only less than 12 feet tall over the remaining portion of the right-of-way. In both
treatment methods,applicators walk to each target plant and apply minimal amounts of herbicide.
National Grid does not utilize any broadcast treatments.All herbicides have been approved for use by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as the MA Department of Agriculture(MDAR).
Herbicide use in Massachusetts is solely regulated by MDAR. https://www.mass.eov/rights-of-way-
vegetation-management.Important:if you note any additional sensitive areas,please notify us so we
can add them to our GIS and apply the necessary buffers.
National Grid is currently taking part in a study to quantify the biodiversity found within our rights-of-
way. For more information about the study and National Grid's transmission vegetation maintenance
program,along with links to the 2026 YOP and maps,please use this website link or QR code:
https://www.nationalgridub.com/MA !/Trees-and-Your-Electric-Service/Landowners-and-
Transmission-Lines
.......• ... ...........
.. ... . ...
•.:::•:• :. 8 :::a .N.W. •
'i. °A-
.1:1
4: