Hampden Conservation Commission to Send Wetland Enforcement Letter at South Ridge Estates

HAMPDEN — April 15, 2026 — Hampden Conservation Commission pursues enforcement at South Ridge Estates over clearing and shooting-range activity in protected wetlands. The commission confirmed that contracted wetland scientist Steve Riberty will conduct on-site re-delineation of the resource area the week of April 20, re-establishing a boundary line that has been without permanent markers for years, following a commission vote to hire Riberty after property owner Russ Morton declined to fund the work. Two permanent orders of conditions on the property — numbers 23 and 24 — prohibit any disturbance to the wetland boundary in perpetuity. Commission members said a formal enforcement letter will go to Morton and to persons using the land once the flagging is complete, with state DEP fines and mandatory revegetation as potential consequences for continued violations. In a separate matter, the commission gave a Glendale Road property owner who has denied site access roughly one month to respond to a letter before the commission pursues a court warrant to enter the property, citing a two-year statutory enforcement window that is narrowing.