Bill > H3651

This bill authorizes the town of Eastham to acquire subsurface easements on land managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) for the purpose of installing, maintaining, repairing, and replacing municipal water systems, and also allows the Nauset Regional School District to grant a perpetual easement to the town for groundwater and drinking water supply wells. The easements on DCR land, totaling over 20,000 square feet, will not restrict access to the Cape Cod Rail Trail unless approved by the DCR, and the town must compensate the Commonwealth for the value of these easements through land transfers, funding for land acquisition, or other means to ensure no net loss of conservation lands. The town will cover all associated costs, and the easements will include a reversionary clause requiring the property to return to the Commonwealth if it's no longer used for its authorized purpose. Additionally, the Nauset Regional School District's easement will allow the town to retain and operate wells, with the town responsible for indemnifying the district and providing it with potable water for 99 years, while the district retains the right to use the land for purposes not adverse to the granted easement.