POLAND — Members of the Conservation Commission met with selectmen Tuesday to discuss a proposed article for the town meeting in April.

The commission is proposing that the town take steps necessary to place a conservation easement on land surrounding the town’s new walking trail system between the municipal complex on Route 26 and the town’s Transfer Station.

All of the land, about 95 acres, according to Conservation Commission Co-chairman Fred Huntress, is owned by the town.

At its heart is the Furman property which was purchased within the past year following a successful private fundraising effort that secured the property and made the extensive trail system possible.

Huntress noted that in 2010 the town went through a similar process when it placed a conservation easement on the Bragdon Hill property.

Huntress estimated it could cost as much as $12,500 to secure the easement, for legal work and some minor surveying.

The commission would contract with the New England Forestry Foundation for monitoring to ensure conditions of the easement were maintained.

Selectmen agreed that an article should be prepared for the town meeting warrant, establishing a cost not to exceed $15,000.

Selectman Janice Kimball took the opportunity to discuss with Huntress and Conservation Commission Co-chairman Don Stover their objections to two articles selectmen have prepared to fix a problem that developed when two town meetings authorized setting aside money derived from harvesting timber from town-owned land for future conservation.

Kimball noted that she opposed setting up dedicated funds for special long-range purposes.

Selectmen agreed to continue that discussion in January when Huntress and Stover are better prepared to present their views on the matter.

In other business, selectmen awarded bids for five parcels of tax-acquired property to two bidders.

Susan Sohlberg was the winning bidder on the property of Map 9, Lot 32, with a bid of $254.

William Foster was the winning bidder for the remaining four parcels, listed as Map 13, Lots 1, 3, 3A, and 4, for bids in the amounts of $3,875, $1,480, $10,000 and $1,035, respectively.

Selectman Walter Gallagher voted against awarding Foster the four properties.

Sohlberg was the original owner of all of the properties put out to bid and offered the minimum required bids, which is the amount of unpaid taxes plus interest, penalties and the town’s legal costs.

Sohlberg apparently hadn’t responded throughout the lien and acquisition process and selectmen put the properties up for sale. Then Sohlberg submitted her bids in a last-minute attempt to regain her properties.

At Kimball’s request, Administrative Assistant Nikki Pratt detailed the timeline and steps taken throughout the process — efforts that would have allowed Sohlberg to retain her properties.

Pratt noted that she had reviewed past transactions when the town sold tax-acquired property. She reported that in all instances, once the properties were put out to bid, they went to the highest bidder and not to the former owner, even though they had met the minimum acceptable bid.