GREENFIELD — Conservation Commission members will draft a letter in support of removing the Wiley-Russell Dam after Mayor Ginny Desorgher signed a memorandum of understanding with the Connecticut River Conservancy earlier this month calling for the dam’s removal.

“In the past, that’s been a contentious issue in town,” Conservation Commission member Travis Drury said. “I was wondering if people wanted to write a letter of support for removing the dams. They’re not really used for anything, they’re just dams that still exist.”

The Historical Commission, Connecticut River Conservancy and Mayor’s Office debated the potential dam removal during a Historical Commission meeting last week, in which members argued that the dam’s historical significance and ties to the Industrial Revolution make it worthy of preservation. Proponents of its removal, meanwhile, insisted that the structure on the Green River is a hazard to the river’s aquatic life and overall health.

At a Conservation Commission meeting Tuesday evening, Vice Chair Christin McDonough said she felt confident that the site’s historical significance could be preserved, even in the event that it is removed.

“I recognize the historical significance — we talked about it when the applicant came before us. We know ... there’s the Tap and Dye Industrial Revolution site there,” McDonough said. “Improving water quality and habitat connectivity and a fish ladder are all good things, especially if they have to go through a cultural resource survey anyway.”

Although Desorgher initially told the Greenfield Recorder that she planned to remove both the Wiley-Russell and Electric Light and Power dams, Connecticut River Conservancy Executive Director Rebecca Todd said the signed memorandum serves as an agreement to remove the Wiley-Russell Dam and install a fish ladder at the Electric Light and Power Dam. The two dams are located less than half a mile apart.

Conservation Commission member Emily Boss cited this detail of the agreement when she voiced her support for it, adding that the plans in place appear “sensitive” to the protection of aquatic life and the river’s preservation. Although the Wiley-Russell Dam is owned by the city and its removal does not require Conservation Commission approval, Boss said she thought the letter would be meaningful as a show of support for a controversial project.

“There has been a certain amount of opposition to it,” Boss said of the removal, “and this is an opportunity for us, as the conservation entity in the town, to say we believe it would be beneficial.”

The Historical Commission has been the primary opponent to the dam’s removal and has since challenged the arguments that it would benefit fish and other aquatic life, with some commissioners arguing the claims that fish populate the dam are unsubstantiated.

In response to questions on the matter at last week’s Historical Commission meeting, Rebecca Budd of the Connecticut River Conservancy listed a few aquatic species believed to populate that portion of the Green River, adding that the dam removal intends to accomplish more than just the protection of aquatic life.

“It’s not just about fish,” Budd said previously. “That’s what we’ve been sort of saying all along — it’s about re-establishing connectivity, improving habitat quality, improving public access, and I think, as part of our project here, to include recognition of historical aspects of the dams.”

The Conservation Commission is expected to vote on the letter of support’s final draft at its Nov. 26 meeting.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.