Washington Conservation Commission
Minutes – March 21, 2007
Assembly time: 7:00 PM.
Present: Carol Andrews, Nan Schwartz, Mark Cummings
1.0 Approval of Minutes: no copy of minutes for February, we will approve at our next meeting.
2.0 Old Business:
2.1 Dredge and Fill Committee – Carol has received calls from two abutters who had received notices that Michael Bosetti had filed for a wetlands permit for temporary equipment crossing and bridge construction. Her name was given as a contact on the notice that was sent, but she had no notice or information about what was happening from Mr. Bosetti or the company who was filing the permit for him so she couldn't shed any light on the situation.
2.2 Town Meeting - We displayed a few of the latest versions of our NRI maps at lunchtime and in the afternoon. We answered questions about them to the public.
All of the ballot articles on the warrant passed by a wide margin.
The Carbon Coalition warrant article submitted by the Young's also passed by voice vote.
Ken Eastman brought up the Lake Host program and tried to fund it under the last article, which wasn't allowed under that article. Carol has grant applications for money that can be used to fund the program and we will encourage all the lake associations to take advantage of this. We would also consider helping to make up funding gaps with some of our funds, if possible. The program has been run on Millen Lake successfully and we feel it would be important to do it on all the lakes in town. The health of our lakes should be protected and people should recognize that these lakes are an important component of our tax base.
Congratulations to all the new office holders voted in at town meeting.
2.3 Natural Resource Inventory – We need to figure out the practicality of using the NRI maps to pinpoint wetlands to be able to provide the information needed to the selectmen for the new wetlands regulations.
2.4 The Forestry Committee is looking for new members. They have now have 5 members with no alternates. Mark is interested and will attend their next meeting on April 10th.
2.5 Conservation easements – The Forest society has informed Carol that they are flat out doing easements for the rest of this year. People are trying to get their easements done in order to take advantage of the tax laws that will lapse at the end of 2007. If any need to be done this year we will have to know almost immediately and may have to seek alternate ease holders.
2.6 DES contacted the selectmen about having a hearing about the EW Mill Pond study. They are seeking ways to reduce the e-coli levels in the pond during the summer months.
2.7 Several members attended the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission presentation in Newbury last month. They presented draft chapters for their new handbook being published in the fall called "Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development".
3.0 What's Happening in Nature? Mark and Nan both saw weasels running across the snow at different times and in different places this month. We wondered what kind of weasels they could be. Mark also saw a beautiful red fox hanging around neat his pasture. George Eccard has seen 3 coyotes around in the corn field.
4.0 New Business: Initiatives for 2007, help get work done on the cluster development part of the LUO. This needs to be updated to reflect the conservation subdivision and open space planning techniques widely being used around the state today.
5.0 Other Business - None
6.0 Correspondence:
NH Lakes Association Lake Host Program information
Landscaping at the Water's Edge: An Ecological Approach to Landscaping Shoreland Property March 27-28
Watershed Ecology Institute
Sullivan County Foundation sponsor a camper for UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H camp
NHDOT Adopt a Highway- Cleanings begin in April and end in October
DES Data Check Tool- as of April 1st all Dredge and Fill application and notification must be accompanied by documentation from the Natural Heritage Bureau (NHB) pertaining to rare species or exemplary natural communities in the vicinity of the proposed project. If NHB records do not indicate the presence or rare species or exemplary natural communities then users can immediately get an official letter to that effect at no charge. If NHB records do indicate known rare species or exemplary natural communities in the vicinity then NHB staff will assess the potential impacts of the project. NHB will assess a $25 fee in this case.
Cottrell Baldwin lecture series at Fox Forest
Saving Special Places Conference on Saturday April 14, 8:30 to 4:00 Steve Curwood of Public Radio will be the keynote speaker.
7.0 Adjourned at 8:40 PM., our next scheduled meeting is April 18th at 7 PM at the Town Hall
Respectfully submitted,
Nan Schwartz
Secretary