WASHINGTON  CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

 

Minutes- April 3, 2003

 

 

1.0  Assembly:  Time  7:00 p.m.

Present:  Sandy Robinson, Carol Andrews, Tom Taylor, Rich Cook (back from the high seas), John Tweedy, Don Richard, Peter France, Jed Schwartz, Nan Schwartz.

 

2.0  Approval of Minutes:  approved as printed.

 

3.0  Old Business: 

3.1  Dredge and Fill Committee: no activity.

3.2  Website is up and running and looks great!  Thanks to Jed and Nan, and John Hofstetter.  Carol will send a thank you note to John.  Schwartz to supply address.

3.3  Conservation Camp:  Carol reported that she had a call from a resident inquiring whether the Conservation Commission could send his children to Conservation Camp.  Other Con Coms have done this.  Cost is approximately $280 per child.  Presently we do not have the funds for this, but it is something that the group would like to pursue. 

3.4  NH Votes for open space at Town Meetings: At March town meetings across New Hampshire, voters approved record levels of local funding for land conservation. Voters in 25 towns agreed to bond or appropriate $35.5 million in local funding for land protection. This represents an almost 75% increase over one year ago, when towns voted for $20.4 million in conservation funding. Towns raised $15.4 million for local conservation in 2001.
106 New Hampshire communities have also passed warrant articles or resolutions strongly supporting continued funding for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). These communities represent about 67% of the stateŐs population. Additional communities are expected to pass articles and resolutions in April and May.

3.5  Sandy will call to ask for information about the bats in the Shedd Free Library.

3.6  Carol reported that the Pillsbury Sunapee land protection deal is still on track, and that part of the deal will include any statewide trails (hiking and snowmobile) on the property.  Carol to contact Larry Gaskell from the Snowriders.

3.7  Hazard Mitigation:  Tom and Carol have drafted a few recommendations to send to the Hazard Mitigation Committee (thank you, Tom for attending meetings!).

Mitigation Risk: Construction on land adjacent to the Ashuelot River between; a) North of bridge to Marlow and Pillsbury, and b) Ashuelot Lake Dam south west to Marlow line.  Construction on these pieces of land will increase risk of loss due to flooding or other serious storms.

Mitigation Action:

  1. Encourage conservation easements on all tracts of land abutting the Ashuelot River in Washington.  The first step is finding out if we have willing landowners!
  2. Identify funding sources for Conservation easements: LCHIP, Natural Heritage Bureau (they have identified this area as high priority), DES Water Supply Protection Program (if mapping shows that itŐs applicable), Local funding. 
  3. Request LAC to include conservation easements in its objectives
  4. Town of Washington should vote to have the Shoreland Protection Act apply to the Ashuelot River (this is mentioned in the LACŐs Corridor Management Plan).

Note:  The Ashuelot River Corridor Management Plan has been adopted by the Selectmen, and should be included as an addendum to the next Master Plan for Washington.

 

 

 

3.8  WhatŐs happening in nature?  Spotted Salamanders will be moving soon.  Watch for them on roads, especially on rainy nights.  Get out to see activity in vernal pools.  Suggested Reading:  A Field Guide to the animals of Vernal Pools by Leo P. Kenney and Matthew R. Burne.

April 19, 10-2 SPNHF Hay Reservation, Newbury:  Breeding Amphibians workshop.  Call 224-9945 to register.

LetŐs Talk Turkey:

The Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire was locked down Friday (3/21?) after a
"potential intruder" was spotted on a security screen. "Immediately, we locked down the plant....

We called on the sea coast security, the NewHampshire state police and the local Seabrook police," a plant spokesman said. A security worker, however, told the FBI he saw "a large bird (probably a wild turkey) with approximately a 4-foot wingspan fly across the road in front of him" while he was patrolling the area. In its report to the NRC, Seabrook noted the turkey sighting "coincided with the location and time the security operator saw the image on his screen." The NRC called off the alarm.

Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee Report on Hike 3/15

"Today, several members of the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee and their spouses hiked on snowshoes down the middle of the Ashuelot River from Mountain Road to the beginning of Ashuelot Pond. It was so-o-o- beautiful!  And we saw tracks of otter, beaver, fisher, red fox, gray fox, snowshoe hare, and mink. Additionally, we many bear bites on balsam firs along the edge of the river. There were also a few deer rubs (no tracks) and moose sign. It is an untrammeled part of the river. The open expanses are lovely, including a vast marshy area (frozen over now) near the Washington-Lempster line. There was one house where we began and houses at the end (as well as noisy snowmobiles on the pond). Otherwise, all quiet except for the yapping of beagles released to help hare hunters."  Ann Sweet (Sullivan)

 

4.0  Natural Resource Inventory:

4.1    Don stated that some towns have done an inventory of vernal pools. 

4.2    Everyone is encouraged to record sitings of flora and fauna and send it to be included in the website/NRI.

 

5.0  New Business

 

6.0 Correspondence:

 

 

7.0   Adjournment:  7:55 p.m.                   

 

7.1  Next Meeting Date: May 1st at 7:00 at the Town Hall.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Carol K. Andrews

Secretary

 

cc:  Board of Selectmen

       Planning Board