Washington Conservation Commission
Minutes
– April 17, 2013
Assembly time: 7:00 PM.
Members present: Ken Eastman,
Johanna Young, Jed Schwartz, Nan Schwartz, Arin Mills.
Visitors: None
1.0 Approval of Minutes: Minutes from March, Johanna made
a motion to approve, Ken seconded, all voted in favor.
2.0 Permits Committee
– No new permits.
3.0 Committee
and Board reports:
3.1 Land
Protection Committee – Jed mentioned that Q2C funds may become available
this later this year and there may also be money available for trails. We will
let everyone know if there is a grant round announced.
3.2 Energy Committee – Johanna
reported that didnÕt meet this month but Andrew Hatch attended the Energy
Conference. He was able to connect with some vendors including someone who does
micro-hydro to attend their expo/fair later this summer. They are hoping to
piggyback with the FarmerÕs Market so there was food and other things for sale.
She said that Andrew Hatch has access to a large tent they can use if weather
is a problem. The EC members are attending a regional Energy Committees meeting
with the UVLSRPC.
3.3 Planning Board – Nan reported
that the Planning Board is planning to work on updating the Master Plan this
year.
3.4 Forestry Committee
– No news .
3.5 Legislative update –
1. House Bill 513 - Shoreland Protection Act – has passed the
House with amendment. It now moves to the Energy & Natural Resources Committee in
the Senate.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/senate/committees/committee_details.aspx?cc=S38
2. SB 124-FN Integrated Land Development Permit has passed the Senate
with amendment. It now moves to the Resources, Recreation & Development Committee
in the House.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?code=H22
3. SB 102 - (local option to elect conservation
commissioners) is now scheduled for a hearing on April 17th, please
plan to communicate with the House Municipal and County Government Committee
with regard to this bill. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?code=H18
4.
LCHIP
(Land and Community Heritage Investment Program) The House Finance
Committee recommended LCHIP funding at $5 million for the biennium. This is the
same amount included in Governor HassanÕs budget.
4.0 Public Presentations and workshops:
4.1 We are planning the Vernal Pool
Workshop with May 10th for the school presentation and May 11th
for the vernal pool visit. Arin will speak to Mrs. Lull to nail down the time
for the school portion. We will go out and get some critters the afternoon
before the school presentation. Arin would like to do an activity with the
kids. She was thinking of a Jeopardy like game or something similar. Arin will
look for a template for a game. Johanna suggested using different stages of
vernal pool creatures. Jed has some video from past pool visits and we will add
it to the powerpoint presentation. Arin will go over the powerpoint presentation
to see if we need to do anything to it. Nan will let Ken know when to put the
VP visit in the SelectmenÕs minutes, we have to make sure the conditions are
right as we get closer to the date. Jed will bring speakers for sound and we
will bring sound recordings of peepers, wood frogs, etc. Nan will ask Carol
about the laminated sheets she had at the last VP visit. We will bring nets and
buckets.
4.2 Tracking Invasive Plants project – Jed mentioned a GPS app that he got for his phone. He has used it to map a hiking trail but it can also be used to pin point places or things. It would be possible to use something like this for mapping invasives. We talked about a computer form or PDF that people could fill out along with pinpointing a spot. We will look into it further and keep talking about it next month.
5.0 New business: None
6.0 Other Business:
6.1 We received a reminder from Frank
Linnenbringer at DOT about the Adopt-a-Highway trash pickups starting for this
year. We scheduled our first pick up date for May 18th at 9AM,
meeting at the Library parking lot. We will schedule our other 3 pickup dates
as we go along in June, August and October.
6.2 Nan reminded members that terms
were up for several members. Jed, Sandy, Don, and Lindley need to sign
paperwork for continuing their membership. Nan will coordinate with Town Clerk
Sandy Poole on the paperwork.
7.0 WhatÕs Happening in Nature?
Nan
said spring has sprung, even though we had snow just a week or so ago.
Arin
said that ice is out on the vernal pool.
Ken
said that the ice is still on Millen Pond. Jed said that ice has been out on
Mill Pond for about a week, there is a strong flow of water from the brooks
that help wash the ice out.
Johanna
said today is the first day that ice is out on her pond. The beavers (mom, dad
and juvenile) are busy and she has fed them sticks and an apple. She saw the
male marking his territory by rubbing mud on himself and spreading it on the
pond bank. She has wood ducks and has seen a King Fisher back in her pond. It
is a very active place for watching nature.
Arin
had a big flock of Juncos at her feeder. She has seen Canada geese on the move.
Jed
and Nan heard peepers tonight for the first time this year. He saw a snowshoe
hare last week that was turning brown.
Arin
saw a moose by the old cemetery on Faxon Hill Road. She also saw some wood
ducks on the fire pond in East Washington.
Nan
mentioned that Emerald Ash Borers were spotted in Concord recently. There is a restriction
on moving ash wood anywhere in the state.
Jed
said it was a very good sugar season this year.
Ken
said that fishing season starts on ponds May 1st. He is waiting to
hear about a grant from Lake Hosts to fund a paid position and should hear very
soon. They are looking for someone to do Friday evenings and Sunday mornings at
the boat launch and it pays $10 an hour.
Jed
has seen a pair of diving ducks on his pond that might be Hooded Mergansers,
they are small and skittish. To learn more about these birds click here:
8.0 Correspondence:
Letter from Frank
Linnenbringer DOT, re: Adopt-a-Highway pickups.
Article from Forest Notes about the Farnsworth
Hill Land Protection project
DES invitation to Drinking
Water Source Protection Conference, May 1st, Concord, $40.
11.0 Adjourned
at 7:45 PM, our next scheduled meeting is May 15th at 7 PM in the Town Hall.
Respectfully
submitted,
Nan
Schwartz, Secretary