Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes - April 22, 2010

 

Assembly time: 7:00 PM.

 

Present: Carol Andrews, Nan Schwartz, Jed Schwartz, Sandy Robinson, Arin Mills, Lionel Chute

 

1.0    Approval of Minutes: Minutes from March, Sandy made a motion to approve, Jed seconded, all voted in favor with Arin abstaining because she hadnŐt had time to read them previously.

 

2.0        Old Business:

2.1   Re-appointment papers – Carol had reappointment papers for everyone to sign for the Town Clerk. Sandy, Jed and Arin signed theirs, Carol will return them to Sandy Poole.

 

2.2  Adopt a Highway – Nan canceled the April 17th date because of weather and rescheduled to May 1st (Saturday) at 9AM. She will send out a reminder.

       

2.3   Permits Committee – There is a shoreland permit from Ruggiero, Sandy felt we should go out and take a look at the site and comment. Nan will make a copy of the permit application and they will go out in the next few days.

 

2.4  Vernal Pool visit – Carol and Arin are going to the elementary school on Friday afternoon at 1:15 to talk to the kids about vernal pools and the creatures found there before the visit on Saturday at 11AM. They asked everyone to look for a spotted salamander to bring along to show to the kids. If you are coming on Saturday bring nets, pans, plastic spoons if you have them. Flyers for event are going home with the kids on Thursday so the parents can make plans to be there. Nan will ask Michelle to put it in the Selectmen's minutes. Jed will bring his camera on Saturday. Nan will get some orange cones from Ed for traffic control. Carol and Arin are going out to get a few creatures to bring to the school on Friday, Jed will assist them because he knows a very good spot for frogs.

 

2.5  The Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee – is looking for members and donations for river water testing. Sandy made a motion to give them $90.00, Arin seconded, all voted in favor. Carol also mentioned that there is a river monitoring workshop at Keene State College on May 4th if anyone is interested in attending.

         

2.6   Energy Committee – Johanna wasn't in attendance but Carol had an email from her. Johanna said the Photovoltaic project at the highway garage is held up right now because they are having trouble determining how much weight load that the roof will hold. She said that the Energy Committee members want to attend a conference in Concord on June 19th and would like the Conservation Commission to help pay for the fees. Jed made a motion to spend up to $100.00 for them to attend, Sandy seconded, all voted in favor. She said Bob Fraser is rejoining the committee. Johanna wrote a blurb for a local energy committee email newsletter.

 

2.7   Land Protection Committee – The appraisals are back and Brian Hotz has met with the Eccards. He will meet with them again soon. We are hoping to get an application in for this LCHIP round.

 

2.8   Planning Board – Nan has arranged a meeting with Ed Thayer to work on revising the road standards in the Subdivision Regs. Lionel has joined the Planning Board as an alternate member. Lionel popped in to let us know he hasn't sent us a resignation letter yet but does intend to. He also said he would like us to continue to use him as a resource when needed.

 

2.9   We received posters from the state to post at May Pond and Ashuelot Pond about the high levels of mercury in fish taken from both those bodies of water. Nan printed them out on yellow paper and will laminate 4 posters. We will put them up at the public boat launch at May Pond and at the association bulletin board at Ashuelot Pond.

 

3.0   What's Happening in Nature?

Arin saw a turkey vulture near the fire hydrant area at the bottom of the hill on Rt. 31, it was eating something but she didn't stop to see what it was. She said that Mrs. Lull had taken the school kids down to the beach at Camp Morgan to look at the spotted newts, there were big bunches of them to see. They also saw egg masses in the water.

Jed said that in 30 years in Washington he can't remember another year when the leaves on the trees were out so early. Sandy agreed.

Johanna reported in her email that her beaver is back and it is starting a new dam.

Carol thinks we may see frog eggs hatching on Saturday at our vernal pool visit.

Arin said she heard the loons calling on Ashuelot and Sandy said she saw a loon on Island Pond.

Jed and Nan heard a Barred Owl calling late one afternoon recently.

Carol thinks she saw a juvenile Bald Eagle when the ice was first out on Halfmoon Pond.

Arin mentioned that NH Audubon just came out with their Winter 2010 Dragonfly Survey Newsletter where they mention coming to Pillsbury State Park in Washington to spot Dragonflies last summer, so we are now on their map with over 50 species, to read the newsletter go here: http://www.nhaudubon.org/uploads/1220026771843_Winter%202010%20Dragonhunter%20Newsletter, there is also more information on training for and joining the dragonfly survey project here: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Nongame/dragonflies.html

Sandy mentioned that the old town history has a list of wildlife found in Washington in the past and we should compare to what we find around town today to see how things have changed. Jed said he used to catch native trout in Bradford near Red Brook and Bradford Bog areas and in Mill Pond coming out of Woodward Brook. There aren't any there today. Carol said that Phil Barker asked about Whippoorwills. He used to hear them a lot around here and misses their calls. NH Audubon has a project tracking birds in decline and Whippoorwills are one of them, they can still be heard in the Ossipee Pine Barrens in Freedom, NH and at the Mast Yard State Forest in Hopkinton. NH Audubon's Whippoorwill report can be seen here: http://nhaudubon.org/detail.php?entry_id=421

Sandy said she saw a Woodcock off East Washington Rd. in the swampy area above Poole's. Carol said she heard one recently and noted that they are displaying early this year.

Arin talked about the Hognose snakes that the NH Nat. Guard is tracking on their property using telemetry (the species is endangered). We talked about types of snakes we have seen around Washington and those that are more rare now. Fish and Game has a place on the web to go and report snake sightings, here: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Nongame/reptiles_amphibians.htm. F&G wants to know what you have seen and where you saw it. They also have several other programs for reporting wildlife sightings on their website.

Nan reminded everyone that it is time to take in your birdfeeders (April 1st) so you don't have Black Bears visiting and eating the bird food. For more information and to see a picture go here: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/NewinNature.html

   

4.0   New Business: We received our first donation through our new brochure. Nan will send a thank you note.

        Don't forget the May 17th meeting in Lempster (Town Hall at 7PM) with the Lempster Conservation Commission and the people from UNH Cooperative Extension and Fish and Game concerning using the Wildlife Action Plan and working cooperatively across town lines. We are bringing our NRI maps

 

5.0   Correspondence:

              DES Notice of Administrative Completeness Minimum Impact Expedited Application Delorey File# 2010-00387

              Shoreland Impact Permit approval Levesque/Thomas Forest File# 2010-00188

DES Request for Washington representation on the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee; submit nominees by May 28th.

              Email invitation to the Wildlands and Woodlands Conference Friday June 4th 9:30 - 4:00 in Concord

              Several emails from Michael Racine regarding fish consumption advisory signs

              First donation from the new Washington Conservation Commission brochure!

 

6.0   Adjourned at 8:10 PM, our next scheduled meeting is April 21st at 7 PM in the Town Hall.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Nan Schwartz

Secretary