Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – June 20, 2012

Assembly time: 7:00 PM.

Present: Jed Schwartz, Carol Andrews, Nan Schwartz, Arin Mills, Sandy Robinson, Johanna Young and Ken Eastman.

1.0 Approval of Minutes: Minutes from May meeting, Carol asked that we change the part that said “the Forest Society backed out” to some more positive wording. Nan will do so. Sandy made a motion to approve with changes, Jed seconded, all voted in favor.

2.0 Permits Committee – There was a copy of a wetlands permit for Guyer on Highland Lake. They are putting a canopy over their existing dock. No action required by us.

3.0 Committee and Board reports:

3.1 Land Protection Committee – We continue talking with a group on Millen Pond about a possible land protection project on Farnsworth Hill.

3.2 Energy Committee – Johanna reported that they held their meeting last week. They have welcomed a new member – Andrew Hatch. She said there is new money for weatherization projects through a partnership of PSNH and Community Development Finance Authority. The partnership with PSNH is slated to use around $1.5 million dollars to winterize 500 New Hampshire homes. People in town may be eligible to take advantage of the program. More information available here: http://www.betterbuildingsnh.org/

http://www.psnh.com/homeperformance/

She also said that the Elementary School is going to do an energy project and Al is following up with them.

3.3 Planning Board – Nan reported that the PB has formed a CIP subcommittee and they are going through all the Energy Audit reports, Task Force reports and building reports done for the municipal buildings to come up with recommendations for projects to include in the CIP.

3.4 Forestry Committee – No news.

3.5 Legislative update – Carol said that the Governor had signed HB 514. We will be required to ask permission of property owners to gather data on their property. Carol suggested that we put a disclaimer into the NRI to make it clear that that all the data included in the report was done with landowners’ permission.

4.0 Public Presentations and workshops:

4.1 The Watershed on Wheels visit to the Elementary School was a big success and you can read about it and see pictures here: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/WoW2012.html

4.2 Arin attended the workshop on leading hikes today and said it was great. They talked about preplanning, advertising, safety and a lot more. She also networked with people from the Lempster CC who talked about maybe doing a joint hike. They are thinking of doing a hike on Oak Hill, which is in Washington. We talked about possible trails to hike in town. We will try to plan something in the next month. Arin said it could be helpful to have a GPS unit along and we will see if we can borrow one.

4.3 We talked about Carol’s suggestion of a movie night. An NHACC board member, Geoff Jones, bought a copy of the movie “Green Fire” (a documentary about Aldo Leopold, environmentalist) and is willing to come show it and we could use it as a fundraiser, splitting the proceeds with NHACC. We will keep discussing it, maybe get another group involved (like Parks and Rec) and do it in the early fall.

5.0 Adopt–a-Highway – Our next pick up day is June 23^rd, this Saturday. As usual, we will meet at the Library Parking lot at 9AM. Saturday is also the town wide cleanup day. The Selectmen are coordinating it and have boxes of blue bags that we got them last year.

6.0 New Business: Arin asked about the cemetery mowing. She wondered if they could hold off mowing the open field until later in the season. This is the time of year when birds are nesting and nectar feeders/pollinators are taking advantage of the wildflowers. Experts say it is best to delay mowing until late July to protect ground-nesting birds. Ken said he will talk to Phil Barker, who coordinates the mowing, about delaying it.

7.0 Other business:

7.1 Town owned lots - Nan mentioned we have 2 new lots to evaluate. She has done the map work and will coordinate a date when we can go out to look at them with PB members. She will email some possible dates.

7.2 Trail Map - Jed said that we are doing a reprint of the Trail Map. It has sold out again and there is more demand for it. The Town Clerk and Town Administrator have been selling them for us at the town offices.

8.0 What’s Happening in Nature?

Carol remarked that it is HOT! We have had several 90+ degree days.

Arin said she saw a dead fawn laying by the side of the road on Faxon Hill, remarkably both Sandy and Jed had seen a dead young deer on East Washington Rd. this evening.

Johanna saw Bobcat poop in her driveway. She has mallard ducklings and wood ducklings in her pond. She had a raccoon that came and stared at her when she was paddling on her pond. She found a grey tree frog that probably fell out of the tree and was a bit stunned. She hears them calling all the time but usually they are only out at night and you don’t see them.

Arin said that Lionel has lost some of his chicks to Ravens.

Jed said there is always a problem with crows eating his corn as it comes up. The Eccardt Farm has planted their feed corn late this year and maybe they won’t be so much of a problem for them.

Jed found a painted turtle laying eggs near the pond in East Washington. He has had several snapping turtle sightings. Ken had a snapping turtle laying eggs near his house. Sandy said Peter found a baby snapping turtle near his studio.

Sandy has seen a small black bear wandering around the neighborhood. It walked along the stonewall and went through her yard. She has seen it more than once. They had a moose walk through their pasture’s wire gate and destroy it. She has seen a lot of very healthy looking foxes and chipmunks this year.

Jed commented on seeing lots of Luna Moths and big flocks(?) of butterflies this year. They also have seen many hummingbirds already.

Arin mentioned the purple Emerald Ash Borer trap boxes that are hung around town. Maybe you have noticed them and wondered what they were. For more information about the traps click here: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/NewinNature.html

9.0 Correspondence:

Copy of DRED letter to Dan Reed/Mata concerning a requested variance from RSA 227-J:9, (retaining 50% basal area uncut near Smith Pond). The variance was denied and they also had suggestions for buffers on the streams to be left intact.

Copy of Wetlands permit for Guyer, for a canopy covering their existing dock on Highland Lake.

10.0 Adjourned at 8:00 PM, our next scheduled meeting is July 18^th at 7 PM in the Town Hall.

Respectfully submitted,

Nan Schwartz

Secretary