Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – July 15, 2020

 

Assembly time: 7:00 PM, Meeting conducted online using ZOOM.

 

Members present: Arin Mills, Jed Schwartz, Johanna Young and Nan Schwartz.

Visitors: None

 

1.0    Approval of Minutes: Jed motioned to approve the June minutes as written, Johanna seconded, all voted in favor.

 

2.0   Permits Committee  -

New: Cordeiro – letter from DES, re: complaint of excavation violations (no permit or erosion control).

Previous: Howe, Shoreland permit for septic replacement and regrading of lot – permit approved.

Calabro, the shoreland application said that there is a wetland permit application pending so we will watch out for that.

Chidester – Installation is done and headwalls done, Arin will check the site for needed vegetation to prevent stormwater washouts.

Camp Morgan Beach and field project – The fieldwork is permitted and will be done by DPW later this summer.

Mill Pond dredging – Jed will check in with Anthony Costello. We will also check the ARM website for more information on grants.

Ayers Pond Bridge project – The bridge is completed and in use.

Longval wetland issue – No news

 

Arin mentioned that Barbara Skuly sent her a copy of a dock notification for 307 Ashuelot Drive. She said that she has been kayaking up in the Ashuelot River area and noted a lot of development along there. She noticed a beach that she didn’t think was there previously. She will look into it.

           

3.0   Committee and Board reports:

3.1   Land Protection Committee – Jed contacted Anne McBride at Monadnock Conservancy about the Barker property but she hasn’t returned his call. Johnson property is in waiting mode.

3.2   Energy Committee – No news. Arin said the bid for the new boiler that they accepted was withdrawn so they had to go with the higher bid. The work is being done this summer. They are also installing fans in the multipurpose room to push the hot air down from the ceiling into the occupied space.

3.3   Planning Board – Nothing new.

3.4   Forestry Committee – No news.

3.5   Legislative update  - No news, not in session.

 

4.0   Public Presentations and workshops:

4.1   Arin said that no outsiders will be allowed in the school this year so we can’t do our usual work with the kids. She thought we could figure out something we could do remotely. Nan suggested coming up with a scavenger hunt that the kids could do with the teachers and have a learning element to it.      

 

5.0   New Business:

5.1   Trash Pickup – We rescheduled our trash pickup for August

5.2   Johanna’s Swim – Johanna will do her swim on August 22nd at 10am, as long as she is feeling up to it.

 

6.0   Other Business:

6.1   Trails and Recreation Guide Booklet – Jed said he received some GPX files from the Dirt Donkeys showing their trails. Arin said she goes on various town web sites and the towns show how many miles of dirt and paved roads they have, she thinks Ed would have this information. Jed talked about ATV and UTV use of the roads and how it differs for the two types of vehicles. Arin will draft a quick base map showing the town roads indicating the class of road. She will share it with Jed and he will send the trail data he received with Arin.

6.2   Facebook Page – Arin said she is continuing to post items when she can. To check out the CC’s Facebook page go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2173271309586226/  

6.3   Master Plan goals for 2019 – This is a placeholder.

6.4   Tracking Invasive Plants project – We are in the growth stage so look for plants to report. The reporting sheets and guides are always available here: InvasiveProject.html

 

7.0   What’s Happening in Nature?

Johanna had a juvenile black bear that came through her yard; he has visited a few times. They have a mink in the pond. She helped a painted turtle cross the road safely. They have catfish in their pond and a Heron that comes and fishes everyday. She has otters and saw a juvenile beaver travel to her back yard looking at the trees. She thinks he moved out of the den and is looking to make a new home.

Nan said there are lots of wasps around this year building nests and also yellow jackets to watch out for.

Jed corrected the fact that his water snake was only 3 feet long, not the 4 feet that Nan reported last month.

Jed said there was a huge snapping turtle down in the spillway of the dam in Mill Pond.

Arin said there have been a lot of reports of bears in LAE; she has also seen a Great Blue Heron there.

Johanna found a bobcat footprint in the mud in her driveway.

Nan said there is a bumper crop of poison ivy this year. Do you know Poison Ivy when you see it? To find out some poison ivy facts click here: NewinNature.html

 

8.0   Correspondence:  

Copy of letter from DES, re: complaint of excavation violations, Cordeiro, Highland Lake

 

9.0   Adjourned at 8:10PM, we discussed our August meeting and decided to try to meet in person, maybe outside at Camp Morgan. The next meeting is Wednesday, August 19^th at 7PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,           

Nan Schwartz, Secretary