Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – July 18, 2007

Assembly time: 7:00 PM.

Present: Carol Andrews, Mark Cummings, Jed Schwartz, Nan Schwartz, Tom Taylor

1.0    Approval of Minutes: motion by Jed, Mark seconded, unanimous vote to approve June minutes.

2.0     Old Business: 

2.1     Energy Committee – Johanna wasn't able to attend this meeting but had emailed Nan to let us know she was putting an announcement in the Contender about the Energy Committee looking for interested volunteers to join and was also putting up a few flyers around town. Anyone interested in joining can contact Johanna at 495-1218 or email her at jsoulnh@aol.com. We need to make sure the selectmen approved the committee formation.

2.2       Dredge and Fill Committee – Nothing new

2.3       Adopt a Highway – We were reminded that Saturday, July 28th is our trash pick up day. We will meet at the Town Hall at 9AM to do our usual route. We will reschedule for the 29th if it rains. Nan will send an email reminder close to the date.

2.4    Natural Resource Inventory – Chris has sent draft sections of the Conservation Plan for us to read over and edit. We will all look at the sections as Chris sends them out and send Carol our comments and edits. She will be Chris's contact and will forward what we send to her. Everyone seems to be liking the new structure. The prelude and intro are good. Tom had a question about whether  Chris should elaborate on the Q2C (Quabbin to Cardigan) Collaborative consortium group. He mentions 23 groups participating but doesn't mention who they are.

We would like links provided for all of the studies he mentions. We would also like him to make the "Washington" connection clear early in his descriptions of the studies he talks about. We want the tools for land conservation moved to another place, perhaps after the CPAs are discussed and they need to be simplified. We would like him to pull out a section of the map for each focus area to pinpoint the area he is talking about in each CPA. Carol will let Chris know what our comments are. The term "Alluvial" came up and we weren't sure of the definition. Nan said she thought it had to do with glaciers but wasn't sure and will look it up. NOTE, here is what she found: Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against") is soil or sediments deposited by a river or other running water. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel. Flowing water associated with glaciers may also deposit alluvium, but deposits directly from ice are not alluvium (see glacial till). A river is continually picking up and dropping solid particles of rock and soil from its bed throughout its length. Where the river flow is fast, more particles are picked up than dropped. Where the river flow is slow, more particles are dropped than picked up. Areas where more particles are dropped are called alluvial or flood plains, and the dropped particles are called alluvium.Even small streams make alluvial deposits, but it is in the flood plains and deltas of large rivers that large, geologically-significant alluvial deposits are found.

Chris mentions agricultural soils in the Island pond area, Carol will ask him where they are. We discussed the fact that Pillsbury Park should be mentioned in the Conservation Plan and the fact that it is very important to the town and needs to be kept in the primitive state it is in now. The deed for Pillsbury restricts the uses and Carol will try to find a copy of it. Tom will also see what he can find out about it. The state may try to change things at the park and it is important that we have the town's desire in writing.

2.5   Watershed Issues – We talked about the EW Mill Pond and who will post the pond for no swimming after it rains. Jed will call DES and come up with a plan. Right now Jim Berry (Washington's Health Officer) posts it when the state tests the water and lets him know that it should be closed and then reopened after further testing. Sometimes this takes weeks and the pond is closed for more time than needed. The DES people recommended that it be closed for 3 days after each rain event over 1/2 inch. Jed is willing to be the monitor of rainfall and closure. We will also look into getting a trumpeter swan decoy to keep the Canada geese from taking up residence in the pond and fouling the water, beach and grass picnic areas.

2.6    What's Happening in Nature? Carol mentioned that Purple Loosestrife is blooming right now. People should pull it up and dispose of it in the garbage if they find it growing anywhere locally. It is an invasive species of plant with spikes of purple flowers and a square woody stem (it is a relative of mint). It is found in wetter areas and is very aggressive. It pushes out native plants that have value to wildlife and can choke waterways. Click here to find out more: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/NewinNature.html

 

 

3.0       New Business – None

 

4.0       Other Business - None

 

5.0        Correspondence:

 Howard Zern: status change of dock project (PBN #2007-01206) from disqualified to complete.  Mr. Zern agreed to place the dock parallel to the river flow instead of perpendicular and/or parallel depending on the water level.

SPACE newsletter

Lakeside newsletter from the NH Lakes Association

Local Government Center notice of 20th annual Municipal Volunteer Awards

Comprehensive Environmental announcement that David Nyman has joined their staff.

CC of letter to Antonio Jorge Wetlands Bureau File #2004-02914, Map 16, Lot 38  follow up to meeting on June 18th.  DES has conducted an inspection and has found that activities have either been corrected or were conducted within the limits of the law.  DES has closed this enforcement file.

CC of letter to Selectmen from DRED Division of Forests and Lands.  The Div. of Forests and Lands, in conjunction with Fish & Game and NRCS is planning a project to improve wildlife habitat on 4 acres of the Max Israel State Forest.  The project involves releasing old apple trees from competition, off the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail. 

6.0   Adjourned at 8:40 PM., our next scheduled meeting is August 15th at 7 PM at the Town Hall

Respectfully submitted,

Nan Schwartz

Secretary