Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – July 19, 2017

 

Assembly time: 7:00 PM

 

Members present: Johanna Young, Doug Cook, Dennis Kelly and Nan Schwartz.

Visitors: None

 

1.0    Approval of Minutes: June minutes, Dennis made a motion to approve as written, Johanna seconded and all voted in favor.

 

2.0    Permits Committee  - We haven’t heard about the Wetlands Permit for the Fire Station building project site on Lempster Mountain Road. It is under technical review.

 

3.0   Committee and Board reports:

3.1   Land Protection Committee  No new news so far on Barker and NEFF, Jed has reached out to Whit Beals but heard nothing.

        Nan said Jed spoke with someone about DeCaprio’s property on Island Pond, but heard it is now under contract.

3.2   Energy Committee – Johanna reported that the EC met last Thursday after not meeting for almost a year. She, Andrew and Al met and caught up on EC business. The Thermal Camera was used twice last winter and they are going to promote its use this year and put up a signup sheet at the Transfer Station. Doug said they should put a poster on the bulletin board at the Transfer Station too. She said that Al spoke about the new construction and energy efficiency and efficient lighting for the projects. They have reached out to someone new to become a member. They are thinking of meeting quarterly and as needed in the future.

3.3   Planning Board – Nan said the PB is working on updates to the Land Use Ordinance.

3.4   Forestry Committee –Tom was not here to report.

3.5   Legislative update  - Nan reported that the legislature is not in session, but heard that SB 129, concerning solar and biomass, was signed and became law. Doug asked about net metering and whether that was effected by the law. We will look into it.

 

4.0   Public Presentations and workshops:

4.1   Emerald Ash Borer/ invasive bugs presentation – We have set a date for August 18^th Friday evening at 7pm and we are using the Washington Elementary School multi-purpose room. Dode put together a flyer and Nan has been putting them up. She will post it on the website and asked everyone to help get the word out.

4.2   We will schedule the fall hike (around Columbus Day) next month and pick a hike to do.

 

5.0   New Business:

5.1   Adopt–a-highway trash pickup. We are scheduled for July 29^th, 9am, Saturday for our next pick up.

5.2   Dennis spoke about the hunting preserve that someone has applied to the town of Bradford Zoning board for a special exception. He and Jed attended a site walk on June 28^th. They didn’t see any problem with what the landowner was trying to do. He said it was a private hunting preserve and would be stocked with pheasant for small hunting parties. There wouldn’t be a shooting range or anything of that nature.

5.3   Dennis said he spoke with Shane Mulliner about chipping brush as opposed to leave brush piles behind when logging. Shane told him that wood chips are a good deal for the landowner and they really offset the cost of logging. He said the chip market is off right now but to make brush piles, which can be good for wildlife, it costs him time and money. If we want to promote piling brush we could get a volunteer crew to come in and do it.

 

6.0   Other Business:

6.1   Johanna is scheduled on August 26^th, Saturday at 10am for her annual swim on Millen Pond. We will join her in our canoes and kayaks.

6.2   Natural Resource Inventory Map updates – Nan reported that Chris is working on making the changes. He will be in touch soon and Arin and Nan will meet with him to discuss the co-occurrence map. Nan will continue work on making the changes to the NRI document and Conservation Plan.

6.3   Master Plan goals for 2017 – We are working on the NRI update and map update as our goal.

6.4   Barker easement – see 3.1

6.5       Tracking Invasive Plants project – We received a tracking sheet from someone who lives on Main Street. Nan will send them a letter about what they can do to rid their property of the invasive plants. Johanna asked about Autumn Olive and what she can do to get rid of it. Doug said you need to pull it out roots and all. He also knocks them over and his sheep eat them. Nan said she thinks the Extension Service in Newport may have the plant wrench available for pulling them out. She will check on it. The reporting sheets and guides are always available here: InvasiveProject.html

6.6   Trails and Recreation Guide Booklet - We will continue to work on this idea.

6.7   We discussed where we should meet when the Town Hall construction work is being done. Jed has offered to let us use the house on the corner in East Washington for this period. All agreed we could meet there. Nan will let us know before our August meeting where we will be meeting.

 

7.0   What’s Happening in Nature?

Nan said it has been a pretty good garden year so far, Johanna said the community garden has a slug problem.

Dennis said there are loons on Island Pond but no chicks hatched this year. Nan said she heard that the Loons on Millen Pond hatched 2 chicks but an Eagle took one. Dennis said there are an Eagle and an Osprey on Millen Pond.

Doug said that he saw a immature Eagle near the Eccardt Farm. Nan said she thought she saw one fly overhead at her house.

Nan said there is a King Fisher (or possibly a pair) at the pond in East Washington, it is fun to watch them swoop down into the water and come up with a minnow.

Johanna saw a Raven squawking over some road kill.

Johanna has a Merganser with ducklings and a heron fishing in her pond. She saw turkeys with poults on Rt 89.

Dennis saw a turkey with poults at Lands End, near some open land.

Johanna has Cedar Waxwings hanging around and they like to eat fruit.

Nan said they had a big crop of cherries this year and the birds just found what is left of them and are feasting.

Dennis has a spot at his house were a Robin nests every year and raises her young. He said the babies are silent in the nest.

Doug saw a bear cub on the Bradford line, it jumped over the wall and disappeared into the woods. He saw the Bittern again and it flew in and landed on a snag.

Johanna has seen Ebony Jewelwings (damselflies) at her pond. To read about Damselflies, click here: NewinNature.html

 

8.0   Correspondence:

Invasive Species Tracking sheet sent in by Patrice Roulx, she has Japanese Barberry, Buckthorns and Bamboo in her backyard, across from the General Store.

 

9.0   Adjourned at 8:02 PM, our next scheduled meeting is on August 16^th, at 7PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,                       

Nan Schwartz, Secretary