WASHINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

 

Minutes- July 20, 2005

 

 

1.0 Assembly: Time 7:00 p.m.

Present: Carol Andrews, Nan Schwartz, John Tweedy, Don Richard, Mark Cummings.

 

2.0 Approval of Minutes: approved as printed motion by John, seconded by Mark.

 

3.0 Old Business:

3.1 Dredge and Fill Committee- Mike signed a minimum impact permit for a driveway culvert submitted by Ed Thayer.

Saint Benedict Center & the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we declined to sign permit by notification due to an incomplete application. Retreat Center is planned for this property on King Street. Driveway comes within 20 feet of the abutter’s property line (10 feet away in one location). DES will not approve without a waiver from the abutter. Abutter is unwilling to sign without a right of way over the new road.

3.2 Planning Board meeting – August 9^th. There will be a presentation about Watershed Overlay Districts by Jody Connor from the State and someone from Deering where they have a existing district around Deering Lake. The Con Com and Selectmen will attend this meeting.

3.3 Watershed Overlay Districts discussion. Carol attended the last meeting with the Planning Board. Sandy is looking into these districts and Jed is researching “Right to Farm” legislation.

3.4 New sign on Camp Morgan Town Forest - congrats to the Forestry Committee on the new interpretive trail.

3.5 A letter was sent to Selectmen on July 7^th requesting extension of the moratorium on sale of properties taken for taxes. The extension was approved through 2006.

3.6 Hikes – Our July hike was cancelled due to extenuating circumstances, the August 17^th hike is also cancelled because of vacation. The hikes on September 17^th and October 8^th are still in the planning stages.

3.7   Carol will be out of town for our next meeting. She will ask Sandy to chair in her place.

3.8 Our next Roadside cleanup is scheduled for August 19^th, Friday. Carol will send out an e-mail to see how many will attend. We need at least 4 people.

3.8   Conservation Easement Gathering: Carol has a tentative date of August 29^th for the get together. The Cooks have agreed to host. Brian Hotz, a land protection specialist at the Forest Society will give an informative talk to interested parties. This gathering will be invitation only so that Brian can speak to those most interested in conservation easements for their properties.

3.9   What’s happening in nature? John reports that this May was the 3^rd coldest May in NH history since they started recording the weather and the coldest since 1917. We should expect more extremes in the weather because of global warming. We have had lots of rain and mushrooms are abundant due to the wet weather. The bears are out looking for food after rainstorms. There are many blueberries on the bushes this year, which should please the bears. Carol mentioned that porcupines are also out after rainstorms and her poor dog came home with the evidence. Mark reported watching a pair of deer several mornings in East Washington.

3.10 Resource Inventory: Mike and Carol met with Rick Van de Poll about an NRI proposal. He will send us a request for proposals to use as a model to send out to people interested in bidding on doing the NRI work. We can use different people to do the mapping section of the NRI if we want to. We are interested in a useful and comprehensive inventory.

 

4.0  New Business: The Half Moon Pond Road bridge needs replacing and they have had one meeting about it already. The people on the road want a one-lane bridge but the town engineer has designed a two-lane bridge at the request of the road agent. There will be more discussion to come.

 

5.0 Correspondence: Letter from Planning Board requesting capital improvement projects for 2006-2011

      NH Department of Environmental Services approved Wetlands Permit

      NH Department of Environmental Services request for more information for Steven Kasper, Valley Road

      NH Department of Environmental Services Groundwater Contamination Notification Program (notifies nearby property owners of the contamination of water from the dump on the town line in Windsor)

      Selectmen returned our letter requesting the extension of the moratorium on the sale of town properties.  Note states that this was agreed by the Selectmen for 2005 and 2006, they did not want to decide on 2007 yet.

 

6.0   Other Business - none

7.0   Adjournment: 8:25 p.m.                   

7.1 Next Meeting Date: August 17^th at 7:00 at the Town Hall.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Nan Schwartz

Secretary