Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – August 14, 2019

 

Assembly time: 7:00 PM, Town Hall

 

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

Visitors: None

 

1.0    Approval of Minutes: July minutes – Arin had a few items to add to the discussion about the Camp Morgan Beach dredge and fill project. All agreed to the additions, Jed made a motion to approve the minutes as corrected, Arin seconded the motion and all voted in favor.

 

2.0   Permits Committee  - New: None

Previous: Camp Morgan Beach and Field project – Arin is drafting a letter to DES with our thoughts and concerns for the project. We received an email from Anthony Costello to answer our questions about the perched beach and he is researching the date of the deep drawdown of the lake. Arin and Jed think it is in 2020.

        Rapp Dock Permit – Arin said that the signed the permit application went to the Town Clerk and Arin informed Rapp. Arin will check on DES to see if it went through.

Peter Ofman a driveway project for TM 16-94, on East Washington Road, the construction hasn’t begun yet.

Highland Lake dredging – No news.

        Mill Pond dredging – No news.

        Ayers Pond Bridge – Jed reported that the temporary bridge installation has been pushed out a month or so. Some prep work has been done.

Longval wetland issue – Nan and Jed attended the continued hearing for Longval before the ZBA and CC went on the record that they oppose the variance and recommended that the applicant build any structure within the stated setbacks. Nan submitted a statement from the CC and Arin’s maps and supporting materials were put into the record. The group held a site walk and discussed a newer location that Longval was suggesting. The ZBA will be continuing the hearing until next month (August 28^th) and we will attend if it is scheduled.

Ayers Pond Bridge – Arin asked Nan to go take a look at the site and see what has been done so far.

       

3.0   Committee and Board reports:

3.1   Land Protection Committee – Jed will reach out to contact Whit again on the assessment for Barker.

3.2   Energy Committee – Arin said that Andrew met with the School Board about the heating system and building envelope issues at their recent meeting. He had 4 items that Eversource will do a cost share of 50% on (insulation and ice dam issues). She said they are putting off replacing the boiler for another year. Jed said that Andrew is helping to look at new lighting for the DPW and the CML lighting is being installed.

3.3   Planning Board – Nan said the PB is going through the Land Use Ordinance line-by-line to look for areas in the document that need work or updating.

3.4   Forestry Committee – No news.

3.5   Legislative update  - No news.

 

4.0   Public Presentations and workshops:       

4.1   Dragonflies and Damselflies presentation – The presentation is on August 20^th at 7pm in the new upstairs space at Town Hall. Jed said we will have a new sound system installed for a trial use. He is going to borrow a projection screen from the Fire Department. Nan said she will make cookies and get some lemonade to serve. We have put up posters and sent out a news item to the town. Jed made a motion to pay the presenter Frank Gorga, $50 for doing the presentation, Nan seconded the motion and all voted in favor. We will get a check in time for Tuesday.

4.2   School presentation – Arin said that she spoke with Kelly Colaruso and they decided on a scavenger hunt for the school kids on August 28^th. We will do 2 groups; 2 – 5 graders (9:30 to 11) and K-1 (11:15 to 12:15). We will focus on the senses for the smaller kids and come up with 20 (or so) questions for the older kids. Arin has some ideas for this and will work on it with Nan.

 

5.0   New Business:

5.1   Merger of Chute and Old Meadow Town Forest properties – Nan is pulling together the paperwork and deeds to merge the properties.

 

6.0   Other Business:

6.1   Trash Pickup – We will schedule next month for the last Adopt-a-highway pickup.

6.2   EAB traps – Arin said she checked the traps again and soon she will remove them to give them to Dode Gladders.

6.3   Compost Pail promotion and sale – The order was paid for so we deposited the $150 in cash. We will check with the transfer station attendant to see if they are selling. Nan will put it on Town website and Arin will post on Facebook.

6.4   Facebook Page – Arin said she is continuing to post items when she can. She is thinking of posting something on the Monarch Butterflies. To check out the CC’s Facebook page go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2173271309586226/  

6.5   Trails and Recreation Guide Booklet – We will keep working on this through the spring/summer.

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

6.7   Tracking Invasive Plants project – Arin said she spotted loosestrife in a wet area when going out on Bailey Road. The reporting sheets and guides are always available here: InvasiveProject.html

6.8   Johanna’s swim – Scheduled for August 24^th at 10am (August 25^th rain date). Johanna said she might have 2 people from Berlin join her for part of the swim. We will meet at Camp Morgan beach at 9:30 or so to paddle along while Johanna swims.

6.9   Arin brought up the SCRAP program that took place at Pillsbury State Park. She went out to the dig site to see how they work. They had 4 open holes (they dug 8 all together), 1 meter by 1 meter and about 1½ meters deep. She said they found some resources so they will return next year to dig some more and do a next level dig. She said they use historic maps to pinpoint Native American paths and sites for digging. She will try to get a copy of any report they issue about the dig.

        Jed brought up a fish count that was done recently up Woodward Brook and he will try to get the report of what they found.

 

7.0   What’s Happening in Nature?

Arin said it is hot and dry and we haven’t had much rain at all.

Jed said the garden is doing well and the fruit trees have lots of fruit on them.

Jed said he is looking at getting solar panels installed on his barn.

Arin said she is seeing lots of birds around and Nan said a neighbor has Cardinals around their yard.

Jed said he has seen a lot of deer and there is a cormorant in the Mill Pond in East Washington.

Arin has seen lots of turkey flocks with babies. She said Abbey saw a turtle in Eccardt’s pond.

Nan said the Monarch caterpillars are going crazy eating all the milkweed in the garden and there is at least one pupa that she found and is watching.

To find out more about Monarch butterflies, click here: NewinNature.html

 

8.0   Correspondence:

            Letter from Old Home Day committee, organizational meeting on August 22^nd at 6pm

            Copy of Shoreland permit for Dumas, 51 Birch Point Way, TM 24-94

 

9.0   Adjourned at 8:45PM, our next meeting will be Wednesday, September18^th at 7PM at TH.

 

Respectfully submitted,           

Nan Schwartz, Secretary