Washington Conservation Commission
Minutes
– August 19, 2009
Assembly time: 7:00 PM.
Present: Carol Andrews, Nan Schwartz, Johanna Young, Jed Schwartz, Tom Taylor and Rich Cook
Guests: Charlene and Brett Kellerman, Dorothy Thompson, Tom
Coleman, Wayne Young
1.0 Approval of Minutes: Minutes from July, Jed made a motion to approve both, Rich seconded, all voted in favor.
2.0 Old Business:
2.1 Permits –
DES
sent notice of complaint filed on TM 12-85 for replenishing a beach without
proper permit.
Rich
mentioned that the Selectmen have two outstanding complaints with DES. 1. Otto
Svitok for digging in a wetland without a permit at 20 Stowell Road, TM 14-365
and 2. Alfred Bologna for cutting trees in the CSPA without a permit at 54
Birch Way, TM 24-91.
2.2 Huntley Mountain Road – Tom Coleman, who is the land owner asking to use the Huntley Mountain Road to access his land for logging in Marlow, came in to talk to us with his forester Wayne Young. He spoke about his parcel of land in Marlow that is bisected by the Ashuelot River. He has a NRCS grant to improve his forest. The existing road is landlocked and he doesn't have any frontage on the road. He tried to buy a 10 acre piece to give him frontage but the person selling it actually didnt own it, it was owned by a family member who does not wish to sell. He said he had come before us with a plan to access his land a few years back. Carol corrected him and said that he had spoken to the Forestry committee. Tom Taylor was a member of the Forestry committee then (and is the chair of it now) and remembered the earlier plan. Nan asked if they had a map of the area in question. Wayne showed us a map and filled us in on their new idea. Their plan now is to branch off of Huntley Mountain Road in the town forest, about 150 feet from the end of the road and stage the log landing in the town forest. He said there is a flat spot with smaller trees growing on it for the landing. Wayne said that the affected area is 75 acres and they expect to take 120 cords of wood out and 40,000 board feet. Tom Coleman commented that the area is 1/4 mile south of the beaver bog we were concerned about previously. Jed asked if they had talked to Ed Thayer about their new plan and they said they hadn't yet. Tom said it was a quarter of what they were asking before. Rich said the Selectmen didn't have a problem with them using the class 6 road but they had received some comments from people who live on the road before the town forest. Charlene Kellerman asked how long the harvest will take. Wayne answered that it would take 2 to 3 weeks with no bad weather. Jed asked if they would do the harvest in the winter and Wayne answered that they would do it in the fall if it was dry. The road upgrade would be done first in the fall. Rich asked if this is a one shot deal or will they ask to do it again in the future. Tom Coleman answered that it will be a managed forest so there will be periodic harvests. Carol asked if there is a conservation easement on the property and Tom Coleman answered no, not at this time. He would like to do it but he has four daughters and not all of them want it done. He said he would consider gating the part of the road where it leaves the class VI road to keep vehicles from going through. Tom T. said that the Forestry Committee doesn't have a scheduled meeting until the 3rd Tuesday in September but he
will pull together a group so they can take a look at the location and discuss
the plan. Wayne felt he would like them to take a look. Carol asked if trees
would need to be cut for the log-landing. Wayne said yes, but there are only
cord wood size trees there, not saw logs. Wayne said he planned to use a
forwarder and no dragging would be done. The upgrade of the road is going to be
extensive, some trees will need to be cut for that, but mostly saplings.
Dorothy asked if he leaves the land clean when he is done. Wayne said that he
is picky and tries to leave things fairly clean. Rich suggested not using gates
and leaving the road open for trail riding (horses) and Tom C. said he prefers
no wheeled vehicles on his land. He has his land open (not posted) for hunters
and hikers. Wayne said that there is some beautiful marshland and wetlands back
there along with a steep pocket of old growth forest. Wayne gave Tom T. his
card and information so he can get in touch with him when he gets his group
together. Charlene Kellerman asked if they do replanting after the harvest and
Wayne said no, Mother Nature will do the job better. Tom C. said he is working
with the American Chestnut Foundation and may try to plant some of those later.
Carol thanked them for coming to talk with us about their plans and offered to
speak with him in the future about easements. We felt that the town will need
to negotiate with them for letting them use the log-landing site. We should
also ask them to mark all the trees that will be cut on town property and we
should have someone who knows the value of the trees have a look. Nan suggested
Mark Cummings. Tom will contact him and Lionel Chute. Carol worries about the
road improvement leading to development on the Marlow side. Jed said that our
position should be that the town down grades the class VI road to a trail after
improvement. Tom thinks that the town needs to bring that Marlow portion of the
town into the town (he feels they are cut off from town because of a lack of
access). Tom said he will get his group together to look at the land and the
project.
2.3 Land
Conservation - Carol reported that the status on the 10 acre parcel on Twin
Bridge Road is that we made an offer that was accepted by the owner. Jed said
there were a few issues with the title but they have been cleared up to the
satisfaction of the town attorney. The Purchase & Sales agreement should be
signed by the Selectmen this Thursday. Dorothy asked where the money is coming
from to pay for the purchase. Carol explained that it comes from the
Conservation Fund, which is funded by the land use change tax. Lynda Roy has
asked the Selectmen and Conservation Commission to sign documents authorizing
the payment of the deposit. All present commission members signed the document.
Carol said she has found an appraiser to do an appraisal for free on a piece of property that abuts Journey's End SPNHF reservation.
2.4 Hazard
Mitigation Plan update - Carol sat on the committee for us, she reported that
they came up with a few joint Conservation Commission and Planning Board
projects. One is a water resource plan for the town with a focus on water
quality and quantity. The other is working on a buffer ordinance for
Washington. CC would advise the Planning Board on this issue. Carol said the
state legislature is working on statewide buffer legislation but it is in the
preliminary stage right now, we should support their efforts. Conservation
Commission should work on coming up with an educational program and plan on
conservation in flood zones. We could post Best Management Practices for
erosion control. Dorothy wanted to know if there were flood zones in Washington
and Carol answered yes, it is shown on our NRI maps. She said Harrison in LAE
has a flood zone and there are others in town.
2.5 Planning
Board Update –
Nan
said that the PB is about to receive the Space Needs Task Force report on the
Town Buildings and then they and the Selectmen and public will have some
information to ponder and decisions will need to be made on priorities and
timing.
2.6 Energy Committee – The EC showed "Six Degrees Could Change the World" at the Congregational Church and 11 people joined them. They are planning another film night hopefully for September 28th at 7PM if they can secure the church again. A firm date will be announced ASAP. They will be showing a film on solar energy called "Saved by the Sun". Carol thought maybe we could get someone to talk about the incentives available now for installing solar energy at home. The rebate application for solar and wind electricity systems is now available. You can get up to $6000.00 or 50% of the cost of your installed system. Nan will put a link up on the WCC website here: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/ECpage.html
The
committee is working on benchmarks for energy conservation in town buildings.
Melissa Cole is working on doing a similar project at the library and will be
attending their next meeting. EC has an intern who will analyze their data
soon.
Bob Frasier and Al Krygeris are attending an organizational meeting for a group on "Energy Efficiency 101".
Rich
said the new energy efficient lights have been installed by PSNH and the
Selectmen have not received any negative comments.
Johanna
thinks energy prices may come down because of more efficiency and conservation.
2.7 Forestry Committee – Tom reported they have several things they are trying to do, one of them is trying to pinpoint the boundaries of the Huntley Mountain Forest. In the Farnsworth Forest they want to try create a trail that joins up to an existing trail in Lempster's Long Pond Town Forest that eventually goes to Silver Mountain. He is talking to Sue Lichey in Lempster. He commented that when the parcel was surveyed a few years ago they went in and out by canoe on the Ashuelot River as this was the easiest way to access the property. He thought there maybe animal paths that they could follow for a trail.
3.0 What's Happening in Nature?
Jed
said it has been really hot lately after a mostly cold and rainy summer.
Johanna
saw a heron in her pond and a loon flying overhead.
Dorothy
said she had put in a garden this year and animals had come and eaten it
completely.
Rich
said he had a Northern Goshawk who came and ate one of his chickens. He said he
takes his dead chickens and puts them out on Deer Valley Road and they
disappear quickly. He hopes that whatever takes them will leave his live
chickens alone. Carol also takes her dead chickens to her property in Bradford
that is nearby there.
Carol
spotted 2 huge white birds with black feet and legs on Halfmoon Pond. They were
as big as herons and she thinks they were Great Egrets, maybe a nesting pair
and they were definitely out of their normal range. They stayed all day then
someone put a canoe on the pond and they flew away.
Jed said that the cormorant is back in East Washington's Mill Pond. He also saw a large bob cat cross the road in Hillsboro Center recently.
Tom
said that the sisters at Montfort Retreat set out a camera with a motion sensor
and caught a coyote on film.
Charlene Kellerman said there are flowering "Cardinal Flowers" out in Ashuelot.
We have received some great wildlife pictures lately and have posted some on our "What's New in Nature?" page on the website. Go here to check it out: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/NewinNature.html
4.0 New Business:
4.1 Don't forget we have scheduled a trash pick up on our Adopt-a-Highway route for this Saturday, meet at the Library parking lot at 9AM, We will skip it if it is raining and set a date in September.
4.2 Dorothy Thompson would like to join
us as an alternate member so Carol will put her name to the Selectmen for approval.
5.0 Correspondence:
Need to get list from Carol
7.0 Adjourned at 8:37 PM, our next scheduled meeting is September 16th at 7 PM in the Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Nan Schwartz
Secretary