Washington Conservation Commission
Minutes
– September 17, 2008
Assembly time: 7:00 PM.
Present: Sandy Robinson, Nan Schwartz, Johanna Young, Don Richard
Guests: None
1.0 Approval of Minutes: Minutes from August 20th, Sandy made a motion to approve, Don seconded, all voted in favor.
2.0 Old Business:
2.1 Dredge and Fill Committee –
Washington Lake Association mooring project: we did a site walk and we are
working on drafting a letter to send to DES. We are opposing the dredging as
proposed.
We also did a site walk the same day to look at an "after-the-fact" dredge and fill application for Gullage on Highland Lake. There was substantial excavation and fill work done on the site beyond the dredge and fill for the driveway and culvert. This work took place within the Shoreland Protection zone. There was also an ATV trail entering a wetland area leading to a path along the waterfront. We will draft a letter to DES and request that they come out to look at the site.
2.2 Energy
Committee – Johanna reported that the presentation by Tom Sintros was
great but not as well attended as she would have liked. He was talking about
doing projects with the school children, such as having them do natural
resource inventories in their own back yards. Johanna is sending a thank you
note to him.
The
Energy Committee did an inventory of streetlights and have given the Selectmen
a list of recommendations for turning some of them off.
2.3 Old
Home Day – We want to do a display for Old Home Day with the Energy
Committee. They want to focus on old houses and how people used to do things.
Johanna will talk to Jane Thayer. We might try to do a trail map of all the
hiking trails in town. We will talk to Tom Taylor and Steve Hanssen about trail
identification. We will try to write a grant for the April 15th
deadline.
3.0 New Business: None
4.0 WhatÕs
Happening in Nature?
Don reported that his Chestnut tree didn't end up getting hand pollinated because they ended up being to busy elsewhere. He feels the blight on his tree is getting worse so the window of opportunity is getting smaller. He took a trip out to see the "Thetford Tree" in Vermont, which they think is European and not a pure American tree like Don's tree. Don talked to Dan Sandquist at SPNHF and he would like to do a trial plot in NH for growing Chestnut trees.
Johanna
reported seeing a foot long rusty colored snake ( maybe a Northern Red-bellied
Snake) and also a tan colored baby snake. Don recently found a 3 foot long
shedded snake skin. Someone mentioned seeing a green snake. For more
information about the types of snakes found in New Hampshire click here: http://www.washingtonnh.org/WCC_Html/NewinNature.html
Lots
of hawks have been spotted lately. Don spooked a bear in his blueberry patch
recently and had a large cherry tree branch broken off by a bear. Sandy has
seen a lot of wildlife this year and reports that it is a good year for mast
(nuts) and berries.
5.0 Other Business:
5.1 Highway cleanup day – We will do one more pick up and book it for a day in October.
6.0 Correspondence:
Will get list
from Carol and add later.
7.0 Adjourned at 8:30 PM, our next scheduled meeting is November 19th at 7 PM at the Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Nan Schwartz
Secretary