Washington Conservation Commission
Minutes – September 19, 2018
Assembly time: 7:00 PM, Town Hall
Members present: Arin Mills, Jed Schwartz, Johanna Young and Nan Schwartz.
Visitors: None
1.0 Approval of Minutes: August minutes – Arin made a motion to approve as written, Jed seconded the motion and all voted in favor.
2.0 Permits Committee - We discussed the AyerÕs Pond Road Bridge replacement application and the letter from DES that we were ccÕd on, concerning the application. DES added our comments to their letter and expressed other concerns with regard to the application and plans provided. Arin will ask Ed to include our comments in the plans if they are amending them for DES.
3.0 Committee and Board reports:
3.1 Land Protection Committee – Jed contacted Whit again by text but didnÕt hear back on the land assessment for BarkerÕs property. If he doesnÕt hear from him he will contact NEFF.
3.2 Energy Committee – Johanna reported that she attended a 350.org event and a Climate Change rally in Keene, where they held an expo afterward. She brought back information and they were urging towns to go zero-emissions and energy efficient. She mentioned EERS, which is Energy Efficiency Resource Standards that establish specific, long-term targets for energy savings (at the state level). Johanna asked Arin about the elementary school heating system. She said she is pushing energy efficiency for the new boiler that is needed. They have a request for information out right now and plan to go to the annual School Meeting with a proposal for a new boiler.
3.3 Planning Board – Nan said the PB is working on the Town Center Visioning project and a few other LUO items that they will take to Town Meeting.
3.4 Forestry Committee –Tom was not here to report and they havenÕt been meeting.
3.5 Legislative update - The Legislators overrode the GovernorÕs veto of the bio-mass bill but the net metering bill didnÕt get the 2/3rds needed for and override.
4.0 Public Presentations and workshops:
4.1 Backyard Composting workshop – We had a good crowd of over a dozen people who attended and Ron Trexler did a great job presenting the information on composting at home. Jed also spoke to the attendees about the TownÕs composting program at the Transfer Station. Nan did a first draft of a sign for the Transfer Station to inform people about the composting program there. We made some edits to the wording and Jed will go measure the location for what size the sign should be. Nan will make the changes and send the draft to Ed for comments. Nan mentioned that the Recycling/Solar Savings sign has been taken down at the TS and hopefully it will be reinstalled.
4.2 Hike – We are planning a hike to the BurnsÕ property on September 22nd, meeting at the Fire Station in East Washington at 10am. Jed and Arin have done a pre-hike and have a route planned. Nan will send out a News item from the town website.
4.3 Lovewell Mountain Hike - We are planning this hike for October 20th and have decided to hike from JourneyÕs End again. We decided to start at 9:30 because it took longer than we thought last time. Arin will make a poster to advertise the hike.
4.4 NHACC Conference, November 3rd, Saturday at Pembroke Academy, sign up online, http://www.nhacc.org/annualmeeting47/registration/
5.0 New Business: None
6.0 Other Business:
6.1 Project for Washington Elementary School - Arin discussed our workshop with the elementary school kids that took place on August 29th. We had decided to do a Nature Journaling project with them and hiked on the Camp Morgan trail and visited the waterfront on Millen Lake. We thought it went well and look forward to repeating the hike in the winter and again in the spring.
6.2 Facebook page – Arin worked with Monica Scanlon and got the page working the way she wants it to work. She has changed the status to an open group to see how that will work. She and others have posted some beautiful pictures from around town and Arin has posted the hike and other information there. To check it out go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2173271309586226/
Jed will have Deb put the link in the Did You Know? Section of the BoS minutes.
6.3 JohannaÕs annual swim took place on August 25th and we had 2 canoes following her along with 4 loons. It was a beautiful morning on the water and we raised some money.
6.4 Adopt-a-highway trash pickup – The next pickup is scheduled for this Saturday, October 6th at 9AM, meet at the Library parking lot. The rain date will be Sunday. Arin mentioned that we should try to get some high school kids needing community service hours involved in our trash pickups. Jed said he would call guidance at the high school about this and other opportunities for volunteering in town (the Library and Historical Society both need helpers).
6.5 Natural Resource Inventory Map updates –Arin hasnÕt heard from Chris but she will contact him. Jed spoke about the fact that the BoS encumbered funds for us but was not legally allowed to do so more than for one year. This means we will have to pay Chris the balance of his fee out of our own funds when he finishes the maps.
6.6 Trails and Recreation Guide Booklet – Arin has been working on some maps and Nan is working on putting what we have in booklet form.
6.7 Master Plan goals for 2018 – We are working on the NRI update and map update as our goal. We will look at it again when we are done with this project.
6.8 Barker easement – see 3.1
6.9 Tracking Invasive Plants project – The reporting sheets and guides are always available here: InvasiveProject.html
7.0 WhatÕs Happening in Nature?
Nan said there are so many squirrels around this year. Jed said his late corn has been attacked by squirrels and they stole every pear off the pear tree in one night.
Johanna shared a picture of the bittern who has been staying in her wetland. She also had a painted turtle swimming across her driveway during a rainstorm. The driveway has been flooding because the beaver is plugging up her culvert.
Arin said there are 4 loons on Millen Pond (2 mating adults and 2 juveniles). Jed said he has a good picture of them (and a movie) from JohannaÕs swim.
Nan said there are lots of turkeys around and some flocks have younger poults (half sized) with them. She had a group of 6 toms walking around together in her yard.
Jed has seen lots of bats recently and said that Reid saw big brown and little brown bats feeding over the pond.
Arin noted that the leaves are starting to change.
Jed said we had about 20 inches of rain over August and September and it has stayed very humid. Arin said she saw frogs crossing the road, early in the morning.
To find out more about the squirrel phenomenon click here: NewinNature.html
8.0 Correspondence:
DES letter, re. Ayers Pond Road Bridge application
DES notice of approval for Shoreland impact permit for Fioravanti, Lookout Point, TM 24-66
DES notice of approval for Shoreland impact permit for Barkie, TM 24-1088, Sandy Cove Road
Copy of Forest Notes
9.0 Adjourned at 8:20PM, our next scheduled meeting will be October 17th, at 7PM at TH.
Respectfully submitted,
Nan Schwartz, Secretary