WASHINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes - September 20, 2006
1.0 Assembly: Time 7:00 p.m.
Present: Carol Andrews, Jed
Schwartz, Richard Cook, Nan Schwartz
Guests: Phil Barker, Gwen
Gaskell, Bob Thompson, Ken Eastman
2.0 Approval
of Minutes: Motion to approve minutes from August meeting made by Jed, seconded
by Rich, unanimous vote to approve.
3.0 Old
Business:
3.1 Dredge and Fill Committee - Bob Thompson presented
an application for a Minimum Impact dredge and fill permit. The application is
for repair to the Ashuelot Pond dam, which has sustained erosion caused by the
2005 floods. This will require 80 yards of fill with no wetland impact. We
looked at all his materials and approved the project conceptually. We still
need to send out 2 members of the dredge and fill committee to take a look at
the project location. Jed made a motion to approve with the committeeÕs site
approval. Nan seconded, vote was unanimous. Bob will leave one of his packages
with us to use for the site visit.
3.2 Lake
Host Program – Ken Eastman brought by information about the Lake Host
Program that they ran at Millen Lake this summer (2006). They were educating
boaters about the dangers of milfoil. He also brought us a draft for a zoning
ordinance for the Ashuelot Watershed District. He wants us to look it over and
comment.
3.3 NRI - Phil and Gwen attended our meeting to help us pinpoint cultural and historical spots in town for the NRI maps. They helped locate graveyards: 1. On the NW side of Lovewell Mountain possibly on state land now, hunters spotted this in the past (Ken Gathercole and Ralph Otterson) but no one has been able to find it since then. 2. One on the west side of Ashuelot on the corner of Marlow Road and Russell Pond Road. 3. One at Ed's Corner (no head stones) it is a walled area beside the road. 4. Seventh Day Adventist cemetery on King Street, uphill from the brook, beside the church. 5. Spaulding cemetery – now in Lempster, originally in Washington but the town lines were moved. 6. Tandy monument on Mountain Road (has never been found). 7. Safford cemetery – behind MacNeil Farm. 8. Burial spot off Old Burbank Road. 9. Cram's Corner – 2 baby boys buried on the hill. They also talked about old dams and mills. We need to look through the town histories that tell about these sites. They mentioned the Baptismal steps on Woodward Brook below PerezÕs house, the Creamery Dam site on Purling Beck Brook at Schwartz's, and the Cram's corner mill site. There was a dam site near McNeil's on Old Burbank Road (grist mill) We talked with them about school houses and decided to use the Jager's book for pin pointing the sites. They talked about the Penniman (No. 5) School near McNeil's – the roof has now collapsed on the building and people are removing the brick from it. The Dole School also needs a roof. There was a school building between the Poole's and the France's houses on the East Washington Road (right side of road) which is no longer there. There was a school on Faxon Hill at King Street, the Cherry Valley School (Mill Village), a tarpaper shack near Dr Wolf's. Half Moon Pond Road school near Major's was moved closer in from further out on the road. East Washington School on Ayer's Pond Road (still open on some Sundays during the summer months). We talked about the brickyard that was located at Millen Pond where the tetherball court is now (near the beach). No quarries found in town but there was open pit mining of feldspar on Oak Hill. Interesting sites around town such as Tipping Rock was mentioned but is actually located in Bradford, Devil's Chair is off Codman Hill next to the brook, and the Matterhorn is up behind John Eccard's house. We should point out all the churches and the Grange. They will think about other sites they might know about and will give us a list. Anyone else in town that can think of things should let us know so we can include them on the maps.
We also looked at the new wildlife map and commented that the colors weren't clear or distinctive enough.
We want to plan a public outreach educational event for this fall. Chris is looking at using the McGranahan's property for this purpose.
3.4 Adopt a Highway – We will pick a date in
early to mid October (probably on a Saturday, so more people can participate)
by emailing the members.
4.0 New
Business – Carol reports that the NH Association of Conservation
Commissions annual meeting will take place on November 4th, from
8:00 to 3:30. They are having lots of great workshops this year; many focused
on the new Fish and Game Wildlife Action Plan. Members who can attend should
contact Carol for more information.
5.0 Correspondence
UNH Professor of
Environmental Conservation John Carroll announcing his new book The Wisdom
of Small Farms and Local Food: Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic and Sustainable
Agriculture with foreword by Ron
Jager.
Carbon Coalition Town meeting
initiative
Fox Forest
announcing their field day on September 23rd
6.0 Adjournment: 9:00pm
7.0 Next
Meeting Date: October 18th at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Nan Schwartz
Secretary