Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – September 20, 2017

 

Assembly time: 7:00 PM

 

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

Visitors: None

 

1.0    Approval of Minutes: August minutes, there was no quorum present so we will approve next month.

 

2.0    Permits Committee  - Arin and Nan went to look at the Safety building site and were given a tour by Ed Thayer. They noted the silt fences were in place and the drainage system components are on site but not yet installed. The retaining wall is in and seeding was done on the Old Marlow Road side. We noticed that a headwall is needed where the culvert goes under Old Marlow Road. The PWD are doing a tidy job on the site. Arin received a copy of the entire permit approval from Deb and noted one item to ask Ed about. We will go tour the site once more before winter.

 

3.0   Committee and Board reports:

3.1   Land Protection Committee – Jed said that assessment of BarkerÕs property for a CE hasnÕt happened yet but should happen this fall. Jed let Whit know that we will split the cost of the assessment.

3.2   Energy Committee – Johanna  was not here but reported to Nan that the EC members are setting up at the transfer station on several Saturdays to interest people in signing up for a basic check on their house for leaks and weatherization needs using the Thermal Imaging Camera. Nan helped Andrew with their handout and camera image sheet. Johanna will be at the Transfer Station this Saturday.

3.3   Planning Board – Nan said the PB is working on updates to the Land Use Ordinance. She said that the PB was approached by some residents and business owners from the town center about working with them to get the center of town spruced up, maybe with sidewalks and a real crosswalk by the Library. She said they havenÕt defined the area of focus yet and are looking at grants and all the players that would be involved. Everyone was supportive of the idea.

3.4   Forestry Committee –Tom was not here to report. Jed will talk to Tom and see if they need some money to continue their assessment of the Town Forests.

3.5   Legislative update  - No news, not in session.

 

4.0   Public Presentations and workshops:

4.1   Emerald Ash Borer/ invasive bugs presentation – The presentation is rescheduled for November 3rd, Friday evening at 7pm at Camp Morgan Lodge. Arin had a new poster from Dode. Nan will send invitations to Hillsboro, Bradford and Lempster CCÕs again and put up posters. Jed will send notices to Gwen, Jim and Vivian because they showed up for the first date.

4.2   Fall Hike - We have scheduled October 7th (Saturday) and will start 9:30 or so returning by 12:30 or 1pm. We are hiking Lovewell Mountain, leaving from JourneyÕs End. Arin made a poster, which she and Nan will put up around town. Nan gave her sheets for the school kids.

 

5.0   New Business:

5.1   NHACC Annual Meeting and Conference, Nov. 4th, Pembroke Academy, information and sign up          online at: www.nhacc.org. Arin, Jed and Nan all thought they would attend.

5.2   We had a request from Planning Board for any CIP requests for 2018, we discussed and have no requests.

 

6.0   Other Business:

6.1   Adopt–a-highway trash pickup. We decided to reschedule our next pick up for October 2nd, 4pm, Monday afternoon, rain date TBD.  

6.2   Natural Resource Inventory Map updates – Arin has been playing phone tag with Chris. Arin will ask Chris to send copies of the maps he has updated with our requested changes. Arin would like full size drafts to look at. Nan will check the contract to see if he was to provide full sized drafts. Nan will continue work on making the changes to the NRI document and Conservation Plan. Arin wants to have a goal of March 2018 to print the new NRI copies (with maps), all agreed.

6.3   Master Plan goals for 2017 – We are working on the NRI update and map update as our goal.

6.4   Barker easement – see 3.1

6.5       Tracking Invasive Plants project – Arin will write Patrice Roulx a letter with suggestions for dealing with her invasive plants. Arin has updated the map and will send the embedded link to Nan to put on the website soon.

       The reporting sheets and guides are always available here: InvasiveProject.html

6.7   Trails and Recreation Guide Booklet – Arin did a template for the guide and sent it out to us. Nan had worked a bit on filing in some details. Arin wants to put it up on Google Drive so we can work on it without needing to save separate versions. Nan will work on the Cultural section, Jed will work on Hikes (add Farnsworth Hill) and Arin wants to work on the Boat Launches. Nan will work on a layout for the booklet. We mentioned adding ski areas and Pillsbury State Park/camping.

 

7.0   WhatÕs Happening in Nature?

Arin said that they had just mowed the cemetery. She reported that the school found monarch butterfly caterpillars and they reared them and released butterflies recently.

Jed had monarch butterfly caterpillars on his milkweed but when they made their pupae we didnÕt find them. He had Monarch butterflies drinking nectar from his mint flowers. There was also another orange butterfly on the mint that Arin thought was an American Lady.

Nan mentioned that the fall colors started early this year. We had cool weather early but now it is summery weather again. It has been dry and no frost yet.

Shane saw a flock of turkeys on Faxon Hill Road.

Arin saw a pair of Sanderlings at the Ashuelot beach area. It is a little grey bird with a long beak (looks like a Sandpiper). She said that NH is in their migration route, they breed in the Arctic.

Arin said that the garden season is wrapping up for this year. Nan said they still have lots of plants in the garden with produce coming.

Jed reported he saw otters in the pond, fishing. To learn more about river otters, click here: NewinNature.html

 

8.0   Correspondence:

Request form for 2018 CIP from Planning Board

Save the Date card – NHACC Annual Meeting and Conference, Nov. 4th, Pembroke Academy, information and sign up online at: www.nhacc.org

Brochure for NH Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Field Day, Lancaster, NH September 22nd

 

 

9.0   Adjourned at 9:20PM, our next scheduled meeting is on October 18 th, at 7PM at 54 Bear Hill Road.

 

Respectfully submitted,                       

Nan Schwartz, Secretary