WASHINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION

 

 

Minutes- August 24, 2004

 

 

1.0 Assembly: Time 7:00 p.m.

Present: Rich Cook, Sandy Robinson, Carol Andrews, Ann Delucia, Jed Schwartz, Nan Schwartz, Marvin Jager, Chris Gannon.

 

2.0 Approval of Minutes: approved as printed.

3.0   Old Business:

3.1 Dredge and Fill Committee: letters were sent to DES regarding the lighthouse and the Nolan property.

3.2 Smart Growth Presentation (44 people in attendance): follow-up meeting tentatively scheduled for August 31^st at 7 p.m. Thanks to Jed and Nan for flyers. Thanks to all who made phone calls and helped with set up and cleanup.

3.3 Mike sent a letter to the Selectmen requesting that they hold all town lots taken for taxes for 3 years. The Selectmen agreed to hold off on the next tax sale and revisit the issue after attending the “Smart Growth” presentation on the 31^st. The agreement to hold town lots ends on July 31^st 2005.

3.4 Nature hike on Camp Morgan Town Forest 8/14/04: Thanks to Lionel for leading the hike. 24 people in attendance.

3.5 At the last meeting Tom brought up the need to write a warrant article to extend the Shoreland Protection Act to the Ashuelot River in Washington. The process would not require a warrant article, but a ballot initiative by the Planning Board. Marv to present this idea to the Planning Board.

3.6 The group agreed that we should have a fall hike up Lovewell Mountain. This could become a popular annual event.

 

4.0 Natural Resource Inventory: no activity

5.0 New Business: none

 

6.0 Correspondence: DRED: Land and Water Conservation Fund grants for outdoor recreation available

                        DES Watershed Conference November 13

                        DES Notice of Past Violation

                        Signed letter from Selectment regarding the moratorium on sale of town properties

                        Statewide Program of Action to Conserve our Environment newsletter

 

 

7.0   Adjournment: 8:30 p.m.                   

 

7.1 Next Meeting Date: September 28^th at 7:00 at the Town Hall.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Carol K. Andrews

Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the 8/14 hike at Camp Morgan Town Forest:

 

We hiked through a semi-enriched northern hardwood forest, some of the trees over 300 years old. Lionel pointed out piles of rocks which indicate historic sheep pastures (also called stone manure piles).

Washington is an island of spruce-fir forest; because of our elevation we have plants that you don’t usually find in this area. For example, mountain holly does not occur again until the White Mountains.

We saw wild mushrooms, purple trillium, wood sorrel (indicative of more acidic soils), club moss, goldthread, hobblebush, nannyberry, mountain holly, striped maple (called moosewood because the moose snack on it- and it is of no nutritional value to the moose), bunchberry, mountain ash trees (indicative of a northern forest), white baneberry (also called doll’s eye), and helliborine (this unusual looking orchid was in bloom). Lionel pointed out a forest seep close to the shore of Millen Pond. These seeps are important places for wildlife, so trails should be kept away from them for protection.

Lionel also said that mountain ash has a history of being used by those who are superstitious: A branch of mountain ash was nailed over the door, or stood next to the door, to ward off evil spirits. Lionel even spoke of a time when club mosses were 50 to 60 feet tall, and dragonflies had 2-3 foot wingspans!

Thanks Lionel for leading an informative hike!