Washington Conservation Commission

Minutes – October 21, 2015

Assembly time: 7:00 PM.

Members present: Arin Mills, Johanna Young, Jed Schwartz, Doug Cook and Nan Schwartz.

Visitors: None

1.0 Approval of Minutes: Approval of minutes from our September meeting, no changes suggested Arin motioned to approve the minutes, Doug seconded the motion and all voted in favor.

2.0 Permits Committee - No new permits

3.0 Committee and Board reports:

3.1 Land Protection Committee - Jed reported that Karen Bartlett is working with the town attorney to transfer her property to the town in trust for the Conservation Commission, we should hear news about this soon. The Colby project, on Old Marlow Road, is being handled by the Forest Society and may close in November. Jed spoke with the town attorney and he wrote up a Purchase and Sales agreement for Lionel Chute’s property. Jed will contact Lionel and Aileen to get it signed.

3.2 Energy Committee – Johanna reported that they received their grant check and have purchased the camera. Andrew got a deal on it so they will have some money left over to buy some window weatherizing kits that they can sell to people at cost. A local town that has the same camera has offered to have EC members come do a training session with them and are hosting an event that they can go to. They are also in close contact with COVER in Vermont, who do about 80 weatherization projects a year. Andrew and someone from COVER met with the Gibson’s to advise about some weatherization projects they can do on their “new” old house before winter sets in. They are also speaking with Dr. Wolfe about some buttoning up they can help him with. She said that Al attended the Master Plan update public hearing and spoke about energy issues.

3.3 Planning Board – Nan said that the Planning Board certified the Master Plan document at their last meeting. They are holding an “All Boards” meeting with the Selectmen on November 12^th at 2PM at Camp Morgan. Documents are being sent out for the meeting soon and everyone is invited to come if available.

3.4 Forestry Committee – Tom was not in attendance but Jed had spoken to him. They are scheduling a cut on the Farnsworth Hill Town Forest. The forester’s cruise showed that the value of the timber is not that good and they won’t be making money on the cut. They feel that cutting out the trees will open the forest up and let the more valuable timber grow, so it will be worth doing it. Arin spoke briefly about the school issue with the forest behind the playground. She spoke with Mrs. Weber who would like to have the school’s area marked. Arin will try to walk it with Lionel.

3.5 Legislative update - No news.

4.0 Public Presentations and workshops:

4.1 We held our hike to up Lovewell Mountain on October 10^th (Saturday). We went go up the north trail and came down on the south trail, which worked out well. It was a beautiful day and we had a good group show up for the hike. The view was great from the top and the foliage was almost at peak. Jed spoke with George Eccard about how to find the caves on Lovewell Mountain. Jed will talk to him again with maps in hand and he and Doug may try to go out and find them again.

4.2 Nan mentioned the NHACC Annual Meeting taking place November 7^th at Pembroke Academy in Pembroke. She said you can get info at nhacc.org and also sign up for the meeting on the website. If you want to go sign up before October 28^th for the best rate.

4.3 Tracking Invasive Plants project - Everyone should keep documenting any plants they find. The reporting sheets and guides are always available here: InvasiveProject.html

5.0 New Business:

5.1 Johanna brought up the bobcat season that Fish and Game is considering. We are all opposed to opening a season on bobcats. Nan and Jed have seen them occasionally and they are beautiful creatures.

5.2 Arin brought up whether we want to plan to do something in the school this winter. She did finally hear from the Watershed on Wheels person and will call her back about coming out next April/May. She asked if we want to do the tracking workshop again this winter. We though that we will try to do it in February. Doug did programs in the schools in MA and he said he will look at the state standards and see what might fit in with the curriculum. He is interested in helping to do programs with the school kids.

6.0 Other Business:

6.1 Natural Resource Inventory Map updates – Arin and Nan will continue to work on the list and will get together soon to discuss. Nan will speak with the Selectmen about holding over the money into next year or we may need to get it under contract before the town’s fiscal year end.

6.2 Barker easement – No new news.

7.0 What’s Happening in Nature?

Jed said that Tom Taylor told him he saw a huge snapping turtle on Faxon Hill near the Millen Lake dam. He said he had never seen one that big before. Arin said that they have drawn down Millen Pond to a level she hasn’t seen before. She thinks they are doing work to repair the dam. She said she and her family walked all over the lakebed and there is just one small area with water still in it. She said she saw a loon out on the water but it should fly away soon.

Nan said we finally had a hard frost and last Saturday it snowed. Arin said she had to shovel the snow and it was 18 degrees on Monday morning. Nan observed that after the hard frost most of the leaves fell off the trees overnight.

Arin saw a Bard Owl near Highland Haven Road.

Johanna heard 2 owls calling to each other, she also heard a Screech Owl. She has Wood ducks in her pond.

Jed has seen some small dark diving ducks in Mill Pond. He has taken note of when he stopped seeing the bats and it was early October. They are gone now for the winter. He and Nan had a quick trip to Texas and saw where bats are living under a bridge in Houston. There seen to be thousands of them in residence. Nan got to see them emerge at dusk when she was there earlier this summer, it was a spectacular sight.

Johanna has seen lots of turkey flocks around. She said that a groundhog made a den in the bank near her house.

Arin saw a big buck in LAE, it had antler buds starting to grow.

Jed said it was a good garden year and Arin said it was a great apple year too.

Doug said he found a raven’s nest on his property, up in a pine tree. He saw a pair of ravens hanging out together. We wondered what the difference was between ravens and crows. To learn about the raven, click here: NewinNature.html

8.0 Correspondence:

Postcard for NHACC Annual meeting

DES notice of approval for after the fact request for wetlands impact, TM 25-118, Trepanier

DES notice of Shoreland Impact permit, Beam, 68 Ashuelot Acres Road, TM 14-409, 505

DES copy of Wetlands & Shoreland request for time extension for permit, TM 20-161, Bow Run Terrace, permit # 2010-03141

Fox State Forest Newsletter

Email from Matt Serge re: land purchase from Chute.

Letter from Selectmen, re: they will not pay any lawyers fees for any land transaction costs

9.0 Adjourned at 8:00 PM, our next scheduled meeting is November 18^th, at 7PM at the Town Hall.

Respectfully submitted, Nan Schwartz, Secretary