Chichester Conservation Commission
Minutes of Meeting
November 11, 2010
Members Present: Chairman Bob Mann, Blaze Konefal, Gordon Jones, Zach Boyajian, Dawn Marshall , guest Ansel Sanborn from Parks and Rec. Commission and Secretary Anja Rodrigues.
Chairman Mann opened the meeting at 7:04pm
The minutes of October were reviewed. A motion was made by Gordon Jones, seconded by Blaze Konefal, to approve the minutes as corrected. Motion passes.
2) Appointments- Ansel Sanborn attended on behalf of Parks and Rec to hear about the Beehole Beavers Snowmobile trail and update us on the grant process that Parks and Rec is doing. He told us that our application was received 7th but there were still 4hrs to deadline. The applications get rated 0-100 and then they hand out money until it’s gone. He reviewed the plans if we get the grant and showed what phase 1 consisted of. Make more of a community area and make the land more accessible for people with needs.
3) Goals and Project Review
3a) Blaze and Dawn attended the annual meeting for NHACC.
Blaze attended a new commissioner workshop and how to develop plans and basics of GPS.
Dawn attended managing Town forest for wildlife, conservation $$ to spend and National Heritage and you.
Blaze said he was told that the NHACC offers all-day sessions vs. 1hr trainings at annual meetings.
Dawn discussed the wildlife habitat management session. The idea is to determine what your goals are and then offer soft land, shrub land, vernal pools, there is a free forest stewardship plan you can do with fish and game conservationists. You create different layers in forest and openings for other species. Example- brush hog on intervals to give different layers, grass, shrubs and space out i.e.) every 5 years. It’s cheaper to do every 5 years and divide area into corridors of what you do each year.
3b) Management of Town Owned Lands Zach mentioned that the Beehole Beaver Snowmobile club wants to move existing snowmobile trail. Paul Sanborn called Zach to ask about it. They would like to get away from the center of activity of fields and make a better crossing across Bear Hill. They want to move away from up/down curvy trail so they would make an S back up to the opening of the wall by Leach Perennial. Cross with less wetland impact.
Zach mentioned that when he walked the trail he noticed fresh cutting. Trees down, trails made with openings in the stone wall. It was discussed that the Selectmen should be notified. He noticed many flags.
Blaze questioned if 2 wetlands permits were needed. Zach said it depends on how close to wetland the club gets, maybe none needed.
Bob suggested they should go before the Selectmen about the trail moving and possibly inform abutters.
Ansel was there on behalf of the Parks and Rec. because this is the 1st time they are hearing this and this is what they are attending the meeting for. There doesn’t seem to be any conflict to the master plan plans.
Zach mentioned looking for a trail grant for crossing. Ansel asked if a trail grant was only for construction and Zach said no- purchase.
Anja will contact the Selectmen to get on the agenda for the Beehole Beavers and notifying them of cutting on Town land.
Ansel said they would like to ultimately link all Town properties off road- no cars. Could we get a trail grant for that?
3c. Town Forest Gordon mentioned that in the SVS- Pittsfield was doing a Town Forest. project. He will contact the PCC to see what they thought about their forester and process.
Gordon met with a Forester Billy Kunelius and they did a walk through. Billy gave a report on what he perceived was worth doing- 1st time maybe not a lot out of it- depends on what we want out of it.
Gordon said we need a Forestry Management Plan and need to hire a forester that only does forestry part vs. conflict of interest because some also do logging part. He also recommends doing a forestry management plan for the Madeline Sanborn Conservation. It was her desire. Are there some that need to be taken down before dying?
Gordon said the Spaulding lot has a lot of trees down and hard to walk. Now that they are down there is no value. A forester would mark and blaze boundaries, right of way etc. He mentioned that the SVS article said Pittsfield was marking which ones to take down and do a time management so each year something different is done. Bob asked what needed to be done. 1st. Set goals- get forester to do forest management plan improve it for hiking etc. It was discussed that the CCC was given authority to manage the Town Forest but we want to discuss this with the Selectmen first and get the funds.
Gordon mentioned that access to the Town Forest is hard- how did they do 1st cut several years ago? Forester said project is do-able in the right weather- i.e.)not in mud season. Access will be a cost to us initially.
The Town forest is meant to be managed and hasn’t been for 30years. We need to get a professional opinion for the potential.
We discussed posting in the SVS a public hearing to get bids for Forest Management.
Bob made a motion to explore possibility for Forest Management Plan for 3 properties and talk to the Selectmen about it and have a public hearing to tell that we want to use CCC funds to do a plan. Zach seconded. All AYE. Motion approved
Dawn asked if there was enough $$ from the cut to cover the management plan. It was discussed that the money from the 1st cut years ago should have gone into a forestry management fund to pay for this but there are different opinions as to where those funds went, so these will have to be handled better. Zach asked if the CCC can cover the management plan and cut and then get reimbursed the money after the cut is done from the proceeds.
3d. GPS Blaze recapped his experience. He said at the end of the session it was suggested to contact our County’s rep. who will come to walk land with you and will help you to learn how to use your GPS. The GPS they used is good for pre-determined locations and finding things but it is recommended that you still use a compass. They used $150 GPS and they said most people in field use this kind. If you get a color unit you can change it to black/white because color uses a lot of battery. It will calculate an area within a circle if you walk a lot and it tracks your walk. Arc map GIS is the Cadillac of GPS and is $1300. We think Town already has ARC-GIS. He came away that this would be good for us. We have budget left for 2010. Blaze will then be responsible for learning
how to use- he said no problem it’s his goal. Others will want to be taught as well.
4a. Carpenter Park/CCS trail- Discussed in appointments with Ansel Sanborn Parks and Rec and 3b- Zach
4b) French Hill Conservation Easement- Nothing new
4c) Ferman deed restriction- Nothing new
5) Other Business
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