Minutes of the Greenfield Conservation Commission
January 15, 2003
Karla Allen, Karen Day, Marilyn Fletcher, Roger Lessard, David Voymas Jeff Porter attended from Southwest Regional Planning Commission.
Jeff Porter gave an informational talk about the Natural Resources Inventory. He stated that the NRI is basic information that is necessary for community planning. Although most towns do not have the luxury of actual environmental observation, there is a tremendous amount of info available in GIS and remote sensing systems. Also, local knowledge can be tapped.
The first step is to make decisions about what is most important information for the report to communicate. This will define the setup of the NRI. The stages are: define scope, set a time table, then commit to it.
A good way to obtain information is to invite the public to mark up maps with areas that they think are important. SW can provide us with a regional context to make sure our plan will provide us with what we need the plan to accomplish.
It is possible to get USGS LandSat 3' x 3' hi-resolution photos of forest coverage and create a delineation that Southwest can digitize. This can be for the built environment (houses in the woods) and the natural forest cover types.
SW has ortho-quads (high-altitude digital photos that have been broken up into quadrants.). They cost about $30 each. Erols Data Center has a website with a photo center index to order the photos. Probably 5 or 6 are needed for Greenfield. Last set of photos available is from 1996 and 1998.
Actual characterization of the landscape for use in land use planning is an important component of the NRI. Represent natural components of the landscape. Then, represent anthropogenic qualities of the landscape.
David asked: How does CC determine what is important to include in the NRI.
Jeff. This may be limited by the information we have available or are able to find out.
Karen asked: How do we protect our two aquifers in town.
Jeff: Make sure we understand the hydrology of these aquifers - soils, slopes, geology (as much as possible). Look for plant communities. Look at the soils. Surface hydrology info is available from the USGS maps.
USDA Soil Survey will provide information on farm lands, potential farm land and forest resources.
Wildlife habitat can also be determined from soils information.
Jeff also discussed watersheds as geographic units. SW is working on a regional NRI (36 towns) this should be complete by June 2003. This will provide towns with some higher resolution watershed delineations than have been available to date.
Jeff brought a large format photo DEM (digital elevation model) graphic of Mt. Monadnock and the SW area region. This model can provide information, but does not provide a usable graphic map.
He brought the following maps:
SW Region unfragmented lands. Since 1994, all new water wells have been mapped. He noted that most development is contained within 1000 feet of either side of State Class I and II roads.
SW Region fragmented lands, which had a color-coded mapping of areas. Greenfield looks to be the edge of a broken-up plant community with ecological integrity "on the run".
Resource Extraction Potential for the Southwest Region, showing Prime Farmland Soils, Aquifers, Soils with high timber productivity potential, and soils with high potential for sand and gravel mining. These same areas are also the easiest areas to develop.
Sensitive Resource Areas - wetlands, perennial streams, aquifers, floodplains, steep slopes, hydric soils. High potential for sensitive plant and animals communities.
Stratified Drift Aquifers in the SW region.
Most of the information we need for our NRI is available from these exisiting resources, except for landcover data.
To begin, we need to generate a list of questions that we would like answered by the data.
Jeff will get us information about the large format photos and will send us maps of Greenfield showing land fragmentation.
He recommends we get townspeople involved. He suggested we gather information on the historic sites in town, so that it can be digitized and added to the maps.
Jeff left at 8:20 pm.
Minutes from 12-18-02 meeting were reviewed. Marilyn noted that the warrant article should state that wetland setback should be 75 feet for septic and 25 feet for building disturbance.
David passed out copies of the year-end report for the CC. It was voted to accept and submit.
Mail:
Letter from NHDES that Crotched Mountain needs to submit an application for a Groundwater Discharge Permit for Facility Wastewater system.
Letter from DES stating that well installers need a license to install private wells.
Conservation Commission Budget report. It was noted that Karla had not yet submitted an invoice for work she has done. She believes that she gets paid $1000 flat fee for the year, and will submit a back dated invoice.
Two books arrived:
Saving Special Places: Community Funding for Land Conservation
Open Space for New Hampshire -- A Toolbook of Techniques for the New Millenium
Discussion ensued about purchasing a computer capable of running Arcview. Karla has found one for about $3000. $1500 additional was added into the 2003 budget for the purchase of a computer.
A date was set for snowshoeing the George Proctor Rec Area on February 2. We'll meet at David's House at 10:30, and bring a lunch.
For this year's monitoring of the Adam's easement - it would be interesting to have a herpologist lead the walk. Karen knows someone who could do that for $150.00. She will touch base with him and see if he is available.
Karla would like to do something with the school for Arbor Day or Earth Day. Perhaps planting trees or a roadside cleanup project. David mentioned that Suzy Dunehy at the Harris Center is the Earth Day coordinator.
Barry Wicklow has offered to walk the George Proctor area and look at the area around Rand Brook. We need to schedule this.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:20.
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