Greenfield Conservation Commission
Minutes
July 23, 2008
7:30 pm
Attended: Carol Irvin, Chair; Karen Day
1. Reviewed and discussed the Minimum Impact Expedited Dredge and Fill Application from Gene Mitchell (Tax Map R2, Lot 17-2). This application is for a proposed fire protection pond for a 28-lot residential subdivision. The fire pond would hold 80,000 gallons and affect 7,440 square feet of the wetland buffer and 2,975 square feet of wetlands.
a. Action Taken: Because Mitchell’s agent (Meridian Land Services) left before the meeting began, the committee could not get clarification of its questions and no action could be taken.
2. Discussed the impact of a new culvert the state installed on state Highway 31 at the Greenfield/Lyndeborough town line. This new culvert was installed in Spring 2007, after the spring floods. The new culvert was installed at a higher level than the old one. As a result, the brook that would run under the road through out the year no longer runs when water levels drop below the new culvert. The lack of water flow under the road has produced new and different wetlands on the east side of Highway 31 (a swamp has formed in place of the meadow that had been there). The abutters on Lot 41 believe the new standing water has ruined their
well.
a. Action Taken: Because this is a state highway and the state installed the new culvert, the abutters were advised to contact DES. They had done this before the meeting and were advised to file a formal complaint.
3. Discussed logistics for the Blueberry Jamboree.
4. Discussed vernal pool inventory project for next spring. Need to identify a training program that could be used to train volunteers in the identification and documentation of vernal pools. Investigate this with Antioch College and other well-known vernal pool experts.
5. Updates on Open Space Projects (one on the northwest side of town and the other on East Road). Discussed strategies to pursue for the project on the northwest side of town. The Monadnock Conservancy has easements on 8 to 10 parcels in Greenfield, depending on how parcels are counted, representing approximately 1,200 acres. The number of parcels and acreage represent are undercounted because the Conservancy’s website is not up to date and newer easements and their acreages are not listed. The Conservancy is sending the average costs for a conservation easement broken down by type of cost.
a. Action Taken: None at this time
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