Greenfield Conservation Commission
Minutes
January 22, 2014
Attended: Carol Irvin, Chair; Neal Brown, Ray Cilley, Karen Day, Janet Renaud
Meeting began at 7:35 p.m.
· The mail. Members reviewed the mail, which included the end-of-year statement for the Conservation Fund that documents the annual deposit of proceeds from the Land Use Change Tax (LUCT).
· Intents to Cut. The commission reviewed three Intents to Cut:
o Muzzey Hill (W. Williams)
o Miner Rd.
o Forest Rd. 0000R4 000052 The form stated the logger’s name as the owner, but upon review, it was apparent that this was the continuation of the cut in the State Park (on the other side, and by a different logger).
· Groundwater Protection Ordinance Conditional Use Permit. The members finalized our letter to the Planning Board regarding our comments on the Conditional Use permit under the Groundwater Protection ordinance for Fulton Auto.
· New Culvert on New Boston Road. Members reviewed letter from DES asking for a new design for a culvert on New Boston Road.
o History: The DPW installed a new culvert without obtaining the proper DES permits. DPW replaced a single large culvert, with two smaller ones that were set a higher level than the old one. In addition, the DPW did not use a standard approach to erosion control. An official from Francestown complained and DES requested the DPW submit an after-the-fact dredge and fill permit, as well as a redesign. The redesign was done by Chris Danforth, DES is now rejecting the proposed redesign.
o Current: The DPW and Danforth are trying to work it out with DES. DES wants a single large culvert, rather than three smaller culverts. The DES letter was not cc'd to the BOS; Con Com will pass on to BOS.
o Opinion: The discussion was around the likely additional costs the town will realize from this mistake and lines of accountability.
· Parking Lot on Mountain Road for the Wapack trail. Currently a private citizen is plowing the lot. An agreement between the BOS and the USFWS for plowing the lot was left unsolved because of concerns relating to liability issues. Janet will contact Matt Poole at USFWS to discuss.
· Milfoil Infestation. The commission review an email and letter from DES regarding an infestation of milfoil on Otter Lake. The lake was treated twice last year and Amy S. from DES will check it in the spring. Mike Borden had contacted Paul Renaud about the chemicals they were using. Amy S. is looking for possible funding if the treatments in 2013 and 2014 don’t address the problem. This type of project is funded by the State on a sliding scale, which means the first year or two the State handles all costs, but if the infestation requires continuing treatment, then the State seeks other funds from the town.
o Lakefront landowners are Blakemores, the Barbara C. Harris Center, and the State Park
o A suggestion was made that Nature’s Classroom, a frequent guest of B.C. Harris, could be trained in identifying and removing aquatic invasives during their summer camp. Janet will contact.
o Ray will contact John Cook at Barbara C. Harris about the Center’s level of interest and willingness to participate in educating and training Greenfield residents, particularly those who live on the lakes in town.
o As a follow-along to address the issue at other water bodies in town, Neal will work with Sunset Lake residents and coordinate a training day in August, and also contact CMRC.
o Powder Mill Pond will be overseen by the Monadnock Paper Mills and the Feds
o Janet will bring up at LAC meeting, since the group will be getting aquatic invasives training in the spring.
o Karen will contact DES for more detailed information on funding needs, and other questions.
· Forest Management Plan (aka Land Stewardship Plan)
o The commission reviewed the draft contracts that Karla drew up that are needed to get her started on marking the properties.
o All members will fill out the long goal sheets between now and next meeting and hammer then discuss where interest converge or differ.
o Carol will ask Karla to include Fleck in her contract and correct the names to Koch-Brown and George Proctor contracts. She’ll also ask Karla to clarify the costs of drawing up the stewardship plans and whether she would use GPS when marking boundaries.
o Members also discussed the wisdom on having metal markers made and put on these properties so that they are more easily identified by town residents
o Carol also asked for someone to take on the leadership of developing an education/public relations plan to explain what the land stewardship plans are about and will entail. Karen suggested a special edition of the Spirit. Carol maintained that abutters should be contacted directly so their questions can be answered in detail. The commission determined that contacting the abutters will make most sense once we have drafted goals for the stewardship plans.
· Town Forester’s Job Description. Ray asked where the job description stood. Karen reported that the BOS has finalized it last year and that she thought it had been sent out to everyone on the commission. She will send it again to make sure everyone on the commission has it.
· A Community Day. Karen spoke about the idea of having a community day with activity booths for each department and committee that has been put forward by Loren White, Bob Marshall, and Tim Murray. The purpose would be to educate residents about the scope of work done by each department and committee and to recruit volunteers. Neal suggested residents might use this as an opportunity to informally complain or make suggestions. This group was thinking about having this community day the same day as the Roadside Roundup (currently scheduled for April 26th). Most commission members felt it should be separate because we need residents to
be out cleaning up the roadways and the Commission wouldn’t be able to participate with a booth of its own because the members are too busy that day with cleanup activities and helping with the dinner that night. Carol suggested that key departments and committees could still participate in the dinner at the end of the day through supplying and serving ice cream or drinks or giving a presentation.
Meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Submitted by Janet Renaud
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