Conservation Comm minutes Nov 3rd
November 3, 2014 Conservation Commission Meeting
Present were members Dave Matesky, Pam Smillie, Brian Byrne, Mike Dufihlo, and Larry Siebert. Tom Seidel and Margaret Graciano were unable to attend.
Residents present were Bill Kelly, Kevin Donohoe, Joan Aubrey, Dean Davis, Nancy Davis, Rick Davis, Allen Brooks, Peter Benson, Edith Houlihan, Bob Houlihan, Laurel Smith, Linda Comeau, Phil Davies, George Howard, Richard Bennett, Bea Davis, Bob Davis, Ken Kimball, Breanne Torrey, Brooks Dodge, Dexter Harding, Steve Vosburgh, Penny Porath Miller, Gwen Vosburgh, Lucy Harding, Bill Lockard, and Hank Benesh filmed the proceedings on Jacksonflicks.com.
Larry opened the meeting by going over the Prospect Farm history that was handed out to everyone present.
During the summer a resident had asked to use the key so that he may drive up into Prospect Farm and picnic. The Selectmen being fairly new and the office staff also having changed recently left them at a loss as to the policy or even the location of the key to the gate. Consequently, the Selectmen asked the Conservation Commission to come up with some common sense recommendations for rules or regulations for the property.
By October, the Conservation Commission proposed an ordinance which would be voted on by the residents and would finalize a policy.
“ To see if the town will vote to regulate and protect Prospect Farm by banning all motorized vehicular use except for maintenance, forestry, emergency or to comply with Federal ADA laws. Further to ban open fires, hunting, and camping unless for educational purposes with the written permission of the Selectmen”.
Dick Bennett began by asking if there has been any fires or hunting accidents over the years? What are we trying to fix?
Bill Kelly went over the time line of town meeting votes and felt that the 1992 vote cancelled the 1982 vote by allowing snowmobiles but not on separate trails. Bob Davis felt those trails had originally been cut for snowmobiles not skiing.
Peter Benson wanted to know why we were here at all, if it has worked well all these years without any regulations. He does not want Jackson to exclude people and activities.
Penny Miller suggests that it be made more usable for all kinds of recreation.
Phil Davies explained the origin of the gate and the sign. In the early 2000’s the Selectmen at the time felt they had the authority to create a gate and key use system so that if a hunter wanted to get his deer out he could go to the office and sign out the key. Phil had concerns about hunting with rifles but not with muzzles or bows, and felt that snowmobiles would never be a problem simply because there is no where to go.
Dick Bennett wanted to know if we are going to promote this as a public park.
Can we distinguish between residents and taxpayers? Ken Kimball felt they could lose the parking lot because it is on private land and they have a limited contract with the owner.
Brooks Dodge wants us to speak of inclusiveness not exclusion. Peter Benson stated the more rules you have the more problems and possible liability issues you get.
Bill Kelly feels it is our last wilderness and hunting is a long time use. Brooks mentioned that the more dogs and people go up there the less wildlife will be around anyway, and the hunting situation will fix it self in time.
Penny Miller stated that all public land is under pressure from population growth and feels education is better than regulation. She felt the kiosk could be used more for this purpose such as. Leave No Trace, Wear Orange, Bury Waste etc. and she would be willing to work with us and the girls in the office on this.
Mike Dufihlo summed up the Commissions work on this as based on science and safety of the land. He would be opposed to harden surface camp sites because all throughout the Forest Service these camp sites are over used and trashed. Five hundred acres is less than a square mile, and many of the uses like hunting, and camping are allowed in the Forest that surrounds Prospect Farm.
Bill Kelly thanked us and asked us not to be too restrictive in whatever we come up with.
Larry assured everyone that we would not proceed with acquiring 25 signatures, and that we would recommend to the Selectmen all current uses with only the exclusion of ATV use.
There was a motion to approve the minutes of the October 6th meeting, it was seconded and passed unanimously
There was a motion to approve the minutes of the October 24th meeting, again it was seconded and approved unanimously.
We had agreed to paying $5000.00 to the AMC for the work done at the Fall’s but they felt they had not lived up to there end of the agreement entirely and charged us only $4,600.00
A motion was made to pay the AMC the $4,600.00 and send a thank you to them. It was seconded and approved unanimously.
Larry thanked Pam for all the work she had done above the new stairs planting some blueberries and small pine saplings. He was also able to put in stakes and signs as well as seed around the work area.
A motion was made to reimburse Larry $26.78 for the stakes and $29.12 for the laminated signs around the Falls. It was seconded and passed unanimously.
Finally, we discussed cutting the downed trees and hanging the signs over on the Gray’s Inn property over the next weekend.
The meeting was adjourned at 7PM.
Respectfully submitted.
Pam Smillie, and Larry Siebert
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