New Boston Conservation Commission
Minutes from February 1, 2007
Members Present: R. Balke, B. Dodge, J. Nangle, B. Thomson, B. Tupper, C. Wilson
Guests/Presenters: Ken Lombard, Open Space Committee; Susan Carr and Mary Koon, Climate Change Warrant Article
Reports: Minutes from December 7, 2006, Saunders Pasture Meeting with Mr. Cyr, and January 4, 2007, all accepted with corrections.
Treasurer’s Report: $655,136.62 ($515,000 of which is specified for conservation land) Bridge account: $902.37.
Warrant Articles: Susan Carr presented, for informational purposes, an overview of a petition warrant article which would ask the Board of Selectmen to study feasibility of lessening effects of energy use in New Boston regarding climate change. Individuals on the Commission spoke in favor of the article.
Deliberative Session: Tupper will speak to the wetlands and cluster housing warrant articles at the deliberative session. Members were encouraged to attend and give support.
Ken Lombard of the Open Space Committee updated the Commission on that committee’s efforts to acquire a conservation easement on properties 4/62 and 8/1 (84 acre total) belonging to the Trussell family. This property abuts PWA easement on Mrs. Kachavos’ land, the Hechtl farm, and the Town-owned Skofield lot. Negotiations with the Trussells are in process with several possibilities for protection of the parcels in play. Carol Hall of the Russell Foundation is helping the committee proceed at no cost to the Town. The CC encouraged the OSC to move forward with this acquisition.
Developments before the Planning Board:
Lordens’ (12/96 & 19---37 lots proposed)—no news
Shaky Pond Development LLC (15/15---27 lots proposed) ---Tupper believes the Planning Board wants to see this whole area of town as one with regards to impact. Police and Fire Depts. are not in favor of moving forward with this until all roads between Lordens’ and Bedford Road are linked. Planning Board dislikes the proposed density. CC has concerns about wildlife habitat and corridor as well as wetland crossings.
Sizemore (5/29 &5/30)—lot line adjustment; no CC concerns
Marden (6/12 Beard Road—3 lots)—No wetland issues
Clukay & Akerman (1/12, Bunker Hill Road—stable proposed)—Burr was on site walk; all work will be outside a 50’ wetland setback.
CC Lands and Trails: Saunders Pasture Forestry Work: The Board of Selectmen’s response to where money from the cut should go was that since the RSA does not specify it should go to the CC, the money should go to the town’s general fund.
Railroad Trail: 1. Cutting along the trail was done by LWC Committee volunteers under the supervision of Ed Gilligan of CC. Some culverts were located on the old Railroad Bed during their work session. 2. Kim has submitted the grant application; the possibility of a free culvert was negated as those available were inappropriate. Thus, a new plastic culvert will be purchased with grant money. 3. CC received a letter from Bill Grigas of the 4-H Board of Directors regarding CC work on the trail. The Town’s section of the trail actually begins 1,000 feet beyond the sign at the entrance. He requested that a CC member be present any time that work is done on the trail. Since this is CC policy, his request will surely be honored.
Easement Forms: Barbara Thomson compared easement monitoring forms from the PWA and Forestry Committee and found them to be remarkably similar. She will create a NBCC form using the best of both and present it at the March meeting.
Expenditure: Burr ordered and received from NHF&G 10 copies of IDENTIFYING AND PROTECTING NEW HAMPSHIRE’ SIGNIFICANT WILDLIFE HABITAT. Copies were distributed among members; one is designated for the Town library, another to the OSC, and by vote another is to be donated to the Russell Foundation in appreciation for the work of Carol Hall. The rest are in the CC file cabinet. A unanimous vote reimburses Burr $154.45 for his purchase of the books.
SNHPC Groundwater Study Request: In their letter, this group requested $3500 per town to initiate a study of groundwater locations and preservation, with the hope that Governor Lynch would budget for it and money would be returned to the towns. The NBCC chose not to submit the money for several reasons, one being the tardiness of the request; another being our belief that it is a state sponsored study and should be financed by the state budgetary process.
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia Wilson, Corresponding Sec’y
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