NEWBURY CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes Jan. 9, 2007
Present: William Weiler, Deane Geddes, Eric Unger, Frank Perrotta, Suzanne Levine, Katheryn Holmes, William Annable
December 2006 minutes: Moved Holmes, seconded Geddes, approved as corrected.
Intents to Cut: None
Wetlands:
1. Bly Hill Landing Association, Route 103A (Tax Map 19, Lot 128,202). DES approval was granted Oct. 20, 2006 to permanently remove an existing 6- by 44-foot permanent walkway over public waters, permanently remove an existing 4- by 30-foot seasonal dock, relocate six rocks posing hazard to navigation and construct three 6- by 24-foot permanent piling docks connected by a 6- by 60-foot permanent walkway in a “W” configuration, install four 3-piling ice clusters and install 9 tie-off piles, on an average of 382 feet of frontage on Lake Sunapee. Subject to specific conditions.
Old Business:
1. Trail Maps. The commission reviewed the wording of an addendum sheet presented at the previous meeting and approved its insertion into maps to be sold in the future.
2. Library. The Mission Statement to be used as an information card or a bookmark was discussed. The commission decided to think it over.
3. Conservation Plan. Weiler said a payment of $975 to consultant E. Ann Poole had been authorized. A payment of $2,500 to mapmaker Denise Rico had been authorized; she is done with the maps and has forwarded copies to Weiler. Poole’s bill included a statement of meetings held and contacts made in her background work to write a Town Wide Conservation Plan. Poole presented a draft agenda for the conservation plan public hearing to be held Saturday, Jan. 13. Weiler agreed to Poole’s suggestion to allow Karen Bennett of UNH Cooperative Extension to participate as a meeting facilitator. The meeting agenda provides for a project overview, a review
by Poole of plan objectives, a review of maps, and a discussion with the public that will help identify natural areas and ecologically important sites in Newbury. Perrotta presented a fact sheet (see below). After review by the commission it was decided to offer copies to the public attending the meeting.
CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE
AND NATURAL RESOURCES:
A Few Facts
· Newbury’s natural heritage. Newbury has extensive areas of non-state controlled undeveloped land that provide recreational opportunities and habitat for a variety of animals. Many of these lands remain relatively unfragmented by roads or development.
· Newbury and development. Newbury is a desirable location for development because of the exceptional views, the small community, the access to recreation and the natural setting. Large areas of buildable land still exist.
· “Cost of Community Services Studies.” One way to look at open space is what would happen to town costs if it were developed. Using methodology developed by the American Farmland Trust, it turns out open space is far and away the cheapest land for a town to have. For instance, in neighboring Sutton in 1998, 72 percent of the land was in Open Space. The cost per dollar of income to Sutton of that land was 21 cents per acre. Compare that with Commercial-Industrial land (40 cents) and Residential land ($1.01).
· Funding for Land Conservation. Some towns are actively setting aside funds for land conservation. New London appropriated $300,000 for its conservation fund in 2005 and 2006. Sutton set aside $30,000 those same years, Sunapee $15,000, Wilmot $2,500. Some towns established a bond issue for general open space acquisition ranging from the millions to several hundred thousands.
· Conservation Fund. Since 1990 Newbury has allocated 50% of its Municipal Use Change Tax Allocation Data to the Conservation Fund (administered by the Conservation Commission). With the pace of development rapid, the fund has grown in the past few years to more than $250,000. Sutton allocates 100 percent, Warner 100 percent, Washington 100 percent, Cornish 100 percent, Bradford 50 percent, Hanover 50 percent.
· Land Protection Movement. State and local land trusts doubled the number of protected acres nationwide between 2000 and 2005. The US total in 2000 was 6.06 million acres; in 2005 was at to 11.9 million acres, a 96 percent increase.
Sources: The Natural Resource Inventory for the Town of Newbury (2001), The UNH Cooperative Extension, The N.H. Association of Conservation Commissions, The Christian Science Monitor, The American Farmland Trust, The Center for Land Conservation Assistance
New Business:
1. 2007 Warrant Articles. Weiler said the selectmen were planning two conservation-related warrant articles:
a. Town Forest. The article would establish a town forest supervised by a committee appointed by the selectmen.
b. Municipal Use Change Tax. The article would retain the 50 percent apportioned to the Conservation Fund but would cap the annual contribution at $25,000. Weiler said the commission should develop information to rebut the article at the 2007 Town Meeting.
2. Water Agitators. Holmes said she wants regulations controlling the proliferation of water bubblers on Lake Sunapee. She said she wants to see responsible use of bubblers. She said she would bring information about the harmful use of water agitators to a future meeting.
Adjourned: Moved Perrotta, seconded Geddes, 8:58 p.m.
Next Meeting: Feb. 13 at 7:15 p.m., Municipal Building
Prepared by: Frank Perrotta
| 
