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03-13-12

CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
March 13, 2012 @ 7:00 pm
Newtown Municipal Center, Meeting Room #3
3 Primrose Street, Newtown, CT 06470
In attendance are: Commissioners Wilson, Cramer, Henderson, Kaley and Germain
Staff: Lynn Kovack and Guest Linda Zukauskas from the Voices newspaper

Public Participation: No members of the public were present

Correspondence: Friends of the Lake communication will be held  April 12 at Westconn 7:00 PM. Green Development for Blue Water on March 20 at Newtown Library at 9:30 am. It is sponsored by HVA & Pomperaug river water shed association.

Approval of Minutes of 2/28/2012: Under approval of minutes changes to changed, under project management/task list change fences to offensive. Under TBD change commission to Commissioner Cramer. Unanimously changed to unanimously. Under use of High School volunteers- change Jesp to Jess, deleted yes has and she has a NHS senior who. Under discussion of NRI- Change work on to compile, deleted for the next meeting. They will go over this. Change Bill Rute to Root. Under Conservation easement add Grogins after David. Under Iroquois invasive doc- add Rob may contact FERC regarding this issue if no response from Iroquois is forthcoming. Under Education Comm- Change Tom Worthy to Tom Worthley. Change alamolive to Autumn Olive. Minutes accepted as corrected.

Administrative Items
  • Project Management/Task List: Commissioner Kaley has added outreach program for TBD control, which Commissioner Cramer is working with Sub Committee on. NRI: Compile comments and feedback to discuss at next meeting.         
        
Old Business and Action Items
  • Fairfield Hills Open Space: No new updates to report. Commissioner Henderson pointed out that she saw an article in the newspaper stating that the Victory Garden will be relocated on the FFH property         
  • Work Orders: No new work orders to report since last meeting    
  • Open Space 37-3-14:  Commissioner Wilson sent Liz Stocker a copy of the letter we had received from the Dept of Agriculture regarding OS 37-3-14. Liz would like us to follow up with Chris Lyddy which we will do.     
  • Tick Borne Disease: No new updates to report            
  • Use of High School volunteers:  Commissioner Kaley and Jessica went out Wednesday and finished Middleton. She was planning on going out this week to but needs map from Rob to do so. Jessica can work with us until about April. Nothing new from Peg Regany on any new volunteers.    
  • Discussion of NRI: Commissioners will send Mary Kaley any comments to discuss with Bill Rute at the April 10th or 24th meeting. 
        
Committee/Staff Reports
  • Trail Building Sub-committee: Requirements went out to Parks and Rec but no feedback yet. Paula Burton scheduled couple of work parties up at Pole Bridge. They have an approval for one trail. Someone should attend one of Parks and Recs meetings which meet the 2nd Thursday of the month.  
  • Forest Evaluation: Need to walk properties that are identified, but haven’t finished the process yet because the PC is not working. Some are identified as possible candidates for forest evaluation.   
  • OS Inventory and Maintenance Progress: Commissioner Kaley has copied all deeds excluding the ones not in the Town Clerks computer System. Approximately 80 % done. For the remaining she has to go to the Town Clerks office, pull the books out of vault and have clerk take out of book and copy for her. Then deeds need to be labeled with Unique ID’s and then filed.      
  • Property Marking Plans, Surveying Status:  Already discussed under the High School volunteer section.   
  • Conservation Easement on WWTP completed: This project is all completed  
  • Status of Halfway River fishing access: No new updates to report        
  • Iroquois invasive documentation: No new updates to report                               
  • Education Committee:upcoming seminar, etc.: Commission is making preparations for the “ Seminar on Meadows”. Commission has confirmed date and location of March 24, 2012 from 10:00a.m. to Noon at the Municipal Building. Designed fliers and asked Ann Mazur to send them to the following town commissions: IW, P&Z, Economic Development, Parks & Rec, Board of Selectmen, Legislative Council and Clean Energy. Also emailed fliers to NFA, Horticulture Club, Garden Club of Newtown and Town of Newtown Garden Club. Printed a number of fliers to be distributed around town and arranged for publicity for the seminar with the Bee and Voices.       
  • Invasives Sub-committee: Barberry Blitz: Commission has been making preparations for Barberry Blitz. Designed and ordered large posters to be used on town A-Frames to be placed in front of Edmond Town Hall, the Middle School and FFH. Designed and ordered copies of a flyer for Barberry Blitz and a barberry removal handout. These are being printed commercially and should be available be the end of the week. Have Co-ordinated efforts with Rob Sibley and Donna Culbert, Health District. Donna will be doing some of the distribution of fliers for us. Sent barberry blitz fliers to NFA, and the three garden clubs as listed above. Developed a barberry-tick connection power point presentation to be given at the seminar on March 24. Arranged for Tom Worthley, one of the authors of the barberry-tick study, to train Park and Rec personnel and speak about the propane torch method of barberry control at the meeting on April 11. Arranged for 100 copies of “Invasives in Your Back Yard” which should arrive first week in April, in time for Earth Day and other local events.   
  • Al’s Trail: No new updates to report. Commission needs to decide on which invasives we will do on what trail. Should do Al’s trail as others do a lot at Orchard Hill.  
Strategic Sub-committee: No new updates to report       
  • Federal Recreation Trails Program: Commissioner Wilson emailed local congressmen and senetars for Non support of house bill and support for Senate Bill. No word back yet except 2 people who can’t get to it now.              
New Business
1 Earth Day April 28: Commission has received info about Earth Day, which will be held on Saturday April 28 at the Newtown Middle School. CC will have have a display with Open Space posters, maps and pamphlets on invasives.
2. Victory garden: Commission decided to have a row again this year. Commissioner Wilson and Henderson will work on the CC row.  Commissioner Kaley may also assist with the CC row.     

Meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM

Executive Session as needed