MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 3:30 P.m.
Pasbeshauke Pavilion at Saybrook Point Park
155 College Street Extension, Old Saybrook
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Larry Ritzhaupt called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present
Larry Ritzhaupt
Bill Webster
Robert Yust
Tom Gezo
Doug McCracken
John Donnelly (arrived at 3:35 p.m.)
Janice Holland
Michael Momparler
Absent Members
Jerry Brophy
Steve Tagliatela
Land Use Department Staff Present
Christine Nelson, Town Planner
Sandy Prisloe, Environmental Planner
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
Town Hall Staff Present
Steven Mongillo, WPCA
Members of the Conservation Commission and Old Saybrook Land Trust were present.
III. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Minutes
MOTION to approve the minutes from the Conservation Commission’s Sea Level Rise Climate Adaptation Committee’s Regular Meeting of October 23, 2014 with the following correction: on page 2, under Correspondence & Announcements, Roman Sajac’s last name should be spelled Zajac. MADE: by D. McCracken: SECONDED by M. Momparler; VOTED IN FAVOR: L. Ritzhaupt, R. Yust, M. Momparler, J. Holland, D. McCracken, B. Webster, T. Gezo; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 7-0-0.
- Correspondence & Announcements
M. Momparler wrote a draft article that he will e-mail to Committee members for their review for Saybrook Events Magazine.
L. Ritzhaupt asked 4 Committee members to volunteer to present an outline or initial draft on their topic at the 12/11/14 CC SLRCAC meeting. J. Holland, T. Gezo, J. Donnelly, R. Yust all volunteered.
The Committee plans to have their draft report written by June 2015.
MOTION to approve the 2015 Meeting Calendar. MADE: by M. Momparler: SECONDED by T. Gezo; VOTED IN FAVOR: L. Ritzhaupt, R. Yust, M. Momparler, J. Donnelly, J. Holland, D. McCracken, B. Webster, T. Gezo; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 8-0-0.
IV. GUEST PRESENTATION
“Salt Marsh Change: Responses of Flora and Fauna”
Roman Zajac, Ph.D., Professor, Biology & Environmental Science, Univ. of New Haven
There are two groups of marshes in Old Saybrook: those that border the CT River and those that border the Long Island Sound.
There is marsh loss, which is the physical loss of acreage that can be caused by erosion. There is also marsh change that can be caused by a change in vegetative structure and the expansion of invasive and aggressive vegetation consisting mostly of phragmites.
Factors that cause marsh change include nutrient addition, rising temperatures, changes in sediment supply, wave action, changing storm patterns, increased tidal inundation and combinations of these factors.
Vegetation changes when there is marsh change. There has been an increase in bare patches and pools due to climate change. With fewer acres of marshland, there are impacts on the types of organisms that can successfully nest and live in these areas.
The sea level rise causes the marshes water level to rise 1.7 to 2.5 millimeters per year. Most science suggests that this will increase in years to come.
Biological factors can cause vegetation loss such as the purple marsh crab (Sesarma herbivory) which comes out at night and clips the marsh grasses with its pincers. Over time, the crabs can actually de-nude a low marsh area causing significant vegetation loss.
There has been a large increase in the number of fiddler crabs. There are roughly 45 fiddler crabs per meter squared. The fiddler crabs are expanding their habitat considerably. High marsh pools are a potentially important “new” habitat for fiddler crabs. They use the pools to stay cool.
Biotic responses due to sea level rise include vegetation change, vegetation loss and vegetation transgression and loss of species such as the marsh sparrow.
Transgression is movement of the marsh. The marsh moves back into the upland.
In summary, the sea level rise is causing many changes in the marshes including the following: the formation of depressions and ponds, loss of sparrows, increased foraging by fish and expansion of fiddler crabs and mussels.
S. Prisloe is going to make Roman Zajac’s power point presentation available to Committee Members online.
V. DISCUSSION
ENVIRONMENT – Aquatic & Terrestrial Animal Populations
Where Are We?, Where Are We Going?, How Do We Get There?
VI. MEETING SUMMARY
VII. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:08 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission Sea Level Rise Climate Adaptation Committee on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 3:30 p.m., Town Hall, 302 Main Street, 1st Floor Conference Room.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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