LYME CONSERVATION COMMISSION
September 8, 2003
MINUTES
PRESENT: Lee Larson, Ben Hudson, Dick Jones, Joan Goldburgh, Aaron Rich, and Adair Mulligan, Lyme Conservation Commission; Judy Barker, Tom Morrissey, Laura Scott, Hebe Quinton, Pat Reynolds, members of the public.
1. Minutes of the July 7 meeting, August 13 public hearing, and August 13 special meeting were approved on a motion by Dick seconded by Joan.
2. Old Business
a. Post Pond: Dick said that after the last meeting he and Paul Barker removed the first beaver dam down to the base, and left the second dam (which has the largest drop) intact. The water went down 4" in 1 ½ days. Judy said that water was also going over the dam at the time. Ben reported that the CC had met at the site for 1 ½ hours with the NRCS state interdisciplinary research team, which will prepare a scope of work for a project to answer the question of whether Trout and Clay Brooks could join, and under what conditions. Tom Morrissey noted that 15 years ago the CC decided not to develop a management plan for the Chaffee sanctuary, which was a condition of federal funding. He said he hopes the CC will do this, including an inventory of assets. Lee said there
is a loose management plan which maintains riparian and grassland habitats and allows low impact recreational use, including a biannual cutting schedule. Tom said that a management plan could address how the refuge should be managed given the competing interests on the pond. Ben reminded that the town is one of only a number of landowners involved. Lee said it is worth articulating a loose plan for the refuge. Adair said that the plan could specify minimal management. Regarding water levels, Lee said he hoped for a consensus on an ideal water level from the shore front property owners, that the beavers would be allowed to stay, and that pipes could be put in the dams as needed. He has researched beaver pipe technology. The results of the NRCS study will affect the water level discussion. Lee noted that NRCS is understaffed and so that some of the initial work should be done by others to jumpstart the process. The only source of funds is the town’s conservation fund. Laura
suggested asking for town volunteers to survey, but Dick pointed out that this job is too big to ask of a volunteer. The study will also consider water inputs to the watershed of the pond. Judy brought photos she said were taken on 9/1 which showed no beach. Hebe said that many will offer help with the beaver pipes and asked if there is an official water level gage. Lee said that there is an informal one, which Ben has monitored almost daily, and a formal one is needed. He offered to add those interested to an email notification list. NRCS noted that Route 10 provides some flood control because the road acts as a levee and the Trout Brook culvert limits the brook’s flow rate.
b. Trail maintenance: Ben bought hemlock planks for 150' of puncheons. Voted to pay the $166 bill, on a motion by Joan seconded by Dick, with Ben abstaining. Need to install 3 small sections at Big Rock and more at Chaffee. Will do Big Rock on the following Saturday.
c. Boundary line at new part of Town Forest - need to mark this when leaves are down.
d. ZBA and CC comments: Lee said that the CC has made 19 site visits recently, and recommended approval of 18 of the projects involved, sometimes with recommendations, and has only advised against approving one. Walt Swift, ZBA chair, asked for legal counsel on whether the CC opinion would have standing in court as a basis for a ZBA decision, and was told it would, although the ZBA should not automatically adopt all CC positions without consideration.
3. Wetlands
1.
a. Stam Pond: after heavy rain, Hewes Brook ran very silty. Beavers also plugged the culvert under Baker Hill Road and the brook backed up on to the Stam property and garden. (The beavers’ blockage of the culvert washed out naturally without human intervention.) Jim Kennedy has visited the site and says the water in the pond is muddy and taking a lot of silt from the town road, although the turbidity is within DES specifications. Jim is going to revise the plan for a stone lined drainage ditch. CC members agreed that the project is still problematic and should not have been permitted in the first place. Ben asked how the CC should react when a project is designed by a wetlands scientist and gets a DES permit. Lee said that if the CC had not compromised, it might not have
been approved. Dick reminded that the project was not built as planned and that the problems largely stem from clearing too much land. Hebe asked who enforces logging problems, and Dick recommended she contact the town office, which would refer any violations to the appropriate enforcement agency.
b. Ryan project: Lee said that DES has not yet approved it and initially questioned the CC’s opinion, but after a site visit seems favorable.
c. Wray project: the application for the barn has been withdrawn and the ZBA decision on the retaining wall is pending a DES site visit. Lee said he thought the wall is clearly in DES’ jurisdictional area.
d. Site visits for ZBA: several members visited the Stevenson site, and agreed there are no conservation issues there. Lee visited the Taylor/Barnes property, and feels the situation is similar to Lumley’s, with little impact.
e. Roby Pond: Jim Kennedy has asked whether the CC would support work in the winter since it is now too wet. Agreed that because the watershed is not steep and would not create strong snow melt runoff, and if silt fencing is installed now before frost, winter work could have less impact.
4. Other
a. Conservation District Fall Tour: Ben will recommend the Trout Brook tree revetment and the Stadler field near the river as site visits for Oct. 22. Adair explained how varves on the river terrace were probably responsible for the failure in that field.
b. Trout Pond Committee: terms are up for Brian Rich and Wayne Pike. Moved to advise the selectmen to reappoint them both, on a motion by Adair seconded by Joan.
c. Skiway: there is a proposal to add 8 acres of snowmaking capacity on the Holt’s side. There are no wetlands issues, and culverts are under control. BMPs will be used and runoff will increase 1/10 of 1%. There is no additional water supply for it, and the plan to draw from Grant Brook is likely to be abandoned because of cost. Ben talked to Doug Holler about erosion control measures in the parking lot. DES was ready to recommend dredging the brook, and Ben objected to this at the site visit. The CC supported his decision.
d. Trout Pond posters: there is a large supply still in storage. Agreed to provide some to UVLT, and to offer at Town Meeting with a request for donations which would go to the conservation fund.
e. Upcoming vacancy: Aaron is moving to Piermont in October and must resign from the CC. Members objected!
Adjourned 9:10 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Adair Mulligan, Secretary
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