LYME CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes – February 7, 2005
The meeting convened at 7:30pm.
The following members of the Commission were in attendance: Joan Goldburgh, Dick Jones, Lee Larson, Vicki May, Laura McDaniel, and Adair Mulligan. Thomas Morrissey attended for the first 10 minutes of the meeting.
1. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of January 3, 2005 were approved.
2. Old Business
a. There was nothing new to report on the Tree City Project.
b. Dick reported that the court ordered alternative dispute resolution (ADR) between Loch Lyme Lodge, the Town of Lyme, and the Town of Lyme’s Insurance Company that was originally scheduled for April 15th had been postponed and had not yet been rescheduled.
c. Joan reported that the Vernal Pool Workshop has been scheduled for Saturday, May 7th. A slide show will be presented at the Lyme Center Academy Building before going to a local vernal pool; the location of vernal pool is yet to be determined.
d. Adair reported that she had talked to Mike Smith. Mike plans to talk to Charlie Balch regarding the possibility of a conservation easement on his property.
e. Dick distributed a draft of the Town Warrant regarding a change in the land use change tax (from the current 100% to 50% being placed in the Conservation Fund). The Selectmen will vote on their recommendation regarding this warrant this week. Lee reported the following statistics:
· 49 towns in NH place 100% of their land use tax in the Conservation Fund (with no cap or a cap of $100K),
· 30 towns voted for bonds to buy conservation land.
The commission then discussed ways of educating the public (both prior to and during the meeting) and encouraging them to NOT approve the warrant. Thoughts included:
· Having brief talks (~30seconds each) during the town meeting by members of the public (rather than from the CC) such as the value of open space, statistics from other towns, and discussion of previous conservation projects,
· Drafting a letter to all Lyme residents.
f. The Chaffee Sanctuary Bonfire took place but the invasive plants did not burn well. Another bonfire will be scheduled for next year when the plants are dry.
3. Wetlands
a. The trail to the brook at the Crossroads Academy has been regraded.
b. The Crossroads Academy has submitted an after-the-fact permit for their cross-country ski trail. They plan to put in road fabric and stone fill to restore the wetland that has been disturbed while maintaining the ski trail. They are working with DES but the CC has been asked to comment to DES. Lee will draft a letter (similar to the one sent after the site visit) with recommendations including the fact that the work be supervised.
c. A couple considering purchasing a 1.8 acre lot on River Road has asked the town if they will be allowed to build on the lot. The lot is within the shoreline district so will require ZBA approval for building; the CC will need to visit the site to determine if the impact to the shoreline is acceptable. Adair will verify the statewide Shoreline Protection Act regarding a 2 acre minimum. Tuesday morning, Feb. 15th, was found to be the best time for the site visit if one is needed.
4. New Business
a. Lee asked if anyone had an interest in attending the Communities Forest Conference in Montana from June 17 to June 19. No commission members were available during that time frame.
b. Joan discussed the Barn Preservation Grant Program and encouraged the members of the commission to contact House Finance Committee members to support the proposed bill. The bill would provide $150,000 in funding for barn preservation in 2005; note that no federal funding will be available in 2005.
c. Joan also announced that Barn Assessment Grants will be available this year. She will post a flyer in the Town Offices.
d. Lee discussed the possibility of a trail connection between the Town Forest and Breck Hill. Breck and Kim Taylor own the land needed to connect the trails. They agreed to allow Lee and John Taylor (from the Upper Valley Land Trust) to scout and flag a possible trail connection. Lee and John found a nice route through the Taylor’s property. The Upper Valley Land Trust will take the lead in this project and will discuss the possible trail connection further with Mr. Taylor.
5. Other Business – none.
6. Publicity – there will be NO Conservation Corner this month.
The meeting adjourned at 8:35pm.
Vicki V. May, recorder
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