LYME CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes - September 12, 2005 (rev 9/13/05)
PRESENT: Lee Larson, Dick Jones, Vicki May, Laura McDaniel, Adair Mulligan, CC; Michael Hinsley, Judy Barker
1. Visit by Michael Hinsley, Lyme Fire Chief: Michael explained his efforts to reduce the town’s fire insurance rating, which is currently at 9. Key is need for water, which may result in wetlands impacts. Mike went over the town map to show locations of existing water sources and places where they are needed. They are now concentrating on the Route 10 corridor and Lyme Center, and will hope also to provide firefighting water for the Reservoir Pond area. State has now changed permitting for fire departments to a permit by notification system. Lee has been signing off on projects with minimal impact for this purpose. Agreed CC will visit a site if it does not qualify for the permit by notification.
2. Housekeeping: will wait to approve the August minutes until they have been revised by Matt.
3. Old Business
a. Tree City: will discuss next time.
b. Natural Resource inventory - met with Upper Valley LSRPC Sept 9, they will get back with a proposal, but office is busy. Will meet with David Houghton of ASNH on Sept. 27as alternative. Will look into possibility of funding the inventory with the conservation fund; there may also be private money available.
c. Post Pond water level: Dick reported that the judge turned down the Barkers’ motion. The water level is at 3.0 feet or just above. Selectmen, as the property owner, had turned down Dina Cutting’s request to lower the water level for beach. Dick explained that only interested parties could ask for water level changes; he indicated this means only those who own property on the pond, and said no one had made such a request so far. Learning that the calibration on the stick had last been checked at ice out, Judy Barker asked that it be checked again and to be notified of the result. She said the level was at 3.0. Members agreed they were surprised that the one foot drop in elevation of the pond had not happened over the
summer. Judy said the water was now up on the lawn close to a building.
d. Upper Valley Trails Alliance workshops - Lee reported that this series is intended to increase the number of area trail volunteers. The CC is acting as local sponsor, and helping with publicity. He led one workshop on use of GPS; Put Blodgett led another on building a small bridge, in the Town Forest. The next will be on fundamentals of trail building, led by Matt; the last will be on hardening trails, by John Taylor of UVLT.
4. Wetland and Easements
a. CC conducted site visits to the Bent property on River Road, Dowd’s Inn, and the Keane-Treadwell easement.
b. Skiway parking lot erosion - Dick explained the history of this situation; the CC had earlier recommended improving the parking lot drainage to avoid impacts to the stream, and no work has been done. Planning Board has been told by counsel that it cannot insist on these improvements as part of its site plan review of this year’s Skiway projects,but feels there are environmental consequences to the current situation. Vickie Davis has asked the CC opinion. Dick expressed reservations about the CC in an enforcement role. Adair said that any citizen has the right to file a wetlands complaint with DES and Vicki reminded that the CC had gone for a site visit at the Sanborn property at a request from the zoning administrator.
Agreed that the CC should make a site visit, and would not take an enforcement role but would do fact finding. Voted to schedule a site visit on a motion by Dick seconded by Vicki.
5. New Business - Trails
a. Maintenance - Big Rock Trail is getting overgrown. Town Forest Trail is in good shape.
b. Water Quality monitoring signs - Dick will see if the town road crew can install these small blue signs meant to call attention to volunteer water quality monitoring at Post Pond and Reservoir Pond.
c. Trail signage - 3 people have asked Lee for better signs at intersections.Signs as presently colored and placed are not easy to see. Looks like signs are being taken; previously, one on Mud Turtle Pond Road was moved off the road and into the woods to stop this; will move sign back, and attach flagging tape to help draw attention.
d. Trail guide reprinting for Chaffee Sanctuary and Trout Pond Forest - supply is gone; Adair will look into reprinting. Voted to approve up to $500 from this year’s Maintenance and Management of Conservation Areas budget for reprinting, on motion by Laura seconded by Vicki.
e. Purchase of more trail markers - will hold off on this for now.
Meeting adjourned 9:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted, Adair Mulligan, Secretary pro-tem
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