Lyme Conservation Commission
Minutes of the January 9, 2006 Meeting
1. The meeting convened at 7:30 PM in the Lyme Center Academy Building meeting room. The following members of the Commission were in attendance: Dick Jones, Lee Larson, Vicki May, Laura McDaniel, and Adair Mulligan. No members of the public attended the meeting.
2. The minutes of the November 7th meeting were approved as submitted.
3. Old Business:
a. Laura and Dick updated the Commission on the Tree City project. The application was approved by the Board of Selectmen on December 21st and has been submitted.
b. The Natural Resource Inventory was discussed. The Budget Committee restored $15,000 to the Planning and Zoning budget request for work on the Master Plan. Currently the Planning Board is planning to spend approximately $10,000 on an aquifer study and the remaining $5,000 on GIS mapping. In order to start on the Natural Resources Inventory, the Commission decided to submit both “Moose Plate” and Connecticut River Joint Commissions grant applications, agreed in principle to use Conservation Fund monies for the Town’s match (if grants are awarded), and conduct field verification using appropriate knowledgeable local volunteers.
c. The site visit and conservation evaluation of the Heitzman property abutting the Town Forest was discussed.
d. No additional information was available on the Post Pond water level issues.
4. Wetlands and Easements:
a. A site visit to Wilmot property in Lyme Center was scheduled for Saturday, January 14th at 8:00 AM.
b. The Skiway’s wastewater lagoon dam waiver application was discussed. It was concluded that the Commission would not need to make a site visit, but that it would submit comments that the surface water run-off from the parking lot should be directed into the snow making pond rather than into the wetland to the east of the sewage lagoon.
5. New Business:
a. Possible hikes, field days and workshops for 2006 were discussed. Proposed activities included: the annual snowshoe hike on the last weekend in February, completing the “Clay Brook Trail” to RT10 (with the Upper Valley Land Trust), Upper Valley trails day on June 3rd, “Green-up Day” on the first weekend in May, Arbor Day activities with the school, and a possible bird walk with a local guide.
b. The Upper Valley Land Trust has requested to put one of their yellow signs in the Trout Pond Forest. The Commission agreed that it would be appropriate to have a UVLT sign, given UVLT’s important role in protecting the Forest, but felt that their current sign design was too obtrusive for a secluded, natural setting, and decided to ask UVLT to propose a design and color that would better complement the town’s existing signage.
c. The salt shed at the Town garage was discussed at the request of a Lyme citizen. Dick said that the Board of Selectmen had approved the carry over of $21,833 to repair the existing shed, but that no funds were included in the budget for a new one. Concern was expressed about the environment hazards of the current shed and operations as they pose a danger of salt leaching into the groundwater. The CC agreed to send a letter to the selectmen.
6. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.
R. G. Jones
Recorder
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