LYME CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes – April 3, 2006
The meeting convened at 7:30pm.
The following members of the commission were in attendance: Dick Jones, Lee Larson (chair), Vicki May, Laura McDaniel, Adair Mulligan, and Matt Stevens.
1. Approval of Minutes: The March minutes were approved as amended (Dick/Laura).
2. Old Business
a. Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). We still have not received official notice from the NH Conservation Committee about the Moose Plate Grant but we are going to go ahead with the project. The next step is to invite potential consultants including:
· Dave McGraw with the Forest Society – Lee contacted him and he should be able to attend our May CC meeting.
· Watershed and Wildlife (John Severance and Elise Lawson) – a company in Littleton that has completed NRIs for several northern towns – is working at Cummings and Reservoir Ponds and could meet with members of the Conservation Commission on Monday, April 10 or Monday, April 17 at around 3pm. Lee will arrange a meeting.
· Vickie Davis recommended Rick Van de Poll with Ecosystems. Lee will contact him.
· Adair recommended Nick Swanberg with the NH Audubon. Adair will follow up with him to confirm that this is something the Audubon is prepared to do at this time.
Vickie indicated that she was going to start outlining the NRI report but Lee is going to tell her to wait since the consultant we hire will have thoughts on the outline.
b. Laura updated everyone that a Tree City notice should arrive at the Town Offices in April.
c. Green-up Day – first Sunday in May. We have 600+ blue bags to be distributed. Adair is going to write-up a notice for the Lyme Ministry News (and listserv) outlining the following rules:
1. Roadside trash goes in blue bags.
2. Disposal of blue trash bags is only free on Sunday, May 7.
3. Tires will not be accepted at the transfer station. People who find tires should call the Town Offices and tell them where the tires are located; Dick will then drive around and pick them up.
Laura will send an electronic version of the “captain” assignments to Vicki. Vicki and Adair will call captains to confirm participation. Vicki will check with the Lyme Country Store, the Rich Insurance Agency, and the Library to see if it is okay to distribute bags at these locations. Laura will hang the banner for Greenup Day and Vicki will take it down.
d. Trails Day – June 3, 2006. We talked about possible projects. Adair and Vicki will not be able to attend.
3. Wetlands and Easements
Nothing to report.
4. New Business
Lee noted that dues are due for the Upper Valley Trails and the NH Association of Conservation Commissions. Laura moved and Vicki seconded a motion to pay the dues. The motion carried unanimously.
5. Other Business
a. Adair reported on the Historical Society project to inventory and catalog cellar holes and asked for any advice or input. Dick asked that the Tinkhamtown Cemetery be included. Lee volunteered to add GPS readings to tax maps. Matt noted that school kids should be involved. Laura asked if this might be a ValleyQuest project.
b. Adair reported that at a recent Forest Society Conference, the need to include stewardship concerns (e.g., hazardous wastes or other negative aspects) when ranking potential conservation easements was discussed. Dick asked that the concerns be forwarded to him and he would work on modifying our conservation easement ranking sheet.
c. We discussed possible new members of the Conservation Commission to replace Laura McDaniel and Paul Klee. Two members, from the pool of seven who responded to Lee’s note on the Lyme Listserv, were selected as replacements with two additional people who will be asked to serve as Associates. Lee will contact these people.
6. Publicity – Adair will submit the “rules” related to use of blue bags for Greenup Day.
The meeting adjourned at 8:56pm.
Vicki V. May, recorder
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