LYME CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes - May 5, 2008
PRESENT: Matt Stevens, Dick Jones, Lee Larson, James Graham, Blake Allison, Adair Mulligan
1. Minutes of the meetings of April 8 and April 21 and public hearing of April 21 were approved as amended.
2. Green up Day - Adair estimates that 250 bags were used. Dick reported that 11 tires were collected, plus some barbed wire and a bedspring from Grant Brook. Those Guys arranged with the DOT to pick up bags on Route 10. Adair will contact NH the Beautiful for 4 boxes of bags for next year.
3. Trails Day, June 7 - Lee and Russ will handle the public notices. Reviewed trail conditions in town conservation properties: Chaffee and Big Rock are ok; Matt and Blake will check out Trout Pond trail; Lee and Russ will check the Town Forest. John Taylor has finished work on rerouting the western forest trail except for one day’s work. Will do that before Trails Day so crews can clean up afterward. Voted unanimously to approve expenditure of $250 from the maintenance and management budget to allow John to complete the work, on a motion by Dick seconded by James.
4. Tree planting - Matt and James led a “weed walk” (invasive species workshop) on April 26 at Big Rock; Dick and 3 members of public attended. School has received trees (white spruce) from state nursery. James will plant them with students this week in Big Rock area where honeysuckle is removed. Agreed it is a good idea to continue to build a connection with the school through Arbor Day and other activities. Need to order plant material for next year during the winter. Red maple a better species for this application.
5. Post Pond & Chaffee Sanctuary
a. Lee has a new gage; he and Matt will set it. Water level roughly 3.0 feet today.
b. Chaffee is due for mowing this year. Matt will call NRCS. Lee will call Alfred to ask him to do it in August.
c. Beaver dams - dam on Trout Brook just above pond is failing, and there appears to be no active beaver work on any of the dams so far. One beaver has been observed recently on the pond. Will lower castor masters when the water level has gone down. Dam manipulation should ideally be done in the mornings to allow a whole day for water to drain before beavers resume repairs at dusk. Dick will convey this to the workers hired by the town.
d. Four loons have been seen on Post Pond and a pair (possibly 2 of the same birds) on Pout Pond. Nesting may occur on both ponds. Contact has been made with the Loon Preservation Committee, where biologists have advised simply observing nesting behavior in this year of water level changes before evaluating whether to place an artificial nesting platform. CC now has guidelines for this.
e. Matt has a signed contract with Watershed to Wildlife. He will alert CC when they come for field work.
6. Conservation projects
a. Rennie Road easement - easement should be appraised with the Lyme zoning ordinance provisions in mind, including the 100' setback from the brook. Agreed to visit the property with Peg Merrens of the Upper Valley Land Trust and Vicki Smith to evaluate conservation value using the CC rating sheet. Premature to meet with the Hanover CC about it. Lee will create a map of conservation districts in the area. Adair will set up the site visit with Peg and Vicki, but will recuse herself due to friendship with the landowner.
b. Lyme Center opportunity - Lee has contacted the landowner. Land will likely be put up for sale this summer. He will track progress. Conservation case is being assembled.
7. Grant Brook fish community data - Adair shared data from Dartmouth biologist that show blacknose dace and slimy sculpin populations dropping in the brook since 2003. Lee noted that about 6 years ago, a large section of Dorchester Road near the former Vinson property was washed into the brook when a culvert blocked, sending a large amount of sediment into the stream. Subsequently, the stream carried a lot of fine sediment while the Skiway pond was being dredged.
8. Lower Grant Brook streambank project - permit in place, will do bank restoration this summer when water lower.
Meeting adjourned 8:41 pm.
Respectfully submitted, Adair Mulligan, Secretary pro-tem
| 
