March 8, 2012 | Town Admin APPROVED 04/11/2012 Sutton Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday March 7, 2012 @ 6:30 p.m. Present: Betsy Forsham; Chair, Ron Murray, Don Davis, Garrett Evans, Jean LaChance, Leslie Ward and Ricia McMahon. Ben Dobrowski was absent and Rachel Ruppel briefly appeared but went home sick. Secretary Jennifer Swett is on vacation, so Betsy agreed to take the minutes. Previous Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Garrett and seconded by Jean to approve the minutes of February 8, 2012 as written. Unanimously approved. Financial: The Conservation Account was $91,865.74, the KHR Fund $10,200.42, for a total in the Conservation Fund of $102,066.16. The payment of a $16,500 LUCT (from 2006) is reflected. Correspondence: -Letter of resignation received from Leslie Ward, dated 2/11/12. Leslie has relocated to Wilmot. She was thanked for being such a congenial contributor to the SCC for nearly 7 years. She will be missed! Ron was asked and agreed to fill her term as a regular member, to 2013. His alternate position (2015) will hopefully be filled by Gerry Putnam, who would like to return to the commission. Betsy will write the BOS a letter recommending the appointments. -Thank you email to Anita Blakeman from Betsy Forsham for meeting at Russell Pond to look at trees on 3/2. -Email from CNHRPC regarding availability of 2012 Aquatic Resource Mitigation Funds from NH DES. -Email from Beth McGuinn regarding federal funding for the Community Forest Program. -Brochure for the Merrimack County Conservation District Spring Conservation Sale of plants, trees, shrubs, etc. -Copy of letter from Anita Blakeman to BOS, dated 2/14/12, regarding trees cut by PSNH on Town’s Enroth gift land. Betsy noted that the SCC & BOS are in full agreement that the wood should be given to Sutton residents in need of firewood. -Misc. Wetlands: -Standard Review wetlands permit application by the Town, received 3/1/12, for a box culvert replacement on Penacook Road and raising of the road elevation, to avoid over-topping. No objections voiced. – Betsy said she received copies of all the new, revised (1/1/12) DES permit application forms. It appears that the only one requiring a SCC signature is an expedited, minimum impact application, although the SCC can always send in comments on any application. Intents to Cut: Moser/Hunt, T/L#9-576,086, Shaker St., 20 of 31 acres. Nick Rowe is the logger. Old Business: Betsy noted that Paul Bohn has called her several times and seems to be moving ahead nicely with the Japanese knotweed eradication grant application. He gave her a magazine article on one of the herbicides used on the plant, copies of which were handed out. In her brief appearance at the meeting, Rachel told the Board that Mike Tardiff of the CNHRPC is interested in helping on the project, as needed. She also noted that the grant application is due by November 1st. New Business: Members briefly discussed the upcoming Town Meeting on the 14th. SCC Properties: Betsy and Don reported on their meeting at Russell Pond with Anita Blakeman, forester, Charlie Whittemore and Andy Deegan, ASLPT, on 3/2. It was agreed that for a variety of reasons, such as the small size of the parcel (from the parking area to the field, along Rt. 114), accessibility, potential damage to other trees and lack of a management plan as required by the terms of the conservation easement, it would not be practical to harvest trees at this time. Garrett and Betsy reported that they and Rachel monitored two of the three Wells lots on Dodge Hill Rd. on 2/19 (the 16 acre and 41 acre parcels). It was a lovely walk, with sightings of a snowshoe hare, a porcupine and lots of moose and deer signs. No changes to either lot or boundary monuments were noted. They hope to do the final lot in the next month or so. Transferring the easements to ASLPT was discussed again, with Betsy noting that stewardship fees might be covered by special funding from ASLPT. The Board reiterated its decision to continue holding the easements for now. There was a brief discussion about the Tree Farm on Wadleigh Hill Rd. It was agreed to ask Anita Blakeman to attend May’s meeting to discuss the viability of updating the management plan, vs. letting it lapse (as the board had previously agreed to) and spend our money on a plan for one of our other properties which might be more suitable for forestery (such as the Webb/Crowell lot). Garrett and Betsy will review the present plan, original deed covenants, etc. beforehand. It was also agreed that it would be suitable to get bids from 2 or 3 foresters for a forestry management plan. We would have to discuss and agree on our goals for a property beforehand. Garrett reported on a conversation he had with the Sutton Ridgerunners Snowmobile Club trail master, Bob Preston, regarding creating a new trail system from Sutton, through South Sutton to Warner. It might cross some Town owned land, one of the Wells lots, but mainly private property, to get to Eaton Grange Rd. Getting land owner permission will be very time consuming for the club. One positive for the SCC is that if the Webb/Crowell lot were to be involved, we might get help from the club for a bridge and trails. The board briefly discussed plantings along the Enroth gift property now that Asplund has denuded it. It was thought that Mother Nature will eventually fill it in. Don brought up the bittersweet infestation there and mentioned a tool called a tree wrench. He’ll look into it and report back. Garrett had no update on the Webb/Crowell Bridge. Betsy agreed to ask Elly Phillips for a PSNH contact name so we can ask about the possibility of getting old telephone poles from them to use in the bridge’s construction. 8:15 p.m. A motion was made by Garrett and seconded by Jean to adjourn the meeting. Unanimously approved. Respectfully submitted, Betsy Forsham Acting Secretary