To:  Conservation Commission Members           cc: Selectboard and Public Notice

 

From:  Larry T. Spencer, Chair

 

RE: Minutes of the Commission Meeting held 17 September 2003 at19:00 in the Town Hall

 

Date:  14 October 2003

 

Agenda Items

  1. Minutes of the August meeting were approved as distributed
  2. Reports on meetings and committees
    1. Master Plan Initial meeting—no one was able to go to the initial meeting. All agreed that one of us would try to participate in all meetings of the group and to have the group focus on some “conservation issues” for the next master plan
  3. Permits and other matters
    1. Lynn signed two expeditied permits (Westwind on Squam, west of the Valpey property and a stone wall and replacer
    2. Fleisher
    3. James DeGrace—DES needs more information on alternative route through upland, culvert size
  4. Commission web site—report on progress (http://www.holdernessconservationcommission.org). We now have a new host for the site. Web materials haven’t been posted to new site, but will be done by next meeting.
  5. Dembeck-Demers question—Jacquie will write a note about day of visit and problems with feasibility of putting road through or adjacent to the wetlands.
  6. Open house at Pilote and Town Forest properties. We should try for a day this fall to have an open house. Perhaps rather than having an open house we could have a work day at the Pilote Property or perhaps explore the possibilities of a trail along the Pemigewasset Riverside Park to Livermore Falls
  7. Letter to Nash Realty—Anne called and left a message
  8. Recreation Grant Program—not followed up on.
  9. Conversation with Richard Currier as to how they got the snowmobile trails going
    1. Started five years ago.  Project to have trail from Ashland to Sandwich Notch. Got maps and laid out trail. Used tax maps to determine owners. Sent letters to owners. Tried to use existing logging roads. The Bureau of Trails of the NH State government has a broad liability policy. No successful suits against land owners that have allowed trails across properties. Met with owners one at a time. All trails are closed to ATVs except if specified as open.  Land owners signs easement (letter from the Bureau of Trails). Used RTP program, 80-20 match (can be matched with volunteer labor) Has spent thousands of dollars (Flood plan bridge was $15K). Was very encouraging about our possibilities for trails in the town. Owners get additional % knocked off their property taxes for allowing trails on them (need to be in current use).
  10. Fall schedule of meetings, events and jobs:
    1. November—NHACC annual meeting—Concord, sometime early November
    2. November—work on budget
    3. December—annual report
  11. Other business
    1. Chair will have Marge Swope send copies of the material on being a new Conservation Commissioner to Jacquie and Reggie

 

 

CC members in attendance

 

 

 

 

2003 Holderness Conservation Commission Members:  Reggie Pettit, Lynn Morrison, Anne Packard, Jacquie Jewell, Larry Spencer, Chair