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Warner Conservation Commission Minutes of Meeting March 4, 2009
Attending:
Nancy Martin, Brian Hotz, John Dabuliewicz, Russ St. Pierre, Doug
Allen, Mimi Wiggin, and Jim McLaughlin (recording). Also Fiona Shea,
Lois Shea and Steve Varnum.
Absent:
Chris Connors and Peg, Bastien.
Public
Hearing on the Bound Tree Conservation Easement
At
7:00 PM Nancy opened a public hearing concerning the expenditure of
up to $100,000 from the Conservation Fund for expenses related to
securing a conservation easement on the 426 acre Bound Tree
property, off Dummer Road and East Joppa Road. The project was
explained and there were no questions from the public.
The
hearing was then closed and a motion was made and seconded to
recommend the expenditure of up to $100,000 from the Conservation
Fund for expenses related to securing a conservation easement on the
426 acre Bound Tree property. The motion was unanimously approved
with one abstention (Brian Hotz).
Approval
of Minutes of the February 4, 2009 Meeting
The
minutes of the meeting of February 4, 2009 were approved as
submitted.
Fiona Shea
Fiona
Shea read a statement describing her efforts to grow and sell
pumpkins and pumpkin bread in the fall to raise money for the
Town’s conservation fund. This is the fifth year that she has
raised money for the fund and gave Nancy an envelop containing $278.
This makes a total donation of $856.38 since she started in 2004.
The Commission thanked Fiona for her generous gift.
Conservation
Plan
The
Commission reviewed the two proposals submitted by consultants in
response to the RFP to prepare a conservation plan for the Town. The
team of Chris Kane and Peter Ingraham submitted one and Margaret
Watkins the other. These proposals were discussed and the relative
strengths of each. Margaret Watkins’ proposal was deemed the one
that more closely fit the needs of the Commission, particularly its
focus on community outreach. A motion was made and seconded to
choose the Watkins proposal. This motion passed unanimously.
Margaret will be invited to attend the April meeting to kick off the
project.
Town
Meeting
Brian
agreed to make the pitch at Town Meeting for the appropriation of
$30,000 into the conservation fund.
Land
Protection
Bound
Tree Parcel
- Brian reported that the survey on this property was expected to be
delivered next Monday. Title work is finished and the draft easement
is almost complete. Brian asked if anyone objected to wording being
included that gave the landowner the right to temporarily suspend
public access on the property, in the case of a serious nuisance
occurring. This provision has appeared more frequently to allow
landowners time to resolve a problem and arose from the case of
someone shooting a gun indiscriminately on an easement and claiming
this as a right of the public. There was no objection to the wording
being included. Brian said a letter from the Forest Society
soliciting funds to help cover their administrative costs would be
sent out shortly to persons in Warner, Hopkinton and Henniker. Their
target figure is $65,000 and whatever money raised over and above
that needed would serve to reduce the Town’s commitment to the
project.
Other
- Brian reported that LCHIP might be announcing a small grant round
in late summer or early fall. He will be checking in with Bob Bower
and will suggest having a preliminary appraisal done on Bob’s
property to determine the ballpark value of a conservation easement.
Other
Business
Newsletter
article
- Jim will get Fiona’s letter in as the next article.
ASLPT
Roundtable -
Nancy announced a round table discussion sponsored by Ausbon Sargent
to bring area conservation commissions together to talk about
matters of mutual interest. The roundtable is March 26 from 6 to 8
P.M. Nancy or Brian may attend.
The
next meeting is April 1, 2009.
Meeting
adjourned at 8:20 P.M.
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