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Town of Henniker, New Hampshire Conservation Commission 2002 Minutes Minutes of Meeting Henniker Conservation Commission January 9, 2002 7:00 PM Grange Hall Members Present: Holly Green, Mark Mitch, Denise Rico (Chair), and Martha Sunderland
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 PM. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be 7:00 PM, Wednesday, February 6, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Denise Rico, Henniker Conservation Commission Minutes of Meeting Henniker Conservation Commission February 6, 2002 7:15 PM Town Hall Members Present: Mark Mitch, Dawn Nelson, Denise Rico (Chair), and Martha Sunderland.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be 7:00 PM, Wednesday, February 20, 2002 at Grange Hall. Respectfully submitted, Denise Rico, Henniker Conservation Commission Henniker Conservation Commission Minutes of Meeting February 20, 2002 7:00 PM Grange Hall Members Present: Holly Green, Mark Mitch, Dawn Nelson, Denise Rico (Chair).
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 PM. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 6, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Denise Rico, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting March 6, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Martha Sunderland, Mark Mitch, Holly Green, and Dawn Nelson. 1. Minutes: The February 20, 2002 minutes were reviewed and were approved without any revisions. 2. New Mail: Flyers for a couple of upcoming courses that may be of interest to members during the month of April and during some summertime months were reviewed. Martha received a note from Nancy McGrath NH Dept of Environmental Services with a request that the Commission look over the data chart on the Henniker dams and get back to her with any changes that may be needed. 3. Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) Update: Denise reported that she met with Ann Poole to discuss how the wetland data collected in 1995 would be presented in the NRI. There was discussion about how the data should be presented. 4. Regional Resource Conservation Committee (R2C2): Martha and Denise’s appointments to the committee will expire in April 2002. Denise expressed an interest to serve another term and Martha declined. It was suggested that someone from the Planning Board may want to serve. Denise will check into it. 5. Letter to NEC: The members of the Commission reviewed and approved the letter to NEC regarding the wetlands between the AGS property and the NEC Facilities parking lot. A site visit was conducted on December 8, 2001. 6. West Henniker Dam Removal: Denise and Martha briefed the Conservation members of the meeting that took place on February 27, 2002 at 1:00 PM at the Henniker Town Hall. A report will be forthcoming in about 3 months along with the forming of a Committee to oversee the project. 7. Town Meeting and Voting Day: It was decided there was no need for a display for voting day. Martha volunteered to be present at Town meeting should the need for representation of the Commission be needed. Other Commission members also indicated that they too would probably go to Town Meeting. 8. Mink Hills Presentation: Denise and Dawn gave an overview of what took place during the March 1, 2002 presentation at Bookends Bookstore in Warner. The meeting’s objectives were to inform residents of Warner and those of neighboring towns of the value of the large forest blocks that remain in the Mink Hills; the historic significance of the area; the need to implement conservation techniques – particularly Conservation Easements; and the need to continue communication between area Conservation Commissions. 9. Other Business: It was decided by the Commission members that there would be no need for a meeting on March 20th unless something of urgency came in the mail and needed immediate attention. It was also agreed that Pete Walker would be recommended for appointment to the Commission as an alternate and that Mark would be recommended for another term. At this time it was also decided that Dawn Nelson would pick up the mail and do the minutes of meetings to enable Denise to make better use of her time as Chairman of the Commission. Meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday, April 3, 3, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting April 3, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Martha Sunderland and Dawn Nelson. 1. Minutes: The minutes of March 6, 2002 were not reviewed by Commission members because a quorum was not present. 2. New Mail: A pamphlet that contained information on logging in New Hampshire, a letter from Mr. Bechtel of the Warner Conservation Commission with the invitation to become more active together and a NH Dept. of Environmental Services (NHDES) survey were discussed. A copy of a fax from Russ Roy at Town Hall regarding the NHDES’s (NH Dept. of Environmental Services) request for a lot number for the AGS site on Depot Hill was discussed. In the future all letters will include lot numbers. A message from Heidi Hamel concerning the letter sent to NEC regarding a wetlands issue at the facilities parking lot was received. Denise will contact her. 3. Natural Resources Inventory (NRI): Denise received a package of information and GIS (Geographic Information System) layers from Shawn Bresnahan at the Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) regarding their management activities on the Hopkinton/Everett Flood Control properties. DRED is currently updating their management plan for the area. It was unclear how any of the information would fit into the NRI. The current deadline for all information for the NRI is April 15, 2002. Denise will work on the map edits. The need for a complete set of large format maps was discussed. 4. Other Business: a.) Steve Quinn a citizen of 10 Foster Hill Road, Henniker made a brief appearance to discuss the possibility of the building of a 60 foot wide pond with a dam just less than 4 feet high on his property. Denise informed him that the Department of Environmental Services has regulations that apply to dams and that a permit may be required. Mr. Quinn informed members present that this pond would be used for the purposes of skating, irrigation for his fruit trees and garden, and possibly swimming. Denise indicated she would get back to him sometime the week of April 8th and that she would mail him NHDES fact sheets to read. b.) A letter to Stephanie Lindloff of the Department of Environmental Services in support of the removal of the West Henniker Dam was reviewed and approved with some minor edits. c.) Martha reported that French Pond sampling has not yet been completed. d.) Denise will schedule a presentation between the Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Division, Planning Board, and members of the Conservation Commission. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM April 17, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting April 17, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Grange Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Martha Sunderland, and Dawn Nelson. Also Present: Gary Spaulding of SFC Engineering, Tom and Jan Riley of St. Theresa’s Church Building Committee, Steve Quinn, Ian Mazersky and his mother, Mrs. Mazersky. 1. Minutes: The minutes of March 6 and April 3, 2002 were not reviewed because a quorum was not present. 2. New Mail: Agendas and minutes of Selectmen and Planning Board meetings were reviewed. Mark Mitch and Pete Walker (as an alternate) were approved for another term. An April 17, 2002 article in the Concord Monitor regarding the dam removal project quoted Denise’s statement that the Commission supports the project. A newsletter, “The Source”, was received from NH Dept. of Environmental Services (NHDES). 3. St. Theresa’s Church Wetlands Permit Application: Gary Spaulding of SFC Engineering presented an update of the St. Theresa’s Church building project. Commission member Dawn Nelson will not be able to vote on approval of any permits due to a conflict of interest. The application states the project will impact 8900 square feet of wetland. Mr. Spaulding indicated the suggestions made by the Commission during its site visit have been incorporated into the new plans. The new site plans will be presented to the Planning Board on April 22, 2002. The targeted start of the project is in July 2002. Mr. Spaulding asked the Commission to write a comment letter to NHDES within 30 days. Denise agreed to do that. It was suggested Alternate Commission member, Pete Walker, review the plans. 4. Natural Resource Inventory (NRI): Denise briefed the Commission on the status of the project. Denise presented new maps of unfragmented lands and water resources. Martha suggested the maps be printed on transparencies for a future presentation. Ann Poole, NRI Consultant, is waiting for a section on water quality from Mark and a section on water hazards from Holly. 5. Other Business: a). Denise will contact Sandy Crystal of NHDES Wetlands concerning a presentation to the Planning Board and Commission on May 22, 2002 at 7 PM. b.) Ian Mazersky and his mother made a brief visit to inform the Commission the Eagle Scout project at Pleasant Pond will be installed over the Memorial Day weekend. Denise and Dawn will supervise. c.) Steve Quinn made a second appearance to discuss his pond project. The Commission told him that as long as his dam stays below 4 feet in height and no wetlands are being impacted, no permits are required. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday, May 1, 200 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting May 1, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair) and Dawn Nelson. 1. Minutes: The minutes of March 6, 2002, April 3, 2002, and April 17, 2002 were not reviewed because a quorum was not present. 2. New Mail: A letter was received from Brian and Ian Mazersky with a request for reimbursement for the Pleasant Pond Project. The St. Theresa’s Site Specific permit application was received on April 19 with a request for any comments to be submitted by April 25. A copy of the Conservation News from the NH Assoc. of Conservation Commissions arrived with a blurb in it from the Henniker Conservation Commission. 3. St. Theresa’s Church Wetlands Permit Application Letter: There were not enough members present to review the letter and so it was tabled until the next meeting. 4. Natural Resource Inventory (NRI): Due to lack of members present the sections that needed discussing were tabled until the next meeting. 5. Regional Trail Plan and Map: The Central NH Regional Planning Commission submitted a map and plan for a regional trail system. Denise and Dawn reviewed the information and marked edits on the map. 6. Other Business: a). Denise relayed that she would handle the scheduling of the DES Wetlands presentation. b.) French Pond spring sampling discussion tabled until those members could be present to give an update. c.) Denise suggested we should look at doing some active recruiting to help out with the responsibilities of the Commission. Meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday, May 15, 2002 at the Grange Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting June 6, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Holly Green, and Dawn Nelson. Also present: Marian Baker. 1. Minutes: The minutes of March 6, April 3, April 17, and May 1, 2002 were reviewed and approved with revisions. 2. New Mail: a.) A copy of a NH Dept. of Environmental Services, Wetlands Bureau letter requesting more information on the St. Theresa’s Church project (DES File # 2002-00752) to Gary Spaulding of SFC Engineering was reviewed. The request for more information was issues by Jocelyn Degler, Wetlands Inspector. Holly will contact Ms. Degler to discuss some of the issues stated in the letter. b.) Roni Hardy’s letter of resignation from the Commission was received. c.) Agendas and minutes of Planning Board and Selectmen meetings were reviewed. d.) A memo from Cindy Marsland at Town Hall listing this year’s “Intents to Cut” was reviewed. The Commission agreed to send a letter to each applicant regarding “best management practices”. Denise will write a generic letter and Dawn will take care of the mailings. e.) A “Complete Forestry Notification” for Lot #387 was received form NHDES. 3. Pleasant Pond Fence: Holy and Denise spoke with Shoreland Protection Coordinators at NHDES regarding the Town’s request for information regarding the erection of a fence at the Pleasant Pond beach right-of-way. A site visit with Bob Pennock, Parks and Properties, will be scheduled for the weekend of June 8, 2002. 4. Natural Resource Inventory (NRI): Mark has submitted the Henniker Lake Survey report with a new section comparing historic aerial photos with current aerials. The opinion of the Commission is the report is extremely well done. 5. Pleasant Pond Picnic Area: Denise monitored the installation of the Eagle Scout picnic area over Memorial Day weekend. Marian Baker of the Weare Friends (Quakers) stated she was very pleased with the new picnic area and thanked the Commission and Boy Scouts for their work. (The Weare Friends donated the parcel to the Town last year.) 6. Colby Hill Road Wetlands Permit Application: John Margeson, Henniker Highway Dept., submitted an expedited permit application for a culvert replacement on Colby Hill Road. Denise had sent the application back for missing information that has now been provided. The application was approved pending a site visit to verify the site was accurately represented in the application documents. 7. Other Business: Marion Baker, Contoocook and North Branch Rivers Advisory Committee, invited the Commission members to a joint meeting with the Committee and the Hillsboro Conservation Commission to be held on June 17, 2002, 7 PM at Fox State Forest in Hillsboro. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting June 19, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Holly Green, and Martha Sunderland. Also present: Ann Poole, Natural Resources Inventory Consultant 1. Minutes: The minutes of June 5, 2002 were reviewed and approved with revisions. 2. New Mail: a.)Two minor subdivision plans from the Planning Board were reviewed. It was suggested a wetlands impact letter be created that will inform developers and/or homeowners when wetlands permits are required. b.) Planning Board and Selectmen’s agendas and minutes were reviewed. c.) A letter from Ian Mazerski thanking the Commission for its contribution to his Eagle Scout project was received. d.) A letter from Ben Jorgensen of New England College concerning an irrigation ditch was reviewed. e.) A letter from the Commission to Peter Flynn, Town Administrator, regarding the fence at the Pleasant Pond public access was reviewed. It stated a wetlands permit would be required if the fence was constructed in the bank or on the lake side of the bank. f.) A letter from Peter Flynn to the land owner adjacent to the Pleasant Pond public beach concerning the Commission’s recommendations about the fence was reviewed. 3. Standard Dredge and Fill Permit: A standard wetlands application for Lot 386B was reviewed. The square footage of the wetlands impact area seemed incorrect. Denise will write a note to NH Dept. of Environmental Services, Wetlands Bureau to point this out. 4. Natural Resource Inventory (NRI): Ann Poole, NRI Consultant, briefed the Commission on the current status of the final draft. A copy of the document was given to members. Missing data was discussed and Ann will work with Denise to bring all the maps and data together. The final draft should be completed by the end of July with the final document being completed by the end of August. Ann suggested the Commission might look unto grant money to continue habitat analysis. 5. Other Business: a.) Denise received a call from Betty Straw, Friends (Quakers) of Weare concerning the signage at the Pleasant Pond picnic area. The Friends had donated the parcel to the Town in 2001. Ms. Straw asked that “Vincent Memorial Grove” be added to the new signs the Boy Scouts erected. She indicated the fact that the area shall be known as “Vincent Memorial Grove” for perpetuity is specified in the deed. Denise will rectify the situation. b.) Denise had received a complaint about erosion occurring at Craney Pond. She visited the site and noted the class 6 road adjacent to the lake is flooded and that the erosion is originating on the slope of the road to the south of the lake. The Commission will look into possibilities for remediation. c.) Holly spoke with Jocelyn Degler of NH Dept. of Environmental Services concerning the St. Theresa’s Church project to verify some issues raised in her request for information letter to Gary Spaulding of SFC Engineering. Ms. Degler was concerned about a wetland impact that may be unnecessary. d.) Holly briefed the Commission on the meeting of the Contoocook and North Branch Rivers Advisory Committee on June 17, 2002. Invasive plants (particularly milfoil) were a topic of discussion. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday, July 3, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Denise Rico, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting July 3, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Holly Green, Martha Sunderland and Dawn Nelson. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meeting of June 19, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: A copy of a letter from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources to the Board of Selectmen with regard to the Bennett Farm was received by the Commission. A copy of a letter from the Department of Environmental Services, Wetlands Division from Karla McManus regarding File #1999-02489, Henniker Crushed Stone, was received by the Commission. A copy of a letter from the Department of Environmental Services, Water Division with regard to AO WD 98-25 Notice of Compliance and Release of Recordation was also received by the Commission. The Commission received and reviewed a copy of the Selectmen’s Minutes for 6/18/02. 3. NEC Irrigation Ditch: Denise presented the Commission members with a draft letter to Ben Jorgensen regarding the irrigation pond project installed at the NEC athletic fields. The Commission members reviewed the letter and agreed it should be sent with the noted revisions. 4. Craney Pond Erosion: Martha will email Kris Blomback with some ideas as to how we might address the issue i.e. seeding the banks and using water bars. Martha will ask Kris and Reggie for any ideas they may have to help the erosion situation also. Peter Flynn has asked the Commission to make sure that John Margeson our road agent be included with any proposed work that is to be done by Pat’s Peak. 5. Natural Resources Inventory (NRI): There was discussion about the final format of the NRI report. 6. Other Business: The recommendation of adding Roni Hardy as an Alternate Commission member was voted on and approved unanimously. The Planning Board has requested that the Commission comment on its review of a Standard Dredge and Fill permit application for lot 386-B. Denise will write a memo and send to Commission members via email for their review after a site visit has been done. Martha apprised the Commission that the French Pond sampling is now complete and that at some point in the future she and Mark would be working together to form a report that would explain the project. Meeting adjourned 8:20 p.m. Next regularly scheduled meeting is July 17, 2002, 7:00 pm at the Grange Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting July 17, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Grange Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Holly Green, and Dawn Nelson. Also Present: Kris Blomback, Jen McCourt, John Sippel, and Sylvia Eliot. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meeting of July 3, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: The Commission received a letter from the Department of Environmental Services, Wetlands Bureau informing the Commission they were in receipt of its letter with regard to the Dredge and Fill Permit for Lot #386-B. Denise will reply to the Bureau’s letter to let them know that it was the scale that was wrong on the drawing and will be corrected. The Commission also received a letter and fact sheet from Harry Stewart of the Department of Environmental Services Water Division with regard to Blue Green Algae Blooms. 3. Craney Pond: Kris Blomback and Jen McCourt made a presentation to the Commission and two abutters, John Sippel and Sylvia Eliot. The pipe/pump installation project will start July 18th and Kris informed the Commission that he would be on site daily. The Commission communicated to Kris that it would make a site visit or two while the work was going on and Kris was very agreeable to have someone from the Commission being present. 4. Natural Resources Inventory: Tabled until the next meeting when more members could be present. 5. Other Business: Nothing at this time. Meeting adjourned 8:00 p.m. Next regularly scheduled meeting is 7 pm, August 7, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting Aug 21, 2002 7:00 p.m. - Grange Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Holly Green, and Martha Sunderland. Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) – The final draft of the NRI was reviewed and edits suggested. Denise will compile all edits for submission to Ann Poole, NRI consultant. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday, Sept 4, 2002 at Town Hall. Respectfully submitted, Denise Rico, Henniker Conservation Commission HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting September 4, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sutherland, and Dawn Nelson. Also Present: Selectmen ex-officio, Rod Pimentel. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of July 17, 2002 and August 21, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: The Commission received several Complete Forestry Notifications from the Wetlands Bureau of the Department of Environmental Services for Map 1, lots 1, 12 and 675. The Commission also received Wetlands and Non-Site Specific Permits with approved conditions from the Wetlands Bureau for Permit No.’s 2002-00752 with an expiration date of 8/14/07 and 2002-01255 with an expiration date of 8/2/07. A letter from Ben Haubrich from the Department of Resources and Economic Development was received with regard to a 50/50 Grant that is available. It was suggested by Commission members that the letter be forwarded onto the Papermill committee for their possible use. 3. Natural Resource Inventory: Denise presented the Commission members with several revised pages to the NRI for comment and review. Both Martha and Mark gave Denise some suggestions and will help Denise with the revisions to the conclusion section. It was suggested that maybe the gravel pits and quarries should be added to the NRI. 4. ATV Use of Class VI Roads: Selectmen Rod Pimentel spoke with Commission members regarding the ATV use of Class VI roads. It was suggested that the ATV group be invited to the next Commission meeting to discuss the possibilities of an annual review process and the use of grant monies to repair erosion problems. 5. Pat’s Peak Craney Pond Work: After reviewing the wetlands permit and some photos of the recently erected concrete vault, the Commission feels decided to invite Kris Blomback to the next meeting to address some issues. 6. French Pond Episode Assessment Project: Mark and Martha report that the last episode sampling went very well and suggested that a presentation be put together when the final report is done and present it at a public meeting to the French Pond Association. 7. Annual Lake Sampling: It was discussed that final sampling should be done in Long, French, Keyser, Mud, Craney, Blaisdell and Morrill Ponds on Oct 12 and that a presentation will be offered on October 7, 2002 at New England College. 8. Other Business: The sign at the Pleasant Pond Picnic Park needs to have an additional line added to read “Vincent Memorial Grove”. Dawn will call Ian to get to get this accomplished. Meeting adjourned 9:15 p.m. Next regularly scheduled meeting is 7:00 pm, September 19, 2002 at the Grange Hall. Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting September 19, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Grange Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sunderland, and Dawn Nelson. Also in attendance were Selectmen Rod Pimentel ex officio, Kris Blomback and Jen McCourt from Pat’s Peak. 1. Pat’s Peak: Kris and Jen answered questions from the Commission members with regard to the work at Craney Pond. Kris informed the Commission that the culvert work would be done within the next 30-45 days. Jen also informed the Commission that the silt fence would be removed that had been used to stabilize the roadway and that the rip-rap work would be completed after the crossing area was done. Hay bales would also be removed when rip-rap work was completed. A site visit at Craney was agreed by all for September 28th to discuss the revegetation and questions on which stumps the Peak can remove. 2. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of September 4, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 3. New Mail: The Commission received minutes from the Selectmen’s and Planning Board meeting. The Commission also received notice for the Land Use Section of the Master Plan Hearing to take place on October 21, 2002. Peter Flynn also sent the Commission a memo for budget requests which are due by October 16, 2002. The Commission also received Intents to cut listing which the Commission feels at least one should be addressed by a letter. The letter will be drafted by Denise for the Commission to review.at next meeting. 4. Natural Resource Inventory: Denise presented the Commission members with the Habitat Map which she felt needed some changes. Denise will make suggested change and bring to next meeting. Denise was also looking for help with regard to the Shoreland Development segment. Members of the Commission suggested putting additions of counts for number of houses, docks, and out buildings. These changes will also be added as suggested. Mark also suggested doing measuring on Cascade Brook. 5. Other Business: Denise had seen Brian Mazersky on the 18th of September at which time he stated he had just given wood for the sign. Denise also asked for a permanent accessible location for files which are currently at her home. Everyone was most responsive to Denise's request for possible locations, however, it has yet to be determined where that might be. It was noted that after the last bout of heavy rains that Amey Brook was very turbid. Holly will contact Steve Landry at the Department of Environmental Services to ask who should be contacted. Meeting adjourned 8:30 p.m. Next schedule meeting October 2, 2002 Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting October 2, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sunderland,and Dawn Nelson. Also in attendance were Mike Martel, Jim Morse and Doug Hall from the Contoocook Valley ATV Rider Club. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of September 18, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: The Commission received a Permit for Minimum Impact Expedited Permit Application for a culvert replacement on Bowers Road which is a Class VI roadway. The Commission thought they should take a look at the proposed site before approving anything so a site visit was planned for Saturday October 5th. A letter was received also from Kathy Homo at NEC who will be addressing the concerns of the Commission with regard to the athletic field dam. Another notice of Notice of Intents to cut were received with regard to Ray and Davison Roads. We also received notice that the Commission’s meeting on December 4th will have to be held in the office of area of the Town Hall as the room is needed for another meeting. 3. Natural Resource Inventory: The Commission members talked about how many copies of the NRI would be needed. It was decided that approximately 35 copies would be needed. It was also discussed that maybe they should be put in 3 ring binders to allow for any future additions to the document. Denise will research the cost of printing and binding and let the Commission know what she finds out. The matter of how frequently we will update the document was also discussed. 4. ATV Club: Mike Martel President of the ATV Club was present along with Jim Morse, trailmaster of the club and member Doug Hall of the club discussed with the Commission their hopes of tying in specific roads to the existing trail system. Some of the roads mentioned were Chase, Craney, Quaker, Colby and Liberty along with roads in the Mink Hills on the Warner side. It would appear that they are seeking to have a connection to start with Goodwin to Craney Pond to Big Woods to Fusco’s property to Quaker or Hill Road to Vincent. The goal is to be able to tie in the north side of town to the south side of town. Chairman Denise asked the group about the Vincent washout and Jim replied it has been that way for a long time. He also believes that the owner did not want any kind of an upgrade done and that the snowmobile trail had already been routed around his property because of the noise level. Jim expressed that the ATV club would be happy to use grant aid monies in restoration but that the current membership stands at only about 50 members. Jim and Doug both stated that large trucks are seen frequently in the Craney Pond area. Denise handed to those present a copy of the Department of Environmental Services’ Off Road Vehicles and Wetlands Fact Sheet. Mike Martel of the Contoocook Valley AVT Club gave an address for the club of PO Box 357, Henniker if we need to reach him for any reason. 5. Master Plan: The Commission agreed that Denise’s suggested suggestions should be added. 6. Other Business: French Pond Lake Sampling presentation to be at NEC on Oct 7th at 7:00 p.m. at CEI building, Room 202. Lake sampling set for Oct 12 at 9:00 a.m.; meet at NEC lab. Pleasant Pond sign is not there at site yet but some great invasive aquatic plant signs are available reports Denise. Denise will work on 2002 budget for next meeting. Denise also observed what she found at her Craney Pond site on September 28th and suggested other members take a look with her again on October 5th. Meeting adjourned 8:55 p.m. Next schedule meeting October 16, 2002 Respectfully submitted, Dawn Nelson HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting October 16, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sunderland and Dawn Nelson. Also in attendance were Jen McCourt of Keach-Nordstrom Associates, Inc., Kris Blomback from Pat’s Peak, Dave Hayden from the Villager Newspaper, Nancy Foley, Janine Bates who are Craney Pond abutters along with Brian Werner from New England College. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of October 2, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: The Commission received the following: - A copy of the letter from the Division of Historical Resources to the Board of Selectmen regarding the Bennett Farm’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places. - A letter from Elizabeth Straw with regard to the sign at Pleasant Pond. Denise reported that she spoke with Brian Mazersky and he assured her that the sign would be up by October 23, 2002. Denise will send Mrs. Straw a note of apology and status of sign. - An invite to the Annual Conservation Commission meeting on November 2nd from 8:00-3:30 p.m. All members of the Commission will register on their own. - A fax from Fish & Game concerning the request for info with regard to French Pond. Denise will fill out and return to Fish & Game on behalf of the Commission. - A copy of the letter from Pat’s Peak to abutters with regard to the new proposal of water holding area and new triple chair lift. 3. Wetlands Permit Application: A Minimum Impact Expedited Application for Bowers Road was reviewed. After a site visit, the Commission members agreed with Denise that the change to the permit language to reflect replacing stone ford crossing with a new culvert was needed in order for the permit to go forward. Denise will sign off on and submit to Town Clerk. 4. Pat’s Peak: Kris Blomback from Pat’s Peak and Jen McCourt from Keach-Nordstrom Associates, Inc. presented to the Commission and some of the abutters their new proposal for a 30 million gallon reservoir at the top of the mountain. This reservoir would allow water useage to go from 2000 gal/min to 6000 gal/min. They would use Craney Pond and rain episodes along with runoff to fill this area so that no groundwater would be needed. Once this is finalized at the local level they will talk to state agencies (Wetlands, Water Quality, Dam Bureau and possibly the Army Corp of Engineers) to get the necessary permits underway. It is estimated at this time that 6-8 millions will come from Chase Brook, 15 million gallons from Craney Pond with 2-7 million gallons from runoff. The proposed reservoir would be eight feet below ground and four feet above ground. The Commission will plan to do a site visit once it receives the permit for the proposed reservoir. The Commission should be looking to receive a wetlands permit application for the triple chair project while the one for the reservoir should come sometime in the next three to four weeks. 5. Natural Resources Inventory: Denise presented the Commission with a picture to be used for cover for NRI. The Commission members all agreed that it was wonderful and should be used as the cover. 6. Budget: The 2003 budget request was reviewed. Commission members agreed that to increase the lake monitoring costs to $350.00. The rest of the budget will be looked at by Martha and additional changes will be discussed at the next Commission meeting. 7. Other Business: Several pond samplings will be attempted by members of the Commission on Saturday, October 19, 2002. Meeting adjourned 9:00 p.m. Next scheduled meeting November 6, 2002. HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting November 6, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Henniker Town Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sunderland and Dawn Nelson. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of October 16, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: The Commission received the following: - A copy of the Board of Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes for October 15, 2002. - Three pamphlets from the University of New Hampshire for upcoming workshops. The Commission voted to pay for Denise to attend a GPS workshop in December or January 2003. - A copy of a letter of acknowledgment of receipt for Pat’s Peak Dredge and Fill Wetlands Application File #2002-02334 for the triple chairlift project from the Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Bureau. - A copy of the Conceptual Plan for a proposed subdivision, Hilltop Estates, for Lot #95 on Davison and Pinehill Roads. An information meeting will take place at the Planning Board meeting of November 13 at 7:00 p.m. which some of the Commission members may attend. The Commission’s immediate concern is the number of crossings over the wetlands and is wondering if an alternative access would be possible. - A Complete Forestry Notification from Vanessa Burnes at the Department of Environmental Services for Henniker Tax Map/Lot 1/54. - A copy of plans for a Minor Subdivision on Map/Lot # 572 with potential wetlands impacts. 3. Annual NHACC Meeting: Denise Rico and Holly Green attended and gave the Commission members some of the highlights. The Commission then agreed to endorse the LCHIP Program. 4. Code Enforcement: After a discussion between Commission members it was decided that Denise would call the Planning Board to discuss with them the Commission’s concerns pertaining to the Wetlands Conservation Chapter XXIII of the Zoning regulations. 5. Conservation Strategy Planning: Some of the ideas that were discussed were starting a Conservation Plan, putting together a plan for current use monies, public outreach programs to promote the Conservation Commission efforts, put together an outline with key note speakers to discuss open space concept and wildlife habitat. 6. Other Business: The lake sampling showed elevated levels of phosphorus in Morrill and Keyser Ponds. No Commission members have checked to see if the Pleasant Pond sign issue has been resolved as of yet. A letter to Betty Straw concerning the Pleasant Pond sign did go out on behalf of the Commission from Denise. The invasive aquatic plant signage still needs to be posted. Meeting adjourned 9:15 p.m. Next scheduled meeting November 20, 2002. HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting November 20, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Grange Hall Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sunderland and Dawn Nelson. Also present: NEC student, Colton Tlumac. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of November 6, 2002 were approved with noted revisions. 2. New Mail: The Commission received the following: - A copy of a letter from the Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Bureau with regard to a Notification for Incomplete Expedited Application File #2002-02315 for the Bowers Road right-of-way. The proposed culvert work is within 20 feet of a property line and will need approval from abutters. - A letter from Matthew Pynn of New College letting the Commission know that they will hiring John St. John from Nobis Engineering to delineate the wetland area impacted by the irrigation project at the New England College athletic fields. - A budget report from the town office indicating that the Commission is now over budget. Martha will talk with the office to straighten this misconception out. - A copy of a letter that Kris Blomback sent to Ken Kettenring of DES Wetlands Bureau with regard to the pump testing and completion of the construction at the Craney Pond site. The letter indicated that on December 15, 2002 the water gauges will be going in and that any pumping to take place before that will be done with manual measuring equipment as has been used in the past. 3. Davison Road Subdivision: Denise Rico and Dawn Nelson attended the Planning Board meeting on November 13, 2002 where a conceptual plan for a 28 unit open-space subdivision was presented. The Planning Board expressed concerns about the steep slopes, impacts to wetlands and the access road. 4. Bioinventory of Town Conservation Lands: After discussion it was expressed a Conceptual Plan for a bioinventory of the Town’s conservation properties would a good next step for the NRI. It would be a possible project for a New England College student such as Colton. Some of the suggested areas were the 55 acres on Craney Pond and the lots on Warner Road, as well as the Black Gum swamps. The aspects the Commission would like to see inventoried would be the habitat and plant communities. 5. Town owned Lands: Denise brought to the Commission’s attention that Lots 47 and 50 which were taken by the Town for taxes abut a town forest. These lots could be important conservation pieces and Denise will talk to the Selectmen about the possibility of the Town putting them into conservation. Lots 735 and 739 which are currently designated as Craney Forest and could also be inventoried by Colton for wildlife and bioinventory purposes. 6. Natural Resources Inventory and Lake Report Publishing: A discussion of the logistics of printing the documents and posting on the Town’s website. 7. Master Plan Visioning Session: Denise gave the Commission a brief update and relayed to the Commission that there will be two more Planning Board meetings relating to the Master Plan. 8. Paper Mill Site Visit: Denise relayed to the Commission that one of the concerns of the Paper Mill Restoration Committee is limiting the proposed boat access to the river as “cartop” only (no boat trailers). Martha reported that the Committee is also very interested in the economic aspect as to which might be better – removing the dam or maintaining it. Denise expressed to Commission a concern about the open test pits and leaving that contamination exposed. 9. Other Business: Denise drafted a memo to the Town Boards discussing procedures for projects with wetland impacts and presented it to the Commission. Commission reviewed it and asked Denise to send out with their revisions. The new sign has been completed and is up at the Pleasant Pond Picnic area. The file issue and invasive aquatic plant signs have been tabled until the next meeting. Meeting adjourned 8:50 p.m. Next scheduled meeting December 4, 2002. HENNIKER CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Meeting December 4, 2002 7:00 p.m. – Town Hall - Backroom Members Present: Denise Rico (Chair), Mark Mitch, Holly Green, Martha Sunderland and Dawn Nelson. 1. Minutes: The Minutes of Meetings of November 20, 2002 were approved. 2. New Mail: The Commission received a copy of the wetlands permit issued to Pat’s Peak with regard to the culvert project at the new triple chair lift from the Department of Environmental Services, Wetlands Division. A memo was received from Peter Flynn dated November 25, 2002 asking that any warrant article submissions be submitted to the Town Administrator no later than a week before the next Selectmen’s meeting for their review. 3. Bear Hill Road Expedited Permit Application: A Minimum Impact Expedited Permit application for Lots 572 and 572A at the corner of Bear Hill and Patterson Hill Roads was reviewed. The forested wetlands will be impacted for 2 driveway crossings. The Commission will approve application pending site visit to be held on December 8, 2002. 4. Other Business: Budget issues were clarified by Martha Sunderland, Commission Treasurer with regard to what appeared to be an overage problem. Martha stated that we have yet to receive monies due the account from the State with regard to the French Pond Grant and that as soon as those monies get credited the account will be on track. The file situation tabled till next meeting. Meeting adjourned 7:35 p.m. Next scheduled meeting January 15, 2003.
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