PITTSFIELD CONSERVATION COMMISSION Agenda
May 23, 2005
1. Meeting called to order by Donna Keeley 7pm
Members in attendance – Donna Keeley, John M, Mark Wallace, Laural Collier, Paul Metcalf, Ron Vien, absent, Susan Willoughby
Presentation and approval of minutes Feb 2005 Minutes, _____Mark__________ motioned________John_____________2nd all in favor _________________
2. Financial Report
(MBIA) – $4278.01
General Fund – $
New Business –
• Conservation Commission officially has 5 full member seats and one alternate, voted in at town meeting and confirmed by Jeremy Lamson. The CC has been operating with 7 members, 5 full and 2 alternates. We need to reduce the group by one and discuss how this is to be done, reporting back to the SB Tuesday the 24th of May. Members are as follows:
Interested citizens – Charlie Watson
• Suncook Valley Sno Riders Dustin Barker Town Forest Crossing approved by SB. CC will keep in contact with Suncook Sno Riders
• Sargent Town Forest Request/Update – brook trail next with signs. Bill will work with PYW on scheduling and the CC will fund the next part of the project.
Old Business – (pending issues)
Forest Management Plan and Selective cut letter to Selectboard – pending dmk drafting.. DK received a call from Dennis Chagnon asking about a possible Timber Harvest. DK to contact Dennis after SB reviews proposal etc.
• Forester Moreno Forest Mgmt Plan Update – received estimate for FM Plan for ALL town owned rural raw parcels of land, $10+k for comprehensive study. Discussion as to whether we need this sort of study or whether we should focus on core parcels and/or parcels that provide possible green corridor.
• The CC does not have the funding necessary to move forward with this project, so two choices exist, Warrant Article at Town Meeting or use the funds from the D Barker town forest selective timber harvest.
• Forester provided estimate for his fee’s on D Barker timber harvest based on harvest and bid amount for timber. He would handle everything to do with this timber harvest, bid spec’s, forester hiring assessment with CC, site overview, marketing, paperwork, site visits, etc.
• Project – Current Use Change Tax proposal for next years town meeting. Can someone be the owner of this, collect data on other towns, pros, cons etc. Later this year we can work on wording the warrant and providing public education. NH Association of Conservation Commissions has a lot of data on this……http://www.nhacc.org/nhacc.htm
• Charlie Watson – interested in revisiting possibilities for his land to remain open. SPNHF? Back burner but CC should remain involved.
• FM Fund, money that showed in town report under Forest Mgmt. Reserve Fund has been transferred to the CRF as deemed in the vote from 1982 when the fund was created. Since we have a FM Commission, we are entitled to a FM Fund therefore we need to research how we can transfer this CRF money into a separate FM fund. **need to keep as is, this is how this fund was voted ** will have to plan expenditures in advance for each years town meeting.
• Paul Metcalf delivered hanging map cabinet, however it does not lock. We can store the maps we have in the Town Admin’s office in the flat cabinets and have duplicate maps hang on this file. All in favor.
• Articles and Education – schedule all set. Mark Wallace, easements, Susan Willoughby Current Use Change Tax etc, D Keeley wetlands, Laural Collier, Open space benefits etc
• Ideas for public education, booths at Old Home Day, Balloon Rally, pens, pencils, balloons, T shirts.
• Members Concerns/Other issues:
Meeting adjourned – 9pm