Pittsfield Conservation Commission (PCC)
July 18, 2011 Meeting Minutes

Call to order: 7:04 PM, by PCC Chairman Mark Wallace

Present: Chairman Mark Wallace (MW), Vice Chairman Bryan Mika (BM), Sec. Nancy Christie (NC), Paul Metcalf (PM), Nancy Bates (NB), Alternate Diana Westgate (DW)

Absent: Alternate Jon Greenwood (JG)

Minutes: BM moved and PM seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the June 20, 2011 meeting
(passed 5-0)
Action: MW will post the draft minutes of the meeting on the Town’s website as required by law

Financial Report:
Action: Tabled

New Agenda Items: A report on the meeting re the Rails to Trails project will be given under “Old Business;”
a town-owned lot on Shingle Mill Brook Road will be discussed under “New Business”

Public Input: None

Old Business

1. Obtaining a Surveyor/Marker for the Rocky Ridge Forest and the Black Gum Forest
Action: BM motioned (NC seconded) to accept the bid of Berry Surveying & Engineering with a fee estimate of $6,800 (motion passed 5-0).
Action: MW will advise Mr. Berry that he was the successful bidder.
Action: NC will work with Cara and/or the Town Administrator on the appropriate wording of a request to the selectmen that the BOS move the monies garnered from the Rocky Ridge Forest timber cut from the General Fund into the Conservation Fund (minus any expenses incurred by the Town in restoring Rocky Ridge Road to a usable condition following the cut), for the purpose of covering surveying and marking expenses on the Rocky Ridge Forest and Black Gum Forest tracts.

2. Greeley Property Project
Action: Tabled

3. Old Home Day
Action: PM and NC will arrive at Dustin Park at 8:30 AM on Sat. July 23 to set up the PCC table for Old Home Day (focus: scenic road petitions and complimentary PCC pens); other PCC members may stop by to help staff the table from 9AM to 1 PM.

4. Thompson Forest Selective Cut Update
Action: MW reported that Charlie Moreno, Consulting Forester, is in the process of acquiring bids for this work.

5. PCC By-Laws, Policies and Procedures
Action: MW will file the amended By-Laws with the town clerk and another copy with the selectboard, as required by law; it was determined upon consultation with Town Administrator Paul Skowron that while only those PCC members who voted for the amended By-Laws needed to sign the document, all PCC members needed to abide by the provisions therein.

6. Review of the Notebook, Good Forestry in the Granite State: Recommended Voluntary Forest Management Practices for NH
Action: TABLED

7. Scenic Roads (Mountain Road and Berry Pond Road)
Action: NC will contact Paul Skowron to request that the selectmen consider the two draft petitions at their July 19 meeting; she will make changes to the wording of the petitions, based on their input.
Action: NC will provide copies of the petitions for abutters and Pittsfield registered voters to sign at the PCC table on Old Home Day (July 23, 9 AM – 1 PM).

8. Rails to Trails Project
Action: PCC will work with the Economic Development Committee on those sections of the old railway bed running through Town that have conservation interest.

New Business

1. Town-Owned Lot on Shingle Mill Brook Road (1.1 acres)
Action: PCC will conduct further research on this property.

Other New Business
None

Mail Review
Action: Tabled

Next Meeting: Monday, Sept. 19, at 7 PM (note: no meeting in August)

Adjournment: 8:40 PM (PM motioned; BM seconded; motion carried 5-0).

Submitted by: NC, Secretary