Minutes

For the regular meeting of the

Walpole Conservation Commission

Monday, May 4, 2015

Present:  Tom Beaudry, John Peska, Myra Mansouri (alt.), Gary Speed, Duncan Watson, Alicia Flammia, Lewis Shelley, Peter Palmiotto (alt.), Whit Aldrich (SelectBoard representative), Steve Delessio (SelectBoard member)

Not Present:  Seth Andrews (alt.), Elaine Heleen (Secretary)

Mr. Beaudry, chair, called the meeting to order at 7:33 PM.

Non-Public session: 

No alternates were seated.

Minutes

No minutes of the April 6, 2015 meeting were present to approve, as the usual Secretary, Ms. Elaine Heleen was absent.  These minutes were prepared by Ms. Flammia.

Presentation

Mr. Jonathan Loos, a master’s student in Policy and Environmental Science at Plymouth State University, presented his senior thesis on Community Decision Making as It Relates to Flooding. The regional study took place in the Upper Connecticut River valley and looked at three questions.

1. Would communities use built or ecosystem based ways to deal with flooding?
2. What attribute of the alternatives drive preference in decision making?
3. What testing method would best suit structured multi-stake holder decision making?

Jloos@plymouth.edu

17 High Street

MSC63 CFE

Plymouth, NH 03264

Treasury/Budget Report

Mr. Beaudry has available the January through March 2015 account statements only.  The total amount in the Forestry account as of March 31, 2015 was $13,828.62.  The total amount in the Conservation account as of March 31, 2015 was $53,148.42.

Correspondence

1. Monadnock Conservancy annual report.
2. The Monitor from Society for the Protection of NH Forests (SPNHF)

Old Business

1. Barry Conservation Camp – Mauve Perron is the camper.
2. Fanny Mason Annex – Mike Reyns and Mr. Shelley will go through the property and determine what should be cut.
3. Shelley provided an update on the Keene State College trail mapping project. Mill Pond, Fanny Mason and High Blue have all been mapped.  The students’ will complete single trifold maps for each property for now but GIS data layers can be transferred to the Commission to overlay onto the master conservation at a later time.
4. There is no report from the Class 6 Subcommittee. Peska will update next month.

New Business

1. Speed spoke about a call that was received from a homeowner regarding a tree with overhanging branches at Maplewood Circle. Mr. Speed inspected the tree for Mr. Jim Terrill.  Branches were several inches in diameter. The precedent is for the affected landowner to deal with the issue.
2. Robie Speed will perform cleaning at the Fanny Mason rest area. Speed’s work is funded through the Fanny Mason Forestry account.  Mr. Tom Goins is the Trustee of the Trust Funds.
3. Benjamin Hefner would like an Eagle Scout project and he will attend the June 1 meeting. Shelley will follow up with Adam Terrill regarding the status of his Eagle Scout project.
4. There is an open seat on the Conservation Commission. Send any ideas for potential candidates to Mr. Beaudry.
5. The Commission discussed whether to provide the presenter with a small travel grant. A $50 mileage stipend was approved and will be sent to Mr. Jonathan Loos.

Mr. Speed moved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:40pm.  Mr. Shelley seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

The next meeting will be Monday, June 1, 2015.

Respectfully submitted,

Alicia Flammia, Conservation Committee Member