TOWN OF WALPOLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE

CONSERVATION COMMISSION

DECEMBER 2, 2024

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Members Present:  Nicole Adams, Alicia Flammia, Wendy Grossman, France Menk, Peter Palmiotto, John Peska (Presiding), Lewis Shelley

Alternates Present:  Tom Beaudry, Paul Happ

Selectboard Present:  Steve Dalessio, Cheryl Mayberry

Members Absent:  

Visitors Present:  John McCollister

Call to Order:  John called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall. 

Seating of Alternates:  No Alternates were needed as everyone was there.

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Peter moved to accept the November 4, 2024 minutes as written. Lew seconded and all voted in favor. The minutes were approved. 

The Conservation Committee needs to go back to the old way of doing minutes to ensure public transparency as required by RSA 91A.1a.  The Recording Secretary will create the minutes and email them to all members.  Anyone can send proposed changes to John and Peter, the co-chairs.  They will determine what changes are necessary and let the Recording Secretary know what needs to be changed before the draft is sent to the Selectboard Office and the Walpolean.  If they are unsure, it will be discussed at the next meeting prior to approving the minutes.  Minutes should include general discussion, decisions, context if something is postponed, and tasks.  Names will be used only as necessary.  Minutes will be general but contain enough facts to be informative.

The Conservation Commission’s Google Drive ownership will be transferred to John, Peter, and the Recording Secretary.  The Trail Committee Google Drive will also be transferred to the trail committee chair Wendy.  Also to be compliant with RSA 91A the Trail Committee will need to have a quorum of in person attendees at meetings.

PUBLIC BUSINESS

Report from Co-Chair:  no report

Financial Report: 

• Conservation $241,335.69
• Forestry $51,414.09
• Mason Forest Expendable (9/30/2024) $518,622.12
• Mason Forest Nonexpendable (9/30/2024) $22,824.53 

Correspondence:  Monadnock Conservancy newsletter

NEW BUSINESS

2025 Budget:  Budget requests are due immediately as the Selectboard will be working on the 2025 budget next week.  The budget needs to include brush hogging the rail trail and the website domain and hosting.  John and Peter will take care of this.

Barry Conservation Camp:  A financially needy student is being selected.  The schedule is now months earlier than in the past.

OLD BUSINESS

Rest Areas – Shelters, Cleanup:  At the workday, the crumbling steps were taken up and the slope smoothed.  The Highway Department will be asked to dispose of the timbers.  Both rest areas on Route 12 are now ready for roofing the shelters and for the timber harvest.  The roofing will be done this winter.

Fanny Mason Harvesting – Update:  We have an agreement for the timber harvest on the east side of Route 12 and are working on a contract.  After a discussion, it was decided to see if the contract could be extended to include the red pine on the west side of Route 12.  The harvest will be in 2025.

Gateway and Hooper Invasives:  Peter checked the Gateway for invasives – there is still plenty of Japanese barberry and other invasives. The company that did the initial treatment also confirmed the presence of the invasive and have provided an estimate to conduct  another treatment next summer expanding the strip around the fields at the $2,500 quoted price or they will do work on a time and materials basis.  Peter will try to get a maximum cost for the time and materials option.

Property Monitoring:  Monadnock Conservancy approached Wendy about two issues identified during the June monitoring:  the washed-out snowmobile trail near Halls Crossing in Great Brook Town Forest, and the snowmobile bridge that collapsed and is now in Bertin Town Forest in the stream.  The concern is that for Town Forests where the Monadnock Conservancy holds easements, the Conservation Commission is responsible for complying with easement terms and must notify the Monadnock Conservancy at least thirty days in advance of certain work. .  Lew and Tom will do a site visit to Great Brook Town Forest.  A GPS map of the snowmobile trails needs to be made so it can be overlaid with a map of conservation land to make it clear where snowmobile trails are on town-owned conservation lands.

OTHER BUSINESS

Dam:  The hydraulics and hydrology report on the Reservoir Dam is available in the Selectboard Office and that project is coming along.  Mark Houghton and John will try to get a wetlands permit for Knapp Cranberry Bog Dam for the work needed.  The Mill Pond Dam will be next.

Hooper Institute Board Update:  They have worked the invasives treatment into their 2025 budget but would like advice from the Conservation Commission as they go forward on this project.  The Hooper Institute will work directly with those doing the invasives treatment.  Helen Dalbeck is retiring next September.  The renovations are about to start.

Trail Committee:  The Fall rail trail maintenance day had thirteen people and focused on the culverts and ditches to ensure good drainage in the winter and spring ahead.  The Happy Trails Party  will be December 11th at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall.  It will have a short presentation, food and fun including a raffle of outdoor gear.  All are invited.

Guest Introduction:  John McCollister moved here from Nebraska in May.  He attended to learn about the Conservation Commission and the work it does.  Town meetings are open to the public.

Adjournment:  Peter moved to adjourn, and Alicia seconded. John declared the meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM. 

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note:  These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the January 6, 2025 Conservation Commission meeting.)

Tagged: CONSERVATION COMMISSION, Meeting Minutes