TOWN OF WALPOLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE

CONSERVATION COMMISSION

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Members Present:  Nicole Adams, Wendy Grossman, France Menk, Peter Palmiotto (Co-Chair), John Peska (Co-Chair, Presiding), Lewis Shelley

Alternates Present:  Tom Beaudry, Paul Happ

Members Absent:  Alicia Flammia,

Visitors Present:  John McCollister 

CALL TO ORDER: John called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall. 

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Peter moved to accept the January 6, 2025 minutes as written. Lew seconded and all voted in favor. The motion carried. 

PUBLIC BUSINESS

Financial Report: 

• Conservation $242,206.76
• Forestry $51,812.70
• Mason Forest Expendable $516,984.35
• Mason Forest Nonexpendable $22,962.00

Correspondence:

• Notification was received from the state that they plan to replace a culvert at the top of Prospect Hill.  The work is planned for this spring or summer.
• An Antioch grad student is available to do a bird study/count in an area that was last managed two to ten years ago, and he would work with the Town Forester.  Peter will invite the Antioch student and Alex Barrett, Town Forester, to the March meeting.

NEW BUSINESS

Webpage: Currently the town website goes directly to the Conservation website when Conservation Commission is clicked.  Other organizations and departments have a page with useful details.  Each group was given the opportunity to create a page when the site was being set up.  It was decided that France will work with Sarah Downing to get trained and create a Conservation Commission webpage for the Town website that will link to the Conservation Commission’s website.

OLD BUSINESS

Route 12 Rest Areas – Shelters, Cleanup:  Both shelters have new roofs that look great.  Although not in the initial quote, some of the pine boards needed to be replaced.  A deposit was made so the remaining amount due is $7,728.60. Lew moved that we accept the invoice and pay it.  France seconded and all voted in favor.  The motion carried.

 Additional cleanup is needed, e.g. any timber that needs replacing, painting, power washing, etc.  The work will be planned at the March meeting and the work session will be in April.

Fanny Mason Harvesting – Update: The contract will be presented to the Commission in the spring.  Peter will ask Alex for an update at the March meeting.

Gateway & Hooper Invasives: An update is needed in March.  Nicole will check with the Hooper Board to see if they have concerns.

Property Monitoring: In December all the sites that needed monitoring were visited and the reports were filed.  

There was a discussion of where records are kept, the issue being very full files.  Wendy and Peter will sort out the files and have it done by the end of the month.  Monitoring reports need to also be filed in the property folders and there is some information in the property folders that Conservation needs.  Wendy will work with Sarah on new processes after Town Meeting.

OTHER BUSINESS

Reservoir Dam: Steve and John attended an online meeting with DES, the Army Corp of Engineering, and Fuss and O’Neill. The goal is to avoid mitigation while fixing the dam – Steve will work with Fuss & O’Neill.  Walpole also needs to split the project into two parts.  The first will be the culvert and spillway to protect the Town, and the second will be the slope of the dam.

The ARPA funds will be used to put generators on the pump houses.  The generator from the cistern on Prospect Hill will be moved to Town Hall.

Hooper Institute Board Update: The renovation is ongoing, and they are looking for Helen’s successor.  There will be a pause in the construction for summer camps and renovations should be finished in the fall. 

Trail Committee:  It was a good meeting on January 9th with three new people.  The focus was planning for this year.  There was a discussion about whether trails should be publicized online.  It was suggested that this should be a decision of more than just the Trail Committee because of the impact on the whole area.

 Nicole said she has a lighter load this time of year and offered to work on the permit for the Rail Trail maintenance.  She would work on getting a permit for more than just this year.

AGENDA FOR MEETING ON MARCH 3, 2025

• Alex – Updates on harvest, invasives
• Peter – Antioch student
• Annual  Goals – including tree planting
• Old Home Days – what does the Conservation Commission want to do?  In the past we had the game warden once; Gary Speed another time

MEMBER RENEWALS:  Alicia, France and Peter need to renew their membership on the Commission.  Send a brief letter to Sarah Downing to start the process.

ADJOURNMENT: John declared the meeting adjourned at 8:14 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note:  These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the March 3, 2025 Conservation Commission meeting.)

Tagged: CONSERVATION COMMISSION, Meeting Minutes