The Walpolean

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Conservation Commission

November 3, 2025

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the December 1, 2025 Conservation Commission meeting.)

Members Present: Nicole Adams, Wendy Grossman, Paul Happ, France Menk, Peter Palmiotto (Cochair), John Peska (Cochair & Presiding), Lewis Shelley, Carolyn Vose (Selectboard Rep)

Alternates Present: Tom Beaudry

Members Absent: Hale Morrell

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

Seating of Alternatives: There was a quorum, so no Alternates were seated.

Review and Approval of Minutes

Paul moved to accept the 10/6/2025 minutes as written. France seconded and all voted in favor. The motion carried. 

Public Business

Financial Report:  Conservation $282,422.14

Forestry $53,511.36

Correspondence: NHACC dues are due.  France moved to pay the $275 dues for this year.  Paul seconded.  With all in favor, the motion passed.

New Business

Fanny Mason Forest Management: 

• Winter timber harvest – we expect to do the harvest this winter.  Can the Town waive the timber tax for Fanny Mason?   Once that question is answered, Alex Barrett will submit the Timber Intent permit.
• Red pine – Longview can do cut-to-length, but Chris Ricci doesn’t do it.  Tyler Zambon can also cut-to-length.  John will ask Alex Barrett to get quotes from Longview and Tyler Zambon.
• Invasives – It will cost about $1,600 (two people for a day) to treat buckhorn stems now in the area of the Fanny Mason harvest.  This is Fanny Mason property, expense and income, so the Conservation Committee needs to let Trustees of Trust Funds know that Longview will do the treatment now and get paid when there is income from the red pine harvest.   

Paul made a motion to request that the Town waive the timber tax on the Fanny Mason harvest and to approve treating for invasives now with Longview to be paid when the harvest starts getting income.  Lew seconded.  With everyone in favor, the motion passed unanimously.

Safety Inspection: On November 20th there will be an inspection of the Conservation Commission storage in the old Town Garage on School Street.  John, Lew & Paul will meet before the inspection to check everything and do any equipment maintenance needed.

Old Business

Easement monitoring: Monadnock Conservancy did some monitoring last month and sent an email asking for the status of issues identified last year:

• In Bertin Forest two pieces of bridge washed out – the larger piece was removed from the brook; the other piece is still on the bank and needs to be removed; it remains to be determined who can get the bridge out of the forest.
• In Great Brook Town Forest – there was a snowmobile trail wash-out and the trail is still washed out down toward the brook.  There is a very large pine down across the trail.  Lew and the Hooper Hill Hoppers are working to determine what to do.  It would be possible to build a very narrow trail (one snowmobile wide), but a groomer couldn’t get through to maintain the trail.  There is a lot of clay in that area, so rebuilding the trail may require a retaining wall.  There are closed signs on both ends of that trail.  It was a major trail to Westmoreland but now snowmobilers also have the Rail Trail.

Town easements: we are obliged to monitor the Town easements.  Wendy will do three, but she can’t do her own land.  The Easement Monitoring Committee needs to meet to decide what they really want to do.  There is a committee, and they need a meeting (Peter is chair).  It was pointed out that property monitoring really is one of our more important responsibilities.

Reservoir Dam: DES, Walpole and Fuss & O’Neill agree that we can breech the dam (normally remove 25 – 50% of dam) with ARPA money before the deadline. Fuss & O’Neil is doing the engineering in preparation for getting permits.  We will need to bridge the breech so trail will still be usable since the area is popular for recreation.

Derry Hill Road – Class VI road status: The road was checked last weekend.  There is no sign of anyone working on the road, but some sections of it would only be passable with some four-wheel drive vehicles.  There is an ongoing timber harvest (uncertain if in Walpole) and they are hauling logs across Walpole’s Class VI roads to Alstead or Surry.  The lower part of Derry Hill is a fire lane.  Part of Scovill Road between High Blue and Derry Hill Road is now destroyed by vehicles and washouts. 

Peter arrived during the Derry Hill discussion.

Tree Planting: This fall a sugar maple was planted on the northwest corner of the Common and four tulip trees were planted along the west side.  $3,600 has been donated for purchasing trees.    About half was spent this year, so we have enough for two crabapples and three red maples for the spring planting, and that will finish the planting on the Common.  North Walpole and Drewsville (Fritzie Hill [sic] is suggested contact) will be contacted to see what they need.

Mt. Kilborne: Monadnock Climbing Club wants their letter of support signed, but we need to know everyone involved is satisfied.  John reached out to Katherine Kopij to determine whether the North Walpole Village Commissioners are OK with the plans.  We also need to get the approval of the Walpole and North Walpole Fire and Rescue squads.

Trail Committee

Updates: The Trail Committee has worked on Mill Pond.  They removed a large tree and a large bush, and they have done some leveling.

Wendy will have the Work Plan for the 2026 Rail Trail projects finished by the deadline on 12/31/2025.  The plan is being addressed, but it won’t be done or available for the next meeting.  Peter asked that as many details as possible be discussed at the 12/1/2025 meeting.

Rail Trail Work Plan: Ditch and culvert work preparing for winter will be the focus of the Work Day on November 8th.  Similar preparation worked well last year.

Other Business and Updates

Hooper Institute Board: There are no updates, but Paul is positive about the Board.  He thinks Greta Drager is doing a great job and that the building is just beautiful.  The next meeting is tomorrow.

New Hampshire Big Tree: The black oak on Mill Pond is the largest in the state.  Lew received a sign and will put in a signpost, so he can put up the sign.

Agenda for the Next Meeting – December 1, 2025

• New path on Fanny Mason timber harvest – Lew
• Work Plan for Rail Trail – Wendy

Adjournment: France moved to adjourn the meeting and Nicole seconded.  John declared the meeting adjourned at 8:19 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary