Conservation Commission Minutes
Date: December 17, 2003
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: 238 Deerfield Road, Lot #1, Allenstown NH
Attendees
Phil Trowbridge, Commissioner
Laura Bonk, Commissioner
David McKay, Commissioner
Mark Durgin
The meeting was called to order at 5:40 pm.
Note: Action Items in bold are to be completed by the next ConCom meeting.
The minutes were approved.
The route for the trip will be from the end of Dodge Road (end of plowed section) to the Allenstown Town Forest and back. The hike will cover about 2 miles in total. We will meet at the end of Dodge Road at 10:30 am and will probably start the hike between 10:45 and 11:00 am. We will take a short break at the Town Forest for lunch, during which D. McKay will give a brief presentation about the history of and future plans for the Town Forest. Eric Orff from NH Fish and Game will be on the hike and will point out natural features and animal tracks in the snow. Snowshoes are recommended but not mandatory because much of the hike will be on snowmobile trails. P. Trowbridge checked with the Town Administrator and determined that a separate insurance policy would not be necessary for this event.
Action Items: P. Trowbridge will prepare a flier and will post it around town 2 weeks before the event. P. Trowbridge will prepare an emergency pack with a sleeping bag, stove, first aid kit and cell phone. P. Trowbridge will look for the orienteering course map for Bear Brook SP. L. Bonk will notify the local newspapers 2 weeks before the event. D. McKay will prepare a short presentation for the lunch break and will notify the Boy Scouts of the event. D. McKay will confirm the date, time, and location for the event with Eric Orff.
ConCom members will man a table at the voting place for much of the day. The schedule will be: 0800-1100 (L. Bonk), 1530-1730 (D. McKay) and 1730-1900 (P. Trowbridge).
Action Items: P. Trowbridge will prepare a one page summary of the ConCom for the table and make copies of the Natural Resources chapter of the Master Plan. L. Bonk will bring fact sheets on items of interest and a folding table.
Photos and descriptions of illegal ATV trails and other illegal activities in the park were compiled into a report. L. Bonk met with Ron Duddy of DRED to discuss getting more accurate park maps so the locations of the photos could be accurately placed.
Action Items: L. Bonk will email the draft text of the report to ConCom members for comments. L. Bonk will get appropriate maps from DRED. L. Bonk will send the final report to the Allenstown Selectmen, Allenstown Police, Allenstown Planning Board, DRED, and NHF&G.
P. Trowbridge presented a rough draft of the ConCom Annual Report for 2003. Initial comments were incorporated into the draft. The final report will be submitted by 1/6/04.
Action Items: P. Trowbridge will email revised text of the report to ConCom members for final comments and then will finalize the report by the due date.
P. Trowbridge presented ConCom bylaws for three communities: Boscawen, Pittsfield, and Newbury. The bylaws range from general (short) to highly detailed bylaws (long). M. Durgin does not want detailed bylaws but wants references to the relevant RSAs. P. Trowbridge prefers slightly more detailed bylaws than Boscawen but less detailed than Newbury. D. McKay thinks the bylaws should be as short as possible. L. Bonk agrees with D. McKay.
Action Items: P. Trowbridge will draft bylaws based on Boscawen’s example and will circulate the text to the ConCom for comments and discussion at the next meeting.
P. Trowbridge briefly summarized the four projects that he submitted to Jim Rogers of the Planning Board for the Capital Improvement Plan. The projects are described above. No other projects were recommended for the CIP.
L. Bonk discussed her meeting with the BearPaw Director and Board Member on 11/20/03. BearPaw is amenable to having Allenstown as an official member but Allenstown needs to find a volunteer for their board. No one on the ConCom is able to serve on their board at this time. However, the ConCom will support BearPaw and will partner with BearPaw on land conservation projects in Allenstown.
Action Items: L. Bonk will ask the Planning Board if anyone wants to volunteer for the BearPaw board.
L. Bonk summarized a meeting held with the NH DOT project manager for the Rte 3 bridge replacement. Attendees for the ConCom were L. Bonk and P. Trowbridge. There is the possibility of adding 6 parking spaces, a small park, and a canoe launch to the bridge design. The Town of Allenstown would have to agree to maintain the park and perhaps own the land.
Action Items: L. Bonk will determine whether Allenstown has a formal agreement with Mr. Heiser to cross his land to access existing town-owned property on the riverfront. L. Bonk will discuss the plans with the Road Agent (J. Boisvert), Allenstown Selectmen, and Allenstown Police Chief (J. McGonigle). L. Bonk will also discuss parking and access issues with Mr. Heiser.
This agenda item was not discussed because the descriptions were sufficiently clear.
This agenda item was not discussed because the descriptions were sufficiently clear.
The next ConCom meeting will be on Wed., January 14, 2004, 7:00 p.m., Allenstown Town Hall.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 pm.