Lancaster Conservation Commission

 

Minutes 1/14/2008

 

The Lancaster Conservation Commission met at 7:00PM in the second floor meeting room in the Town Hall for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

 

Call to Order:  1910

 

Attending: R. Wert, R. Christie, T. Wagner; D. Rexford excused

 

Old Business:

 

Dam: Nothing new-Bob will contact Deb again to find out where we sit on the priority list.

 

MMP Complex Study and Grant: Grant $4720; Watershed to Wildlife $6720; Difference from

budget. $2000.

 

McGee Conservation Easement: Request to be back-up easement holder went to Town

Manager; He requested we do a presentation Tuesday Jan. 22 to explain what it means. Will request Rebecca Brown of ACT come to meeting; failing her, Ron will do it.

 

New Business:

 

Notification of Trail Development Activities Having Minimum Wetlands Impact-Lancaster

Snow Drifters. – No concerns expressed.

 

2008 Budget so far: Grant+ $4720, Change of Use +$~3000 = +$7720. MM Pond project -$6720, ACT -$2500. = -$9220. What else? Cater meeting? – No firm requests for money. Catering got shot down.

 

Prime Wetlands designation. Should we go for a Warrant Article at Town Meeting in 2009?

Need a delineation of wetlands to determine which property owners are affected. – After some discussion, Bob moved that “we develop a program to protect wetlands, watershed & adjoining uplands by adopting “Prime Wetlands”. Seconded by Traci. The goal is to implement the 1991 study by Lobdel Associates, Inc. Prior to any substantive move to adopt same, we need to have the wetlands listed as prime delineated by a wetland scientist. We will contact Watershed to Wildlife for an estimate of costs to do the delieation and move on from there. The benefit of Prime Wetlands designation is an increase of offset to 100’ and much more stringent review by DES when receiving Wetlands Applications.

 

Requested by Bob that the status of the CC budget be included in all further agendas. Will ask

Michael to provide those figures at the end of each month.

 

Page 2

Conservation Commission Minutes

January 14, 2008

 

 

Invasive species problems (Knotweed, Purple Loosestrife, etc.). Requested that we have and inventory done to determine what is here already and to ask DES for assistance in locating grants and information to mitigate any problems found.

 

Traci asked that Ron check with Becky to see if anything has been done with the grant

information provided to her.

 

No other business was brought before the Conservation Commission

 

Communications:

 

Annual Report of the Riverbend Subcommittee and Connecticut River Joint Commissions