Warner Conservation Commission

Minutes of Meeting 

April 2, 2008

Attending:  Nancy Martin, Ted Young, Chris Connors, Peg Bastien, John Dabuliewicz, Brian Hotz, Russ St. Pierre, and Jim McLaughlin (recording). Also Dan Sundquist, SPNHF.

Approval of Minutes of March 4, 2008

The minutes of the meeting of March 4, 2008 were approved as submitted.

Natural Resources Inventory (NRI)

Dan Sundquist reviewed the wildlife co-occurrence map in several versions, one excluding tax lots smaller than 5 acres, and one excluding lots smaller than 10 acres. Dan also showed a map with weights that he had assigned to the various factors that compose the wildlife map.

He recommended that each member assign weights to the same set of factors and provide them to him to incorporate into a summary spreadsheet and calculate a mean value for each data factor. Dan will then feed these average values back into the GIS to rerun the co-occurrence model, and will generate a fresh map. He will email the spreadsheet to each member for them to send him their own weights. There was agreement on having both unweighted and weighted co-occurrence maps in the NRI.

Dan distributed an outline for the narrative portion of the NRI, about 30 pages when finished. The group reviewed the outline and approved it. He hopes to have a draft by the end of April.

Land Protection

Courser Phase 3 - Brian asked for clarification on the amount pledged by the Commission to this phase. He had stated at Town Meeting that it was $67,500. After consulting past meeting minutes, it was determined that the Commission had voted in April 2007 to commit $75,000 this project over and above the $7,500 in survey costs earlier paid out.

Brian suggested that a public event be held at the Courser lands to celebrate this important conservation project, particularly in view of the significant amount of funding allocated by the Town. Brian asked that the Commission meet with the Board of Selectmen once the draft Phase 3 easement document is in hand. Then a public hearing can be scheduled to spend the money.

Kearsarge Mountain Road landowner - Brian continues to talk to the family concerning an easement on this property. He has found he individual with right of first refusal on the property who is okay with the idea of an easement.

Mink Hills landowner - Brian has also been contacted by owners of several tracts in the Newmarket Road area about possible conservation easements.

Brian also gave an update on two parcels that have been of great interest to the Commission - the former Nichols/Bound Tree parcel and the former Albee lot. Both parcels are being marketed. He will touch base with both landowners to see what the status is. The consensus was that the large Nichols property was less feasible in terms of a conservation easement than the other, given the large size of the former.

Brian said that LCHIP has lost $500k due to a project that didn’t happen and that their funding source, deed registration fees, is not producing enough revenue.

Wetlands Issues

Chris Connors distributed a summary page detailing the new Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act rules which have gone into effect on April 1st, although there is action in the Legislature to change that date to a later time, July or October. The new rules are significantly tougher and affect alteration of vegetation, removal of ground cover, location of structures and other matters. The Commission agreed to host a public meeting with DES personnel to explain these new rules to landowners in Warner whose property lies within 250 feet of the Warner River or any of the 6 great ponds in town. Mid June was suggested as a good time for this presentation. The Town’s newsletter can be used to get the word out to landowners.

Easement Conveyance to SPNHF

Discussed conveying the principal grantee interests in three properties for which the Town now is the primary agent for monitoring and enforcement - the two Fortin & Redmond easements and the Contoocook easement. This conveyance would transfer the responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the terms of the easements to the Forest Society, leaving the Town in a secondary position. Brian said he has met with the Forest Society’s land protection committee and they are amenable to this transfer with two conditions. 1) that the Town pay the full endowment fund cost for each parcel ($10,000 per easement), and 2) that an attempt be made to determine the location of the internal boundary between the two Fortin & Redmond tracts. Brian suggested his bringing the Society’s surveyor out to try and find this boundary. As to the endowment, he said he would contact the current landowners first to see if they would be willing to contribute toward the fund, since with any new easements, the landowner is asked to contribute. This fund is used to finance the monitoring activity of SPNHF over the years to come.

Commission Member Terms

Ted, Nancy and Brian were asked if they wanted to request the Selectmen’s reappointment to the Commission. Ted declined to be reappointed. Nancy and Brian both agreed to reappointment.

Brian related a discussion of conflict of interest involving professional land protection specialists in conservation organizations who also serve on their local conservation commissions. He said this arose from an incident in the seacoast. There was a consensus that as long as Brian recused himself from decisions involving the Forest Society, then there should be no issue.

Other Business

Chris reported that the Wagner subdivision had received a DES alteration of terrain permit although she was uncertain of the status of the NHDOT permit. This project is delayed until the May Planning Board meeting.

Jim asked the Commission to approve a letter in support of the Town’s applying for State Housing and Conservation Planning program grant to assist in the master plan update. $19,000 is being requested by Central NH Regional Planning Commission. This proposal was approved and Nancy signed a letter of support.

Jim moved to spend $125 of the operating budget to purchase paper copies of the town tax maps to be used in updating the digital tax map layer from 2002 to present. This motion was seconded and approved 

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Meeting adjourned at 9:44 P.M.