Condensed from approved minutes
Present: Mary Anne Broshek, Tina Cotton, Jerry Hersey, Jesse Schust
Correspondence: Correspondence was reviewed and discussed. These included a complete Forestry notification for lot 8/467 from Land Resources Management, Department of Environmental Services (DES), and an approval of a variance (from the Regional Forester) allowing the removal of eight white pines at lot 10-584-446 on Agony Hill Road.
Mary Anne will contact Joanna Sumner to remind her to send Wetland Permit applications to the Andover Conservation Commission (ACC).
Ausbon Sargent Land Protection Trust (ASLPT): Workshop will be on September 22 at the Wilmot Community Association’s Red Barn. Amy Papineau will give a presentation on strategies to encourage pollinators in the landscape.
Bog Pond: Based on the ACC site visit and recommendations from Jason Aube (DES) and Earle Chase, we agreed to hire Earle Chase to mark the wetland boundary to make it clearer where the boundary lies and to review the completed restoration work as it pertains to potential conservation easements in this area. A motion was made and we voted unanimously to pay Earle up to $300 for this work.
We will get further comment and opinion on restoration work. We hope to have Earle review restoration work with John Thompson, if possible, to determine if any more work needs to take place. One outstanding question is whether the snowmobile trail will be restored, and if so, how will it be routed?
Culvert Update: Stacey Luke (Merrimack County Conservation District) plans to review the culverts in Andover with the Road Agent in order to assess problem culverts that may be undersized and impede aquatic organism movement or are flood hazards. They will identify up to a dozen problem culverts as the first stage in obtaining grants to improve culverts in Andover. Jesse will act in a liaison capacity, and Mary Anne will notify Stacey of Jesse’s role.
Beaver Deceivers: Nan Kaplan will find out more regarding the DOT improvement plan for the Route 11 culvert near Applecrest Lane. We are hoping that the state will consider a pilot implementation of a beaver deceiver in this location and consider this as a state-wide solution.
Movie – Chasing Ice: The screening of Chasing Ice was informative and engaging to those who attended. We are interested in setting up another screening, maybe at Andover Elementary/Middle School, in order to reach a wider audience.
We discussed the possibility of having refreshments and a speaker/expert to lead a Q&A. Mary Anne will speak to Larry Chase about this idea.
Miscellaneous Matters
Highland Beach: Earle Davis has been notified about the Town’s desire to add beach sand.
Mary Anne will ask Donna Baker-Hartwell about status on newly-worded signs on Highland Lake.
Larry is mounting the Wildlife Action Plan map on foam board.
Nancy Teach will have the up-to-date Natural Resources Inventory put on the Planning Board’s section of the Town Web site.
Mary Anne will ask Nan about the possibility of setting up an Emerald Ash Borer/Red Pine Scale/Tree Diseases/Invasive Species session, specifically aimed to assist loggers and land owners managing forests.
Jerry will check with David Pilla about upcoming workshops and the possibility of having a session concerning forest management and disease/invasive problems.