Present: Mary Anne Broshek (chair); members Larry Chase, Tina Cotton, Jerry Hersey, Nan Kaplan, Derek Mansell; guests Andy Deegan, Sandra Graves
Old Business
Led by Andy Deegan, land protection specialist at the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust (ASLPT), attendees planned for an ACC-sponsored August 20 public presentation on conservation easements, identifying local property-owners who will be contacted personally by ACC members. Also, Larry agreed to write a news release for local media.
Arrangements for the July 20 “Little Loon Grows Up” presentation by Kittie Wilson at Bluewater Farm were completed.
Derek reported that the Proctor Academy hiking trails in the vicinity of Adder (Hopkins) Pond being considered for identification as trails for townspeople need additional planning and maintenance, and that Proctor is very willing to work with us. Larry will pursue with Proctor Forester Dave Pilla in the fall.
Re: organizing a pollinator workshop, Derek reported that he will link Stacy Luke, district manager, Merrimack County Conservation District, with a Proctor faculty member in order to plant an appropriate flower garden in the fall and to evaluate it in the spring as a site for a workshop.
Re: knotweed eradication, Mary Anne will contact Selectman Sophie Viandier about the status of the Selectmen’s eradication planning.
Re: easement monitoring, Derek presented a list of Andover conservation easements, their locations, and the owners of the properties on which they are located. Sandra volunteered to attempt to provide some missing information. Mary Anne will convert the list to a Word document. Members agreed to send corrections and additions to Mary Anne, and she will update the document.
Ed Spencer has offered his help in working with Derek and the ACC on how to prepare baseline documentation and work with current landowners of existing easements to develop “current condition reports” for those easements without baseline documentation.
Re: lake signage, Larry agreed to develop new language to reflect the recent Bradley Lake rule changes, to review the new wording with the Village District and DES, and to have a new sign made for the kiosk at the Bradley Lake dam. Mary Anne reported that Selectman Duncan Coolidge will oversee new signage for Highland Lake after passage of an appropriate ordinance.
Re: the Andover Energy Group (AEG), Larry reported that the AEG was working with representatives of New London and Wilmot to collaborate in applying to participate in a “Solarize Upper Valley” project to encourage residential solar-electric installations in the three towns. (The application was successful.)
Re: Andover’s co-occurrence mapping, done in 2010, Mary Anne will determine if Laura Alexander of Colby-Sawyer College, who oversaw the initial and subsequent mapping, can help update the visual material that can be used by Town boards and residents.