Conservation Commission Minutes 08.17.10
August 25, 2010
Draft Conservation Commission Meeting Notes
Date: August 17, 2010
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present: Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge, Nathanial Bruss, Carol Meise, members. Laura Ryder and Ed MacLeod present.
Secretary’s minutes from July 20 meeting read and accepted.
Treasurer’s report: Interest earned. Meg inquired at town offices as to Current Use Change Penalty for 2009 received. A sum of $6500 was reported earned according to the town report. A letter will be sent requesting information.
Correspondence: Merrimack County Conservation District annual meeting attended by Nathanial Bruss – conversation with Stacy Luke to be followed up.
Liberty Elm Tree: Steve Hanson was told about the possibility of this donation of a 10-14 foot tree. Could be placed near the Bradford Historical Society blacksmith shop. The DAR of Warner would like to take part in a ceremony in conjunction with their 100th anniversary in 2012. Decision to hold tree planting until that date. Application to be mailed.
Planning Board Comments: Reviewed gravel pit application, former Pfieffle lot. Applicant seeks waivers. Copy of full application and Earth Removal Regs. given to BCC by Marcia. Nathanial and Brooks authorized to review and comment.
CIP: Was delivered to Planning Board subcommittee.
Bradford Area Community Center: request for assistance in leading hikes in Bradford. Voted to collaborate. Kate D. to be informed.
Public Presentation: Chris Martin (NH Audubon biologist) to be contacted about possibility of presenting on eagles in NH. Location to be determined. End of Sept?
Natural Resource Inventory:Â Bradford Fish and Game Club meets on the first Monday of every month. They would like to hear about the ongoing inventory and would have some input. Next meeting possibly is September 6, unless moved due to Labor Day holiday. Letter to be sent to Lake Massasecum Improvement Association and snowmobile club for input.
LCHIP: Grant for easement on Battle’s Farm delivered on this day. Silent fundraising far exceeded goals. Will be notified in November of results. Other grants also being sought.
Bradford Bog: Repairs needed to observation platform and boardwalk, as usual. Usually 20 boards are replaced each year. This year we will try to replace 40 and repair platform. End of September suggested. Nathanial to inquire about lumber. Ann to contact NGI and others.
Meeting adjourned 8:30pm  JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 07.20.10
July 28, 2010
Date: July 20, 2010
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present:Â Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge. Ed Macleod present.
Due to an extremely rare set of circumstances, a quorum of members was not present.
Secretary’s minutes from June 15 meeting read.
Treasurer’s report: Interest earned. Meg inquired at town offices as to Current Use Change Penalty for 2009 received. A sum of $6500 was reported earned, according to the annual town report. No response as yet.
Correspondence: Merrimack County Conservation District annual meeting held at Musterfield Farm on June 29. Nathanial Bruss was expected to attend, and probably did.
LCHIP – A fundraising campaign for a conservation easement on the Battles farmland has begun with a coalition of the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust, the Rural Heritage Connection of Bradford, Inc, and the Conservation Commission. Other grants are also being sought. The Selectmen were notified of the project at their meeting on this date.
Potential for a public trail on the non-agricultural land. It was agreed that the Conservation Commission could do this with volunteer assistance. Abutters will be notified for possible extension.
Natural Resource Inventory:Â Bradford Fish and Game Club meets on the first Monday of every month. They would like to hear about the ongoing inventory and would have some input. Next meeting August 2nd.
Liberty Elm Tree: Steve Hanson was told about the possibility of this donation of a 10-14 foot tree. Could be placed near the Bradford Historical Society blacksmith shop. The DAR of Warner would like to take part in a ceremony in conjunction with their 100th anniversary in 2012. Decision to hold tree planting until that date.
CIP:Â Bill Glennie appeared on bicycle with forms. These will be filled out by Nathanial Bruss with assistance of Brooks/Ann before deadline of July 31st.
Bradford Springs Hotel Site: Rick Helprin responded to request for maintenance of the site. Has already done a great job mowing and removing poison ivy. Will do further tree thinning, make trails overlooking good birding sites etc. Signage will be repaired. ASLPT sign replaced.
Meeting adjourned 8:30pm  JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 06.15.10
June 20, 2010
Draft Bradford Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes
Date: June 15, 2010
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present: Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge, Nathanial Bruss. [Andrea LaMoreaux, Carol Meise, and Perry Teele absent]. Alternate Amy Blitzer seated for Perry.
Secretary’s minutes from May 18 meeting read. Brooks moved to accept, Meg seconded.
Treasurer’s report: Interest earned = $2.67. Meg to inquire as to whether there was any Current Use Change Penalty for 2009 received.
Correspondence: Merrimack County Conservation District annual meeting to be held at Musterfield Farm on June 29. $15 fee. John Harrigan to speak.
ZBA: Reports installation of IAMNOW high speed access tower behind ‘Mountain Lake Inn’
LCHIP – Presumed to go forward. JAE and Beth McGuinn to attend workshop in Concord June 16. Grant due date is August 20. A letter of support to the board of ASLPT to be written. Vote to increase amount of Conservation Fund to be made available to 125K. Unanimous. Other grants will also be sought along with private donations in the next few weeks.
Natural Resource Inventory: Carol and Ann continue to refine before presentation to the group. Review of draft of preliminary conclusions. To be presented to Planning Board. Minor changes made, second draft to be emailed to members for final thoughts.
Lake Massasecum Improvement Association annual meeting on July 10, Saturday. Possibly a time to present the draft NRI.
Shoreland issue: JAE attended Selectmen’s meeting this same night to hear conclusion of Fire/Rescue access over erosions controls at French’s park. Selectmen decision to allow F/R to try to bridge the gravel stairway with fire equipment if necessary. Steps were built with grant $, donations and volunteer efforts two years ago.
July 3rd: Discussion of RHC booth at ‘4th’ of July celebration. Amy available for booth-sitting. All others present occupied elsewhere that day. Other inquiries will be made. Suggestions made to make booth more interactive with children, fewer maps.
Meeting adjourned 9pm  JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 05.18.10
May 26, 2010
Bradford Conservation Commission Meeting Notes
Date: May 18, 2010
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present: Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge, Nathanial Bruss. Andrea LaMoreaux. Carol Meise and Perry Teele absent.
Secretary’s minutes from April 20 meeting read and accepted with no changes.
Treasurer’s report: Brooks moved to accept minutes, JAE seconds. Approved.
Interest earned. Dues to NH Association of Conservation Commissions paid, $200.
Question of what does the town get for membership, answer is access to large body of information, updates on legislative and rules changes, notification of meetings and workshops, annual convention in Concord. Website presence.
DES correspondence: cc letter to Hill & Dale LLC re: changes to timing of project status reports for Alteration of Terrain.
Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust: seeking volunteers for land stewards. Workshop to be held in June, or they will come out for meeting if mutually convenient. They now have more easements to manage than they have trained monitors. This is an integral and necessary part of management.
Planning Board: seeks Conservation Commission input on review of town ordinances. Recommendations will be forthcoming as NRI is completed, need comments now.
LCHIP – Presumed to go forward. Due date is August 1 with a workshop in Concord on June15th..
Natural Resource Inventory: Carol and Ann continue to refine before presentation to the group. Introduction reviewed and tone refined. Plans to approach Bradford Fish and Game and Snowmobile Club for input.
Shoreland issue: Andrea outlined a problem with the 2 year old project to control erosion at French’s Park. A Mooseplate Grant was received as well as funding from the Massasecum Lake Improvement Association and volunteer assistance. Fire team just realized that it encumbers access to the lake at that point for drills. Discussion of how to maintain the benefits of erosion control and allow occasional use by fire and rescue without endangering grant status of town/exacerbating difficult drainage issues and water quality of lake/incurring permit problems with CSPA and DES. Meeting with all involved on May 20.
Meeting adjourned 9pm  JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 04.20.10
May 3, 2010
Bradford Conservation Commission Meeting Notes
Date: April 20, 2010
Time: 7pm – fairly clear, warm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present:Â Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge, Carol Meise, Nathanial Bruss. Andrea LaMoreaux and Perry Teele absent.
Secretary’s minutes from March meeting read and accepted with no changes.
Treasurer’s report: Brooks moved to accept report, JAE seconds. Approved.
Meg to review membership with town clerk.
Workshop announcements:
Baldwin/Cotrell lecture series notice –    Fox State Forest. Brooks and Ann attended some of these lectures.
NRCS grant workshop April 14th in Concord. Covered federal grant programs such as the Grassland Reserve Program, Federal Farm and Ranchland Protection etc. Ann attended.
ASLPT outreach mtg. Ann attended. Discussion of ASLPT anniversary in 2012 and part 2 of ‘Making your Town Farm Friendly’.
Planning Board:Â Comments sought on communications tower. No natural resource issues known at this time. Response to be made to that effect. Will be going through ZBA also for Special Exception.
Intent to Cut: Low State Forest, 137 acres.
LCHIP – Nathanial, Miranda, and Ann met with Beth McGuinn of Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust to go over recommendations. Grant due beginning of August. Discussion of other grant possibilities: Wetlands Reserve Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program. More information needed to determine applicability and possible grant conflicts. Letter to ASLPT to confirm commitment.
Natural Resource Inventory: rough drafts have been created for Introduction, Conserved Lands, Soils, Surface Waters, Topography, Current Use, and others. Carol and Ann to refine before presentation to the group. A few assignments handed out. Brooks and Ann brought NRI draft maps to Bradford Fire and Rescue meeting. To explore possibility of incorporating information on fireponds. Plans to approach Bradford Fish and Game and Snowmobile Club for input.
Meeting adjourned 9ish
JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 03.16.10
March 27, 2010
Bradford Conservation Commission Meeting Notes
Date: March 16, 2010
Time: 7pm - clear, cold
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present:Â Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge (acting chair), Carol Meise, Andrea LaMoreaux
Secretary’s minutes from February 16 meeting read and accepted with no changes.
Treasurer’s report: Year end report reviewed. No activity other than interest earned on accounts.
Workshop announcements: Baldwin/Cotrell lecture series notice – Fox State Forest.
Saving Special Places – April 10 annual meeting, held this year in Weare. Many relevant topics included. Voted to reimburse attendees for cost to attend.
NRCS grant workshop April 14th in Concord. Will cover federal grant programs such as the Grassland Reserve Program, Federal Farm and Ranchland Protection etc.
LCHIP – Nathanial, Miranda, and Ann attended meeting with grant reviewers at LCHIP on Thursday Feb. 25 in Concord. Will meet with Beth McGuinn of Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust to go over recommendations.
Natural Resource Inventory: at the next opportunity, NRI subcommittee members will meet with Northern Geomantics to go over any changes to the draft maps and review schedule. Bill Glennie will assist with a ‘build-out’ analysis, which the Planning Board has been considering for some years. Ann and Carol to go over ‘table of contents’ and assign specific tasks for update.
Reviewed draft of latest efforts in general community education on natural resource subjects with a revised article on dirt – emphasis on soils of significance in Bradford, info from USDA.
Meeting adjourned 5 of 8
JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 01.19.10
February 8, 2010
Bradford Conservation Commission
Meeting Notes
Date: January 19, 2010
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present:Â Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish, J.A. Eldridge, Nathanial Bruss
Secretary’s minutes from December15 meeting read and accepted.
Treasurer’s report: [see budget sheet] Surprised to find a balance of $120.07. Apparently this was $ set aside for lumber for the repairs to the Bog boardwalk. Supplies were then donated by Perry Teele. Meg attempted to attend the budget committee meeting, waited several hours in corridor.
January 26, BCC to meet with Planning Board, review of draft NRI (Natural Resource Inventory) maps. Discussion on how to present. Concentrate on purpose of NRI/Conservation Plan and draft maps.
Article to Bridge explaining what a conservation easement is. Will prepare a follow up article on current easements in town. [due now] Also will draft a brief article on status of LCHIP grant. An explanation of SB 381 will be written for the March issue.
Discussion of LCHIP grant application. Nathanial to notify Miranda and BCC of meeting with LCHIP on summer grant round. He will also contact ASLPT about the federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program grants. The Ericksons may attend next month’s meeting with realtor Tom Howard. Nathanial to check with town office on status of SB381 warrant article.
Discussion of Rural Heritage suggestion of petition warrant article. Difficulties cited.
Natural Resource Inventory: Northern Geomantics to be contacted about possibility of supplying a recent aerial view of town with lot lines and conserved lands to add to the NRI. Granit system maps may be more uniform quality than Google Earth…
Ann and Carol to review examples of NRI to begin to condense what might be included or excluded in Bradford’s NRI.
A strategy for conserving some of the remaining large blocks of land through interested landowners to retain a vibrant forestry/agricultural/recreational industry in town. Plan to prioritize conservation areas in town based on information gathered to date on unfragmented landscape, rare species, water resources, etc. Potential properties will be identified and landowners consulted along with Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust. Suggestions for a mailing were made. Initial list was created in subcommittee, more data needed, also to be done in subcommittee, meeting date to be set.
Meeting adjourned 8:45Â Â JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Minutes 12.15.09
December 21, 2009
Bradford Conservation Commission Meeting Notes
Date: December 15, 2009
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present:Â Meg Fearnley, Carol Meise, J.A. Eldridge, Nathanial Bruss
Secretary’s minutes from November 17 meeting read and accepted.
Treasurer’s report: Bank statements not available yet. Meg to inquire as to when BCC budget is to be reviewed.
A follow up meeting with Selectmen was attended by Nathanial Bruss, JA Eldridge, and Beth McGuinn of the Ausbon Sargent Land Protection Trust. Senate bill 381 was furthered explained and responsibilities of easement holders delineated. Warrant article presented by the state legislature was presented for consideration by the Selectboard.
January 26, BCC to meet with Planning Board, review of draft NRI (Natural Resource Inventory) maps.
Article to Bridge explaining what a conservation easement is. Draft reviewed. An explanation of SB 381 will also be written. For next month: review of existing easements in town and why individuals decided to pursue them.
Natural Resource Inventory: documents from the following towns that have recently created or updated their Inventories will be reviewed: Gilmanton, Henniker, Washington, Newbury. All maps will be minutely reviewed for any changes. Suggested changes to the ‘unfragmented lands’ map = include adjacent Pillsbury/Sunapee Highlands project, correction of lot lines for New Forestry easement.
A strategy for conserving some of the remaining large blocks of land to retain a vibrant forestry/agricultural/recreational industry in town. Plan to prioritize conservation areas in town based on information gathered to date on unfragmented landscape, rare species, water resources, etc. Potential properties will be identified and landowners consulted along with Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust. Suggestions for a mailing were made. To be furthered in subcommittee.
Meeting adjourned just before 9pm.  JA Eldridge
Conservation Commission Natural Resources Inventory Maps
December 14, 2009
Natural Resource Inventory Maps available online here
Conservation Commission Minutes 11.17.09
November 30, 2009
Draft Bradford Conservation Commission Meeting Notes
Date: November 17, 2009
Time: 7pm
Location: Brown Memorial Library
Present: Brooks McCandlish, Meg Fearnley, J.A. Eldridge, Nathanial Bruss
Secretary’s minutes from October 20 meeting read and accepted.
Treasurer’s report: Interest was earned on accounts. Withdrawal for ½ payment to Northern Geomantics for draft maps of NRI will show up on next month’s report.
‘How to Make Your Town More Farm Friendly’ November 12 at Kearsarge Regional Middle School. Ann attended. Discussion of farming in NH. ‘Right to Farm’ law, RSA 432.33. Agricultural commissions explained. Soil capability classes and SPI Soil Potential Index defined.
Annual NHACC meeting/workshops on November 7, Concord. Nathanial attended the following workshops: NRI and conservation planning, Nitty gritty of conservation finance, changing farm landscape, land protection in Stoddard.
A follow up meeting with Selectmen planned to further explain warrant article on Senate bill 381. Beth McGuinn to be present.
January 26, meet with Planning Board, review of draft NRI (Natural Resource Inventory) maps.
Article to Bridge on NRI and survey. Also report on repairs at Bog and Dunfield Road to Rowe Mountain trail. Definition of a conservation easement.
Plan to meet first week of December to prioritize conservation areas in town based on information gathered to date on unfragmented landscape, rare species, water resources, etc.
LCHIP site visit to Battles Farm on December 4th.
Meeting adjourned just before 9pm.  JA Eldridge
