November 2024 Meeting

Nov 19th, 2024 at 7p, Norwich Historical Society (277 Main Street) and over Zoom

Join meeting via Zoom (meeting ID: 966 3633 0827, passcode: 721389).

Agenda

  1. Additional Agenda Items
  2. Public Comments for Items not on the Agenda
  3. Melendy Parcel Management Plan / Sharing of History
  4. Conservation Commission Section of the Select Board Handbook
  5. Town (Conservation) Priorities Projects
  6. Milton Frye Nature Area Subcommittee
  7. Trails Subcommittee
  8. Emerald Ash Borer Management Subcommittee
  9. Approval of September Meeting Minutes

Minutes

Members Present Lynnwood Andrews, Craig Layne, Peg Merrens, Alex Gottlieb, Cody Williams (on Zoom)
Guests Gerry Plummer

Additional Agenda Items

Need better picture of Mural and Banner @ Dan & Whits- Cody on it.

Notice on listserv- nod to community to allow hunters to hunt on property. Even if you post, you can invite neighbors to hunt. NCC website has ample information on deer impacts on woodlands that folks can be referred to.

Public Comments for Items not on the Agenda

None in attendance

Melendy Parcel Management Plan / Sharing of History

Willing Hands wants to put up kiosks on Parcel- looks to be in line with management plan, but the Plan itself needs updating. NCC will work to update that management plan in a timely manner.

Conservation Commission Section of the Select Board Handbook

Suggestion made to clean up some grammatical errors and add “agricultural soils” to list of natural resources and conservation strategies this body is tasked to plan, promote, and implement.

NCC is interested in taking town up on offer to support town wide priority project tackling invasives. Ideation in Dec.

Town (Conservation) Priorities Projects

Invasives and Trails

Milton Frye Nature Area Subcommittee

Updates on Wildflower Project- wood chips just need to be distributed

Buckthorn and Chervil situation discussed (chemical solution has been discussed). In the forest weed wacking and mowing is happening.

Leaves in vernal pool- done

Worms discussed, but an action item for them is unclear

Potential for planting trees in Meadow- especially where it might be beneficial for mowing crew to avoid rocks.

Red Start has been paid for Chervil work and for Ompompanoosuc Work

Trails Subcommittee

Trail workday- seasonal Gile cleanup

Woody Adams trail has been cleaned

Blue Ribbon has been blazed

Short Hemlock bridge on Ballard trail

Trailwork season winding down

Signs are on all deer exclusion plots

Emerald Ash Borer Management Subcommittee

Marked 130 trees with single red or red/ blue slashes

Doug is making digital map of trees with accompanying photos.

Concentrating on heavily used roads in Norwich.

Next steps:

Recommend to Select Board with “demo” removal along lower Beaver Meadow Road at especially dangerous section of roadway.

Hire contractor to remove trees

Also recommending tree on Elm street.

Bids have been solicited from Chippers and Thomson. Questions on who will provide traffic control and cost/ necessity of removal, chipping vs felled and left in situ.

$12,000 in EAB fund, but more will be needed.

Agenda item needs to be submitted 11/20/2024

Potential listserv posting reminding folks about issue and what can done about it.

There is a potential for releasing a parasitic wasp trail on Gile Mt./ Woody Adams- no EAB could be found on those sites. Delaying release for 1 year.Stephen Long interested in joining EAB subcommittee, and forms will be sent his way.

Approval of September Meeting Minutes

Mike-moves to approve minutes

Alex- 2nds

Passes unanimously.