March 2025 Meeting

Mar 18th, 2025 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
  3. NCC Listserve Posts
  4. Vernal Pool Events
  5. Earth Day Tallamy Videos Event
  6. AVCC Invasive Species Network Event
  7. Emerald Ash Borer Subcommittee Report
  8. Trails Subcommittee Report
  9. Milt Frye Nature Area Subcommittee Report
  10. Blood Brook Stream Quality Assessment Reports
  11. Shoreline/Riparian Protections
  12. Approval of January and February Minutes

Minutes

Corrum set- 7 members

1. Additional Agenda Items

Discussion of possible anonymous monetary donation with specifics for use of funds.

Mission statement ought to provide relevant details.

At any time, any person can write a check to Town of Norwich (TON) with the subject line indicating "Conservation Trust Fund"

2. Public Comments

None

3. NCC Listserv Posts

Lynnwood, has posted several: eg: Early blooming plants, Bears, Amphibians, and Willows…

4. Vernal Pool Events

Cassie from UVLT is interested in partnering with NCC again (12th or 19th of April)- willing to switch to Sunday (probably not Easter).

Craig Layne’s Dartmouth classes and visiting researcher will be studying there!

“Big Night” interest? See “Hartford Salamander Team” website for inspiration.

Potentially, to limit driving, it would be good to coordinate close crossings for folks in Norwich?

Could map be pushed via listserv?

Lynnwood has urged folks not to drive via listserv

>40 and rainy may push amphibians to seek pools- but this behavior varies greatly upon topography and elevation.

Hartford Salamander Team has training videos and online data entry on their websites.

NCC will post on listserve to invite folks to “Big Night” gathering, with rendezvous point.

5. Earth Day Tallamy Videos Event

Hanover Garden Club Co-sponsor event?

Panel featuring VCE

April 22nd, 6:30-8:30 @ the Nugget theater: Homegrown National Park, Insects, Etc

Craig moves we show the even and funds be allocated, Lynnwood Seconds Passes unanimously

6. AVCC Invasive Species Network Event

May 9th, Event, Education funds available for NCC members, if any interested

7. Emerald Ash Borer Subcommittee Report

Chris;

Article passed to fund some Ash Tree damage mitigation efforts

Thursday 27th Subcommittee meeting being planned to designate how funds are going to be spent.

Process of deciding which trees will be felled will be undertaken.

Much work, and public input to come.

Community firewood is a consideration, as is “woody debris in forest” for ecological benefits.

Challenge Grant seeking donations to inoculate Ash trees on TON properties. VCE will be the

fiscal agent. $3,000 dollars raised so far.

Legal letter for TON to communicate to landowners around issue is forthcoming

Other liability issues in further need of review

Future public event in the works for “growing season”

- Craig will take lead on that with forester from Vermont Forests

Potential future parasitoid wasp release site?

Lingering Ash Public Events also in the works: set up marked plots of Ash as formal survey of population, less formal identification of % of Ash per 10 acres, then monitor for % of trees left past 95% mortality.

8. Trails Subcommittee Report

Work days:

Stone steps on Ballard Trail- May 18th

Bog Bridges- June 7th (national trails day)

Bradley Hill- July 20th

August/ September Schmidt Bog Bog Bridges/ Blue Ribbon reroute?

9. Milt Frye Nature Area Subcommittee Report

Kestrel boxes cleaned out

Looking for free woodchips- Ash woodchips would be ideal

10. Blood Brook Stream Quality Assessment Reports

Thank you Marion Cross 5th Graders! Great data. We are using this citizen science in our decisions about managing local woods and waters. If we keep listening to our natural areas, as you were able to, we’ve got a chance of stewarding them well into the future!

11. Shoreline/Riparian Protections

Stream corridor recommendations (via Redstart) aligned well with State of VT data.

VTDEC has some great resources on stream health.

Potential site on drive for passing on comments

Belt-width based corridor planning recommended throughout basin

Increase in current rainfall partnered with historical channelization is exacerbating problems of erosion and flooding

12. Approval of January and February Minutes

January Minutes- change “not use ash as firewood” change to “whenever possible use ash as firewood.”

  1. Chris- Moved
  2. Andy- Second
  3. Passes- unanimous
  4. February- Shoreline wording change
  5. Mike- Moved
  6. Alex- Second
  7. Passes- unanimous