November 10, 2003 Conservation Commission Meeting

Present: Lars, Sharon, Me, Kristian, Tom

Agenda:

Trail update

Fundraising

Budget

Trails

Libby’s look in great shape, good for this winter. Still needs blazing and signs, a little erosion control work.

Tom reported on his site visit with the VAST guys on 10/25. They’re excited about doing the work, will call it a safety project and put it in as a major project for next year. They’d widen the trail, which means some trees will need to come out. Tom went over it with them and wasn’t bothered by this. Overall, longterm, it would improve the trail. VAST trail through there could become a nice corridor, might be used for mountain bikes, creates a nice loop.

Sharon’s note on VT recreational trails grant: 2004 VT Rec Trails Grant applications must be submitted by January 30, 2004 ~ $500 mini-grant or up to $3,000 competitive grant (w/20% match), for training, tools, trails (protection, development,maintenance and restoration) access improvements, trail-side and trail-head facilities, preparation of trail related maps, studies, educational materials, trail protection/easements, aquisition)

What are our specific goals with trails? After VAST & Libby’s look, we want to continue the loop around the pond. The N/S route, and the crossover between the two ponds. That’s a fairly long section, a few bridges need to go in. Working 1 Saturday a month that could take 2-3 years.

Action item: VYCC needs us to submit a proposal soon. Tom will work on this.

SB wants us to look at access/parking, but it’s still in limbo until the land transfer goes through. But at some point, someone needs to go out with them to check site distances.

Budget

SB says to level fund this year (1600)

Sharon reminded us that we have other projects to think about besides Preston Pond. There’s Keeping Track, Sara Holbrook, and the townwide conservation plan, for example, which we need to put resources into. Also issues up at Bolton Valley, and in Honey Hollow—it’s a class 3 rd., and there rumors of development, all the way up to the gate. Plus there’s a lot going on with Redstone.

(Post-meeting note: Apparently, Redstone is having a meeting this Friday, the 21. Can anyone commit to going? It looks like Lars & Kristian can’t, Tom’s a maybe. I’m a tenuous maybe. Sharon? It’s from 6-8. Where?)

Budget through 6/30/04:

We’ve spent $250 on trail tools

We’ll have expenses coming up for mailing, and for a dance if we decide to do a town dance for a fundraiser.

Allocate the rest to stewardship.

Next year:

$1000 Stewardship

$150 Townwide conservation plan.

$350 Keeping Track training. It costs $350 per person, but we could do 2 people at 50% subsidy. (A good motivator for trainees)

$100 Fundraising, administrative mailing costs

$1600 total

Fundraising

•Town Dance for a fundraiser? A good time would be soon after Town Meeting so we could publicize it. Some time in April. The Mud Ball? Would rec committee want to go in on it?

• An appeal for donations went (theoretically, anyway) into the Dec. Gazette

•Letter to Previous Donors. We didn’t really nail down any specifics about this at the meeting but it seems like if we’re serious about getting donations by the end of the year, we should get the letter out asap.