Campton Conservation Commission
 Meeting Minutes
July 11, 2011; 7:30pm
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Members Present: Jane Kellogg, Jules Doner, Alisoun Hodges, Tammy Wooster
1. June Minutes:
Jane made a motion to accept the June meeting minutes. Jules seconded the motion, and all were in favor.
2. Welcome Alisoun:
Jane took a moment to recognize and officially welcome our newest member Alisoun Hodges, who was sworn in by Hannah July 10th  , and to introduce her to Jules who had not yet met Alisoun. Tammy said that she was waiting for Alisoun’s membership to become official and will now contact Beverly to have Alisoun’s name and contact information added to the CCC Web page and to remove other outdated information.
3. Bog Pond Initiative:
Jane reported receipt of another Bog Pond outreach return letter. The respondent checked three of the four boxes on the return postcard. Jules was briefly brought up to date on the Bog Pond initiative since he was unable to attend the July 3rd work session at Jane’s house. Prior to the work session Tammy had spoken with NH Fish & Game Biologist Emily Brunkhurst about the possibility of speaking to a landowner group about the Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) relative to the Bog Pond area. Emily said that WAP workshops were typically tailored for conservation groups and town planners working on a full town conservation plan but did not rule out the possibility and would consider the idea after meeting with the CC to narrow its focus.
Emily inquired about Campton’s Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) and asked whether it incorporated the WAP to which we have since learned that it was completed prior to 2006. Emily suggested that reviewing Campton’s NRI together to see how it aligns with the WAP would be a good starting point. Emily also spoke of the Taking Action for Wildlife initiative which is a collaborative project between NH Fish & Game and the UNH Cooperative Extension to assist communities, conservation groups and landowners in conserving wildlife and habitats in NH. Emily will be meeting with this group in July and will mention the CC’s Bog Pond initiative. She said that she envisions someone from the group wanting to meet with us to help develop a Bog Pond conservation plan with a landowner outreach component. If successful this effort could be detailed on the Taking Action for Wildlife website for other towns to emulate. Emily asked the CC to come up with some potential meeting dates in late July or Early August and asked Tammy to forward the Bog Pond Outreach letter.
At the July 3rd work session the CCC met to review the WAP together and to view Ron Reynold’s successful attempt at downloading the Campton WAP GIS map and overlaying it onto the town’s tax map. Since that time Ron had requested a digital copy of the Campton maps which Jane reported she received along with the WAP data files. At the work session the group agreed that a meeting with Emily and/or a Cooperative Extension representative just prior to our regular Aug 8th business meeting would be ideal. Tammy left a message with Emily to propose this meeting date and we are awaiting a return call. In the meantime, the CCC hopes to meet informally with the landowners who responded to our outreach letter. Jane suggested we meet at Bog Pond to discuss past and potential wildlife sightings, and to provide an update of our WAP review and discussion with Emily. Jane added that Pat Barker stands ready to host a meeting at her house on August 17th but it seems unlikely we will be ready at that time.
Alisoun mentioned that she had just participated in a bat survey with Forest Service Biologist Clara Weloth who said she is willing to talk to a group about Bog Pond Biology. All agreed that this is an exciting new project which is likely to be long term and multi-phased.
3. BWNA:
a. Nature Nights:
E-mail feedback from Audrey Eisenhauer revealed a successful first Nature Night at the BWNA which was attended by a couple of families. Audrey said that the Rey Center press release announcing the program did not make it into the Record Enterprise in time for the first Nature Night but hopes the next publication will attract other attendees. Jane will e-mail Audrey asking for some brochures to post at the Town office and the BWNA kiosk. Tammy said she saw the program advertised in a Rey Center Summer Event booklet.
b. Bridge Repair:
Jules reported that he had noticed some bridge work needed on a recent visit to BWNA and subsequently returned and completed the repairs. The bridge had two missing and two cracked boards. Jules added that the bridge log underpinnings are pithy at the nail hole sites likely due to water seeping in and will eventually need replacing. Tammy said she would ask her husband to look into replacement possibilities. Jules wondered if this would be a potential high school woodshop project, and Jane recollected that a significant lead time was required the last time the school was involved. All agreed that it would be better to budget for the work and enlist volunteer help.
While at the BWNA Jules also noticed a tree overhanging the trail at the entrance and wondered if it should be cut. The tree is living and is hanging at a height that doesn’t block the trail so it will be left as is. Jane said there is another tree that does need addressing which is partially blocking the trail where it bends to the left just before the bench. Jane thought the crown could easily be lopped off and Jules offered to do the work.
c. Leah Gray:
Jane had a recent conversation with Leah’s neighbor Roger Demers who looks after Leah’s home and said that he was unable to reach Leah. Jane called Leah in Concord and learned that she was having health problems and is missing not being here for the summer. She may try to come up for a short visit and has had offers to facilitate this, including one from Jane. Leah asked how the Nature Night program was going and Jane filled her in on what she knew.
4. Mail
The CCC received a letter from the UNH Cooperative Extension seeking 25 applicants for the 2012 Coverts Cooperators Workshop. Jane highly recommended the 3 1/2 day program that she and Melissa have attended in past years where they were able to network and accumulate a large volume of resource materials. The program runs Oct. 3rd through Oct 6th and the application deadline remains open until full. For more information visit www.NHCoverts.org
5. FYI:
Jules got some groundwater brochures from the book shelf to restock the Mad River Tavern supply. Alisoun will be attending the next Livermore Falls Stakeholders meeting on July 18th. She sent an RSVP to Shelagh Conelly who asked if we would also invite Chief Warn to attend.  Jane said that she mentioned the meeting to a Campton officer who took down the information.
Meeting adjourned
8:45pm; Next meeting August 8, 2012, 7:30pm
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Respectfully submitted,
Tammy Wooster