The Eightmile River
Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee
Meeting Minutes – April 23, 2007, Salem Town Hall
Present: Eric Belt, Barbara Bloomberg (replacing Rob Smith), Linda Bireley, David Bingham, Roger Dill, Gloria Fogarty, Nathan Frohling, Damon Hearne, Ralph Lewis, Parker Lord, Sue Merrow, Linda Schroeder, and Sally Snyder.
1. Call to Order – 5:00 PM
2. Acceptance of March 23, 2007 Meeting Minutes – David Bingham motioned to approve the minutes of the March 23 meeting after comments were made to correct two spelling errors – the first was on page 1, with the spelling of Sally Snyder’s name and the second was on page two, correcting in line one the word “lunch” to “launch” The motion was seconded by Eric Belt and carried unanimously by the group.
3. The next Committee meeting will be held Monday, May 21, 2007 at 5PM at the Lyme Town Hall.
4. Nathan Frohling gave a 20 minute report summarizing recent events in Washington regarding passage of House of Representatives bill # 986. Nathan gave ten minutes of testimony to the Hearing Committee, justifying the request for Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Designation. The Hearing Committee had no questions for Nathan.
One staffer of the House subcommittee research review team noted a discrepancy in reports describing the approval process in East Haddam, and challenged the accuracy of the final reported number of approval votes at their Town Meeting. Though efforts were made to research and clarify the issue, the accuracy of the final vote was not resolved; however, this point did not seem to affect the outcome on the vote to move bill #986 forward for future action by the full House and ultimately, by the Senate. A May date is anticipated for a hearing by the Senate. Also, of note, Rob Bishop challenged Joe Courtney and the National Park Service to explain the language of Section 6 which deals with preventing the Federal Government from using Condemnation Proceedings to secure land for a project. It was noted that the current language of the bill gives land owners strong protection of their rights to retain use of their property. Jamie Fosburgh sent a follow-up memo to interested parties addressing this issue.
5. Subcommittee reports:
Outreach and Education subcommittee met 4/10/07 to discuss the process of organizing a full watershed mailing announcing the new web-site. Samples of the proposed modified product were shared with the group. The goal is to have a finished project ready for mailing by the last week in May; hopefully, this will be two weeks after the Web site is online, has been tested and “kinks” worked out by our staff. It was also discussed and later decided to postpone a press release regarding progress on House bill #986 until after voting process has been completed.
Tool Implementation subcommittee has not had a meeting, though one is scheduled during May to work on planning for our Summit meeting. Efforts continue to promote passage of the Riparian Corridor Overlay zone, with reports that Lyme has made appropriate modifications in their efforts to gain public acceptance; Salem’s Public Hearing on the issue is scheduled for June 19, 2007.
Gloria Fogarty alerted the group about a proposed DOT condemnation of land in Salem to mitigate wetlands. David Bingham has agreed to research the topic for updates and recommendations. The discussion of this issue led to acknowledgment of the need for our group to develop a formal policy to structure our responses to such proposals. It was reported that Jamie Fosburgh and the National Park Service advise that it is appropriate for us to comment on state projects, to support political activities focused upon such projects and to write official position letters. It is not appropriate for us to hire lobbyists. It might be helpful for us to attain official 501-C3 IRS status to clarify our rights and responsibilities in this area. Damon is to research this topic for the next meeting.
Monitoring and Research subcommittee has reviewed Dr. Parasiewicz’ report. There are some typos to correct, and most of the graphs and maps have been approved. Appendix I is to be amended to add roads and coordinates to river maps for easier use by the community. There is intent to add a Glossary, a listing of flow values at certain points and to separate hypothetical from conclusive graphs and data. An electronic version of the report is available. Linda Bierley is to research the topic of how to facilitate local use of the data by Land Use Commissions.
Questions about Phase III dealt with the importance of making the product user-friendly. We will be looking for input from GPS people, possible USGS individuals, Damon, Tony and Nathan for proposals and ideas to insure we get the most use out of this report. It is acknowledged that the report is a challenge to interpret and to implement. The group considered various sources for assistance in this area.
A State bill has been proposed which would authorize the expenditure of approximately $500,000 to support three basin studies of water flow models; Sue Merrow is to check on the status of this bill and report back to this group. Damon is to determine if Dr. Parasiecicz’ report includes raw data, and if not, how can we access such information for our use. Individuals who work on the Pomparaug River Project are a possible source of advice and guidance for us.
David Bingham will be reviewing the first draft revision of the East Haddam Plan of Conservation & Development as will the East Haddam Land Trust. There is specific interest in the management of dirt roads and the impact of uncontrolled water run offs would could affect watershed areas.
Meeting adjourned, 6:35PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Gloria Fogarty,
Secretary