The Eightmile River
Wild & Scenic Study Committee
Meeting Minutes September 22, 2003, East Haddam Grange Hall
Present: Nathan Frohling, Peter Sielman, Michael Ott, Sally Snyder, Anthony Irving, Walter Smith, Linda Krause, David Tiffany, David Bingham (5:30pm), Bill Koch (5:50pm); NPS Jamie Fosburgh, Kevin Case
Absent: Susan Merrow, Eric Belt, Jon Morris
1) Meeting called to order at 5:10 PM
2) Minutes of August 25, 2003 approved.
3a) Outreach and Education Subcommittee report Smith reported. Subcommittee is ready to start planning next round of public meetings, but needs more direction from Study Committee. The subcommittee feels that in order to get meaningful feedback from the public we will we need both comprehensive information on the outstanding resource values and also significant information regarding the possible management strategies being considered to protect those resources. Discussion ensued as to how much management information will be ready to discuss with the public by early spring. It may be that the management discussion is focused on management process and principles. The subcommittee asks for two months notice regarding when the public meetings will take place to allow sufficient time to organize and promote. It was felt the towns have to take a strong leading role in these next public meetings. Community grassroots leadership is critical at this point. It was agreed the Study Committee meeting minutes and calendar of meeting dates will be posted on the website. The table top display spent a weekend at the East Haddam Fair and is now with Anthony Irving. Case will look into having the brochure printed. Irving and Case will meet with East Haddam and Colchester planners. Landowner outreach strategy is being planned and will be implemented after next round of public meetings. A hike with Bill Moorhead is being planned for October 18. A bumper sticker is in the works. Creative ideas welcome.
3b) Cultural/Historical Subcommittee Case reported that he, Krause and Merrow met with State Archaeologist Nick Bellantoni. He provided us with substantial information to develop a strong argument for archaeology as an Outstanding Resource Value (ORV), primarily because the Eightmile Watershed provides an exemplary array of archaeological time periods. He lent us a copy of a National Historic Register application for the lower CT River area that may provide much of the information we will need to make the argument. Fosburgh offered to contact a landscape historian to discuss how we can move forward on developing an argument for the uniqueness of the Eightmile landscape. A new subcommittee chair is needed.
3c) Natural Resources Subcommittee Case provided a brief update on progress. A water quantity summary has been drafted and distributed for review by the subcommittee. The subcommittee would like to move forward and retain Piotr Parasiewicz to perform a mesohabsim study beginning in 04. This will require using up to $20,000 from the existing Study Committee budget to do so. A motion was made and passed unanimously to allocate up to $20,000 of Study Committee funds for such an effort.
3d) Management Subcommittee Frohling reported a meeting was held with NRCS to discuss retaining their services for the municipal regulation review work. They came back with a scope of work with a cost of $6,500 that will be matched by the same amount by NRCS. A motion was made To provide NRCS up to $6,500, with some minor changes regarding the need for more detail surrounding the analysis and assessment of the effectiveness of the regulations reviewed. Sielman 1st, Bingham 2nd. Approved unanimously. Frohling will finalize. A Management Subcommittee workplan has been drafted and review has started with a deadline to complete by next meeting on October 26. Meeting schedule is set and will continue to be an hour and fifteen minutes before regular Study Committee meetings.
4) Old Business It was noted the Study Tasks Timeline was distributed via email. Also Frohling has a call into Congressman Simmons to set up a meeting.
5a) New Business Maureen VanDerStaad has resigned from the Study Committee. Irving is working on getting a replacement from the East Haddam Land Trust.
6) Next meeting date October 27, 2003 5:00pm, Lyme Town Offices.
Meeting adjourned 7:00 PM
Submitted K. Case