The
Wild & Scenic Study Committee
Meeting Minutes –
Present: Anthony Irving, Linda Krause, Nathan Frohling, David Bingham, Roger Dill, Sue Merrow, John Rozum. NPS - Kevin Case, Jamie Fosburgh
Absent: Larry Reitz, Sally Snyder, Walter Smith, Eric Belt, Randy Dill, Brad Parker, Bill Koch.
All agreed the open house went very well. An estimated 150 people attended. The map and text displays were well received and all felt should continue to be used over the next few months in advance of town meeting votes. It was clear public reaction was very positive, as well it was recognized there were a few attendees who raised concerns. Some attendees advocated our recommendations be stronger. There were many insightful questions and comments during the presentations. However it does not appear the comments will cause substantive changes to the draft management plan content or recommendations. The Committee commended Wendy Goodfriend and Paul Woodworth at the Conservation District for their work on maps and displays along with Dan Hubbard and Jeff Zanelli for their leadership on public relations and media.
a. Final Plan Production
Almost all final comments have been incorporated into 2nd draft. We are still waiting for final comments from CT DEP. It not anticipated that there will substantive changes to the management recommendations at this point. Most remaining changes will focus on refining and clarifying the document. Once all comments are incorporated a final version will be produced with photos and maps prior to the town meetings.
b. Obtaining Final Endorsements
The Committee showed great appreciation to all six land use
commissions that have endorsed the management plan as a draft document. It
was agreed an endorsement of the final version with consistent endorsement
language from all six commissions will strengthen our case to Congress in
the final Study Report. Case will work with others to pursue and obtain such
final endorsements. Lyme Inland Wetlands has already provided such an endorsement.
It was also agreed it would be helpful to get endorsements from the Boards
of Selectman in each community. The East Haddam Selectmen have already endorsed
the plan. Case and
c. Pursuing Implementation – especially Tier One.
It was recognized that after town meetings, assuming the results are positive, there will be a need to ensure momentum is not lost in beginning the process to implement the management plan. To achieve continued momentum the Study Committee agreed that it would disband soon after town meeting votes are completed and the establishment of the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Coordinating Committee as described in the management plan would immediately be pursued. It was recognized the town land use commissions have been working very hard on the management plan and after final endorsements are hopefully achieved they should get a break prior to our re-engaging them to work on the tier one management tools. In the interim we will sustain a strong communication link with the commissions to keep them apprised of our progress and our intentions as we move forward. It was also clear the Committee felt National Park Service staff support will be critical to sustaining momentum over the next 8-12 months.
a. Setting Dates
It was agreed that it is important to sustain momentum after
the recent publicity and community energy surrounding the success of the open
house. As such, the Committee plans to immediately pursue scheduling of town
meeting votes in each of the three towns. It is hoped that a vote could be
completed in at least one community prior to the holidays, possibly in Lyme.
Case and
b. Outreach/Promotion
A combined effort of the Eightmile Outreach and Education Subcommittee and the Eightmile Coalition with support from Dan Hubbard, Jeff Zanelli and the Conservation District will all be used to implement the needed outreach for promoting town meetings and encouraging citizen participation. It was agreed a 2-page newsletter should be produced as the mailer to all local households to announce the meeting date, time and location and provide the background necessary for all townspeople to participate in the vote.
c. Meeting Structure
A motion has been drafted that will be forwarded to each Board of Selectmen to review and finalize. At the Town Meeting the motion will be made and then discussion will ensue. We anticipate we’ll provide a very brief 5-10 minute verbal summary of the Wild & Scenic Study and the importance of the town meeting vote. It was agreed that we would install the maps and text board displays from the open house a few days to a week prior to the town meeting vote so residents could come in and learn more about the study prior to the vote taking place.
a. Proposed Designated Watercourses
The Committee reviewed for final determination what watercourses would specifically be recommended for Wild & Scenic Designation. The Committee recognized the specific watercourses proposed for designation need to be consistent with ensuring the best protection for the watershed system while ensuring no undo burden is placed on local landowners. There was significant discussion regarding the federal review role on designated water courses. This topic needed further clarification before a determination of an appropriate recommendation could be made. The Committee will continue to discuss this at the next meeting.
Meeting Adjourned
Submitted K. Case