The Eightmile River

Wild & Scenic Study Committee

 

Meeting Minutes – November 22, 2004, Lyme Town Hall

Present: David Bingham, David Tiffany, Walter Smith, Anthony Irving, Sally Snyder, Sue Merrow, Linda Krause, Eric Belt.  NPS – Kevin Case

Absent: Larry Reitz, John Rozum, Brad Parker, Randy Dill, Jamie Fosburgh, Nathan Frohling, Bill Koch

1)                  Meeting called to order at 5:05 PM

2)                  Minutes of October 25, 2004 meeting approved unanimously.

3)                  Subcommittee Reports:

a.       Cultural/Recreational –

Case reported all the comments on the draft Cultural Landscape report have been submitted to UMASS for incorporation into the final document.  Management recommendations are being draft and will be included in the final report.  Bingham questioned the National Register of Historic Places designation for Salem Street and what it meant.  Case will look into.  Outreach is well underway for the Dec. 9 UMASS presentation.  Postcards have been mailed and press releases will be sent out in the next few days. 

b.       Management –

The subcommittee has a number of very important meetings over the next month.  On Dec. 2 and Dec. 16 there will be extended meetings held to discuss the threat analysis and the gap analysis being conducted by the Management Subcommittee.  Upon completion of those meetings the Committee will have finalized two major components of the management plan and will be focusing on identifying the specific management recommendations to address primary threats and gaps in protection.  Krause suggested we should look beyond CT and get an idea of the most progressive watershed conservation planning tools being utilized across the country.   The subcommittee is still on track to host a “summit” of land use commission members in February.  Bingham suggested it might be helpful to have discussion with each town board rather than as a group because recommendations might be specific to just their town.  It was recognized that the subcommittee wanted to gather all the towns together at once to convey to them they are all working together on this and to be successful in protecting this watershed the town commissions must realize the common bond in what they do.  It was recognized their may be some funding needed for the next fiscal year by the subcommittee.  It will come back next meeting with a FY’05 funding request. 

Irving and Case also reported that they met with Planimetrics, a planning consulting firm in Avon, to discuss the growth study.  Planimetrics felt it was not a huge project and could probably be accomplished with a literature review and mapping exercise using primarily census data and tax assessor data.  Irving and Case plan to talk to a few more experts about the proposed effort.  Case has also asked the GIS staff to look into the census data mapping and the calculation of previous population growth rates.

c.       Outreach & Education –

Smith reported a newsletter on the geology ORV will be published next.  He mentioned the subcommittee has decided it would be advantageous to have a second display board that included the findings of the study to date and remaining actions of the Study Committee.  They will be pursuing a completed display for early 2005.  Bingham suggested another brochure may also be helpful with the same updates.  It was agreed by the committee that at some point in the spring a substantial new brochure should be created that summarizes findings and management recommendations. This could be a timeless piece that could be referred to for years and act as an important marketing tool for the town meetings.  Smith mentioned funding needs for FY ’05 will be approximately $12,000 plus the cost of this new proposed brochure.  Funding need details will be finalized at the next meeting.

d.       Natural Resources

Case reported the Natural Resources Subcommittee has made recommendations for the formal approval by the full Study Committee for three Outstanding Resource Values (ORVs).  The full Study Committee approved unanimously Water Quality (Bingham 1st, Belt 2nd), Watershed Hydrology (Bingham 1st, Smith, 2nd) and Unique Species and Natural Communities (Bingham 1st, Snyder 2nd) as Outstanding Resource Values for the purposes of determining eligibility of the Eightmile River Watershed for inclusion in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System.  Each of these ORVs has a write-up describing the reason for ORV status.  The write-ups will be finalized over the next month and posted on the website.  

There are four more potential ORVs for the Committee to consider next month.   There was discussion regarding geology and the possibility of including surficial materials as a part of the reason geology could be considered an Outstanding Resource Value.  This has not been addressed in the current draft geology document.  It will be looked into as the final draft write-up of the geology section is completed. 

4)                  Other Old Business

a.       Growth Study – Discussed under the management subcommittee.

b.       Pending Diversion Permit Renewal for Fox Hopyard Golf Course –

The Committee had consensus that the draft letter was good and provided a comprehensive review of the application.  Some final edits will be made based on input at the meeting and the letter will be submitted to DEP and the applicant.  Irving will include a cover note and phone call to the applicant to convey our position as not being an advocate on this application, while at the same time making clear the Committee’s strong interest in the uniqueness of the natural hydrology of the watershed as an Outstanding Resource Value. 

5)           New Business –

a.  Case recommended the Committee pursue legislation in the next CT legislative session starting in January.  The effort would focus on getting legislative support for Wild & Scenic designation and a commitment that the CT DEP will be a cooperating partner in the long-term management of the Eightmile River Watershed.    The language used for the Farmington River designation 11 years ago will be largely followed.  The Study Committee supported doing this.  Case will work with Merrow to get it underway. 

b.  Snyder noted a new DEP Commissioner will be taking office in the next few weeks.

c. Bingham brought up the idea of using the soon to be abandoned Salem Library as an office for the Study and if designated the post designation Committee.  There was interest in learning more.  The Committee also noted that if office space were being pursued then effort should be made into finding something as centrally located as possible.  Bingham will look more into Richard Joaquindetails associated with cost.

d. Merrow noted the CT League of Conservation Voters have their annual gathering to form next year’s legislative agenda on Dec. 1 at 8:30 am at the Boathouse in Hartford.

e. Smith noted that the NRCS WHIP Program (Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program) has doubled its budget for the coming year.  It was suggested we should communicate with them about the potential for funding support for the mesoHABISIM study.  Case will pursue.

6)           Next Meeting Date – Monday, January 3, 2005, 5pm, Salem Town Offices

Meeting adjourned 7:00 PM

Submitted K. Case