CONSERVATION COMMISSION:
Term Expires
Alan Haumann, Chairman 2013
John Kristensen 2013
Bevin Quinn 2013
Mary Ellen Franklin 2010
Linda Hecker 2010
Robert Stack 2011
William Jewell 2012
James Young 2012
CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE 3rd THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 7:00 PM.
Guilford Conservation Commission Minutes
December 17, 2009
Meeting called to order at Guilford Town Offices at 7:05 pm
Attending: Al Haumann, Bill Jewell, Dick Clark, Linda Hecker, Jim
Young, visitor: Sarah Quine 257 4862 (Sarah does not have email)
Not present:,Jean Seymour, John Kristensen, Bevan Quinn
Official meeting was preceded by informal talk regarding Planning
Commissions’s work on zoning.
MaryEllen Franklin submitted a letter of resignation. We can appoint
our guest Sarah Quine as an interim member of commission, filling
MaryEllen’s position, until March, when re-elections are held. Sarah
has an interest in antiques and old roads, and is willing to help with
the old roads research.
Next walk: Rosten Road, January 17, 2010 1 pm. Meet at Grange to
arrange car pooling between Campbell’s Road off Sweet’s Pond and
the Green River. Bring snowshoes or skis if appropriate and dress for
the weather.
Ancient Roads
Bill mentioned that the rules about old roads were changed last year to
require more details about the precise location of road and references
to them in the town records. Dick and Al have been compiling the results
of their research.
Bill and Katie attended a mapping tutorial with Jeff Nugent. When using
digitized maps, pointing to the starting point of a road will yield
coordinates. They discovered a number of roads were privately funded,
often to provide access to a wood lot or farmland, and some of those
wound up as town roads.
Dick talked to Tom Rosten, Hanna-Laura’s son, about a road that runs
from Sweet’s Pond Road and winds up near Stage Road on Green River
Road. That would be a “new” road that we haven’t walked yet. We
agreed to focus our energies on currently identified roads, but keep
open the option for adding this road in the future.
Next steps:
Al will talk to Jeff Nugent soon to download all the GPS data we’ve
collected.
Dick suggests Al talk to Jeff to clarify the easiest way to handle this
process.
Al, Bill, Dick and Sarah will continue road research in old town
records
Bill and Katie will convert the old records into modern measurements
and give this info to Jeff.
Preparation for town report
Budget
Projected expenses: public meetings about road status; public warning;
certified letters to abutters, maps, etc. Our rough estimate: $1000
Town report: we edited last year’s report:
Meeting adjourned at 8:05
Linda Hecker, clerk
Guilford Conservation Commission
The next walk: Corner Road to Colrain Sun Nov 8 1 pm meet at Stark
Cemetery on Green River Road
If anyone can join a small group Tues 10/20 at 9 a.m. at Town Office to
discuss details relating to Ancient Roads requirements, that would be
helpful. We expect Bill Jewell and Dick Clark to be there.
Guilford Conservation Commission Minutes
October 15, 2009
Meeting called to order at Guilford Town Offices at 7:05
Attending: Al Haumann, Dick Clark, Jim Young, Linda Hecker, John
Kristensen,
Not present: Jeanne Seymour, Bill Jewell, Maryellen Franklin, Bevan
Quinn
Ancient Roads: Al asked Dick what the GCC needs to do to support town
in preparing for Ancient Roads mapping. Tuesday, 10/20 Bill Jewell,
Katie Buckley, and Dick will meet at Town Office to review what needs to
be done to officially place roads, trails, rights of way on the town
highway map. Everyone else is welcome. At our next GCC meeting we will
review what needs to happen. Katie tried to contact Mr. Craft, of state
highway dept in Montpelier, but hasn’t yet been able. It appears that
the original procedure to identify ancient roads and put them on the map
has become more complicated and may require additional documentation.
John K. suggests that roads we want to reclaim be dealt with using
easements, rather than the more complex procedure of re-establishing
roads through hearings.
Guilford 250th:: Linda suggests scheduling guided walks during the
year, to cover areas with natural resources. We will also create a
flyer that shows those areas and recreational areas.
Walks: We should focus on any remaining roads we want to put on the
highway map.
Corner Road in southwest corner, going to Halifax, Colrain.
Nov. 8 1:00 pm Meet at Stark Cemetery off Green River Road.
John K. reported on communication with Jeff Shields about access to the
waterfalls and ledges on his land. While he is living close to Vt Law
School, Mr. Shields prefers not to open his property to the public, but
when he moves back to Guilford he may consider it more favorably.
Meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm
Linda Hecker, clerk
Guilford Conservation Commission
♣
The Guilford Conservation Commission regular meeting is this Thursday, Oct 17 at 7 pm at the Town Office.
We will review our last walk, plan future walks, and catch up on other business.
Please bring ideas for Guilford 250th celebration guided walks.
♣
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Guilford Conservation Commission Minutes
July 16, 2009
Meeting called to order at Guilford Town Offices at 7:07 pm
Attending: Jeanne Seymour, Dick Clark, Linda Hecker, John Kristensen, Jim Young, Al Haumann
special guest: Addie Minott
Not present: Bevan Quinn, Maryellen Franklin, Bill Jewell
250th celebration:
Addie Minott brought 1977 Guilford maps with roads numbered as they were before the 911 road naming. We can use them to mark sites of historic/natural history.
She also brought a draft of a map with sites of historic interest from 1998, finalized in 2001. It has sites recognized by the state and nationally. Jeff Nugent created it with 5th and 6th grade students of Margaret Dale Barrand of Guilford School.. Addie would like to print them at reasonable cost in time for the 250th anniversary.
We talked about adding sites of natural history/conservation/recreation interest such as Weekes Forest
snowmobile trails
riding trails
savannah on Governor’s Mtn
trails on Wild Turkey Rd
Slate quarries
Weeks Forest demonstration forest
Mill sites
Wetlands, ponds, fishing and swimming
We reported back on walks for the 250th anniversary: We could include driving tours, perhaps, for those who can’t walk easily.
- Burrows Plain to Green River
- Green River to Jelly Mill
- Guilford Center, including school house, meeting house, biggest tree
- Abijah Prince Road, including Noyes cellar hole
- Algiers: Christ Church, old buildings, Melendy Hill
Ancient Roads: We need to reschedule the Rubenstein-Sweets Pond walk because only 2 people came on July 12, and none had a GPS. It might be better to walk in winter on snowshoes because of the swamp and tangled underbrush. We’ll aim for December.
Al suggested we walk the newly developed access road under the VELCO high tension power lines. The gravel road bed is temporary, to allow machines to access and clear the power cut, and will be removed after their work is completed. New federal rules require separate poles for reliability purposes, so the power cut has to be expanded and better maintained.
Proposed Walks til end of year:
August 23: top of Cemetery Hill to Rubensteins. Park at top of Cemetery Hill. Park cars at both ends.
Sept: Start top of Cemetery Road past Higley’s to fairgrounds
Oct: power cut starting off Butternut Hill road, request to park at Tim Franklin’s son, ending at Evan’s on Guilford Ctr Road (leave a car there)
Nov: Miller Road from Ashworth
Dec: Rubenstein to Sweets Pond
We discussed an email from Giovanna Peebles asking people to attend a hearing about amending state regulations on act 250 to exclude previously unknown archeological sites from evaluation in the Act 250 process. We are generally opposed to such an exclusion, because it would limit future knowledge about archeological sites to what we already know.
Linda suggested we each take one of Addie’s maps and mark areas of interest and potential walks. At our next meeting we can share and collate them.
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm
Linda Hecker, clerk
Guilford Conservation Commission
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Guilford Conservation Commission Minutes
June 18, 2009
Meeting called to order at Guilford Town Offices at 7:05 pm
Attending: Al Haumann, Dick Clark, Bill Jewell, Linda Hecker
Not present: Jeanne Seymour, MaryEllen Franklin, Jim Young, John Kristensen, Bevan Quinn
Al said the town’s administrative assistant has offered to post our GCC minutes on the town website. We should also post notice of our walks so others can join us. Email messages to: guilfordadmnasst@comcast.net
Old Roads:
Dick asked Bill to join him to search evidence that the East Mountain road we walked was discontinued. Al mentioned that he can’t locate the book containing town meeting and select board minutes from mid-20’s through early 40’s. We need it to determine if some of our designated roads were officially discontinued. Many bridges were washed out in 27/28 and again in 37/38. Dick will search for the book.
Next walk: July 12 1:30- start from Rubinsteins, to Sweets Pond Road, and loop around to Old County Road. Park at Meridel’s driveway.
250th anniversary
- Map of historic and natural history, recreation areas: Assignment for next meeting: bring your personal list areas you’d like to put on map
- Guided tours: Bring your list of 3 top walking tours
- Packer Corners: Noyes cellar holes, Burrows Plain cemetery, to Green River
- Weatherhead Hollow bypass with historic marker
- Back side of Governor’s Mountain
- Weeks Forest
- Algiers village
- Brochure of self-guided tours – involve Jen Kramer’s class in writing descriptions
- Shepherdson’s Cemetery: Dick says there’s state money available to restore ancient cemeteries
Meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.
Linda Hecker, clerk
Guilford Conservation Commission