Bradford Conversation Commission (BCC)
Meeting Minutes
December 18, 2018 — 7 pm
Brown Memorial Library
Members and alternates present: Judith Ann Eldridge, Scott MacLean, Doug Southard, George Beaton, Seth Benowitz, Nathanial Bruss, Meg Fearnley, Brooks McCandlish
Minutes of 11/20/2018 were approved as amended by Scott and posted on Town website by Meg.
Treasurer’s report: Treasurer Meg reported that as of 12/18/18 there was still $472 from the 2018 budget. Nathanial reported that John McDonald has chosen to donate the planks he supplied for the Bog boardwalk repairs and will not be submitting an invoice. Brooks moved and others seconded that the remaining balance of the Conservation Commission budget be placed in the Forest Maintenance Fund (per RSA36-A:5, I) to be expended on beaver deceiver improvements in 2019
Trails: Doug Southard has been reviewing the Bradford Open Space Trail Plan prepared by CNHRPC with help from the CC. The CC discussed potential extensions to the network of hiking trails, including a southern route running from Mt Sunapee to Mt Kearsarge, passing over the hills in south Bradford and northerly through the Mink Hills in Warner, using the portions of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and other trails as well as class 6 roads, and connecting protected parcels such as Pillsbury/Sunapee Highlands, Bradford Springs, Aiken Pasture, Low SF, Blitzer Easement, Herman-Chandler SF, Chandler Res, Warner TF, Kearsarge Gore Farm, Kearsarge SF, Black Mt SF. Members of the SRK Greenway group have expressed interest in the development of this
ATV Use of Public roads: The Friends of the Minks have been working on several proposed pieces of legislation to propose for the 2019 session.
1. Requiring abutter notification and a public hearing before ATVs are permitted on Class 6 and other town roads.
2. To fund an impact study considering economic and other impacts of ATVs in the north country
3. To develop a State Master Plan for ATVs
Class 6 Roads: Doug and Brooks will review Bradford’s current ordinances relating to Class 6 Roads and develop recommendations for updates and improvements.
Climate Change: The current state of science regarding the potential impactsof climate change to the forests and ecology of Bradford was discussed. The planet is warming, apparently accelerating pace. Just how that will affect the climate of different regions is less certain. Climatologists predict that in the coming decades, New England may experience shorter winter seasons and increased average annual precipitation, possibly concentrated in stronger storm events, with floods alternating with droughts. Just how the changing climate will affect complex forest ecosystems is even more uncertain, depending on the interplay of weather with insects, other animals, diseases and other factors on the trees and other flora. The best advice for managing forests in response to potential changes at this time may be to promote resilience by encouraging a diversity of species. Infrastructure should be designed to withstand more frequent large storms.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm
Submitted by Brooks McCandlish