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Lamoine Conservation Commission Minutes

August 8, 2007

Present from the Commission were Fred Stocking, Chair, Bob Pulver, Donna Theall, Carol Korty and Lynda Tadema-Wielandt .

Attendees: Joan Strout - associate, Nancy Pochan -alternate, Annie Crisafulli, Lucia Michielli and Ken Smith.

The meeting began at 7:02.

  1. Membership – Tom Spruce will no longer serve on the Commission. So there is an opening on the Commission. Consideration of Minutes – There was no business meeting in July, instead the LCC presented a talk by State Representative Rob Eaton on “Balancing Interests in the Intertidal Zone.” Minutes from May were not available due to Secretary's computer crash.
  2. Recycling Committee – Nancy Pochan announced that the compost bin purchase this year had been very successful with 29 bins and 10 scrap buckets sold. Others who had help distribute the items at the Lamoine Transfer Station said that a number of townfolks had stopped by to ask what this was about and could they have one. We explained what they had to do and that we would be purchasing them again next year. We'll have an article for the Lamoine Quarterly in early October informing readers how they can obtain them. Suggested to increase the price of the bins in order to provide some money for LCC and its activities. Suggestion to prepare a brochure about the Lamoine Conservation Commission to have available for distribution with bins and buckets next year. Discussion regarding logo sources. Some research will be done on options.
  3. Freshwater Initiative – Carol Korty reported on her meeting with John Peckenham and Teresa Thornton (see attached). John Peckenham is interested in having a fall presentation on the GET WET! Program that would include the school children involved in the testing.

Carol also mentioned a Community Planning Grant that is due April 4, 2008. Will check on the feasibility of applying for it to study reclamation of grandfathered closed gravel pits. There is a $2500 matching requirement with a maximum grant of $10,000.

  1. Planning Board and Selectfolk concerns – Carol Korty stated that the Planning Board wants to require open space regardless of whether parcels are divided. If one owner develops 6 lots and subsequently develops another 6 lots, and they are contiguous, it is still considered one parcel, and there must be an open space. Lynda TW will attend the October 2 Planning Board meeting.
  2. Listening to the concerns of those attending – Joan Strout: Steve Perrin called her after the meeting of July 11. He has prepared a program concerning coastal issues in this area and is presenting it at the Taunton Bay Education Center on October 5 th . Several who had visited the center encouraged others to do so.

Nancy Pochan said that Antonio Blasi of Hancock has managed to get Bangor Hydro to agree to use only metal poles and not do any spraying over the aquifer. We will ask Antonio for a copy of the letter he sent and send our own to Bangor Hydro reiterating our needs and requesting the same.

Nancy also asked why the LCC doesn't get a line item on the budget. Fred Stocking indicated that we have been able to do what we need to do without having monies allocated to us.

7. Intertidal Areas and next steps - Fred Stocking presented his notes regarding the very well attended meeting on July 11 on the topic of intertidal interests and concerns (see attached). He also mentioned that the Skillings River had had several areas closed to extraction of clams, mussels, etc. due to contamination. Richard Fennelly, Selectman, decided to look into the matter, and found that the contamination was fecal matter from runoff. He learned that the State's Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has no funds to find out the sources of pollution. The Selectmen's meeting on August 9 will be addressing the pollution issue. Fred suggests that Lamoine establish a “watch” where discovered areas of contamination can be quickly evaluated and remediation can take place promptly.

There was mention of a group of interested town residents in further discussion of intertidal zone issues. More on that after their first meeting.

8. Contact with Parks Committee – A joint meeting is wanted by both groups, but it has been very difficult to do. Fred and Kerry Galeaz will keep trying.

9. Association of Conservation Commissions and October event – Bob Shafto, the person trying to get Maine conservation commissions to unite on similar issues, contacted Fred and encouraged LCC to join. He has contacted 49 conservation commissions. Plans several regional meetings to talk about MEACC and services. Bar Harbor is planning to hold a meeting either on October 15 or 29 at 6:30, at the MDI High School . It will be a summit of conservation commissions and planning boards to display and present projects being worked on.

10.  Consideration of Fall schedule/presentations – Suggestions: Global warming at the town level. We have experts in the area. Belfast has an initiative to reduce carbon in their town. Bob Kates and Ted Koffman are good resources on this topic.

The meeting adjourned at 9:07.

Respectfully submitted by Lynda Tadema-Wielandt .

Reviewed and accepted on September 12, 2007 by a vote of 4 to 0.

/S/ Fred Stocking, Chair