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Conservation Commission

Conservation and More

              by Bruce B. Beckley

Issue #76, January, 2000
Trails and Warrant

Trail Tidbits

The Fall winds shook down more than the usual number of trees on the ACC trails. A map marking the blowdowns, prepared by a volunteer ridge runner, guided Commissioner Bill Wichman as he cleared all the Joe English Reservation trails. So up to last night's 30-mph gusts, the trails are ready for your winter enjoyment.

Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are welcome on all trails. No motorized use is permitted including ski-mobiles (except for a few hundred feet of the Pond Parish Trail). The Pond Parish Trail does offer 1.6 miles of relatively flat travel in attractive settings. The Joe English trails are good for snowshoes; however, care must be taken by skiers since the trails, originally developed for walking, can present challenges in steep, rocky and narrow sections.

The B&M Trail offers a four mile level round trip from its entrance on Walnut Hill Road to Baboosic Lake Road and back. The former railroad right of way leads travelers beside Weston Pond (Little Baboosic), through woods and past mixed marsh and maple swamp habitats - just tune out the sound of Route 101.

Grant applications have been submitted by the ACC which, if awarded, will provide desperately needed trail signage in Joe English and trail improvements in Pond Parish to the benefit of all users but especially school science classes.

Land Management

Cutting of selected trees in Joe English West will be continuing for the next few months under the direction of the Commission’s licensed forester. If you are walking in the area please use common sense around equipment and log yards.

Spots Not Changed

A recent news report said that Vermont conservation dollars would be focused on improving access to presently protected land versus acquiring more open space. And on this side of the Connecticut, the President would close large areas of federal land to further access. Isn't public policy great, especially around election time.

The local leopard (ACC) hasn't changed spots. We continue to believe that open space should be kept open ASAP and AMAP (as much as possible). We also believe in access for study, passive recreation and quietude - unless a donor;s wishes or a sensitive habitat would be compromised by granting access. Access to protected, undeveloped land is important for an understanding of what conservation is about.

The ACC supports initiatives to preserve undeveloped land that are consistent with our goals. The Commission has not placed an article in next year’s warrant for land purchase. We do support the Selectmen’s article that would enable borrowing for a variety of land purchases including conservation.

Five dozen petitioners have submitted a warrant article in support of the ACC program which would devote a second fifty percent of land use change fees to purchase of open space. These fees are paid as land now in current use is subdivided for homes or commerce. The ACC, by prior Town vote, now receives the first fifty percent of collected fees. Purchase of the Pond Parish Town Forest was possible because current use dollars had been provided for land protection.

The Selectmen's budget for 2000-2001 anticipates current use revenue at $75,000. Passage of this article could enable the ACC to protect from 20 to 40 acres from becoming home sites. This equates to something like half a classroom of new students. The effect on the tax rate for this saving in municipal services, under ten cents.

The deliberative session on this and other conservation-related articles is February 9. Be there, please, with your support.

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