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Conservation Commission

Conservation and More

              by Bruce B. Beckley

Issue #97, February, 2001
You Are Called

The Warrant for this year's town meeting contains several articles with potential effects on conservation activities in Amherst. We hope you will support them on voting day.

Article 11 This complicated sounding article will establish in perpetuity the use of the Bragdon Farm for conservation purposes. When the Crouters donated a substantial gift to the town to help purchase the farm it was with the understanding that the land would be managed for conservation, kept open without further structures and available for sliding. However, those intents never made it into the deed and are not legally recorded. Article 11 will create a one-day sale to the Amherst Land Trust with a resale back to the town the next day. The deed for the resale will include the protective wording intended originally by the Crouters. As further insurance, the Trust will place a conservation easement over the farm that will allow prosecution if any of the conservation tenets are compromised.

Article 12 This article which is sponsored by the majority of the Selectmen will cause 50 percent of the change use fees (current use) collected from developers to go into a fund for land purchase. Half the fees collected are already used by the ACC for open space protection. This article will put the second half of the fees into a new fund to buy open space for conservation or recreation. At this point in time, this seems like a wise move for the town. In whichever way the new fund is applied, it will be used to maintain open space and not for facilities.

Article 25 Support for this article is support for the joint efforts of the ACC and the Planning Board to effect a uniform level of protection for designated significant wetlands. For these areas important to present and future water supplies, a wider natural buffer will be mandated. Buffers serve many beneficial functions including removing sediment and polluting nutrients from water running off paved areas, lawns and fields. Many of the areas being protected also provide attenuation of high seasonal flows and temporary detention for water on its way to recharge acquifers feeding local wells and public supplies.

Article 14 This article will simplify budgeting and bookkeeping for the programs offered at Peabody Mill Environmental Center. The Commission plans to operate PMEC as it has in the past with little or no tax impact for the programs that are offered. Program registration fees are often collected in one fiscal year for programs to be given a couple of months later in the next fiscal year. Under this article, those fees may be carried forward for the purpose intended.

Please visit www.town.amherst.nh.us for more information on these articles.

Not Too Soon

Historically Norwegians exercised a positive conservation ethic. A general desire by each generation to leave the land in better condition than it was passed down was prevalent. We had a conversation with the conservation manager responsible for the Lillehammer area. He told us that young Norwegians are becoming less and less conservation oriented and supportive.

Lest it happen here, we need to take steps to ensure that conservation (environmental appreciation) programs are effective and that environmental consciousness remains vibrant. Like most programs - art, music, literature - appreciation of nature begins in the early years at home. Developing a backyard sanctuary can be a meaningful first step for the young mind and it will be a pleasure for the whole household. Use plants and shrubs native to our area in your landscaping to provide food and shelter.

Nest boxes can be focal points for young eyes and door openers to nature's wider world. Kits for wren and bluebird houses are available at PMEC, a good place by the way to kindle environmental inquisitiveness. Enjoy a walk on some of the 12 miles of trails in the Joe English Reservation surrounding the environmental center.

Elder Statestree

We were impressed when the oldest appearing black gum tree in Amherst was dated at 275 years old. These trees, also known as tupelo or pepperidge, never realized much commercial value. They were used for wagon wheel hubs but that didn't put much pressure on the species. And since they often grew in inaccessible locations many of the gum trees have become centenarians. Now news come from New York that a gum tree in the Saratoga area has been growing since 1448, twice as long as its Amherst cousin.

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