Conservation Commission
Meetings are the 1st and 3rd Monday's monthly at the Salmon Falls Library at 5 PM.
There are positions open for any number of associate members and honorary members. We can use input and ideas from any source.
As stated under state law, Title 30,MRSA, Section 3852, as amended, the powers of the Commission are: (Section 3261,3)
A. Advise, prepare, print and distribute books, maps, charts and pamphlets which it considers necessary
B. Have the superintendence of public parks and, subject to the approval of the municipal officers, direct the expenditure of all money appropriated for the improvement of those parks.
C. Acquire land in the municipality's name for any of the purposes set forth in this section with the approval of the municipal legislative body.
D Receive gifts in the municipality's name for any of the commission's purposes and shall administer the gifts for those purposes subject to the terms of the gift. All public shade trees may also be under the care and control of the Commission.
John A. Mattor, Chairman, Hollis Conservation Commission
Hollis Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes December 1, 2011
Present: John Mattor, Sue Hitchcox, Catherine Hewitt, Ren Wilkinson, Mary Weyer, Leigh Bailey, Doris Luther
1. Indian Cellar.
a) Boundary markers are all up on the Rodney Littlefield parcel. More need to be placed between the IC property and Rodney's land. John and his family posted boundary markers over the holiday.b) All of the trails are finished. He need to tweak a small section of trail 3, and put blue blazes on a tiny section of trail 8 that has been re-routed to avoid wetness.
c) Trail 3 needs some tweaking to finish it.
2. If the season remains mild, we should put markers on the Nancy Knights lot. Volunteers are welcomed.
3. Agenda items: What would members like to put on tonight’s agenda?
Ren: Sports Complex- see #7
Sue: Community winter outing – perhaps a snowshoe through Indian Cellar followed by hot chocolate and snacks at the library.
Doris: John’s Successor and Rita Anderson
Catherine: Open Space Plan; state land where the rifle range is – we should let them know that if the state wants to let it go, we are interested in it for the town.
4. What are some ideas to work on?
Open Space Plan: John’s vision is to see a future plan, including maintenance plans for open spaces. Questions that came up: Can the stewardship fund for Indian Cellar be put into a financial mechanism that will earn money? John will check.
Catherine asked if anyone knew what was going to happen to Stu Gannett’s gas station/car wash on Route 35 and wouldn’t it be nice to have a park or community center there? Other ideas: farmer’s market, ice rink.5. Brochure: John’s niece, Megan, will be putting it together over Christmas holidays. John presented initial draft for comments. Final draft should be completed in January.
6. The Indian Cellar log book has disappeared. John will try to build a waterproof box for map/brochure, and a new logbook, which Catherine will provide.
7. Sports Complex: Things are going ahead at the sports complex for the expansion. The committee had a positive meeting. The Town is trying to get bids from engineering firms for a plan. The parking lot has been completed, covered and graveled. More clearing and cutting is planned for the coming week-end.8. Other:
We have invited Rita Anderson to our January 3, 2012 meeting to discuss options for her land. John will invite Paul Mattor, who has extensive knowledge about her options.
Pedestrian Bridge over the Saco River at Route 202 is still in the works. The selectmen have indicated to John that it is going to happen.9. Agenda for January 3, 2012 to include:
Open Space Plan
Community Winter Event
Rita’s land
John’s SuccessorRespectfully submitted by Doris Luther
Hollis Conservation Commission Nov 3, 2011
Present: John Mattor, Mary Weyer, Doris Luther
1. Indian Cellar:
a) John wants to put in a bunch of boundary markers, this or next Sunday. He has about 20, and we can start along the north side of the Rodney Littlefield parcel. There is dull red paint on some of the trees on the boundary that we can go by. Having 3 people would make it work very well. John wants to put them in before the snow flies. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
b) There are a few spots on the new trails that need a bit more work, and John will try to get it done this fall. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
2. Election of HCC officers:
Sadly, for this Commission, John wants to resign as chair. He will stay until spring, but would like us to find someone with new thinking. He will remain on the Commission or as an associate member and is willing to oversee Indian Cellar as his project. We need a volunteer from the rest of the members to chair, or we need to find someone new.
3."What have you been working on", initiative from MEACC, has been e-mailed to Commission members. There may be some ideas for projects for us.
4. Other: No other business
Respectfully submitted by Doris Luther
HOLLIS CONSERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES June 2, 2011
Present: John Mattor, Ren Wilkinson, Sue Hitchcox, Mary Weyer, Doris Luther1, Minutes, last meeting Doris Luther, secretary: accepted
2. New Member—Jeffery Williams. Can be an associate member. No word from
Jeffrey.3. Indian Cellar
a) Alex Bradbury called, his Eagle Scout project has been approved for 4 picnic tables, and siting them. John will call him.b) This summer we need to clear more new trails and do more work on paths, and signs.John would like a partner to help define just where. We need a path on the Rodney Littlefield (Perley Harmon) parcel. If anyone wants to help, contact John!
Peter Gordon would like to help put in trails, because he walks them a lot.c) We need ideas do you have for Indian Cellar, Nancy Knights Parcel, etc, for this summer. John is putting a shelf in below the kiosk with a plastic box for maps and a sign-in notebook. He met with 2 third grade teachers from Hollis who will be bringing their classes over Tuesday, June7 for lunch and a guided, educational tour, to be lead by John.
e) We have a new, updated tail map for the brochure Sue has been working on It is ready for printing. Sue will check on prices and paper options.
d) The pedestrian bridge (across the Saco River downriver from Route 202 at the old bridge abutments) proposal has been presented to people in Augusta. Don Marean is enthusiastic about it. We talked about offering some financial help from the stewardship fund if it seems necessary.
e) John has asked RSD Graphics for a price quote for 100 boundary signs for both Indian Cellar (75) and the Nancy Knights (25) properties . They will be aluminum with a silk-screen stencil. Cost $521.00. We’ll try to get it in to the 2010-11 budget.
f) John put in more trail arrows. He thinks they are all in place. #1 at Indian Cellar is at the first fishing hole.
4. Correspondence from University of New Hampshire about 2 books by John Carroll on agriculture at the local level and conservation. We agree we should encourage the selectmen to acquire some prime bottom land for a community garden. John will talk to Rick Alderette.
5. Other: No other business
Respectfully submitted by Doris Luther
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HOLLIS CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES May 5, 2011Present: John Mattor, Ren Wilkinson, Sue Hitchcox, Catherine Hewitt, Mary Weyer, Doris Luther
1, Minutes, last meeting, Doris Luther, secretary
2. New Member—Jeffery Williams can be an associate member. We hope he comes back. John will call him.
3. Indian Cellar
a) Alex Bradbury called, his Eagle Scout project has been approved. to install 4 picnic tables. Site locations will be: the Lookout, overlooking the lake; in the woods from the Lookout; the Point, and the fire pit by Indian Cellar.
b) Fishing spot—George Kallechey and John fixed it up very nicely. They will put 2 more in, in addition to the 3 done. There is a bench to sit on and brush-free casting.
c) More work to be done on paths and signs this summer. John would like a partner to help define just where. We need a path on the Rodney Littlefield (Perley Harmon) parcel. The plan is to connect it to existing trails on the Indian Cellar parcel.
d) Ideas for Indian Cellar, Nancy Knights Parcel, etc, for this summer:
-signs for both parcels, either aluminum or vinyl, probably 100 total
e) We have a new, updated trail map for Indian Cellar. A little more work on the map is needed – include scale, draw in the corner parcel, and add Skelton Pond. Sue is planning to walk the trails using the map to test it out.Someone left a note in the kiosk asking for an updated map. Nice to know there is interest! We need to put in a map box in and a sign-in book for guest signatures and feedback.
Sue will walk the trails using the new map to test it out.
3. MEACC activity—Lots of activism opposing upcoming changes in environmental regulations. The vernal pool legislation will be staying the same.
4. Sports complex activity—Changes are finally in progress for new parking, new ball field.
5. Other
Hollis Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes, April 7, 2011
Present: Mary Weyer, John Mattor, Sue Hitchcock, Doris Luther
1, Minutes, last meeting: approved
2. New Member—Jeffery Williams can be an associate member if he comes one more time.
3. Indian Cellar
a) Alex Bradbury called, his Eagle Scout project has been approved. 4 picnic tables, and finding a site for them. None at the favorite swimming spot. Alex can and will recruit other people to help him. HCC will provide the supplies.
b) Fishing spot—George Kallechey and John fixed it up very nicely. We will put about 3 more in sometime soon.. There is a bench to sit on, and brush-free casting, situated to attract people to fish away from the swimming area. They made a bench out of a log, cleared all the brush back, and, in the process, found another set of stone steps down to the river.
c) More work will be done on paths and signs, this summer. John would like a partner to help define just where. We also need a path on the Rodney Littlefield (Perley Harmon, Rodney’s step-father) parcel.
3. MEACC activity—Lots of activism opposing upcoming changes in environmental regulations. Do you get e-postings from MEACC? Do you want them? Please let John know, and he will forward to you.
4. Sports complex activity—Changes are finally in progress for new parking, new ball field. They’re clearing for a ball field. The clearing will have to be done before we can offer the pitch pines to Poland Springs. Because of the clearing, there is now access in to the pitch pines.
5. Old Hollis High School building—offered free to the town. There is a citizen initiative to save it. The selectmen don't want the additional financial burden. If it gets on the warrant, the vote will be in June. The school opened in 1942 and closed in the late 50’s. A lot of our residents attended that school.
6. There will be a Historical Society meeting on April 12 at the Old White Church in Buxton on last summer's archaeological discoveries.
7. Other: No other business
Respectfully submitted, Doris Luther
Hollis Conservation Commission Meeting, January 6, 2011
Present: John Mattor, Ren Wilkinson, Sue Hitchcock, Mary Weyer, Doris Luther
1. Minutes of last meeting.
2. Indian Cellar-
a) Boundary signs. WE can get 100, 5 X 7 inch, screen-printed on 40 mil aluminum for about $450. by RSD Graphics in Waterboro. Do we have a volunteer to do a design and send it to the rest of the commission for comment and approval? We have the money.
We need about 100 for the Nancy Knights lot and Indian Cellar. The signs will read: “Hollis Conservation Land, Private property beyond this point.” Ren will do the design.
b) John is making a new map of IC, and took GPS readings yesterday.
c) Catherine and John put blaze marks on the new trails, including numbers at intersections.
d) If we get a good snowstorm or two, we should have a snowshoe outing, then Hot chocolate and cookies in the library afterwards. We could have this community event in late January/early February to show all the work that has been done.
e) John intends to work on trail #3 next week, if it isn't too cold. Volunteers are welcome!3. Web site? Ren is going to make a Hollis Conservation Commission page for the Town of Hollis website. The HCC home page will link to separate pages for Indian Cellar, the Sports Complex, and the Nancy Knights property.
4. John has approval to offer free trees at the sports complex for transplanting. Poland Spring is very interested, and their forester estimated that there are about 1000 that they could be used for reforesting the fields on their property. It will have to wait until spring. It should be put on our web site, and John suggests that anyone taking trees should be supervised by someone from our Conservation Commission. That person should probably be John or Catherine, as they would be the most knowledgeable on the topic.
5. Other: John has found that there are 3 categories of “open space.” Two of them clearly allow public access. The third is not so clear. More research needed.
The state says the goal is to have 40% open space to keep our quality of life as we want it in Maine. Hollis has more or less 40% open space. More to come on open space!
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