6/8 AMC Conservation Committee Meeting Agenda & Minutes

Attendees:  Mindy Gates, Aimee & Keith Santeler, Birge Dayton, Andrew May & John Crist

 Ø      Intros: &  setup                                                                  7:00 – 7:10

 Ø      Recent Events                                                                    7:10 to 7:30

1.      Trails Day Hike & Pot Luck Dinner - CC Members attended the Conservation Hike led by Eric Stones in Kent.  See Web page for details.  CC Members also set up a table display at the Pot Luck dinner where some Green Mountain Comment Cards and CAN cards were distributed.

2.      Still River Clean Up – The CT AMC and Conservation Committee were represented at the May 21st event in Danbury, CT contributing to several different projects:

Ø     Cleaning along the river bank at four different points

Ø     Clearing the launching ramp behind the Courtyard by Marriott in Danbury

Ø     Repairing a bridge to get to the Still River trail head

Ø     Repairing and replacing steps to the bird sanctuary

Ø     Still River take out steps by Craft Center in Brookfield, cleaned and cleared             

Ø      Housatonic River Clean Up Opportunity – Birge Dayton            7:30 to 7:40

1.      No single clean up day, instead - Trash bags; will issue them to any group that wants to clean a section of the river.  If the Conservation Committee would like to do the Bulls Bridge area (Kent).  HVA will provide trash bags. The date of Sat 9/17 was discussed for a clean up, Aimee & Keith will look into using this activity towards the Pratt & Whitney grant.  Birge will let Elaine @ the HVA know we are interested in.  Andy will check to see if any local business would also be interested in sponsoring the event.    More discussion at the next meeting. 

Ø      Conservation Training: Intro & brainstorming to address the questions Dale posed about topics, format, etc. – Mindy Gates                                       7:40 to 7:55

1.      Background: Faith Salter and Bryan Wentzell conducted conservation trainings quite regularly in the past but haven't done one recently.  They would be happy to conduct another one if we were able to confirm significant attendance.  Are there specific topics committee members would like more information about?  What format might everyone like?  A day long workshop with a hike in the middle?  What time of year?  Think outside the box!  Mindy will contact AMC to define significant participation & what topics may be covered in the training.  There was interest in a late fall training & hike, possible at White Memorial in Litchfield.  Ideas for of something participants could walk away with were thrown around (knowledge, patch, certificate, t-shirt).   More discussion at the next meeting. 

Ø      7/13 Mt Higby Conservation Hike & Meeting  - John Crist       7:55 to 8:05

1.      Do we have a guest speaker lined up? No.  Suggestions/contacts? Jim O’Rourke and possibly other state representatives.  John to ask Jim (unless he reads this first)  John to look into options.

2.      VisVol Demo – Has anyone done one before that would like to demo on the hike? Aimee & Keith will give the vis/vol demo.  Andrew will use some of the down time during vis/vol to talk to hikers.  Andrew will check into a press release and the Middletown Chronicle, Mindy the Cromwell Chronicle.

3.      John will provide Jerry’s Pizza, Aimee cookies, Mindy soda & paper plates.

 Ø      Website News – Aimee/ Keith Santeler                                   8:05 to 8:15

Conservation Hike info and pictures were posted, CT Issues has been updated to include more detailed info. 

Ø      AMC CT Conservation Committee display – John Crist              8:15 to 8:20

Display has been delivered ands was used at the trails day pot luck.   Next use appears to be the 7/13 meeting.  John Crist is currently in possession of the display.  If Jim is going to the executive committee meeting on 6/13 then maybe the display can be set up. 

Ø      Green Mountain Comment Period Update: The final day for comment cards is 6/30.  Please get them in.  If you need cards contact Andrew May.  

Ø      New Business                                                                 8:20 to 8:30

 o       There will be a work party to help build a composter @ 9:00 on 6/11 at the HVA building on rt 7 in Cornwall Bridge (opposite RT 45).  See website for details.

NH Comment cards were a success.  CT was the 3rd highest provider of cards!