HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-NAC-2011-12-12Natural Areas Commission
December 12, 2011
(approved 01-09-_Q
Monday, December 12, 2011 5: 30pm —7: 00pm, City Hall, 108 East Green St. 2nd Floor Conf. Room
In Attendance
Memebers: Joe McMahon, Gerry Cox, Aaron Donato (notetaker), Ron Herring, Jon Meigs, Todd
Miner, Sarah Steuteville, Robert Wesley
Other: Dan Hoffman (City Attoumey), Wade Wykstra (BPW Liason), Tom Whitlow
Absent Members: Anna Stalter
Minutes From November 2011 meeting were unanimously approved.
News and Reports
- President Skorton approved gorge safety plan. Focus on education and improving gorge access,
but there seems to be a lack of communication between university and city boards. Little
crossover between Fall Creek and Cascadilla and Six Mile Creek, mostly due to the fact that all
of the tragedies have occurred in Fall Creek.
- Proposal to declare area south of Cherry St. up for development will be on the agenda at the
next Common Council meeting on Wed. December 14th. Less acreage will be up for
development, —5.5 acres versus the original —8.3 acres. Area has been filled with dredge spoils
over the years, and heavy development on an artificial embankment could have an impact on
surrounding wetlands, but this point will be brought up at the meeting by Wade (not exactly sure
he said this ?) Todd mentioned that it may not be the best decision to develop the property
because of financial strain, especially before the comprehensive plan has been developed. It is
however clear that the city does need the money that would be developed from the sale.
- Restoration Ecology class taught by Tom Whitlow has looking at the dredge spoils that would
be extracted from the Cayuga Inlet, and potential uses. He filled the board in on some of the
initial findings from the class. Dredge spoils can support vascular plant growth, as seen in a
Dryden field, where Cornell had dumped spoils at one point, and is now supporting
approximately 80 different species of vascular plants. Dredge material from Cayuga Inlet has
organic matter and coarse, sandy material, and could be used to create wetlands or near shore
communities. The Army Corps of Engineers has 5 million dollars to put toward a project such as
this. There is the risk that the spoils could lead to the spread of invasive aquatic plants, if
propagules are present, but if the wetland creation was done in contained cells this could be
managed. One deeper sample contained lead, but heavy metals were not a large concern, and
when spread out, concentrations would be very low. There is the capacity to dredge and dewater
approximately 10,000 cu. yds. per year, but with 6,000 new cu. yds. each year and 670,000 cu.
yds. of material already there, it is clear that this process would take a long time. Dredging
however should not be ignored, because depth of the inlet is an important factor in how severe a
flood will be.
Trail Work
Issue of trail work becomes more important in the spring. Recent meeting of NY Parks and
Trails involved stakeholders for the various trails in Tompkins County. There was a stress on the
development of linkages, but as Joe pointed out, not every trail needs to be linked, some need to
be closed. One example is the trail at 6 Mile Creek that has been created by gorge jumpers, and
has effectively removed all the vegetation.
Priorities for 2012
- Invasive species removal and control along 6 Mile Creek.
- Reporting to the Common Council quarterly, get a Common Council liason (Chris Proux, the
new alderperson who is involved heavily with the Finger Lakes Land Trust was mentioned).
- Invite Mayor elect Svante Myrick to a meeting of the NAC.
-Fall Creek/ Ithaca Falls should become a priority; parking for visitors, the Lake St. bridge, and
stressing its importance as a tourist attraction were all mentioned. The Park Foundation said they
would be interested in helping to fund a trail from Stewart Park to Dryden.
- Planning Board liason.
-New water treatment facility on Water St. Impact of drying ponds, dredging and the impact this
would have on the Natural Area.