HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-11-03 01/13/2021
Agriculture Advisory Committee
Members Present: Evan Carpenter (Chair), Brian Magee, Marie McRae, Kim LaMotte, Steve
Foote, Austin Beck
Absent:
Liaison(s): Loren Sparling (Town Board), Craig Schutt (Conservation Board)
Guest(s):
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m.
On motion made by K. LaMotte, seconded by M. McRae, minutes were unanimously approved
as written.
A Beck was sworn in for a three year term.
How many cows are in the Town of Dryden?
There was a survey that stated that the Town of Dryden has approximately 10,000 cows.
The board finds this hard to believe and they don’t know where this information came from.
Loren Sparling cleared up the confusion and said that the 10,000 cow estimate is
actually in Tompkins County, not just Dryden. He said that this information came from a person
who was presenting to the steering committee on ag emission increases. In the ag sector, there
will be an increase in emissions due to dairy cows. They got that number because Craig asked
how many cows were in Dryden in 2018. They couldn’t give that answer because they didn’t
have that data. They went to Cornell first to do the livestock census and by the time the
presentation came about, their data was incomplete. This person had to go back to Tompkins
County from 2012 to 2017. In 2017 in Tompkins County, the livestock was at 10,272. They
extrapolated to say that in Dryden, there are 1,670 cows. They just didn’t have up to date data.
Comprehensive Plan
The Comprehensive Plan zoom meetings are on the 20th, 26th and 27th at 6:00. On the
20th is the meeting that is talking about open space, land conservation, & other ag related
business.
M McRae says that between the inserts in the tax bills and the big sign outside of
NYSEG, it’s getting a lot of publicity so hopefully there will be a good turn out.
01/13/2021
C Schutt stated that only 700 people or so answered the survey and the majority were
from the villages and the western side of the town where there isn’t agriculture. Now, the
consultants are saying that agriculture isn’t an important issue in the town of Dryden anymore.
Comments:
• The link to get on the Zoom meeting is on Dryden2045.
• On Dryden2045 there are already goals and strategies that you can look at
before the meeting.
• Send out an Email encouraging Dryden residents to participate.
• Residents really need to be able to ask questions and get some answers, so the
Town Board and Planning Board see where the concerns are.
• Most of the information on website is from the surveys.
• Talk to your friends and neighbors to participate in this.
• Planning Board members are only supposed to speak for clarification on a topic
because it is meant to be for the public.
• Ag Board members can speak freely with credentials.
Dryden Lake Dam
DEC contacted Jason Leifer and told him that the dam either needs to be rebuilt or torn
out and let the lake go. DEC asked for an opinion so Jason is reaching out to the boards. C
Schutt contacted DEC today to see if they had any updates. DEC told him that they hadn’t seen
any design or cost estimates yet. They promised to send them to C Schutt when they get them.
Ultimately it is DEC’s decision. Roger Beck, who built that dam, said it could be repaired but DEC
said if they were to build a new dam, it would be steel and concrete. The town has invested
quite a lot between the fishing piers, the park, etc, to just let the lake go.
S Foote thinks that the residents of Dryden who like to use the rec trails, fishing,
picnicking, etc, would cause a big uproar if the lake went back to being a mud hole.
The Planning Board is going to support the resolution that the Conservation Board
passed.
The Agriculture Advisory Committee supports the Conservation Board’s resolution
regarding the dam (below).
Recommending Preservation of Dryden Lake Dam
Whereas there has been a dam at Dryden Lake Dryden, NY since circa 1801; and
Whereas the body of water known as Dryden Lake, created by the building of the dam,
has provided numerous benefits to the citizens of the Town of Dryden and surrounding areas
for over two hundred years, with its benefits changing and expanding over two plus centuries;
and
01/13/2021
Whereas the lake originally provided power for a sawmill and ice harvesting, it created
additional waterfowl and wildlife habitat that has made the lake today a birding “hot spot” with
228 species observed, providing migratory bird rest areas and nesting and foraging habitat
(Canada geese, ducks, loons, herons, Bald Eagles) as well as habitat for numerous mammals,
amphibians, turtles, etc; and
Whereas Dryden Lake and its surrounding areas provides many forms of year round
recreation for town and surrounding area residents, such as fishing, ice fishing, hiking, jogging,
dog walking, biking, cross country skiing, snow shoeing (on the Jim Schug trail), kayaking,
canoeing, ice skating, hunting, trapping, bird watching, picnicking, etc; and
Whereas Dryden Lake and its surrounding natural areas are an important educational
resource, being used both for formal classes in ecology and natural resources (Cornell
University) and informal education of everyone from young children to lifelong education
participants; and
Whereas the Town of Dryden currently provides a community park at the Lake under an
agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and
Whereas the Dryden Lake park is a popular location for many community events with
the lake being the center piece for those events; and
Whereas the lake has a rich historical and cultural value to the citizens of the town; and
Whereas the NYS DEC is considering the removal of the dam and the elimination of
Dryden Lake in the form it has existed for over two hundred years; and
Whereas the Dryden Town Board has requested a recommendation from the
Conservation Board on the future of the Dryden Lake dam and ultimately Dryden Lake itself.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Town of Dryden Conservation Board recommends
to the Dryden Town Board that the latter take all necessary action to ensure the preservation of
a dam and the body of water known as Dryden Lake, maintaining its current contribution to the
recreational and ecological benefits provided to the Dryden community.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Ag Committee supports the Conservation Board’s
resolution.
K Lamotte 1st, 2nd S Foote- all in favor.
Although it would be a big loss to the Ag Committee to lose S Foote; the board wanted
to support S Foote’s application that he submitted to the Planning Board,
Resolution for Steve Foote
01/13/2021
Whereas Steve Foote has been a member of the Agriculture Advisory Committee since
June of 2015 and has now applied to fill a vacancy on the Town of Dryden Planning Board, be it
Resolved that the Dryden Agriculture Advisory Committee hereby supports Steve
Foote’s application for the Town of Dryden Planning Board and recommends his appointment
to the Planning Board.
M McRae 1st, K LaMotte 2nd- all in favor
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Banwell