HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2020-04-02 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board (CB)
April 2,2020 5:33-6:35 p.m.—Via Zoom
Final Minutes
Members present: Hannah George, Elizabeth Hageman,James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Carolyn Lee,
Vladimir Micic, Michael Roberts, Lori Brewer, Karen Johnson Feltham (Associate), Lindsay Dombroskie
(Associate)
Staff: Mike Smith
1. Persons to be heard: none
2. Member's concerns
a. Eva commented on compostable take-out containers (and this discussion
occurred under the other business portion of the meeting).
3. Chair and Coordinator reports
a. Chair: Rod Howe contacted Mike R. about the Green New Deal for the Town of
Ithaca. Specifically, he is putting together an ad-hoc committee to explore what
a Green New Deal would entail. Is there any interest from Conservation Board
(CB) members? Mike R. is interested, but others could join as well. Lori is
interested. Contact Mike R., Mike S., or Rod directly with your interest.
b. Coordinator:
i. The Planning Board has no new applications. Ithaca College has
withdrawn their application for Butterfield Stadium turf and light
changes for the time being. Both April Planning Board meetings are
cancelled.
ii. The South Hill Recreation Way grant for invasive plant removal has
completed 3.4 miles of the project. Project work has included cut stump
treatments with pesticide. As a follow-up the project is planning to plant
native species where invasive species have been removed in the fall.
Volunteers will be needed.Joe Talbot has some volunteers in mind, but
perhaps CB can help find (or supply themselves) as volunteers as well.
iii. The New York Invasive Species Awareness Week(ISAW) email was
forwarded to the CB.The event is planned for June 7 to 131".The NY
government guidance encourages organizations to "plan virtual
experiences and events that incorporate social distancing guidelines and
give New Yorkers the opportunity to participate from the safety of their
homes."James notes that Cayuga Bird Club has a good article about
what you can do on your own land for promoting bird habitat while
removing invasive species that could be good to share for ISAW.
iv. Deer Program update:the program ended on March 31". A total 20
deer were taken this year. Only one deer was taken last year.Three of
the management sites didn't have much use by participants in the
program, so the program might need to promote more management
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activity at those locations.The Six Mile Creek sites had 14 deer taken,
with five deer taken at the Coy Glen site. Of the Six Mile sites, the one
on Juniper Drive had 12 deer taken through the program. Mike R. noted
that the Ringwood site through the Cornell Deer Management Program
is using firearms and only had two deer taken using firearms.The
relative silence of archery probably allows the removal of more deer at
any given site.The Environmental Conservation Officer did get a few
calls about management activity in Six Mile Creek as people saw archers
entering the valley. Vlad wonders when we'll know if deer management
is having an effect(i.e., when has the program achieved success?). Mike
R. indicated that deer impacts are the main focus of management
programs, and a good ecological metric is plant response. However,
there is no plant monitoring program in place in the Town of Ithaca yet.
Bernd Blossey is interested in putting together a collaboration to
monitor browse plots (e.g., oak seedlings)to answer the question of
ecological impacts. Mike S. volunteers that deer-car collisions are also
being tracked as a metric of success for the Town of Ithaca's Deer
Management Program.
4. Minutes: March 51" minutes were approved without changes. Elizabeth made the
motion to approve the minutes, and Eva seconded the motion.
5. Streets Alive! planning (event:April 261", 2020):The event is cancelled/ postponed.
Interested persons can follow the Street's Alive Facebook Page for info on their plan for
Play Streets instead. Play Streets will be mini Streets Alive! events that will occur
throughout the summer and fall.
6. Regular reports and updates
a. Environmental Review Committee: No update. Ithaca College has withdrawn
their application for Butterfield Stadium turf and light changes for the time
being.
b. Scenic Resources Committee:
i. Eva will attempt to reach the appropriate county contact to secure
approval for the current signage project.
ii. A photo of the Pine Tree Road view using an HDR camera (e.g.,
cellphone) is needed.The location of the photo is on the corner of
Pinetree Hill and Snyder Hill Road. If you look out to the west you'll see
Ithaca College campus and the view is of: South Hill, West Hill, Enfield
gorge, and Newfield. James has a photo compilation he has shared to
guide the HDR photographer.
c. Communications Committee: No update.The CB notified the Cayuga Bird Club
(winners) and the runners up about the Fischer Environmental Conservation
Award recipient selection results for 2020.
d. Tompkins County EMC:
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i. Vlad shared some CB accomplishments with the EMC during the
municipal updates portion of their meeting. He mentioned that the
Deer Management Program had 9 taken deer as of the last report from
Mike S., and he also highlighted how the CB interacts with different
Town of Ithaca boards and committees.
ii. The EMC received an earth-source heating update from Cornell.There
was a presentation, but no real updates or progress.
iii. The EMC also received a presentation about the potential Freese Road
bridge upgrades.The presenter provided information on the benefits of
expanding the bridge to two lanes. Eva asked about why upgrading is
needed, citing that the Forest Home Drive bridge is still single-lane
following repair work.The Freese Road bridge would need to be double-
lane based on regulations pertaining to vehicle traffic, location of the
road, and what roads are being connected.
e. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program: March 181": Synoptic water
sampling occurred at 13 sites. Flow rates were typical, the weather was good,
and the sampling successful.The last synoptic sampling occurred in November.
You can check out the CSI website to view the long-term dataset.
f. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program:
i. The plan to shovel gravel from Cascadilla Gorge Trail was cancelled, so
the trail remains closed.
ii. Volunteers searched for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in anew location
within the Ringwood Ponds Natural Area and found a small infestation.
7. Other business:
a. Compostable take-out containers are not compostable by Cayuga Compost or
Tomkins County Recycling and Materials Management(TCRMM).TRCMM
suggests using recyclable plastic containers. Compostable containers are also
more expensive than plastic containers.The CB could communicate this over
social media (e.g., Facebook post), and potentially bring it to the attention of
state regulators. Carolyn is interested in investigating the issue further with Eva.
b. Climate action list: Hannah will finalize the list. Eva has a few more climate
action items and links on to how to accomplish the climate actions compliments
of Ingrid, her daughter.
8. Review 2020 work goals/discuss May agenda:
a. If you have updates for your work goals, please send these to Mike R. and the
CB in general. Are there goals we can continue to work on electronically?
b. No additions for the May agenda.
9. Adjourn: 6:35 p.m.
Draft minutes by Lindsay Dombroskie April 2nd, 2020
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