HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2014-06-05 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
June 5,2014 5:30 p.m.
Final Minutes
Members present: Mike Bennett,James Hamilton,Jon Meigs, Vladimir Micic, Mike Roberts, Kristine
Shaw, Carrie Simon, Ellie Stewart
Absent: Eva Hoffman
Staff: Mike Smith
Guests:Jessie Hill, City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council (CAC); Ellie Cramton, high school
government class student observer
Members concerns: Mike R noted he'd attended a meeting of the Cayuga Trails Club, and handed out
some "Get your Passport to Family Wellness" pamphlets sponsored by Wegmans, Monro, and Excellus,
that promotes hiking on the Finger Lakes Trail and invites Finger Lakes Trail Club membership. Vlad told
us that Tompkins Solar had many public meetings and solar house tours to help inform those interested
in installing solar energy panels through that program.
Chair and Coordinator Reports:
Chair: Ellie expressed shock and surprise at news Mike Smith emailed us about Onondaga County's
expensive and extensive plans to control the many problems caused by ash trees dying from Emerald
Ash Borer(EAB) damage.This is a BIG problem!
Coordinator: Mike S reported the Town Planning Board would not meet June 17th.The next Planning
Board meeting would discuss proposals for development from St. Catherine Church, Greenways, and the
Coddington Community Center.The Town will apply for grant funding for a Forest Home Drive sidewalk
between the two bridges over Fall Creek and a 2-acre park with playground and parking near the corner
of Ridgecrest and King Road.The scenic view from here should be excellent.
Minutes:The May 1, 2014 CB meeting noted that we'd resolved to forward James' comments on the
DGEIS for the Town's Comprehensive Plan.James asked that those comments (emailed to the Town on
4/23/14) be included in the minutes. Minutes were approved with one other small correction.
Coordinating with CAC:Jessie Hill explained that he'd only by accident discovered that our CB existed
when he was attending the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions conference in
Buffalo last year and met Tony Ingraham, who was there to receive the award we got for our Scenic
Resources Committee's View Sign Project. He hopes to promote better communication between our CB
and the CAC. Development and conservation planning need coordination across our borders, especially
in issues of water quality, natural areas, and the steep slopes surrounding the city.The proposed
development of the Chainworks on South Hill is one obvious example of an important site shared by city
and town.Jessie explained the CAC's role in City development planning, and invited CB attendance at
the CAC monthly meetings on second Mondays. Kristine, now a City resident, volunteered to attend the
next one. Ellie briefly summed up our recent work on water conservation and pest management.The
May 1 memo from CAC on Steep Slopes, Natural Areas, and Water Quality copied to the CB showed that
we share similar responsibilities, and need to communicate with each other.James noted that the
development planning focus in the memo stressed the need to protect natural areas from building
construction, but didn't clearly identify the need to manage natural areas already protected from such
building. He hopes the CAC will help our CB get municipal resources to actively provide better
stewardship for areas at risk of degradation from "natural" pests like invasive weeds and too many deer.
The Sixmile Creek Watershed, as City property in the Town, would be an important area for such
stewardship efforts.The "Environmental Protection Overlay District" (EPOD) proposed in the CAC memo
may help direct special attention to critical natural habitat in need of conservation, but getting crucial
action to manage such places responsibly will not happen just by mapping.Jessie explained the
difference between the CAC and the Natural Areas Commission (NAC), to which Jon serves as liaison.
Jessie believes the NAC needs better criteria for just what defines a Critical Environmental Area worth
classifying as a City Natural Area, and expects the CAC can clarify the distinction.
Comments on Proposed Rule Change for"Waters" in Federal Clean Water Act:We are having a hard
time understanding the legalese, even in the Executive Summary of this proposal provided on the first
eight pages of an 88-page Federal Register document(April 21, 2014). Vlad recommended we try
assigning certain sections to volunteers who might manage to make sense of the language in smaller
pieces. But no one had noticed even a small piece that made clear sense. Ellie wondered if we could
search for other organizations, like the Sierra Club, that may have been able to make sensible
comments.James reported he'd tried for four hours on several different occasions to read the proposed
rule change as well as the scientific analysis supporting the need for the change, but couldn't figure out
what the abstruse wording means well enough to feel able to comment.Jessie Hill will bring it to the
City's CAC. Mike Roberts volunteered, with some trepidation, to try tackling it for us. As Public
Comments are invited until a July 21st deadline, we'll try again next month to see if we can figure out
just what the "waters" change means, and if there's anything we can contribute to help with the new
rule.
Planning a NY Invasive Species Awareness Week(NYISAW) event:At our last meeting, we found most
members were able to meet for the NYISAW at 6 pm on July 10th.James, however, found he can't
attend then, and now most CB attendance looks possible at 6 pm on July 9th. Mike S reports that Rich
Schoch, Parks Manager, hopes we could meet in the East Ithaca Nature Preserve.The swallow-wort
there near Tudor Park is now horribly out of control.James agreed to lead the event and plan it in time
for submission to the New York Invasive Species network for their support.James will send Mike S
details so it can be publicized with press release and official town invitations.
Deer Management: Members offered Mike R various suggestions for improving his May 28 draft
document. Kristine and James agreed that revision of some grammar would clarify the document;James
will help with more editing.James suggested a caption for the cover photo of an over-browsed woods,
to make sure nature lovers realize there's a problem with the completely degraded understory. Vlad
suggested more specific and convincing data is needed to back up the documentation of cars colliding
with deer and people suffering from Lyme disease in our area.The report should document the current
deer population more exactly.The DEC work on wildlife management focus areas should at least be
mentioned.The deer exclosure in upper Buttermilk Park might also be relevant.
Pest Management in Other Communities: Kristine has found from online research that pesticides are
widely considered a necessary part of good pest control planning.The DEC's suggestion that
communities plan for EAB destruction of their ash trees makes it clear that we need to set aside funds
and to actively plan specific action to cope with such problems. As Ithaca is currently in the semifinals of
Outside magazine's "Best Towns" competition, she wondered if we could see what the other towns do
about pests. If the Town hasn't sufficient funds to pay for pest management, perhaps it could get grants
for specific problems.James volunteered to ask Cornell Plantations what they spend on controlling pests
in their Natural Areas. He'll also find what it cost the City Forester to treat hemlock trees in the City
Cemetery to prevent their death from Hemlock Wooly Adelgids. We will continue to talk about this at
the next meeting.
Regular Reports and Updates:
Environmental Review Committee:Vlad has been out of town, but will attend the next EMC meeting,
and schedule an ERC visit to the proposed Greenways development area.
Scenic Resources Committee:The latest updated Scenic Views Map and Guide brochure seems to be
adequate, though Ellie wonders if the Indian Creek and Lake Slopes Conservation Zone needs to be on
the map.James explained that this zone is mentioned in the first View Sign installed at East Shore Park
as an example of CB work to preserve views, and so was particularly relevant to the brochure that goes
with the sign project.The SRC next needs to work on designing the second sign for the Danby Rd. scenic
pul toff.
Communications Committee:The Finger Lakes Native Plant Society attended their Fischer Award Tree
Planting party in force, most of their steering committee and some of their families enjoying the
festivities. Mike Smith's photos of the May 4th event will be posted on the Town's website soon.The
FLNPS secretary also wants some of the pictures for their web archives.
Tompkins County EMC:Vlad encourages us to attend whatever Solar Tompkins event we can.
Sixmile Creek Volunteer Monitors:The next creek water sampling is scheduled for June 18th.
City of Ithaca Natural Areas Commission: No report.
Cornell Plantations Natural Areas:James has been helping the stewardship crew kill invasives in Fall
Creek and Ringwood. Garlic mustard is invading fiercely this spring.
Other Business: None
July Agenda: Comment on "Water" rule proposed for Clean Water Act; Plans for 7/9/14 NYISAW event at
6 pm; Deer Management Report; Other Community Pest Management Plans
We adjourned at 7:20
Minutes written by James Hamilton 6/11/2014