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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Packet 2022-09-01 Conservation Board Members and Associates (*) Lori Brewer (Chair), Lindsay Dombroskie*, Elise Edwards*, James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Joann Kowalski (Vice-Chair), Michael Roberts ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ TOWN OF ITHACA CONSERVATION BOARD 5:30 p.m., Thursday, September 1, 2022 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Aurora Conference Room 215 N. Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (The rear entrance is handicapped accessible) (607) 273-1747 Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person at Town Hall or virtually via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/6750593272). AGENDA 1. Persons to be heard (5:30 pm) 2. Members concerns 3. Environmental Review Committee Update (Lori) 4. Chair and Coordinator reports 5. Approval of minutes from July 7, 2022 6. Discuss potential upcoming public tabling events (Streets Alive! Ithaca – 9/18) (Cornell Service Fair – 9/20) (East Ithaca Nature Preserve tree planting – 10/1) 7. Discuss a 2023 initiative related to: Your Yard Could Be a Wildlife Sanctuary 8. Regular reports and updates (6:30 pm) a. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva) b. Communications Committee (James) c. Tompkins County EMC d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James) e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James) 9. Other Business (6:50 p.m.) 10. Review 2022 Work Goals / Discuss October Agenda 11. Adjourn (7:00 p.m.) 1 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Meeting July 7th, 2022 5:30 pm (via Zoom Video Conference) Draft Minutes Attendees: Voting Members: Eva Hoffmann (Zoom), Mike Roberts, JoAnn Kowalski, Lori Brewer, James Hamilton; Associate Members: Lindsay Dombroskie (Zoom), Elise Edwards (Zoom) Coordinator (Staff): Mike S. 1. Persons to Be Heard: None 2. Member Concerns: a. Bench near IC at scenic view needs to be secured/leveled (Mike S. will talk to Joe Talbut to see what can be done) b. News articles about ISAW event (2 of them covered our activities!) c. Come to the town picnic d. Are there public works areas (parks) that could be mowed less/be no-mow. Can we also promote in private lands e. Educational about messaging for environmental promotion: KEEP IT SIMPLE, and the word ‘protect’ is good. ‘Sustainable’ is not a great word to use. Emphasis on water stewardship during this information session that JoAnn attended. 3. Environmental Review Committee (Lori): New application for the CU golf course to move soil, etc. They needed a permit (>250 cubic yards), so we will review. a. Mike S. says there are some other projects that have come in but required additional info before they get sent along by staff to us. 4. Chair and Coordinator Reports: a. Chair (Lori): Farmers Market tabling (at Easthill Plaza) went well, had some interactions. Spoke about scenic views and invasive species. In terms of acquiring new members—there may not be new faces between Farmer Market dates, but will keep going/trying. People loved the scenic views! i. Perhaps there could be a re-stock of these brochures at the history center ii. Perhaps a story map could be made using a smartphone app (e.g., we’ve already included a link to a biking website/app) iii. Perhaps an Avenza map (e.g. GIS georeferenced pdf, open in Avenza app) b. Coordinator (Mike S.): i. The town website/opengov should be functional soon, go live together. ii. Babcock Ridge Trail grant application with updated costs could use a letter of support from the CB. 2 iii. Oct. 1st: tree planting at East Ithaca Nature Preserve! There was an email about tabling, some CB members have volunteered already to try recruiting or to provide general environmental education. Applying for Arbor Day Foundation funding. Perhaps CB can help fund the planting— can revisit this, but could be done. 5. Approval of minutes from April 7, 2022, May 5, 2022, and June 2, 2022: JoAnn moves to approve the minutes. Mike R. seconds the motion. The minutes were approved. 6. Discuss updates to the Conservation Board’s brochure and the Scenic Views map and guide: a. Scenic Views Map i. Ideally updated ASAP. James sent an email with suggested edits to get feedback from the group. ii. Some comments on updating photos and alteration of phrasing were conveyed in open discussion. iii. Updates can be considered finished, except for the photo substitution. b. CB Brochure i. Perhaps the photo in number 8 could also be updated, but some debate on keeping the old photo ii. ‘Longwood’ should be ‘Longview’ iii. Should list the town website (and specifically where on the website) for more info for meeting details before the Facebook Page. Can revisit once the new website is live iv. Mike S. will remove some redundant text to fit new paragraphs and send out a new draft 7. Regular reports and updates: a. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva): will go over the verbiage and the schematic of the ridges soon to help finalize b. Communications Committee (James): June 9th ISAW show published in Ithaca Journal report online at: https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2022/06/15/ithaca- conservationists-warn-invasive-species-finger-lakes/10002205002/ JoAnn got her report about our Fischer Award for FLRU published in Sustainable Tompkins' page in Tompkins Weekly June 22, 2022 edition, online at: https://www.tompkinsweekly.com/articles/finger-lakes-reuse-receives- conservation-award/ c. Tompkins County EMC (Lindsay): The upcoming meeting on July 14th will feature NYS Assembly member Anna Kelles re: Environmental issues in NY and the role of the EMC i. August EMC meeting is cancelled, and June meeting was largely a business meeting (no guest speaker). Notes for EMC activities are from the May meeting 1. The UNA committee will be making a field trip to one UNA to verify the presence of a rare grass. Climate Adaptation Committee is focusing on ways to support the county resiliency and recovery 3 plan. Outreach & Education Committee is working to strengthen municipal ties and reporting as well as networking with other stakeholders. 2. The guest speaker in May was Scott Doyle re: the Tompkins County Resiliency and Recovery Plan. Next steps for the plan include more public outreach, presentations to local officials, an interactive storymap, and more. E.g., heads up that the Town of Ithaca should be hearing more about this plan, if it hasn’t already. ii. UNA committee could collect some seed from the grass to help propagate, could reach out to us/Cornell Botanic Garden about protocols for this d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James): James attended a NYISRI webinar in NYISA Week on HABs and their interaction with invasive species June 10th. The recording of this webinar can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvN4VvFuHYo CLWN has a good explanation of HABs on its new newsletter, published June 30, 22. See it at https://cayugalake.org/wp-content/uploads/HABs _ CSI is presenting a free water science youth (age 6–14) education program this summer, starting June 25. See their 4h2o program list at http://www.communityscience.org/4h2o/ CSI is having a volunteer appreciation party at Stewart Park Friday evening, July 15. e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James): Volunteers weeded Beebe Lake trail prior to reunion; also trimmed the Fall Creek south trails in Forest Home. Weeded swallowwort at an Edwards Lake Cliff NA deer browse experiment next to cliff edge at southern side of that NA in Lansing. Swallowwort has infested so much of this area that it is climbing the deer exclosure fences and needs removal from research plots if botanists are to measure effects of deer browse on native plants in this unique woods. 8. Other Business: No Meeting in August 9. Review 2022 Work Goals / Discuss March Agenda: No comment 10. Adjourn: 7:04 pm -Minutes recorded by Lindsay Dombroskie