HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Packet 2023-04-06
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
215 N. Tioga St 14850
607.273.1747
www.town.ithaca.ny.us
TO: CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS
FROM: MICHAEL SMITH, SENIOR PLANNER
DATE: MARCH 30, 2023
SUBJECT: UPCOMING CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING – APRIL 6, 2023
This is to confirm that the next meeting of the Conservation Board (CB) is Thursday,
April 6th at 5:30 p.m. The agenda for this meeting is enclosed (see the back of this
memo).
As a reminder, all full voting Conservation Board members will need to attend in-person
at Town Hall (Aurora Conference Room) for this April meeting. The Zoom link will still
be available for associate members and members of the public.
The draft minutes from the March 2nd meeting are attached. Please email me any
spelling, grammatical, or other minor edits you have prior to the meeting.
At this meeting we will start to plan for the Fischer Award tree planting event. We will
need to start talking about potential dates, park or trail planting locations, and tree
species.
We will also start discussing ideas for hosting an event as part of the NYS Invasive
Species Awareness Week (June 5-11, 2023). You can find more information about the
week and other events being planned at https://nyis.info/nyisaw/.
Also at this meeting we will continue the conversations on the indigenous environmental
justice (Mike R.) and your yard could be a wildlife sanctuary / garden tour (Ingrid) topics.
Eva is signed up to take minutes at the April meeting.
If you have any questions prior to the meeting or are not able to attend, please contact
me at msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us or 607-273-1747.
Conservation Board Members and Associates (*)
Lori Brewer (Chair), Frank Cantone, Lindsay Dombroskie*, Elise Edwards*, James Hamilton,
Eva Hoffmann, Joann Kowalski (Vice-Chair), Michael Roberts, Ingrid Zabel
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TOWN OF ITHACA
CONSERVATION BOARD
5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 6, 2023
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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 comments / concerns
3. Environmental Review Committee Update (Lori)
4. Chair and Coordinator reports
5. Approval of minutes from March 2, 2023
6. Plan for the 2022 Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award tree planting
7. Discuss ideas for a 2023 NY Invasive Species Awareness Week Event (June 5 – 11, 2003)
8. Continue discussion of Indigenous Environmental Justice (Mike)
9. Continued discussion of Your Yard Could be a Wildlife Sanctuary / Garden Tour (Ingrid)
10. Regular reports and updates (6:30 pm)
a. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva)
b. Communications Committee (James)
c. Tompkins County EMC (Ingrid)
d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James)
e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James)
11. Other Business (6:50 p.m.)
12. Review 2023 Work Goals / Discuss May Agenda
13. Adjourn (7:00 p.m.)
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TOWN OF ITHACA CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING
Thursday, March 2, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
(In Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference)
Dra Minutes
Members Present: Lori Brewer (Chair), Elise Edwards*, James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann (online), Joann
Kowalski (Vice-Chair), Michael Roberts, Ingrid Zabel
(*Associate Member)
Staff: Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
Guests: Frank Cantone (online)
1. Persons to be heard: None
2. Members comments / concerns: None
3. Environmental Review Commi ee Update (Lori)—For March, a special permit is being reviewed
for a childcare facility at Ithaca College’s College Circle property. No construc on is planned; they
will be using exis ng space that is not currently being used by the college. A 3-lot subdivision
request was submi ed on the west side of town in a medium density area.
Lori invited anyone who would like to sit in on mee ngs to review plans to do so since it’s a good
way to learn about the process and the poten al impacts of proposed projects.
4. Chair and Coordinator Reports: As chair, Lori shared that NYSACC will hold their Fall conference
in Tompkins County. Kate from the EMC was discussing with the chair of NYSACC that the
conference be focused on ma ers affec ng Tompkins County. NYSACC is interested in having the
Conserva on Boards provide input. A mee ng will be held at Stewart Park on May 11 star ng at
4:00 pm to have various area Conversa on Boards provide input. Lori suggested that we share
the Scenic Views tour with those who will be present at the Fall conference. She also suggested
sending any topics of interest to her that will be relayed to the planning commi ee for the
conference. Two topics suggested by Mike R. are deer management and over-use of natural
areas that are not cared for. Details for the conference will be decided by the Tompkins County
EMC.
Mike S. reported the deer program is halfway through and there have been 12 deer culled from
three sites. Six sites have not go en any deer. Weather may be a factor; could coyotes be a
factor? The Culver Road site has been experiencing removing of invasives with human presence
most of the day possibly impac ng the presence of deer. Mike R. asked if data is s ll being
collected about deer/vehicle collisions. Mike S. indicated yes, but the data lags a few years
behind with 2019 as the most recent year for compiled data.
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5. Approval of minutes from November 3, 2022, January 5, 2023 and February 2, 2023: Ingrid
Zabel made a mo on to approve the minutes with Mike Roberts seconding.
6. Discussion of the 2022 Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conserva on Award nomina ons and
selec on of a winner: Two nomina ons were submi ed for the Fischer award – Finger Lakes
Land Trust (FLLT) and the Friendship Dona on Network (FDN). James indicated that one of the
founders of FLLT, A. Carl Leopold, received the award a er his death as recommended by the
FLLT, who had been nominated that year.
Eva men oned Betsy Darlington has also received the Fischer award in the past and she was
instrumental in the founding of the FLLT.
A discussion about the two nomina ons took place by members to substan ate a vote for one or
the other.
A vote was taken to choose the recipient and there were four vo ng for the Friendship Dona on
Network and two for the FLLT. A date will have to be chosen as well as a site and the type of
trees to be planted to honor the FDN. A le er will be cra ed and sent to the contact at the FDN
about the award.
7. Con nued discussion of Indigenous Environmental Jus ce (Mike): Mike R. reported that the
event at Tutelo Park is taking place on May 6th from 11:00 – 3:00. The event is being organized by
the Town of Ithaca with support from the Visitors Bureau. Mike R. reviewed the agenda for the
day. Joann will find out from Rod Howe what the expecta ons are for the Conserva on Board in
terms of helping to develop the ethnobotanic trail and assistance needed for that day.
8. Con nued discussion of Your Yard Could be a Wildlife Sanctuary / Garden Tour (Ingrid); Ingrid
reported that Barbara Harrison, Jane Marie-Law, Brandon Hoak, and Kate Dickin are possibili es
for the tour. June 19th to June 25 is Pollinator Week. An August date was suggested for the tours.
There is geographic difference in the loca on of the gardens. By the next mee ng, Ingrid hopes
to have a definite date to present.
9. Regular reports and updates
a. Scenic Resources Commi ee (Eva) – No report was offered.
b. Communica ons Commi ee (James) - We decided next Fischer Award winner under agenda
item 6. James posted some reminders last month inviting nominations on our CB Facebook
page, but we received no recommendations from Facebook followers. Some of us feel the
nomination process is too difficult; Mike S thinks a summer intern might be able to make a
Fischer Award nomination webform for our Fischer Award page on Town website. Be sure to
respond to a survey via email that will decide when you can come to the spring award tree
planting.
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c. Tompkins County EMC (Ingrid) – Ingrid is now our official Town of Ithaca representa ve to the
EMC. Ingrid reported on the February mee ng where a speaker presented informa on on the
Ithaca Green New Deal. More informa on is available at IGND.scorecard.org A new law being
proposed for NY state was discussed where 30% of land is to be conserved by 2030. A ques on
about Earth Day events was brought up and whether there are events planned.
d. Six Mile Creek volunteer water monitors had their annual meeting via Zoom earlier today;
decided on 4 days in 2023 to take the regular synoptic water samples and agreed on the usual
week or two-week window in late summer for the BMI sampling at four different sites. As usual,
we'll try to get a water sample when the creek's flowing fast after a storm, so one of the sample
times will get rescheduled if rain doesn't cooperate. Volunteers reviewed sampling and safety
procedures. The BMI sample requires a certain parameter of acceptable flow, so exact date will
depend on the weather in late August or early September.
e. Cornell Botanic Gardens volunteer stewards are working every other week this winter due to
staff shortage. In February we thinned the canopy in Eames Bog, where too much shade was
giving orchids a hard time. The BG photographer filmed us there for a movie about volunteer
work. We also helped rebuild a deer/rabbit exclosure around rare dwarf cherries in the South
Hill Swamp, where one of two exclosures no longer had any cherries in it, and the other had
some cherries that had escaped the exclosure and were growing outside it. The wandering
cherries were enclosed in a rebuilt larger pen made with material from the deconstructed pen.
10. Other Business: Lori Brewer made a mo on to recommend Frank Cantone as a member to the
Conserva on Board; James seconded the mo on. All present voted for the nomina on of Frank
to go before the Town Board at their next mee ng to be officially appointed to the Board.
11. Review 2023 Work Goals / Discuss April Agenda: JoAnn reviewed the 2023 work goals.
Informa on was offered to update the status of the scenic view sign on Pine Tree Road and
discussion was offered about outreach events to be offered at the May 6 Tutelo Park event.
12. The mee ng was adjourned at 6:54 pm.
Minutes were dra ed by Joann Kowalski – 03/09/2023