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Home My WebLink AboutCAC Minutes - 10_11_22Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 4 Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Minutes of Video Conference (Zoom) Meeting on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 Danby, New York Council Members present: Margaret Corbit (Chair), Joel Gagnon, Jonathan Zisk, Katharine Hunter, Brittany Lagaly, Don Schaufler (came later) Council Members absent: Mary Woodsen, Don Schaufler Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident), Renee Owens Zoom Meeting was officially called to order at 7:06. Privilege of the Floor (PoF): Ronda discussed local photos she had loaned for town use. Now she was worried about security of her photos on the “cloud”. She was assured that, yes, all website info on server is on Zoho system, which resides on the cloud, but this would be checked. She was concerned people could download them or she wouldn’t get credit. Corbit said that we need to do more homework on how to set a standard for photos and make sure downloading doesn’t happen. Deletions or Additions to Agenda: none Approval Minutes MOTION for September 13, 2022 minutes Gagnon moved to approve  Corbit seconded  Woodsen and Schaufler not in attendence, 5 others in favor. Motion passed. Welcome to Renee Owens who introduced herself. She grew up in Elmira and has traveled all over, has lived in Southern California, and is now back in the East. She has operated her own environmental Consulting business for 30 years, specializing in invertebrates. She also taught environmental science in various colleges. Lives near Corbit. Gagnon asked if she was interested in joining CAC. Owens replied that she is already involved in a lot of national organizations, but is also interested in doing local work. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 4 REPORTS AND UPDATES (from the agenda) 1. Celebration of Clare Clare Fewtrell, chairperson of this committee died on Friday, October 7th, of metastasizing cancer. The committee shared recollections and praise of her organizational skills, strength of character, perseversance in adversity, and wide variety of interests, from her career in bio-chemistry to interests in singing, hiking, world sailing, and much more. Gagnon noted that she had worked on the Wimsatt easement – a complicated one - and was a quick study. She had expertise in a wide variety of areas, and the group was proud of her. 2. Status of changes on CAC web pages: Revisioning of Danby conservation easement message and how to strategize outreach; GIS map that is being worked on with David West - Margaret Corbit Corbit reported that the urgency of working on Butje Easement on Comfort Road had over-ridden working on the CAC website. 3. Updates on Passed and Proposed Easements - Main coordinators for each easement. Butje Easement: Corbit reported that she, Zisk, and West had walked the easement parcels, and got most of the markers identified. She said it was a spectacular property, but very sloped. West and she went back later to finish the walk and noted there were gravel roads coming from Comfort Rd going to the west. It had very nice houses from what was formerly a meditation center. There was a pond surrounded by flagstones, as well as a structure like a little Stonehenge with a huge boulder in the center with a Buddha head on top of it. She had sent everyone the baseline report – Zisk had worked on habitat, etc. and West had provided map and pictures. Planner West was the person communicating with owners about the property, and delicately working to get the easement going as quickly as possible; people want it to happen, but buyers are already looking at it. Corbit recommended being generous in sizing of residencial and active use zones, which - out of the 113 acre easement - could be set to the boundaries of the 15 acres now cleared and well maintained. Elsewhere, the slope, tranitioning into a Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 4 ravine suggested where an environmental protection zone should be to preserve natural values. Zisk added that the trees were secondary growth, estimated as around 70 years old. There were some invasives, but also a wide variety of other species preserved by the natural topography. The acid soil and flora, such as azalas, were much like Thachers Pinnacles. Corbit notes that it merits protection by conservation easement. Zisk noted that the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) would protect water ways so the easement didn’t need to replicate that. (After-note: from Corbit’s conservation baseline document: “the property is at the top of a steep embankment that looks to be a continuation of Thatchers Pinnacles, a protected area to the south. It is less than a half mile north of Danby State Forest. It is in the Cayuga Lake Basin.” This is further explained in Finger Lakes Land Trust documentation: “Thatcher's Pinnacles. A high point on the Abbot Loop Trail in Danby State Forest, Town of Danby, NY. It overlooks the inlet valley and the Lindsay-Parsons Bioversity Preserve.) A side note on GPS Software: Corbit said that Planner West has preferred GPS software called Gaia and recommended that everyone use this for consistency. Hoffman easement: Gagnon thinks it is in the home stretch. Woodsen easement: Zisk mapped it after walking it with Mary and Henry. Some information still needs to be rearranged. But it is almost done. Sherman easement: Legalay reported that Ruth Sherman has been away and will be back in November Andi Gladstone easement: Zisk volunteered that he will replace Fewtrell in pursuing this one. Ben Altman easement: Zisk volunteered to contact him. Another Marsh Road Easement?: Woodson mentioned a person on Marsh Rd but she was not at the meeting to elaborate. 4. Status of annual easement monitoring and placing easement signs - Jonathan Zisk, Katharine Hunter Hunter will work with Palmer, with Schaufler perhaps assisting. 5. Status of Timber Harvesting law - Don Schaufler & Jonathan Zisk Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 4 Schaufler said that he had sent the document to everyone. He still needs to incorporate the few edits he received. Discussion ensued as to whether to send to town lawyer before or after town board for final points to clarify -- especially on bonding and Ag right-to-farm issues. It should also be reviewed by Planner West. Gagnon asked if we are ready to say this should go to town board? Conclusion was to wait until it comes back next month with final polishing. 6. Status of local implementation of varying easement time lines and tax abatements subcommittee - Joel Gagnon No one working on this now since other things have precedence and working with the Ithaca City School Board awaits appropriate timing. 7. Status of presentation on “How do the Goals of the new Tompkins County Food System Plan affect small farmers, and where is the money to help pay for them?” - Elizabeth Keokosky Keokosky reported that the presentation is still on for Nov 10th and the new speaker is Don Barber, former Town Supervisor for Caroline and director of the Food Policy Council of Tompkins County. Some discussion of content followed. Article needs to be written for Newsletter. There was a last minute minute discussion of the need for new members, and whether we should start having in-person meetings (as opposed to Zoom), although the CAC, as an advisory committee, may not be required to do so. Also questioned whether the CAC is covered by the town’s liability insurance. Gagnon assured the group that it is. There was no Executive session Next Meeting is on November 8, 2022 at 7p.m. Adjournment at 8:20 pm _____________________________________________ Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)