HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-08-06 Town Forest Committee MinutesOF
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Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
tiECEIVED
OWN CLERK
,DING, M,�SS.
t:i� JAN 21 All :N
Town Forest Committee
Date: 2013 -08 -06 Time: 7 pm
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Board of Selectmen Room
Address:
Purpose: Discussion of Dog Walking in Reading Town Forest (RTF)
Attendees: Members - Present:
Mike DeBrigard, Jennifer Driscoll, Tom Gardiner, Terry Selle, Bill Sullivan,
Rick Wetzler
Members - Not Present:
Kurt Habel, Farrukh Najmi, Kendal Stackhouse
Others Present:
Jeff Zager
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Rick Wetzler
Topics of Discussion:
Committee Membership
1) Introduction of new members, including Bill Sullivan and Jennifer Driscoll in attendance
2) Resolution of gratitude for outgoing Chair, Patrice Todisco
3) Election of new Chair, Terry Selle, by unanimous vote
Discussion of dog walking in RTF focused in particular on:
1) Possibly reducing dog walking traffic within the forest by creating an additional option: a
fenced dog park, as proposed by Selectman John Arena. Potentially sited on the field
adjacent to the former water treatment plant, this idea would be modified by feedback
from users of such parks in other towns (e.g. Medford [Sheepfold Meadow in Middlesex
Fells], Gloucester [Stage Fort Park] and Dartmouth).
• ASPCA has conducted a pro/ con assessment of such parks, illuminating the
unexpected importance of disease, lapses in vaccination and overabundance
and removal of dog feces.
• There was general agreement that a fenced enclosure for dogs might make
sense close to the Town center (e.g. Memorial Park or Imagination Station), but
owners would be unwilling to transport dogs all the way to RTF just to be
released within a fenced area.
2) Posting etiquette for dog owners -- voluntary compliance which might prove more
successful than regulations.
3) Exploring precedents set by other towns (e.g. Rockport) which had purportedly banned
pit bulls from their public forests, following attacks on humans.
4) Creating frequency -of -use maps to help RTF users who are wary of dogs, delineating:
a. Leash -on "safe zones"
b. Leash -off (dogs running free) zones
c. Areas of high and low dog traffic.
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Town of Reading - Meeting Minutes
• There appeared to be much interest in this idea and dog walkers in attendance
agreed to mark RTF map printouts (from the Town website) according to their
use, enabling an overall compilation. These may be emailed as attachments or
dropped off at Town Hall.
Additional discussions were devoted to:
1) Expectations for those experiencing RTF
a. Seen as a place to be on one's own
b. Some argued that they should not have to expect confrontation, and the
obligation to file police reports concerning offensive dogs and human behaviors
c. Others called for immediate reporting to the RTF committee any unacceptable
behavior observed (e.g. wild bike riding, unauthorized motor vehicle use, firestick
play, etc)
2) Future conservation forestry to remove individual diseased and over - mature trees.
3) One attendee's report that he had spent 45 minutes putting out a small fire in RTF.
4) An update on Grace Strohman's booklet "Get to Know Your Backyard" including it's RTF
section.
10/1/13
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