HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-03-20 Town Forest Committee Minutes OF R '
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Board -Committee Commission - Council: .
20 � JUtr 25 ARM: 57
Town Forest Committee
-Date-: 2018=03-20 Time: 7 PM:
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Berger Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: Town Forest Management; Session:
Attendees: Members - Present:
Rick Wetzler, Mike Bourque, Dan Ford, Kurt Habel, Tom Gardiner, Bill
Sullivan
Members.- Not Present:
Nancy,Docktor, Farrukh Najmi
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: .Bill Sullivan
Topics of Discussion:
1. The draft forest management plan prepared by certified forester Phil Benjamin dated.
2/7/2018 (attached) was discussed. The plan-recommends a thinning operation to
selectively remove between 20 and 25% of the trees in the pilot area. This will allow
sunlight to reach the understory which will stimulate growth of saplings in place of. -
the old unhealthy pines in the limited pilot area. The option of a more aggressive
removal of the red pine trees was not viewed favorably,
2. The committee,decided that it would be best to identify a proposed area for the pilot
thinning prior to presenting the plan to.Town officials and-the public. It was agreed ..
that"the committee will ask Mr. Benjamin to participate in a conference call at the
April.TFC meeting so the next steps of the plan can,be developed. The committee will
request a proposal from.Mr. Benjamin.for this,work. The committee discussed.the
need to be aware of,protected species and avoiding wetland impacts. The Town's .
conservation agent will be:invited to attend_the site walk. .
3. The next steps will be developing more details for the pilot thinning program and the
presention of the plan to the ,DPW, Selectmen and at public meetings. It is. unknown
if the funds that.could be generated by the tree harvesting will offset the cost of the .
work. It may be necessary to seek additional funding.from the Town,to conduct the
thinning operation.
4. Reading Earth Day will :be celebrated at Parket Middle School on April.21st. Several
members of the TFC will participate at the TFC table.
5. The next meeting was scheduled for April 24, 2018 at 7:00 pm:
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