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Board - committee - Commission - Council: 2021 APR 12 AM 11: 06
Town Forest Committee
Date: 2020-12-8 Time: 7 PM
Building: Location:
Address:
Purpose: Town Forest Management Session:
Attendees: Members - Present:
Thomas Gardiner, Nancy Docktor, Kurt Habel, Brian Scouten, Jeff Lanson,
Rick Wetzler, Dan Ford, Bill Sullivan
Members - Not Present:
None
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Bill Sullivan
Topics of Discussion:
Meeting was held by video conference due to the COVID pandemic.
• Discussed group use of the Town Forest
o The Town is developing a new on-line group use application process that
includes Board of Health and Fire Department approval
o Need to make group use application and the TF Rules more visible on TF
website
• Pine Die-Off
o Drone video shows three distinct clusters of dying pine trees in the area of
the Council Ring
o Pine scale?
o Trees are dying from the top down
o Discuss with our forestry consultant, Phil Benjamin
o KH to send drone footage to Mass. State Forester for his opinion
o RW to contact Mass. State Entomologist for advice
• Invasive weeds have appeared in the area of the January 2020 pilot thinning
project— re-evaluate in the spring
• An unauthorized fire ring was reported that is surrounded very closely by trees -
Need clarification on the location
• Can DPW furnish barrels near the Council Ring for trash and dog waste?
• Need to increase public awareness about the importance of picking up dog waste
• Can more signs be added at the entrances to the TF about wearing masks?
• Voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the 10/27/20 meeting
• Next Meeting: scheduled for 1/12/21 at 7:00 pm
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