New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions SERVING NEW HAMPSHIRE’S COMMUNITIES SINCE 1970

44th Annual Meeting & Conference: Inspiring Young Conservationists November 1st, 2014 // Laconia, NH

Session A – 10:15 – 11:15 AM

A1: Climate Change Adaptation: Planning and Making Resilient Communities – Sherry Godlewski, NH Department of Environmental Services This session will highlight regional and state efforts focused on climate change adaptation. Conservation commissions can be a part of building resilient communities by helping prepare for and accommodate the changes we are already seeing in our climate. New Hampshire has already experienced impacts to natural communities and important features that define communities. These extreme weather events and the knowledge that there will be more are bringing people together to plan across "silos". Encouraging youth involvement is imperative and will help them be a part of planning for their future.

A2: Special Session on the Status of Conservation in New Hampshire – Senator Martha Fuller Clark – Rodger Krussman, The Trust for Public Land – Jim O’Brien, The Nature Conservancy Learn how land conservation not only protects important ecological and natural resources, but how it also supports key local businesses that depend on the availability of high quality protected land and water. A recent study by The Trust for Public Land determined for every $1 dollar spend by the state on land conservation, $11 in natural goods and services was returned. Finally, we will discuss the status of a legislative study group that is charged with studying the state's role in encouraging land protection in the future.

A3: Conservation Projects from the Landowner’s Perspective: Motives, Tax Advantages and Concerns – Thomas Masland, Esq., Ransmeier & Spellman Each landowner brings a new perspective to a conservation transaction, and it is useful to understand the motives and concerns of the individual or family with whom you are dealing. This is particularly true when the landowner is seeking an income tax deduction for the gift of an easement or title to the property. During this session, enjoy a wide-ranging and interactive discussion of issues that arise in donated and purchased conservation transactions.

A4: New Commissioners Workshop: Spreading your Wings: Moving Beyond Wetlands Protection – Tom Duston, NHACC Board and Chesterfield Conservation Commission – Lynne Borofsky, Chesterfield Conservation Commission The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate with specific examples the myriad assortment of activities that can be undertaken under the rubric of paragraph 1 in RSA 36-4. According to RSA 36-4, towns may establish a conservation commission to " ... ensure the proper utilization and protection of the natural resources and for the protection of watershed resources of said city or town,” a very broad charge with no specific authority. The RSA is not entirely useful as a guide to specific actions to achieve the mission it lays out. Specific examples of possible conservation commission activities will include trail construction and maintenance; open space and wetlands protection; organizing and leading hikes; selective timber cut for wildlife; surveying invasive species; utilizing volunteers; grant writing and conservation fund management; esthetic improvement of public land; managing protected land; partnering with other like-minded groups on many of these activities; and public environmental education related to all of these. 1

A5: Empowering Land Conservation with Solar Energy – Jonathan Gregory, ReVision Energy Leveraging the revenue potential of a clean energy solar array to maintain the long term protection and preservation of conservation land is increasing becoming a credible solution for land owners across the country. This presentation will provide insight into the growing opportunities that land owners and conservation trusts can seek through the adaptation of solar energy into our open spaces. In a time where environmental protection and clean energy alternatives are at the forefront of importance, connecting our land with the abundant sunshine offers us a uniquely effective solution to combat these modern threats. The presentation will discuss how New Hampshire can create meaningful, mission-oriented relationships that empower conservation commissions and put greater context into the realm of resiliency.

A6: Farm-friendly Easements – Amy Manzelli, Esq., Co-owner and Attorney, BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC – Ian B. McSweeney, Director, Russell Farm and Forest Conservation Foundation Learn about farm easements with two experts in the field. The presenters will: provide methods to engage absentee landowners and farmers towards land conservation; encourage sustainable agriculture; examine a farm easement; discuss how agriculture is defined; explore how agricultural easements protect commercial operations and natural resources; identify the laws related to agricultural easements; provide follow up resources for those interested in learning more; and field participants’ questions.

A7: Engaging Youth with Trail Building and Maintenance – Brendan Taylor & Alison Violette, Appalachian Mountain Club This workshop will detail the process of engaging teen volunteers on trail crew. We’ll discuss a range of topics, from the big picture of planning the experience and interacting with the volunteers and their parents ahead of the program, to the small picture of how to make a volunteer trail experience fun and engaging for the teens while they are on the trip.

A8: Natural Resources Inventory - From Conservation Planning to Engaging Young Conservationists – Jeffry N. Littleton, Conservation Ecologist, Moosewood Ecological Has your Conservation Commission conducted a basic NRI? Wondering where to go from here? This workshop will focus on helping Conservation Commissions on how to refine basic NRIs to expand on more meaningful conservation and land use planning techniques. Examples will be illuminated through a variety of case studies from towns in New Hampshire. This will include the use of the NH Wildlife Action Plan and other concepts of conservation biology. We will explore the many opportunities available to help Conservation Commissions develop successful ecological land management options while providing a means to prioritize lands for protection. We will also explore ways to engage young conservationists with Conservation Commissions and the NRI process, as well as how they may make a career in conservation.

Session B – 11:30AM – 12:30 PM

B1: Evaluating the Hydraulic Capacity of Your Community’s Infrastructure – Colin Lawson, New England Culvert Project Coordinator, Trout Unlimited – Gabe Bolin, Eastern Stream Restoration Specialist, Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited has developed a community / watershed based tool to assess the hydraulic capacity of road stream crossing under severe weather conditions. This GIS and Excel model tool has been designed to allow community's to assess infrastructure vulnerability to better help prioritize restoration of critical road stream crossings. It is being made available to all communities free of charge.

2 B2: How "Wood is Good" for NH: A look at the economic impact of timber harvesting in the Granite State – Jasen Stock, Executive Director, NH Timberland Owners Association – Steve Patten, Program Director, NH Timberland Owners Association This workshop will look at a recently completed report by Plymouth State University that looks at the economic impact that timber harvesting has to New Hampshire's rural economy. Special emphasis will be put on examining a "typical" load of logs and how it translates into dollars and cents.

B3: Taking Action for Wildlife – Beyond the NRI – Amanda Stone, UNH Cooperative Extension – Emily Preston, Wildlife Biologist, NH Fish and Game Department – Emma Carcagno, Land and Water Conservation Extension Field Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension You have completed your NRI, and perhaps have a conservation plan in place. What next? In this interactive workshop we will discuss on-the-ground actions you can take to put these resources to work. Using the World Café Approach, we will address land conservation, habitat management, and public outreach in the context of protecting wildlife and their habitats. A common thread in this discussion will be to explore how high school and college students can assist communities with this work. The World Café activity involves rapid brainstorming in facilitated groups to develop actions to address wildlife and habitat protection. By the end of the workshop, you will have been involved in discussions about all the three topics listed above, and will take away some ideas that you can implement with your community.

B4: Discover, Appreciate and Share the Forest: A service-learning project with students building, maintaining and using a trail – Lynne Borofsky, Chesterfield Conservation Commission This is a slide presentation and discussion sharing the experience of a middle school educator engaging students in a service-learning project in Putney, VT. The student's educational journey was to design, build, maintain and utilize a mountainside trail in a school forest incorporating reading, writing, storytelling, math and hard work. The discussion will include practical suggestions and details needed to organize learning opportunities through a trail development project, which includes educational standards. This presentation will increase awareness of how a forest setting can be used as a classroom and how we can weave opportunities for students to discover, appreciate and value the forest when we work alongside each other and share the experience.

B5: Funding Opportunities for Land Conservation: ARM Fund and LCHIP – Lori Sommer, NH DES Wetland Mitigation Program – Dijit Taylor, New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program The session will focus on two funding opportunities in NH, LCHIP and NHDES Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund. Both presenters will discuss the specific program requirements for application submittal and explain grant program details through project completion. Several success stories will be provided to illustrate how the programs complete land conservation projects in the state as well as discussing important habitat restoration efforts that have taken place.

B6: Panel on Young Farmers Working on Conservation Land – Max Blindow, Benedikt Dairy, Goffstown – Andal Sundaramurthy, Two Mountain Farm, Andover – Olivia Pettingill, Wingate Farm, Hinsdale This panel brings together three young farmers to tell their farm stories, all of which are tied in one-way or another to conserved land. Max Blindow runs an organic dairy farm on conserved land with his wife Melissa and their farm was the first commercial dairy farm to start in Hillsborough County in 20 years. Andal Sundaramurthy is a participant of the Journeyperson program and runs Two Mountain Farm in Andover on privately conserved land. Olivia Pettingill runs Wingate Farm in Hinsdale and is in the final steps of completing a conservation easement to protect the valuable agriculture land that has been in her family for generations.

3 B7: Connecting Youth to Mountains: School Field Trips as an Outdoor Classroom – Dave Anderson, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Mount Major overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee in Alton is one of the most popular day hikes in the entire State and certainly the most visited hiking destination in the Belknap Range of the Lakes Region. Scores of camps, church groups and both public and private schools visit and climb Mount Major in Alton each year. The Forest Society is undertaking a 2-year pilot project to engage a local NH high school and an elementary school on new conservation land and existing public land at Mount Major. The goal of the Forest Society outreach education effort is to add basic forest ecology, natural history, cultural history, trail etiquette and hiker safety messages to the learning objectives schools could pack in preparation for annual excursions to Mount Major.

B8: How to Successfully Engage Students in Your Conservation Commission Work – Sarah Sallade, Biology Teacher, Sanborn Regional High School – Evelyn Nathan, Kingston Conservation Commission In the spring of 2012, Evelyn Nathan of the Kingston Conservation Commission, Sarah Sallade, a biology teacher at Sanborn Regional High School, and Diane Coll of the Powwow Pond Council, came together to plan a non-point source pollution project at Pow Wow Pond. The planting of six rain gardens was the tangible result of the semester- long effort, but the cooperation of 180 students, 9 teachers, 10 homeowners, a YMCA camp, a Pond Council and Con Com, was groundbreaking! What's more is this project was followed by a similarly successful project on invasive species in a Kingston town forest 1 year later. Come learn about the benefits of engaging students in this type of project in your town or region and the keys to making collaboration with students, teachers, and schools successful.

Session C – 1:30-2:30

C1: New Approaches to Restoring NH’s Rivers and Streams: Natural Channel Design and Dam Removal – Peter J. Walker, Director of Environmental Services, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. This session will cover a wide range of topics on streams such as prevalent problems, assessments and solutions. It will also walk participants through resources to deal with fluvial erosion hazards and channels such as effective steps to natural channel design and structural solutions. There will also be a discussion on NH’s Dam Removal and River Restoration Program and cover reasons for removing dams.

C2: Invasive Insects and New Hampshire Forests – Wendy Scribner, UNH Cooperative Extension Learn about invasive forest pests that we are watching for in New Hampshire. Featured insects will include the Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle, and Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. With few natural defenses against these introduced species, the health of our trees and forests are at risk. Learn about where these insects are, what tree species they attack, what to look for, efforts that are being taken to control and reduce the spread of these insects, and how you can help in these efforts.

C3: Monitoring the Health of Your Town's Wetlands: Vernal pools – Sandy Crystall, PWS, NH Department of Environmental Services – Andrea Hansen, NH DES Intern Vernal pools -- seasonal woodland pools -- provide critical breeding habitat for amphibians and other animals. The long-term health and sustainability of a vernal pool’s biological resources depends on the availability and quality of nearby uplands to complete their life cycle. Find out more about why these seasonal pools are important, how to monitor them, and what new resources are available to assist you and young volunteers in this important seasonal endeavor. Information about strategies to protect them will be provided. A recent NHTI graduate will present information about her monitoring of vernal pools that was completed as part of a capstone project.

4 C4: Thinking Through Trail Development: Beyond Shovels and Saws – Tom Duston, NHACC Board and Chesterfield Conservation Commission Ones first thought when it comes to putting in a trail tends toward the physical construction of the trail. Naturally, its location is of some interest, but much of the focus is on tools, volunteers, and (sometimes) money. In fact, careful trail planning, implementation and stewardship are far more than just drawing a line in the woods and cutting down some trees. One should pose a number of planning questions, none of which is about shovels and saws, and we will discuss such questions in this workshop: What is the vision? Who is it meant to serve? Who will design it? Who will build it? Would partners be helpful? Will it require money for tools, labor or materials? How about maps and signage? How will the trail be advertised? And so on!

C5: Wetland Ecosystems - the Seats of Biodiversity – Rick Van de Poll, PhD, Principal, Ecosystem Management Consultants Did you know that species diversity more than triples once you enter a wetland from an upland? Or that there were two times as many wetland natural community types as upland types in New Hampshire? Or that this diversity occupies less than 15% of New Hampshire's landscape? This workshop will outline the basis for protecting wetland ecosystems and offer direct tools in order to make that happen. From basic identification to functional value assessments, this review of the importance of wetland landscapes will offer guidance on how to get your wetland protection projects up and running.

C6: Trespass and Adverse Possession – Jason Reimers, Esq., Attorney, BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC The legal doctrine of adverse possession is surprising to lot of people. Using examples from actual cases in New Hampshire, this presentation will discuss what trespassing and adverse possession are, how they are related, and what can be done to prevent them. In all likelihood, any given conservation commission or land trust will have to deal with trespassing and adverse possession from time to time. Audience participation is encouraged to help come up with ways to defend against claims of adverse possession, to make a case for trespassing, and to creatively resolve these issues without litigation.

C7: Conservation Commissions and Students Connecting with their Watershed – Judy Tumosa, NH Fish and Game Department Learn how your conservation commission can assist students with an opportunity to explore and maintain the health of their own watershed. Commissions can partner with the local school in Citizen Science projects such as collecting, mapping, analyzing and sharing water quality and fisheries data within and between watersheds using ArcGIS. Commissions can also assist with Trout in the Classroom programs or facilitate discussion about how human activities may impact the watershed and therefore the river. Learn how to get kids outside and develop stewardship skills for a lifetime!

C8: How To Tell Your Conservation Story – Brenda Charpentier, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests – Jessica Tabolt Halm, Campton Conservation Commission Community support is critical to successful conservation projects, and enlisting that support requires reaching out through a variety of media. What works? What doesn’t? You’ll learn from the experiences of two presenters engaging the public in different ways. Brenda Charpentier, communications manager for the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests, will share examples of outreach materials created for community conservation projects and discuss strategies and methods of effective community outreach. Jessica Tabolt Halm, of the Campton Conservation Commission, will share her experiences partnering with other conservation commissions in her area to produce a “Conservation Matters” column in their local weekly newspaper.

5 Session D – 2:45-3:45

D1: Using Wildlife Habitats to Help Your Town Prepare for Climate Change – Emily Preston, Wildlife Biologist, NH Fish and Game Department – Loren Valliere, NH Fish and Game Department Wildlife habitat can help towns minimize the destruction caused by extreme flooding and storm surge as well as other effects of climate change. Learn how to determine which habitats in your town will be most effective in adapting to the effects of climate change, and how to gather data to use in planning documents and town meetings. Collecting data on culverts and floodplain habitats can be done by citizens, school children, and clubs like 4H or Scouts. We'll also cover how to incorporate this into town plans and activities.

D2: Invasive Plants: One Town’s Campaign – Francie Von Mertens, Peterborough Conservation Commission Learn about Peterborough's program for early detection/removal of invasive upland plants that includes mapping roadside Japanese knotweed and garlic mustard (two species often introduced in roadside fill); outreach to landowners; and volunteer workgangs including schoolyards and schoolchildren. The presentation includes an up- close look at one invasive plant as a case study of how some introduced plants (a minority) spread rampantly, thereby earning "invasive" status and placement on New Hampshire's list of legally prohibited plants.

D3: The Role of Conservation Commissions in Wetlands Compliance and Enforcement – Linda Magoon, NH Department of Environmental Services – Jay Aube, Shoreland Program Outreach Coordinator, NH Department of Environmental Services The role of a Conservation Commission in the wetlands permitting process is defined by statute. However, the role of a Conservation Commission in the enforcement process is not clearly defined in the law. In this session, DES staff will present an overview of the DES compliance process and offer suggestions on how Conservation Commissions can work with the public and DES to protect wetlands and surface waters from unregulated despoliation.

D4: Funding Options: SCC Conservation "Moose Plate" Grant Program – Dea Brickner-Wood, State Conservation Committee The session will provide an overview of the how the funds raised through the purchase of Moose Conservation and Heritage License Plates are used for the promotion, protection and investment in New Hampshire's natural, cultural and historic resources. The session will focus on the types of conservation projects Conservation Commissions may apply for through the State Conservation Committee's Conservation "Moose Plate" Grant program.

D5: The Otter Brook Middle School Project - Let Nature do the Texting! – Rick Van de Poll, PhD, Principal, Ecosystem Management Consultants For six years, ConVal's eighth graders have been coming to Otter Brook Farm once a month to hone their science skills. The program is so popular that principals, superintendants, parents, and non-science teachers have gotten in on the act. What makes this environmental ed program so successful? How come NECAP science scores have gone up as a result and high school teachers now recognize Otter Brook grads? This workshop will outline the tools of success that can be replicated in your school district too!

D6: Partnering with Schools to Conserve Land and Create Opportunities to Connect the Next Generation to the Land – Ian B. McSweeney, Director, Russell Farm and Forest Conservation Foundation – Brad Miller, Horticulture Teacher, High Mowing School This session will highlight a Wilton conservation project that will conserve 154 acres of high priority land and will add 101 acres of land to High Mowing School. This land is some of the highest ranking land in the town, will connect other exiting conservation lands and will allow a 7th generation family farm to continue to operate as an active farm. The School's ownership will allow the expansion of the school curriculum to include a priority around land ethics, naturalist and horticultural programming. 6

D7: Project-Based Learning in the Environment- Empowering Teachers and Students – Judy Silverberg, Project Learning Tree New Hampshire Project Learning Tree and its partners have a number of programs like the Institute for Nature-Based Learning that help prepare teachers to take on project-based learning experiences on local public lands in their community with students. This session will provide an overview of what project-based learning is all about. It will highlight the skills and community connections that teachers need to have in order to successfully undertake these kinds of projects. Examples of projects will be highlighted

D8: Drawing the Connection Between Local Action, Conservation and Sustainable Energy – Clay Mitchell, Esq. PhD, University of New Hampshire This presentation will describe how balanced renewable energy project developments can work hand in hand with conservation projects to draw in new partners and young people interested in climate change and our local responses and how these developments can work with, not against, conservation priorities with careful siting, curriculum support and development and a community focus for the projects themselves. The presentation will discuss how sustainability can be discussed with hope in contrast to gloom and how these innovative topics can help spark interest among our younger citizens

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