Andrews Community Forest 6/23/25

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ACFC Minutes 06-23-25v2 75 KB

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Andrews Community Forest Committee
Regular Meeting Minutes
Monday, June 23, 2025 - 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Richmond Town Center
 

Zoom video recording
https://mtmansfieldctv.org/richmondmeetings/

Related files

• b1 ACFC Dan Wolfson 06-01-25
• d1 RFP Draft for 23-Jun-2025
• e1 MP2 Draft For 23-June-2025-2
• e2 Recreation Appendix-D 

Present

Members: Co-chairs Ian Stokes and Wright Preston, also Sam Pratt, Jim Cochran, Sonya Mastersen, Brad Elliott

Public: Dan Wolfson, Chelsye Brooks (by zoom)

Committee Business

With a quorum present the meeting came to order at 6:04. Wright volunteered to be timekeeper; Brad did so for taking minutes.

The May 19 and June 2 minutes were approved.

Ian asked for a discussion of Jake Robertson’s offer to perform mowing and other maintenance at the ACF.

Conservation Commission and Plan Reviewing

Sam updated the committee on the Conservation Commission’s recent discussion of assisting ACFC in the Management Plan review process, and the appropriate time for that to start. That led to a discussion of operations for reviewing the management plan, and the most efficient time to engage the Selectboard for its review. Members recommended inviting the Conservation Commission, Trails Committee and any other body to make suggestions to the drafts, and to ask for formal reviews after the copy-editor has polished the document.

Dan Wolfson

The ACFC discussed with Dan Wolfson his application to join the Committee. Now an emergency room physician, he also managed a 3,000 nature preserve in Vermont. The Committee voted unanimously to recommend to the Selectboard that he be appointed to the ACFC.

Jake Robertson, Meadow mowing

Jake’s offer to help maintain the ACF was discussed. Sam, Sonya and Brad will meet with him to discuss the proposals. Wright volunteered to brush-hog Meadow Meander and road at an appropriate time for ground-nesting birds. Jim noted that there may be a candidate for the Trails Committee also willing to serve as its representative on ACFC.

RFP for Copy-Editor

Ian summarized previous discussions about the need for writing assistance, either full-blown, for proof-reading only or points in between. The consensus was that we will seek a copy-editor to ensure that the content of the draft ACFC will provide to the contractor is clear, consistent and well-organized. Ian, Sonya and Brad will meet to review the latest draft. The ACFC voted to have them pass the draft with their edits from that meeting directly to Josh for his review and discussions about the bidding process, and to then “push it out” ahead of the draft’s completion. The ACFC budget and Conservation Reserve Fund were identified as possible funding sources. Wright volunteered to draft an application to the Conservation Reserve Fund and pass on to Ian.

Management Plan revision

Ian noted the working group’s progress preparing the Recreation section of the draft and suggested postponing Committee review until its draft was completed. The group voted unanimously to meet to review the completed draft on July 14, from 6-8.

The committee then began a review of the Ecological section. Questions of formatting and format consistency were discussed, as well as the amount of detail needed before the listings of objectives and actions. Content specifics discussed:

• Adequacy and location (main or appendix) of ZOI explanation. The Appendix will be checked and augmented as needed in the appropriate part of the draft.
• Clearly stating that ACFC has looked at the research into ZOIs and decided on 100 meters (or 330 feet) to use as its standard.

The discussion will be picked up at the next meeting, on July 14.

Elections, ethics compliance and meadow maintenance

Wright noted that we should elect a chair or co-chairs at the next meeting, which will be devoted to

Sam reminded us that we will need to reserve time to review the Town’s ethics policies at a meeting of the group, per Duncan’s 3/21 letter.

Wright asked permission to put a small utility road into the meadow about 300 feet up the main road so a tractor could get in for bush-hogging. This would require Maplewind’s ok to cut the fence, which could be replaced by his gate. His previous routes in from his land have been blocked by fallen trees. He would like to walk the route with a couple of people to see the area where he’d like to create the route. Sam volunteered to go along with Wright.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Brad Elliott