11/10/2011 ENVIRONMENTAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Minutes

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Mashpee Environmental Oversight Committee Minutes of Meeting November 10 at 7:00 p.m. Mashpee Town Hall, Selectmen's Meeting Room Present: Chairman John Cahalan, Rick York, Ted Theis, Peter White Absent: George Petersen CALL TO ORDER The meeting was opened by Chairman Cahalane at 7:05 p.m. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES July 14, 2011. and October 13, 2011 Mr. Theis made a motion to accept the minutes of July 14th, 2011 and October 13th, 2011. Mr. York seconded the motion. All voted unanimously. COMMUNICATIONS There was no public comment. NEW BUSINESS Land Stewardship Program Presentation Conservation Agent Andrew McManus addressed the Committee to provide an update about the Land Steward Program. Mr. McManus reported that Kelsey Boyd, an Americorps volunteer, would be working with the Conservation Department one day per week for one year, with the intent of re-establishing the Land Stewardship Program. Mr.McManus stated that a recent article appeared in the Mashpee Enterprise about Ms. Boyd and plans for the Land Stewardship Program, Mr. McManus stated his intent that the program be more simplified, eliminating the area coordinators. The initial key contacts for the program would be Mr. McManus, Ms. Boyd and Kris Carpenter, secretary to the Conservation Department. The Conservation website will be updated to include downloadable forms to become a volunteer and for stewards for their parcels. Mr. McManus planned to map all existing trails and have the maps uploaded to the web page. Regarding recruitment, Mr. McManus expressed his hope to target key residential areas located at the road/vehicle entrances to the parcels in an effort to acquire the assistance of residents local to the roads. The Mashpee Environmental Coalition also recommended door-to-door recruitment which Mr. McManus anticipated conducting on Saturdays. The Department of Public Works has again offered vouchers to the Transfer Station so that, with validation from Mr. McManus, volunteers will be able to dump collected trash at no additional cost. A recent meeting occurred regarding areas in larger parcels, such as Noisy Hole, Jehu Pond, John's Pond and Mashpee Pine Barrens, that featured dead end roads. It has been recommended that the areas be blocked with boulders and gates in an effort to reduce the dumping that has occurred. Plans to gate off an area will be presented to the Board of Selectmen prior to doing so. Mr. McManus hoped to clear the areas of trash and install gating in the same day, in order to prevent additional dumping. Mr. McManus noted that much of the trash has come from other towns.