Courtroom at Town Hall
7:00 P.M.
Members Present: Shannon Barnes, Nelson Disco, John Buckley, Greg Kirby, Roger Blais, Jim Taylor, Andy Powell, Janet Cormier, Tim Tenhave, Karen Mattor, Ruth Roulx, Cathy Provencher, Lynne Wenz, Connie Kreider, Chip Buker, David Rutzke, Chris Christensen, Newton Coryell, Harold Watson, Debra Huffman, Mike Ruggiero, Bill Keating, Sue Siena & Peter Kahn.
Also Present: Jay Minkarah, Community Development Director; Scott McPhie, Community Development; Bob Spoerl, Bureau of Trails
Call to Order: Debra Huffman called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM.
Presentation: Bob Spoerl, Program Specialist with the Division of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Trails, presented the committee with an overview of trail design and maintenance issues. A copy of his presentation is attached. The following additional comments were made:
· The 6500 miles of snowmobile trails in the state are maintained by volunteers.
· The amount of trail you construct should not exceed the amount you can maintain.
· Every group who uses state trails is responsible for helping to maintain them. That is one reason they require a club for snowmobiles and ATVs. To use the trail, they require a commitment to help maintain the trail. Of the 30,000 ATV machines registered, only 3000 are club members. They want 75% club membership.
· Merrimack should develop a trail plan for the entire town and surrounding towns.
· Signs at entrances should alert people if hunting is allowed. Also, signs should list permitted uses rather than be negative.
· RSA 215-A:43 took two years to develop with input from Fish and Game, DES, Parks and Recreation, Office of State Planning, State Police, and others. Originally developed as an in-house tool, it became state law. It has not been proven yet but is a good starting point.
· Trails can be shared, but some activities - such as an ATV "play" area - should be segregated. Jeeps and trucks cannot share trails with others.
· Mountain bikes, horseback riding, and other uses can cause as much erosion as ATVs.
· ATV registration money can be used to purchase ATV areas and to fund local policing of ATV trails.
· There is no set standard for minimum ATV trail length. Two miles would be too small, 5 or 10 miles would be small but might be used by some.
· The 700-acre recommendation allows for exclusion of wetland and abutter buffers, but is only an estimate. Consider using smaller pieces to connect to other areas, such as sand pits.
Clean-up Day: Tim Tenhave discussed the plans for clean-up day. The subcommittee intends to pre-stage teams to cover sections of the property. Three Boy Scout troops have volunteered to help and groups from Fidelity, Merrimack Friends and Family are also interested, as well as many individuals. They estimate they will need 45 volunteers. Access points, availability of food and water, and recycling were discussed. Rain date is May 3.
Approval of Minutes: The minutes of March 17 and April 7 were approved with amendments.
Wheeled Motorized Trail Use: The committee conducted its third discussion on use of ATVs on the Horse Hill Nature Preserve. Debra Huffman distributed some wording that could be considered as a basis for a proposal. In addition to points made in previous meetings, the following points were made:
· Based on the volume of e-mails received (21 against, 16 for ATV use) there are more than a few ATV users in Merrimack. The committee must consider everyone's perspective.
· The property is approximately one square mile in size. That might not be sufficient for a large volume of ATV use. The state recommends 700 acres. Insufficient space will increase negative impact.
· ATV use should be considered on a town-wide level, since there might be better locations in town for ATV use. Connections to property beyond the town borders should also be considered.
· Additional research should be done, such as investigating the potential for MTBE contamination from ATVs.
· The two wetlands under the power lines as well as other environmental considerations make this a difficult property for safe, legal, responsible ATV use.
On a motion by Jim Taylor, seconded by Newton Coryell, the committee unanimously approved a statement on ATV use, a copy of which is attached.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:00 p.m.
Statement on ATV Use
as Approved on 4/21/03
Based
on extensive discussion and research, it is the recommendation of this
committee that in consideration of the extensive wetlands found on the
property, proximity to residential neighborhoods, and extensive use of the
property by passive users, the Horse Hill Nature Preserve is not an appropriate
location for ATV use.
The
committee recognizes that there are residents who enjoy ATV use. It is
therefore additionally recommended that the appropriate town authorities
revisit this recommendation if the following occurs.
1. A state
recognized ATV club is formed by Merrimack residents to work with the Merrimack
Conservation Commission to evaluate all town land for suitability for ATV use.
2. Should the
evaluation show that the Horse Hill Nature Preserve is suitable for ATV use,
the club should present a plan to the appropriate town authorities showing the
location of proposed use and defining use parameters, such as hours or days of
accessibility, parking accommodations, residency restrictions, etc.
3. ATV trails
proposed by the club must conform to state regulations as described in RSA
215-A:43 and any other applicable RSA, and state restrictions for 'mud season'
must be followed.
4. The club's
proposal must include provisions for trail design, creation, monitoring,
maintenance, and rule enforcement. Financial responsibility for trail construction
and maintenance should be specified.
5. The club must
remain active (the definition of which will be provided by the town) and must
perform all monitoring and maintenance duties on an ongoing basis. It is
understood that failure of the club to remain active or failure to perform the
duties defined in the proposal will constitute cause for terminating ATV access
to the property(s).