Taunton River Wild & Scenic River Study Committee Meeting

 

November 16, 2004

7:00 PM

SRPEDD 88 Broadway  Taunton, MA

 

 

In Attendance: Francis Pereira, Bill Taylor, Middleboro; Jim Ross, Lou Bousquet,, Raynham; Richard Ashcroft, Nancy Durfee, Somerset; Maryan Nowak, Taunton; Bob Davis, TRWA/Raynham; Alison Bowden, TNC; Scott MacFaden, Wildlands Trust; George Estes, Dighton/Intertribal Council; Donna Desrosiers, Roger Desrosiers, Somerset/Intertribal Council; Rachel Calabro, SRPEDD/Riverways; Bill Napolitano SRPEDD

 

  1. Call to Order, 7:05 PM

 

  1. Introduction of new members:  Dighton Intertribal Council members, Donna

Desrosiers, Roger Desrosiers, and George Estes;  Alison Bowden, TNC

 

  1. Jim Ross gave a summary of his chronology of events leading up to the Nov.

15 Raynham Town Meeting vote to endorse the nomination of the Taunton

River as a Wild & Scenic River;  the article passed Town Meeting unanimously;

The vote received great press coverage in the Taunton Daily Gazette (page 1).

Jim said that the participation of the local third grade class (with posters and

projects focusing on wildlife found in and around the river ) was very educational

and appealed to the voter; a short video clip (3-5 min.), produced by Fred

Morrison, of canoeing on the Taunton River, was also extremely informative

and helpful (it would be nice to get this clip on our website).

 

  1. We have to find out when the other Spring Town Meetings are scheduled and

provide technical assistance as necessary.

 

  1. The Stewardship Plan and all maps are now on the website; the plan can be

reviewed on the web and comments sent to Bill, Rachel, or Maisy

     

  1. Stream Team Small Grants proposals were reviewed at a public meeting held

Nov.11 at SRPEDD;  the following proposals were brought before the Wild &

Scenic River Study Committee for consideration:

 

a.       Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Mass. – up to $5,000 to help with appraisals

for properties within the Taunton River Corridor study area, to be donated by

a single landowner ( 4 properties, totaling close to 50 acres, with significant river frontage);

b.      Nemasket River Stream Team – up to $4,500 to develop and distribute an educational brochure on stormwater management and water quality;

c.       Nancy Possinger - $1,000 for educational events for Friends of the Dighton

Rock State Park;

d.      Bristol County 4-H Envirothon Team –  $300 for a Theater in the Park series;

 

 

Committee voted:  minimum of $2,500 and up to $5,000 for the Wildlands Trust;  the

Committee saw the opportunity to acquire riverfront land as a priority in order to protect

And preserve as much of an intact corridor as possible;  the other proposals will be entertained at a future date, contingent upon availability of funds or alternative sources of

materials (the Nemasket group, for example, was referred to EPA and DEP on-line resources and assistance available through SRPEDD and the Stream Team Coordinator).

 

  1. Nancy Durfee has been working on securing a conservation easement on the Peace Haven/Winslow Point/Barnaby’s Cove stretch of land on the river, leading into the Bioreserve in Fall River

 

  1. The Three Mile River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), nomination to the MA Secretary of Environmental Affairs has received approval from the Boards of Selectmen in Norton and Dighton and the City Council in Taunton; a public hearing will be scheduled with the state in the spring of 2005

 

  1. Updates on Wild & Scenic Committee funded projects:

 

    1. Fred SaintOurs has finished his initial macro-invertebrate work; final report forthcoming after the first of the year;     
    2. Joanne Michaud has been hired by the TRWA to begin consolidation of water quality data at the Watershed Access Lab at Bridgewater State;
    3. Jess Rowcroft of DCR is putting together a Scope of Work for the Heritage Landscape Inventory work to be done within the Study Area in the spring and summer of 2005;
    4. Kevin Curry is continuing his work on the RIFLS with the Riverways Program.

 

  1.  The Town of Lakeville’s Board of Selectmen voted to send a letter of support for

         the nomination of the Taunton River as a Wild & Scenic River

 

  1. Meeting adjourned at 8:53 PM; next meeting, January 11, 2005, 7PM, at

SRPEDD.