TAUNTON RIVER WILD & SCENIS RIVER STUDY COMMITTEE MEETING

Tuesday May 17, 2005

7:00 PM

SRPEDD 88 Broadway Taunton, MA

 

 

In Attendance: Roger Desrosiers, Donna Desrosiers, Dighton Intertribal Council; Alex Houtzager, Berkley; Bill Taylor, Middleboro; Jim Ross, Louis Bouquet, Raynham; Maryan Nowak, Taunton; Nancy Durfee, Somerset/SRPEDD; Richard Ashcroft, Somerset; Priscilla Chapman, Fall River; Alison Bowdin, TNC; Joan Kimball, Riverways; Bill Napolitano, SRPEDD

 

  1. Call to Order, 7:05PM

 

  1. Minutes of the March 10, 2005 meeting approved

 

  1. Maisy informed the Committee, through correspondence with Bill Napolitano, that there were no further comments received regarding revisions to the Stewardship Plan

 

  1. Bill N., Nancy, Richard and Priscilla gave the Committee updates on how Town Meeting/City Council votes on the Stewardship Plan and request for Wild and Scenic River designation for the Taunton;
    1. Bill reported that on May 2nd , the Bridgewater Town Meeting voted unanimously in favor of the article; Kitty Doherty spoke for the article at the meeting;
    2. Bill reported that on May 9th , the Halifax Town Meeting voted unani-

mously in favor of the article; Jack Traynor and Selectman Troy Garron spoke for the article at the meeting; Nancy reported that the Freetown Town Meeting was rescheduled to June 6th ;

    1. Nancy and Richard reported that on May 16th , the Somerset Town

Meeting voted unanimously in favor of the article; Nancy spoke for the article at the meeting;

    1. Priscilla reported that on May 17th , the Fall River City Council voted

unanimously in favor of the Stewardship Plan and request for Wild

and Scenic designation of the Taunton by act of Congress;

    1. Bill informed the Committee that the Taunton City Council may take

A vote at their next  meeting on May 24th ; Bill and Maryan will follow –

up on this; Berkley, Dighton, Middleborough and the rescheduled Freetown Town Meetings will all take place on June 6th ;

    1. Since February, Bill, Nancy and Rachel have attended over 40 meetings

with municipal, private and public organizations within the Taunton River Study Area to promote awareness of the Stewardship Plan and gain support for designation; Bill also informed the Committee that we will have articles in the South Coast Insider and upcoming issues of the Narragansett Bay Journal and Southcoast Tribune;

 

  1. Review of the Draft Stewardship Plan
    1. Bill reported that we’ve received more good feedback on the stewardship plan; another 62 copies of the plan have gone out to town boards, committees, libraries, etc.;
    2. The Nemasket River brochure, designed by Al Short, will go to the printer by the end of this week;
    3. The Heritage Landscape Inventory Program began in Somerset with a public meeting and site visits; Nancy Durfee and Chris Wordell took part in the site visits along with Jess Rowcroft (DCR Preservation Planner) and the consulting team.

   

  1. The next round of Town Meetings/City Council votes will be covered by the following staff members and others:
    1. Dighton – Bill
    2. Freetown – Rachel with Dan Lopes
    3. Berkley – Nancy with Joe Callahan and Alex Houtzager
    4. Taunton – Bill with Maryan
    5. Middleborough – Jamie with Jim, Al, Bob, Tim, Bill Taylor and Bill N. (if he can get there from Dighton on time!)
    6. Reminder from Joe Callahan: the TRWA Wild and Scenic Canoe Trip will take place on June 11 – 12: Dancing Star will be there!!!
    7. Next meeting – June 14th , 7PM, at SRPEDD

 

      7.    Meeting adjourned, 9:07PM