Members Present: Amanda Boerner, Newton Coryell, Ruth Roulx, Denise O'Dwyer, Nelson Disco, Shannon Barnes, Connie Kreider, David Rutzke, Roger Blais, Janet Cormier, Jim Taylor, Cathy Provencher, Lynn Wenz, Andy Powell, Harold Watson, Tim Tenhave, Chris Christensen, Tim Dutton, Bill Keating, John Buckley, Debra Huffman

Also Present: Jay Minkarah, Community Development Director, Scott McPhie, Community Development

Call to Order: Debra Huffman called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM.

Announcements: Debra Huffman announced that she and Mike Ruggiero would be making a presentation to the BOS on Thursday, 2/6/03 and invited committee members to attend. She also announced that Captain Doyle of the MPD will attend the 4/7/03 meeting to address safety concerns. She reminded the committee that the next meeting is March 3^rd, due to the President's Day holiday on February 17^th, and Brian Wilson of the MVD will be the presenter that evening. She then asked for volunteers to work with town staff to upload photos to the web page, and Shannon Barnes and Tim Tenhave volunteered.

ATV Presentation: The ATV representative did not attend the meeting. Since the committee feels it is important to again try to have ATV interests represented, Shannon Barnes will follow up on an e-mail she received from the Trail Patrol Coordinator of the Granite State ATV Association. Roger Blais will also contact the Merrimack Valley Trail Riders to find a speaker, since they are responsible for trail maintenance on state lands.

Naming the Property: Denise O'Dwyer distributed the tally of results from the committee's votes for naming the property. Discussion of the names ensued.

Discussion with Andy Powell clarified that a parcel can only be officially designated as 'Town Forest' by a Town Meeting vote. Andy stated that the town already includes two Town Forests (Gilmore Hill and Grater Woods) and one 'Forest' (Watkins Forest). He said that we could use the term Town Forest, but be aware that the name does not create an official town forest.

Chris Christensen stated that he thought we could use the term Forest, but that Preserve is a better term, bringing in the same concepts without using the same old name.

Debra Huffman agreed that Horse Hill Nature Preserve is a charming name, but feared that the name would imply exclusion of other activities, such as ball fields or municipal buildings.

Ruth Roulx stated that the naming subcommittee considered the word Preserve but thought it might denote "setting aside" and would be a red flag word. Lynn Wenz wondered if that would necessarily be true. Chris Christensen thought there was no problem with anyone thinking we are preserving land.

Ruth Roulx wondered how many names the committee would be presenting to the BOS. After general discussion, it was decided that the committee should present three names to the BOS, with additional names available as backup only if necessary.

Tim Tenhave wondered if the naming process would entail a public hearing or a public vote. Jay Minkarah said that there was no official process, it is up to the BOS.

Discussion of the name Horse Hill Nature Preserve continued. Jim Taylor stated that if ball fields are built on the property, they could be called the Horse Hill Fields, which is better than other names used for fields, such as the DPW fields.

Connie Kreider stated that this was her first choice, that it was an intriguing name and will get people interested in seeing it. It was agreed that the name draws you in and might encourage outdoor education.

Ruth Roulx and David Rutzke noted that Horse Hill is the geographic center of the property.

Shannon Barnes asked if the committee could reconsider their vote. It was agreed that the committee could and should.

Roger Blais suggested the name Naticook Woods, but it was noted that the name sounds like a development.

Discussion of the name Naticook Forest and Outdoor Recreation Area ensued. It was noted that it is geographically obvious, it says it’s a forest but implies more active use as well, but the name does not include an historical reference. It was noted that it is not a very appealing name.

Jim Taylor and others noted that the name is too long, has no focus, and Tim Tenhave added that the word Naticook is already used for many town features. Several members agreed with these statements.

A short discussion of the name Merrimack Town Forest ensued. There was little interest in the name.

Further discussion of the name Horse Hill Nature Preserve ensued. It was noted that it is an intriguing name, implies history, is unique, is the geographic center, but that there is some caution about the word Preserve. Lynn Wenz noted that we are not eliminating anything, that the word Preserve could mean many things, such as a hunting preserve.

The committee then voted for a second time and the results were:

Horse Hill Nature Preserve (1)14 (2)3 (3) 2

Naticook Forest and

Outdoor Recreation Center (1)4 (2)8 (3)1

Merrimack Town Forest (1)1 (2)7 (3)5

It was noted that some people did not have a second or third choice, only choosing to vote for Horse Hill Nature Preserve.

A motion was made by Jim Taylor that Debra and Mike present Horse Hill Nature Preserve to the BOS as the committee's choice for a name and provide the other two top names as backup choices. The committee was in agreement.

Debra Huffman thanked the naming subcommittee for their hard work and invited them to be recognized at the BOS meeting.

Reports from Subcommittees:

• Natural Resource Inventory subcommittee - Chris Christensen reported that the school administration is excited to be involved in the Audubon Society's wildlife inventory on the property. He suggested that this could be an ongoing program at different times of the year and different locations. He stated that students may get involved during the Senior's Volunteer Service Day.
• Wetland Restrictions subcommittee - The subcommittee is making progress. The report should be completed by the March meeting.
• Access Points subcommittee - This subcommittee will meet on February 5^th to review their data and to receive input from the DPW. They expect to produce their report after that meeting.
• Template subcommittee - The final template was distributed and Tim Tenhave answered questions from the committee. There was considerable discussion about the meaning of the modern events included in the History section. Cathy Provencher explained that the section is meant to include a description of the whole process so the future reader can get the perspective of how we got where we are. Chris Christensen said that the focus should be on the last 24 months as opposed to distant history. It was noted that the reference to the Deliberative session was not meant to imply something specific, just to remind the writers to think of all events that led to the purchase.
  
  It was noted that the template is meant to be a fluid document, suggesting locations where information might be presented. For example, a section on Archeology might just suggest an area for future investigation.

It was noted that the section on abutters was intended to describe the environment in which the property exists. The number of residential abutters was considered a significant feature of the property.

There was discussion about the terms goals and objectives. It was generally agreed that objectives might emerge as goals are discussed in relation to suggested uses.

In discussion about policy recommendations, it was noted that the committee's charge is to recommend policy. Also, the Fish and Game speaker mentioned having a policy on target shooting.

Tim Tenhave clarified that the narrative or diagram of the process would be useful so future readers could understand the committee's process, and possibly recreate it if they are pleased with the outcome.

Debra Huffman thanked the subcommittee for an excellent template.

• Wasserman Heights Easement subcommittee - Andy Powell noted that the developer is on the MCC agenda for next week. Jay Minkarah noted that the easement is not yet shown on the plans. Debra Huffman stated that she would speak with the developer's representative.
• Historical Uses subcommittee - Ruth Roulx submitted additional information and Debra Huffman read a portion pertaining to the Blodgett family. It was noted that this could be very interesting and should be further investigated.
• Community Input Coordinator - Shannon Barnes suggested some ways that the committee might generate additional community input, such as a letter to the editor or a press release. The committee would be looking for community preferences and personal experiences and uses, just to get a broader perspective of community interest. General discussion ensued.
• Trash Clean-up subcommittee - It was noted that this committee has not been represented at the last several committee meetings and their report is now past due. Debra Huffman will contact the subcommittee members.

Approval of Minutes: The November 4^th 2002 and January 20^th 2003 minutes were approved with minor corrections.

Comments: Harold Watson told the history behind the name Horse Hill.

Tim Tenhave wondered what would be the next steps for the committee. Debra Huffman said that once the subcommittee reports are mostly complete the work of the committee will turn to discussing uses and comparing them with the goals and constraints. Tim requested that each discussion topic be on the agenda in advance. Tim Dutton stated that the topic under discussion should be advertised in the newspapers. Shannon Barnes agreed to handle publicity and it was agreed that the public would be encouraged to speak before each meeting.

Newton Coryell asked if the committee might want a speaker from the Bureau of Trails. The committee decided that a discussion of trail maintenance issues would be useful.

Harold Watson asked about how ATVs are identified if there is an infringement of the rules. Newton Coryell explained the use of registration stickers and the Fish and Game reporting mechanism.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

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