Presidents Remarks 2012
Welcome to the annual meeting of the Waukewan Watershed Association. In the interest of prior commitments of one of our guests, we will return to the approval of minutes and treasurer’s report before we nominate directors.
I would like to review our accomplishments since 2011. First of all, we made strides in governance. The board adopted policies on ethics and a code of conduct for directors. These policies are our response to disturbing behaviors recently exhibited by directors and officers of global Fortune 500 corporations as well as some local organizations. Our guiding principles are: mutual respect, inclusion, collaboration, and transparency. We have increased our membership by 40%. As you may recall, we moved to calendar-year financials. Your payment of tax-deductible dues for 2013 now and your additional donation to our conservation fund are appreciated. I want to respond to a statement in an article in yesterday’s Laconia Daily Sun regarding the Association’s position on the water level in Lake Waukewan. Collaboration and respect guide us. We support the reasoned decision of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services unfettered by second-guessing. The DES staff is a dedicated group of professionals that has superior technical and scientific knowledge to balance all of the factors involved in setting the level. Three directors resigned from our board in the past year due to other demands. We want to thank Chuck Lowth, Christie Van Heek and Ron Draper for their service as directors. Thank you to all of them. In terms of environmental education, we continue to support the NH Lakes Association’s Lake Host Program at the boat launch on Lake Waukewan to educate boaters about invasive plant species and monitor watercraft entering the lake. Please contact Tim Whiting to volunteer as a monitor Several of our members and directors have taken a strong stand against rezoning of residential property for business and industry purposes in the Meredith Waukewan Overlay District. We encouraged the Meredith Select Board to send the matter to Belknap Superior Court and, following the Meredith Zoning Board of Adjustment’s continued unwillingness to grasp the message that preventing zoning creep and protecting Lake Waukewan are what is in the public interest, your board supported the Association’s return to the Meredith Select Board to send the matter to Superior Court again. We are considering sponsoring additional actions to stop this matter once and for all. For those who have raised the issue of causing the Town additional legal expenses, I have personally offered to donate that amount to the Town if Foundry Avenue Realty Trust will withdraw its application for a variance forever. It is the best possible investment in protecting Lake Waukewan for future generations that I can think of. For this next item I would like to ask Ralph Kirshner and Bob Wenstrup to come up. Ralph is an associate member of the Association and chairman the New Hampton Conservation Commission and Bob is our director who took the lead for the Association. Our member, Attorney Stan Wallerstein, assisted their early efforts. As |
a result of our collaborative efforts, agreement has been reached between the Town of New Hampton and Mrs. Elizabeth Clingan Baird to purchase 8.1 acres on Waukewan Road with 1,480 feet on the Snake River. The property will be permanently conserved and contains critical wetlands and an upland buffer that filter the water entering Lake Waukewan. The Meredith Conservation Commission will also hold a conservation easement on the property.
Ralph and Bob led the effort to win a $100,000 grant for this acquisition from the Aquatic Resources Mitigation (ARM) Fund of the New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services. ARM funds come from fees paid by land developers to compensate for wetland impacts and these funds are awarded to conservation projects in a competitive grant process. To finalize the purchase, a number of studies will be performed, including a stewardship plan covering trail designs and property use guidelines; a natural resources inventory; and an environmental assessment. Ralph, Stan and Bob: thanks so much for this important achievement. The ARM grant required a matching fund component. The Association committed to raise $30,000 in matching funds and in-kind services for the project and you will be hearing more from us. I would like to introduce Audrey Goudie, Executive Director of the NH Electric Cooperative Foundation.
Audrey, thanks so much for taking time away from a family reunion to join us today.
This $10,000 grant from the NHEC Foundation is an important first step to fulfill our commitment. These resources will create conservation and environmental education facilities on 16 acres along the Snake River comprising the Baird property as well as the Jacqueline Spear property to the north. The facilities will be based on the results of the studies to be completed and collaboration among the Association and the Conservation Commissions of New Hampton and Meredith. In 2010, the Association worked with New Hampton and Meredith to place the 8.7-acre Spear property into permanent conservation thanks to the cash and in-kind contributions of the towns and you, our members, totaling more than $60,000. Thank you! Over the past year we extended invitations to prospective directors to attend our meetings. To be considered for nomination, a candidate must meet three criteria: (1) be a member in good standing, (2) [submit] written acknowledgement of having read and agree to abide by and support the bylaws and the board policies, (3) commit to regular attendance at board meetings. |
