Conservation commission approves expanded invasive-plant treatment at Pinnacle Park, allocates $4,800

The Hooksett Conservation Commission voted to proceed with an expanded invasive-plant treatment at Pinnacle Park, approving a $4,800 budget for option 2 after a brief discussion about equipment, volunteer support and long-term maintenance.

Commission members reviewed two contractor options submitted by Paul Eaton for a follow-up invasive-species treatment at Pinnacle Park. Eaton's estimate described targeted work including mechanical removal of brush, follow-up herbicide application where appropriate, and limited use of a tractor to access difficult areas. Commissioners noted that the site's terrain constrains equipment size; one participant described the tractor used in recent work as roughly a 90-horsepower machine and said heavier equipment would not fit through the narrow passages.

Members debated whether the commission should pay the additional $900 that separates option 2 from option 1. Proponents said the added hours would let the contractor reach additional areas and produce better cleanup; opponents questioned the lack of an explicit hourly breakdown in the quote. Commissioners also discussed volunteer labor as a cost-saving measure for manual removal of small seedlings, while noting that volunteers cannot safely or practically perform tasks that require mechanized access or where poison ivy and other hazards exist.

One commissioner moved to approve option 2 with a $4,800 budget; the motion was seconded and carried with one vote in opposition. The commission recorded the vote as passed and instructed staff to authorize the contractor to proceed and to coordinate volunteer opportunities for follow-up maintenance once mechanized clearing had opened the area.

Commissioners stressed that invasive-species management is not a one-time action: they said follow-up visits every three to five years will be required to treat resurging bittersweet and other species. Members recalled past volunteer efforts and two prior organized volunteer events (about 20 people each) that assisted earlier management efforts, but said volunteers should be used mostly for hand-pulling seedlings after the contractor has cleared heavy brush.

The commission asked staff to confirm contractor access and equipment permissions with the town and to check whether volunteers bringing equipment (for example, a privately owned tractor) would need separate authorization and notification to any easement holders. Commissioners also asked staff to request a clearer breakdown from the contractor of what additional work the extra $900 would buy, including estimated hours.