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Randolph Commission approves $22,950 gate purchase and hears forestry plans for wildlife openings, monitoring
Summary
The Commission accepted a $7,650-per-gate quote (total $22,950) for three gates, recorded receipt of $27,145.29 from the Little Ledge timber sale, and heard staff proposals for candidate wildlife openings, a changed mowing cycle to promote habitat diversity, and a transect schedule tied to iNaturalist monitoring.
The Randolph Forest Commission voted May 7 to accept a single vendor quote to manufacture three gates and discussed a range of forestry and habitat-management proposals.
Forestry staff reported that only one RFP reply was received: Curt Cloutier of Rotten Rock Welding & Fabrication in Gorham quoted $7,650 per gate, $22,950 for three. The Commission voted to accept the quote and approve the purchase. The minutes record two financial items related to forest management: an invoice from Brochu Nurseries for $543 to buy a white birch to be planted in memory of Roberta Arbree and Bob Potter, and a LandVest invoice for $1,262.90 for normal monthly management expenses. The Commission also recorded receipt of two checks: $611.05 from the Ashley family (reimbursement for well-use agreement costs) and $27,145.29 from LandVest representing revenue from the Little Ledge timber sale.
In his forestry report, David DeGruttola said that, after examination and consultation with NH Fish & Game, the Potter tract is not a good site for a wildlife opening because nearby lands already provide open habitat. He proposed two alternative candidate sites — one on Deerfly Road that could be converted into a permanent opening and another along Jimtown Road east of the parking lot adjacent to the Ice Gulch Trail — and recommended changing mowing of opening edges to a two- or three-year cycle to promote habitat diversity. DeGruttola said he had sent RFPs for the three gates and that he still needed to arrange a regular schedule to keep transects open; he and Elise Lawson agreed to prioritize transects likely to attract citizen scientists using the iNaturalist program Lawson set up last fall.
Mark Kelley noted that the Androscoggin community forest collaborative will schedule a field trip to the Randolph Forest on June 17 between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to visit the Little Ledge sale site and Farrar Farm to examine knotweed problems. The Commission also discussed winter glade-skiing access and decided on a quiet opening with no fanfare this year to reduce overuse; no public hearing was scheduled for this year. Members discussed Annual Forest Day plans, including possible talks at the Town Hall on climate change and invasive species, a formal opening of the Community Forest Memorial Grove with tree dedications to Roberta Arbree and Bob Potter, and a proposed bank-stabilization effort on the Israel's River.
The meeting opened at 6:35 p.m. and adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
