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Commission seeks clarity on Chaffee Wildlife Sanctuary protections and plan update
Summary
Commission members said the Chaffee Wildlife Sanctuary management plan (2003) should be updated; UVLT conservation VP told the commission it should retain control, and the commission will seek historical title information to confirm whether federal funding or deeds already provide permanent protections.
The Lyme Conservation Commission reviewed the status of the Chaffee Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) on Nov. 10 and concluded the 2003 management plan is out of date and needs work.
Chair Blake Allison summarized the sanctuary’s complicated history, including a 2010 attempt to update the Plan that was not ratified because of beaver activity that caused flooding at the adjacent town ballfield. Allison said the commission had once discussed asking the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) to manage the property but that was not settled.
Blake reported he had spoken with Peg Merrens, Vice President for Conservation at UVLT, who told the commission "the LCC should be the group to 'call the shots', not the UVLT," and that because of the sanctuary’s acquisition history it is unclear whether a separate conservation easement is necessary. Allison said he will contact Lee Larson to try to resolve questions about the property’s acquisition, including whether federal conservation funds used in an earlier purchase or deed language already secure "forever wild" protections.
Commissioners noted there are at least two related documents — the 2003 management plan and a possible conservation easement — and that clarifying which protections are already in place is a necessary next step before drafting a new plan or easement.
Next step: Blake Allison will seek historical title and funding records to determine what legal protections the CWS already has and report back to the commission.
