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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-12-08 Minutes 1-3 Draft minutes - Not yet approved by Committee NOTES OF MEETING OF SAMUEL WILMOT NATURE AREA MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD ON TUESDAY December 8, 2009 AT 7:00 P.M. Present: (Voting) John Stoner - Chair Jim Cleland Shirley Minifie Joe McKenna Pat Mulcahy Councillor Willie Woo David Best Staff Present: Peter Windolf Regrets: Dan Stanoi Karin Murphy Brian Reid Absent: Greg Wells - GRCA Warren May - MNR Arthur Burrows 1. Agenda Additions Wilmot Watershed Plan Evergreen Grant Accessible Customer Service Training Acceptance of Agenda MOVED by David Best, seconded by Joe McKenna THAT the agenda for December 8, 2009 be accepted. CARRIED 2. Minutes of November 10, 2009 2 Corrections There were no corrections to the minutes. Approval of Minutes MOVED by David Best, seconded by Jim Cleland THAT the minutes of November 10,2009 be approved. CARRIED 3. Issues arising from the Minutes There were no issues arising from the minutes. 4. Sub-Committee Reports Communications Joe will begin working on the newsletter with articles on the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up, the MNR Rangers 2009 project, and dragonflies. John Stoner will send his article on dragonflies to Joe when it is complete. 5. Updates SWNA Presentation to Clarington High Schools On December 4th, Karin and John gave the SWNA PowerPoint Presentation to Environmental Science students at Courtice Secondary School. There were two classes of approximately 30 students in attendance. The presentation ran about an hour. Most of the students were previously unaware of the Samuel Wilmot Nature Area. Letters have now been sent to all of CIa ring ton's Secondary Schools advising them that the presentation is available. Pat contacted a representative from Scouts Canada to see if they would be interested in the presentation. The Scouts asked for more information about the presentation so excerpts will be e-mailed to them. Winter Bird and Mammal Count Brian Reid has been in contact with John Foster from the Durham Field Naturalists about a Winter Bird and Mammal Count to be done in January. The bird count would be done on either a Saturday or Sunday in early January and the mammal count in late January. Alternatively a combined count could be done in the middle of January. The following members agreed to assist with the count depending on the exact date: John, Shirley, Pat, Jim, David. 3 If any other Committee members wish to participate they should contact Brian. If additional volunteers are required a notice could be placed on the Municipality's web site. Before a notice is posted Brain will be asked to confirm dates and determine with John Foster if more people are required. Trail Relocation The section of Waterfront Trail east of the pedestrian bridge includes an incline of approximately 29%. This incline is susceptible to erosion and is very difficult to climb for people on bicycles and on foot. A field survey and conceptual layout will be prttpared to determine what would be required to reduce the slope. Options could include; . I) Realigning the trail through the woods. In this option the trail would be rerouted S/E from the bottom of the slope for approximately lOOm until it reconnects with the existing trail. This would decrease the grade on the trail to 10%. It would require extensive tree removal. 2) Lowering the grade along the existing trail alignment. This option would leave the trail in its present location but would lower the grade along a 100m section of the trail. It would result in a trail with a 10% slope. The trail surface would be lower than the surrounding grade. It may require removing a few trees along the edge of the trail. Conceptual designs will be brought to future meetings when completed. Since this section of trail is part of the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail there may be funding assistance available from other levels of government to implement the proj ect. Wilmot Watershed Study Jim attended a meeting of the GRCA's Wilmot Watershed Study team. A draft of the final report was passed around to SWNA members. The final report should be completed in January 2010. Following the completion of the final report GRCA will be asked to present their findings to the Committee. Evergreen Green Grants Program The application deadline for then next round ofWalmart Evergreen Grants is January 29, 2010. The SWNA Committee has applied unsuccessfully in the past but will investigate the eligibility criteria to determine if another application will be submitted. Accessible Customer Service Members of Boards and/or Committees of Council have been contacted by the Clerks Department to attend a mandatory session on Accessible Customer Service. Most SWNA members were contacted, but some were not. An updated contacts list for the SWNA Committee will be sent to the Clerks Department to ensure that all members are notified of session dates and times. Those members who were unable to attend the December 3rd or lOth sessions will be contacted with future dates for the session. 4 6. Other Business/Next Meeting Jim mentioned that there are several areas on the Lake Meadow Trail that are wet from water flowing across the trail surface. These areas will be identified now or in the spring so that they can be repaired as part of the MNR Rangers program in 2010. Jim also observed that a tree is down in the creek just north of the pedestrian bridge. It is starting to create a log jam that is forcing flow to the west side ofthe creek which is causing some bank erosion. GRCA will be notified and asked if anything needs to be done to remove the logjam. Motion to Adiourn MOVED by Joe McKenna, seconded by Shirley Minifie THAT the meeting be adjourned. CARRIED Adjournment: 8:30 P.M. Next Meeting: Tuesday January 12, 2010 7:00 p.m. Meeting Room 1A Notes prepared by P. Windolf