Conservation Commission

JOHNSON CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 11 DECEMBER 2025 Present: Lois Frey, Sue Lovering, Justin Hennard, Dean Locke, Peter Hammond Absent: Noel Dodge, Adrian Schmidt The November minutes were approved. TREASURER’S REPORT We have asked for the same allocation, $1500, that we had last year, which should allow for at least one project. PROPOSWD NEW PROJECT Eric Nuse has suggested a black ash protection project that we might carry out, with his collaboration. He’d intended to attend this meeting, but he has postponed till the January meeting. Black ash isn’t common but there are a few known on Johnson’s public land. POLLINATOR GARDENS The report for the grant that financed the gardens and signage is due, which will wrap up the gardens until spring. Sue has the three signs, which will be installed when the ground thaws. Lamoille County Planning Commission is working on a flood zone restoration plan for the Wescom area. They’ve told us that in the event that we have to move the gardens because of that project, they will help with funds and labor. JOURNEY’S END Dean reports that the Fairy Forest has burgeoned with various houses and folks respect others’ work. The sign to the FF needs to be redone, but there is no plan to do so. GOMO TOWN FOREST The Green Mountain Club has asked to speak to the CC this winter about Gomo and the Long Trail. They want a trail Right of Way across Gomo and also a right of first refusal if Gomo is ever sold. We will invite them to the January meeting. Perhaps we can work a deal in which they pay for a portion of a survey. We all agree that Gomo needs to be conserved. A survey carries a +/- $10,000 price tag. How to push it forward is a problem. MARCH GLADNESS, ETC We decided that March Gladness doesn’t have to happen in March, so we planned snowshoe treks in February and early March, on Saturday or Sunday.  If Eric Nuse will give the talk, we may do a program about black ash and it’s uses. On Saturday, February 21, the Library, CC, and Historical Society will present a program at Jenna’s Promise about rivers. It will start at 2:00. We’ll finalize Gladness at the January meeting. SIGHTINGS, ETC Noel got a respectable deer. Lois reported a coyote staring straight into her game camera. Sue saw about sixty turkeys on a manure pile, eating away in the middle of a field. MISC • A reminder that we now meet on the third Thursday at the Municipal Building. The next one is on January 15 and will be a New Year’s potluck. • Lois and Sue are attending the LCPC visioning proposal that’s dealing with restoring floodplain around Wescom Road. Adjourned at 8:20. Submitted by Sue Lovering, Secretary Next meeting will be on Thursday 15 January 2026 at 6:30 pm at the Municipal Building.