Attendance: Ron Rosen, Walt Daniels, Jane Geisler, Jim Haggett, Fred Gerty, Frank Dogil, Gerry Richardson, Mike Arthur (8).

The meeting was brought to order by Chair Ron Rosen at 7:04PM.

0. The following "For Your Action" (FYA) items were circulated: ATC Draft Policies on (1) Ridgeline and Mountaintop Development and (2) Advertising in the AT Corridor (add any comments on the copy itself, and indicate your initials by them); NYNJTC list of Maintainer Vacancies (note any corrections on the form); also see attached copies of Paint Standards and the Instructions and Processing for the Appointment/Vacancy form; Request from Dan Chazin for Data Book Updates; Request for Project from Diana Dikovsky’s High School Group (September or October).

The following "For Your Information" (FYI) items were circulated: ATC Regional Meeting notice (Sat., Oct 20, 2001 in Boiling Springs, PA); NYNJTC 8/2001 Leadership Mailing List; Millbrook Garden Club Conservation Cmte. Program 9/23/01—panel on Alternate & Renewable Energy Sources; Text for AT entry in Telephone Book information and public service pages; Fall 2001 DCC courses on Pesticide Applicator’s certification; Scenic Hudson Great River Sweep appreciation certificates; Nuclear Lake Loop listing on NYNJTC web site; Article on Gerry Richardson’s Workcamp Project; YRDC’s PLC Contract; YRDC’s Summer Newsletter; and the Final Draft of the DOT plan for rebuilding the AT at Miller Hill Road (see also Item 3B below).

1. The minutes of the 163^rd and 164th meetings, June 4 and July 9, 2001, were approved as published. Fred Gerty pointed out that the announcement for this meeting incorrectly listed the date of the next meeting. The dates are correct in the June 4 meeting minutes.

2. Meeting Centerpieces:

(1) Brief Summary of ATC Biennial Meeting. Jane Geisler, Walt Daniels, and Ron Rosen reported briefly on the ATC biennial meeting at Shippensburg, PA. The three of them, plus Salley Decker, attended the meeting. Walt reported that, at the Monday plenary session, the membership voted to have ATC join the Hikers’ Clean Air Coalition. The discussion concerning the first AT through hike turned out to be relatively mild.

(2) Getting our Trail Assessment & Management Plan Update Project finished: Ron noted that the completion of the plan has stalled. At the Shippensburg meeting, Walt Daniels and Karen Lutz determined that each was waiting for the other to provide documentation of their work to date. Walt noted that it would be ideal to move the Assessment data to a Georgraphic Information System (GIS), and that he has been becoming more familiar with GIS software in recent months. However, we determined that we should not plan to move all existing data to such a program in the immediate future. To get things moving, we scheduled a work session for Tuesday, September 25, at 7:00 pm at Walt’s house to move the assessment forward. A number of people planned to attend, including Ron, Fred, Frank, Jim, and perhaps Jane. Our immediate goal is to organize the "pile" of paperwork Walt has accumulated and to see if we can develop a unified Assessment database. Some of the existing data is in PC File, other parts are in Paradox.

3. Other business, short updates, etc.:

A. Acquisitions and Survey, (incl. Schaghticoke access parcels): We have been contacted by NPS to express our opinion on acquiring a major remainder to the O’Laughlin parcel, which includes a significant part of the old AT route. The owner has asked if the NPS is interested in a fee acquisition of this parcel, consisting of 40+ acres. The Park Service has already acquired the four "strip" parcels, each about four acres, and is working to acquire a 10’ ROW on O’Laughlin and his neighbor following the south branch of the old roadbed. The committee decided to recommend accepting a donation of this parcel, or a less-than-fee easement on it, but that we not recommend fee acquisition. We do not believe any development on this parcel would be visible from the present AT route.

B. DOT project update: Jim Haggett circulated the final draft plan for the changes to the AT pathway at the Miller Hill Road—Taconic Parkway crossing. He noted that the DOT plans to do the work in late October or maybe spring–they expect to take two weeks’ construction time. Jim has agreed to close and detour the trail while it is under construction (back to the road walk) and he also plans to close it during the short spring wet season next year to encourage re-stabilization of the treadway.

C. Bulletin Board inventory and review update. Ron has heard from Salley prior to the meeting, and she has not yet been able to get together with Joe Hrouda to get the process started. Ron mentioned the concern expressed to him by Jim Haggett (via Email) that we have too many bulletin boards. After considerable discussion, it was agreed that we should reconsider our bulletin board placement and retrench to fewer boards and to place them right at the parking areas. Putting them a couple of hundred feet off the roads to reduce vandalism has not worked. It was also agreed that we should redesign the boards and get away from the 5-sided information area as it does not provide enough space for all the materials we want to include, and it makes cutting the plexiglass / polycarbonate more difficult. We may be able to reuse the 4x4 standards (or may not depending on the final design). The new design should include brochure holders. We discussed the issue of funding the new boards. Walt suggested that we seek out youth groups (e.g., scouts or church groups) to do the project, which would then be eligible for funding from the Elizabeth Levers’ fund for youth projects. We agreed to continue and complete the planning at the next meeting.

D. Cell tower update: Jim Haggett has heard nothing new on this issue; he is waiting for more information from ATC.

E. Nuclear Lake Wetland Issues: Ron introduced the emergence of this issue. He received a call from John Benson, reported for the Pawling News-Chronicle, who informed him that the DOT has destroyed the beaver dam at the culverts draining the swamp into Whaley Lake Stream. Presumably, DOT was protecting their bridge foundations for Route 55. John’s concern is they are destroying wildlife habitat, as he noted a number of heron and egret nests in the trees in the swamp, as well as a muskrat den in the area. Committee members favor supporting retaining the swamp as active wildlife habitat. Fred Gerty suggested installing a "beaver fooler" device which maintains a fixed water level independent of the height that beavers build their dam. Fred suggested that either we or John contact Pat Vissering at the DEC Region 3 Wildlife Office (256-3095) to determine the status of the wetland and the wildlife there. The swamp appears to be large enough to be a DEC regulated wetland, which would require DOT to obtain wetland permits for modifications such as removal of beaver dams. It was also suggested that partial drainage of the swamp would also create stagnant water pools that might harbor mosquito infestations. It was also suggested that we mention to the DOT their announced Environmental Initiative, in which they have expressed the intent to be sensitive to environmental issues in their work projects. Finally, it was pointed out that we can invoke the NY state Memorandum of Understanding, since the DOT is a signatory to that document.

F. Telephone Line at Dover Oak Tree: Ron received a phone call from a regular hiker in the Pawling area who is a former employee of New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), who was concerned that Verizon seems to be putting a new pole line up West Dover Road that will definitely require trimming of the Dover Oak Tree, which is the largest blazed tree on the entire Appalachian Trail. He contacted Ron last Friday, and gave Ron the names and numbers of a number of contacts in the Engineering office at Verizon who could be contacted to stop the work and avoid damage to the tree. Ron made some calls and left messages on voicemail for two people in the engineering office, and earlier today a lead engineer, Bill Jones, of Verizon returned Ron’s call and assured us that Verizon will not disturb the tree. Ron also contacted Don Owen, who likewise left messages last Friday and is willing to work with us to provide Verizon an alternate routing for the phone line that avoids the crown of the tree entirely. Ron also determined that the Verizon field works actually installed three poles near the tree on Friday, one on the East side of the road about 25 feet south of the NPS property corner, one on the West side of the road just northwest of the tree’s trunk, and one on the East side of the road just south of the north NPS property corner……..Need to coordinate with NPS to use old line on west side.

G. No Hunting Sign installation (PLC/YRDC). Ron indicated that Voss Signs has printed up 1,000 of the "No Hunting" sign designed by Alyssa at YRDC. Five hundred will go to ATC for their sign catalog, and 500 went to YRDC. The Public Lands Corps grant paid for half of them, and ATC is paying for the remainder. The Committee provided some priority locations that the PLC crew should place them, including Monte Rosa, Nuclear Lake’s east border with Pawling Mountain Gun Club, Corbin Hill, Johnson Hill, and near Grape Hollow road.

H. Field placement of new keys and locks: Mike Arthur received the new lock destined to go on the Depot Hill access upper gate. Mike needs to deliver keys and key cards to the Howards and the Henkels; he needs addresses for each. Ron will get this information to him.

I. Ron reported on the August round of water testing completed by Sara Ohliger. Wiley, RPH, and Messerschmitt all passed, but the Morgan Stewart Shelter well failed both total and fecal coliform testing. Ron has asked Sara to retest theat well, and she was hoping to get out on Labor Day to get samples. Ron has also asked Doug Senterman to post the water as needing treatment, and if possible, to try to shock chlorinate the well.

3. Area Supervisors Summaries:

A. Jane Geisler reported that she is working with DOT to try to move the AT sign on Route 22 to a better location. She has split the trail section between Route 22 and the top of Corbin Hill into tow pieces, one from Route 22 to the Swamp River (same maintainer), and from the Swamp River to the top of Corbin Hill, and Ollie Simpson is the new maintainer (this is an ADK-Mid Hudson appointment). Georgette Weir has recently interviewed Jane for an article in the Trail Walker. A group from Camp Ramah` worked on the short relocation near Hoyt Road (adjacent to the Kings’ horse farm). Jane has reblazed part of trail near Wiley shelter, and has installed a new post near the Harlem Valley State Hospital dump road to make it clearer where the AT goes when it comes out of the woods. She has arranged to get a test run on ADA access along the Nuclear Lake dam access road.

B. Frank Dogil has nothing to report.

C. Mike Arthur led a group from a summer camp at Vasssar College on a hike from Route 52 to Canopus beach; there were 31 kids and 5 counselor. He suggested that it might be helpful to blaziethe side trail from the AT to the beach – Walt will ask Bill Bauman if this would be OK. One possibility would be to blaze to the beach only (not both ways). The preferred route is essentially level from the north end of the lake going to the west. Eagle Scout candidate Keith Jordy (and his assistants) completed some of the work at Telephone Pioneers shelter, including a new fire place, a rain gutter for the shelter’s front roofline, and more overflow campsites. They did NOT move the privy.

D. Jim Haggett explained that Tim Messerich’s group decided to build a new patio at RPH (instead of the possibility of shoring up the footbridge there). They built a concrete platform about 10’ by 10’ that can accommodate a picnic table. In mid July, Bob Gray asked him to investigate a possible tree cutting on Hosner Mountain. A call had come in from David,Garbasz, who owns Kiyiwana Farm, stating David had hired a logger to remove some wood and he was afraid his logger had logged on some AT lands. Jim checked out the boundary on Hosner, and found no incursion, although the logging was done right up to the boundary. Jim mentioned that he has put up temporary signs at each end of the Nuclear Lake loop, and he would like more permanent signs for the Nuclear Lake side trails. He is still looking for a volunteer who would be willing to create routed signs or equivalent.

E. Walt Daniels said that the IBM interns’ group, who had agreed to work on Canopus Hill, cancelled and will probably not reschedule. AMC will be holding their fall meeting at Graymoor in October, and as part of the weekend will be planting a tree there. Walt has arranged for them to plant the tree just south of the red shed and entry road on the AT, so that the tree can be used for an AT blaze once it matures.

4. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:45 PM.

Submitted by Walt Daniels with post-processing by Ron Rosen.