7077-R2_NewGloucester_2019_AnnualReport_Web

ANNUAL REPORT Environmental Resources Committee The Environmental Resources Committee meets the second Thursday of the month at the New Gloucester Library from 10-12. Our mission statement is to: • Participate and report on regional environmental projects. • Advise or participate in committees in New Gloucester relating to environmental issues, including but not limited to land acquisition and land use, energy efficiency, recreation, wildlife habitat and water quality. • Provide information and education for environmental issues. • Coordinate our committee’s work with the environmental goals of the comprehensive plan. Many of the Committee meetings this year involved researching and discussing information on environmental issues and concerns and present the information to the Comprehensive Planning Committee. Scott Hastings, Town Planner, attended several of the meetings to help guide the Committee through the process. Doug Smith, Chairman, along with several other committee members, attended the Comprehensive Planning Committee’s meeting which focused on environmental issues. Doug presented a preliminary report of the Committee’s work and created a spreadsheet from the discussions. The report was submitted to the Town Planner in the spring of 2019. Another focus of the year was the on-going work on the beautification of the fairgrounds in coordination with the Parks and Recreation Department. Phoebe Hardesty and Joanne McKee coordinated the work on additional clearing and planting of areas near the pavilion, in addition to the maintenance of the pollinators’ garden. Four work days were scheduled over the year, and the committee members were assisted in May by six students from the GNGHS Community Service Club. Two educational displays at the New Gloucester Public Library included invasive insects in November and invasive plants in May. Alan Stearns, of the Royal River Trust, updated the Committee on the Trust’s work at our July meeting; and Doug Smith reported to us on a meeting of the Lake Stewards of Maine that he attended. Committee Members: Douglas Smith, Chairman ~ Joanne McKee, Secretary Richard Allen, Treasurer ~ Clifford Andrews ~ Phoebe Hardesty

James Fitch ~ Trudy Hodgdon ~ Anthony Hodgdon Morgan Rocheleau, Parks & Recreation Director

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