Vassalboro conservation committee focuses on town parks

Vassalboro’s Civil War monument located at the East Vassalboro boat landing. (photo by Eric W. Austin)

by Mary Grow

Vassalboro Conservation Commission members devoted most of their Dec. 18 meeting to updates on two town parks, Monument Park, at the outlet of China Lake in East Vassalboro, and Eagle Park, on Outlet Stream, a short distance north.

At Monument Park, they are working with Jen Jespersen, of the Manchester-based consulting firm Ecological Instincts, on projects to improve China Lake water quality.

Commission member Matthew Pitcher said he met with Jespersen earlier this fall to assess the park’s shoreline buffer. They found no erosion problems, making any changes low priority. But, commission member Peggy Horner said, the buffer should be widened to at least 10 feet.

Commission members decided any new plantings should be low-growing, not bushes that would get tall enough to block the view of China Lake. They plan to use native plants as much as possible, without being totally rigid.

Horner and commission chairman Holly Weidner defined the goal of the plantings as three-fold: erosion control, education (by providing a demonstration lakeside garden) and landscaping the park.

Next steps include deciding on specific plants and developing cost estimates for initial plantings and maintenance.

Commission members reviewed Jespersen’s report on the China Region Lakes Alliance’s 2024 Courtesy Boat Inspection (CBI) program, which stations people at boat landings on China Lake, Three Mile Pond and Webber Pond to look for fragments of invasive plants on boats being launched into the lakes.

No invasives were found. Weidner credited the good record at least partly to the educational effect of the CBI program.

Horner, playing, she said, devil’s advocate, asked whether Vassalboro taxpayers need to continue to support boat inspections, if no invasive plants are detected. Jespersen’s report said the program cost $23,148 in 2024; Weidner found Vassalboro voters appropriated $10,584 as the town’s share.

That amount is a fraction of what it would cost to remove invasive weeds if they were imported, Weidner said. Horner added that a weed-free lake helps keep property values up.

Current Eagle Park issues discussed briefly include the park sign, fencing, handicapped access and the planned pavilion. Weidner said the pavilion’s cement base is done, and she hopes structural work will start early in 2025.

The Vassalboro Public Works Department has been very helpful. Commission members expect to continue to work with new director Brian Lajoie.

Commission member Steve Jones asked whether the public works crew could plow the parking lot for the town forest trail, which begins north of the recreation fields and close enough to the public works garage so that winter trail users park in the public works driveway. Someone from the commission will ask Lajoie.

Commission members briefly reviewed their cooperative arrangement with the Vassalboro Cemetery Committee regarding tree-cutting in town cemeteries. The program Town Manager Aaron Miller presented in October includes:

— Develop a cemetery maintenance plan and an annual budget;
— Each summer, have an arborist and the sexton evaluate trees and recommend any that need to be cut to avoid damaging stones or fences, within budgetary limits;
— Explain to interested committees and residents the recommendations and reasons; and
— Have the cutting done annually after the ground is frozen.

Conservation Commission members scheduled their next meeting for Wednesday evening, Jan. 8, 2025.