LOWER FARMINGTON RIVER AND SALMON BROOK
WILD & SCENIC STUDY COMMITTEE MINUTES
Meeting: June 11, 2007
Canton Community Center
MEMBERS PRESENT: Eric Hammerling, FRWA; Mike Krammen, East Granby; Ken Feder, Simsbury; Marc Banks, Simsbury; Brian Toal, Avon, Hartford Audubon Society; Kevin Gough, Bloomfield; Kurt Link, The Stanley Works; Sally Snyder, CT DEP; Jamie Fosburgh, NPS; Larry Schlegel, Farmington; Sue Murray, Hartland; David Leff, Collinsville; Margery Winters, Simsbury; Alis Olheiser, Canton; Diane Field, Avon; Joan Allen, Simsbury; Tom Small, Burlington; Paul Rochford, Burlington; Eric Lukingbeal, Granby; Carolyn Flint, Granby; David Tolli, SBWA; Paula Jones, Bloomfield; Ian Clark, East Granby; Kathy Dunn, Hartland; Meg Harvey as alternate for Frank Davis, Windsor; Damon Hearne, FRWA; Harry Spring, Avon
Meeting called to order by Chairman Sally Rieger at 7:05
Guest speaker: Hank Gruner, Coordinating Biologist, Farmington Valley Biodiversity Project
Hank Gruner gave a thorough synopsis of the methodology, findings and ORV implications of the Biodiversity studies of the seven valley towns upstream from Tariffville Gorge – Avon, Canton, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, Simsbury, & Suffield. His powerpoint presentation described the underlying Geologic foundation of the study area with plant and animal surveys and habitat evaluation. Because of a wide range of geologic foundations and environmental conditions such as water retention, slope, soil composition, Connecticut has an exceptionally wide range of habitats and, therefore, a high diversity of plants and animals. High elevations, mountains and ridges, low lying central valley, Berkshire ridges and valleys glacial lake sand plains, wetlands, clay deposits, etc. often have unique plants and animals suited to these differing habitats giving rise to differing communities in talus slopes, vernal pools, etc.
More than 2,500 sites were visited and assessed revealing the presence of several species of significance, some endangered, within the study area and several fragile ecosystems.
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