Town of Hinesburg: Town Forest Committee

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Town Forest Committee
The Mission of The Hinesburg Town Forest Committee is established for the purpose of providing stewardship for both the 837-acre Hinesburg Town Forest (HTF) and the 301-acre LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest (LHTF). The Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Selectboard, Commissions, or Town staff as appropriate in matters relating to the HTF and LHTF, and in consultation with the Chittenden County Forester shall make recommendations to the Selectboard for management of the Town Forests. To accomplish this mission the Committee will work to: Implement the LHTF Management Plan, as adopted by the Selectboard on December 7, 2009 with any plan updates thereafter. Create and implement a comprehensive management plan for the HTF. Utilize, as appropriate, existing documents and resources such as the 2006 Vermont PLACE Program Report, extensive management information that has been collected by County Foresters to serve as both a historical record of the forest and a working document to guide decision makers for the future. Consult with key experts to educate the Committee and the public through walks and talks on the HTF land. Experts might include, but are not limited to staff from Vermont Forest, Parks and Recreation; Fish and Wildlife, Audubon Vermont, and Historic Preservation Meet with representatives of various recreational and other interested user-groups in town, including, hunters, ATV users, bicyclists, horseback riders, etc. Submit draft forest management plan to the Selectboard by December 2010. Hold public forums from time to time to educate the broader public about the forests. Coordinate the management of both the LHTF and HTF into the future.

Committee Members
Chairperson: Kristen Sharpless Assistant Chairperson: Steve Russell Secretary: Stewart Pierson Treasurer: Steve Russell Meetings Held: Every 1st Wednesday of the Month Location: Hinesburg Town Hall

	Term Ends
Wayne Bissonette	1/01/13
Leanne Linck	1/01/11
Pat Mainer	1/01/13
Stewart Pierson	1/01/11
Jason Reed	1/01/12
Chuck Reiss	1/01/12
Steve Russell	1/01/12
Brooke Scatchard	1/01/11
Kristen Sharpless	1/01/13

Committee members serve 3-year terms

Composition and Organization: The Committee shall consist of up to nine (9) Hinesburg community members, appointed by the Selectboard for terms of three years. Initial appointments will be staggered three members appointed for one year terms, three members appointed for two year terms and three members appointed for three year terms). The County Forester shall be asked to serve as an advisor to the Committee. At its organizational meeting, and annually thereafter, the Committee shall elect (by majority vote of those present) a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. The chairperson shall be responsible for establishing an agenda and running the meetings, the vice-chairperson shall be responsible for running the meetings if the chairperson is absent, the secretary shall be responsible for documenting the meetings in the form of public minutes, and the treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining a record of any transactions of the committee and filing said record annually with the Town Clerk as a public record of the Town. Time, date and location of the meetings will be publicly posted in the municipality, and meetings are open to the public in accordance with the terms of the open meeting law. The Committee will establish a meeting schedule that is adequate to address the workload, and meets the needs and schedules of the committee members. Regular monthly meetings are suggested. In order to maintain membership in good standing, members are expected to regularly attend Committee meetings. The Committee shall establish a schedule to report annually to the Selectboard, and will contribute reports on a quarterly basis for distribution via the Town’s electronic newsletter.
Documents and Links: LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest Town Forest Landscape Inventory & Assessment – 2006 (.pdf) 7 MB Hinesburg Town Forest (Map 1) – (.pdf) 1.6 MB Drainage Pathways – Hinesburg Town Forest (Map 2) – (.pdf) 3 MB Soils – Hinesburg Town Forest (Map 3) – (.pdf) 13 MB Hydrology – Hinesburg Town Forest (Map 4) – (.pdf) 24 MB

Town of Hinesburg
Founded 1762