Westwoods Trails Meeting
January 16, 2002
Guilford Community Center
Chair: Paul Proulx
Meeting Began: 7:35pm
Attendance: Shelley Green, Bob Handschumacher, Peter Johnson, Joe Kaufman, Susan Kukle, Joe Ortoleva, Sandy Porter, Fred Richards, Sally Richards, Mary Richerson, Dia Robinson, Paul Rogen, Dixie Sanderson, Audrey Teofilo

Approval/corrections of minutes: Minutes from December 16 approved.

Resignations/New Members/Members news: Dustin Blake, Michael Fritz, Elena Rogen, Lexi Visel attended their first meeting.

GLTC Report: Shelley Green and Susan Kukle There will be a Neighborhood Meeting at the Melissa Jones School February 26. It is one of the meetings to be held to increase public awareness and interest in the Guilford Land Trust. Bill Johnson will be leading a meeting at the fire station in North Guilford in February to discuss the ATV problem on the Braemore Property.

Trail Reports
Westwoods:
-Team A: (12 hours) Bob Handschumacher reported clearing 35 trees and putting up signs.
-Team B: (14 hours) Paul reported 50 trees cleared from the White Circle with David Scarpace and Sandy Porter.
-Team C: (6 hours) Paul Rogan reported clearing 20-30 trees that had fallen on the Green Circle Trail with the help of Dustin Blake, Elena Rogen, and Lexie Visel. (6 hours) The Richerson family reported working on the Red Square.
Nut Plains: No report
Paul Trail: No report
Kampmeyer:(3 hours) Joe Kaufman reported removing 3 leaning hemlocks and 2 fallen trees. Eastwoods: (4 hours) Sally and Fred Richards reported that the trail is in good shape and is being used. Blazing is needed at the north end of the trail, and a tree that is blocking the sign needs to be removed.
Hoadly Creek: Susan Kukle repoted that the trail is well used, and in good shape.
Spencer Creek: The large brush pile is scheduled to be removed.

Work Parties: There were no work parties in December.

New Business:
-The next Work party is Sunday February 2. Meet at Dunk Rock at 10:00 to clean up the White Circle Trail north of the power line to the plank walk. All trees have been cut down and need to be chunked up and moved off the trail.
-Future work parties will include: Yellow and Violet Circles from Blue rectangle to the point at which they meet, the northern part of the Yellow triangle, the Red diamond to the Orange circle.
-Signage: The Nature Trail need the Walking Only signs reposted. The pink trail closure signs at trail intersections will be discontinued, and not replaced. The Bearhouse Hill / Eastwoods sign is water damaged and needs to be replaced.
-Reblazing: The Nature Trail Stations need to be put up. There was a discussion about changing the Nature trail color to something other than green, because there are so many green trails. Suggestions were made, but then the problem of the trail no longer matching the maps was raised. The trails that have been re-opened need reblazing. Bob Handschumacher will come up with a plan for trail closures on the Yellow triangle before reblazing.
-People volunteered for the spring reblazing and were asked to determine paint requirements. Dia: Nature Trail Paul: Orange Trail Joe: Blue Trail White Circle: Sandy Paul Rogan: Green Bob Handschumacher: Yellow Susan Kukle: Red Diamond
-Greenway Trail: A group from the Greenway committee will walk through Westwoods on January 30 at 1:00 as a preliminary feasibility study for including the Westwoods in one of the plans.
-Ct Forest and Park Assoc Meeting: Paul attended the meeting January 15. They will be re-releasing the Connecticut Walk Book. There is a need for a new write-up about the Westwoods. Anyone interested in writing or helping to write let Paul Proulx know.
-There will be an Annual Trail Maintainence Workshop at Bigelow Hollow on May 3rd. The workshop provides several activities aimed at increasing skills in trail maintainence.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:40pm
Recording Secretary: Sandra Porter