Westwoods Trails Meeting
December 17, 2001
Guilford Community Center
Chair: Paul Proulx.
Meeting began: 7:30 PM
Attendance: 19 people. Bill Blaha, Erin Craig, Ron DiMartino, Rich DiNardo, Bob Handschumacher, Jessica Johnson, Peter Johnson, Karen Klugman, Susan Kukle, Joe Ortoleva, Sandra Porter, Paul Proulx, Fred Richards, Sally Richards, Dia Robinson, Liz Scholl, Simon Stewart, Audrey Teofilo, Bob White

Approval of Minutes: Please note the following corrections: 1) Under "Work Party," Peter J., Sandy, and Paul did not replace "a section of the Plank Walk." They replaced "the bridge at the CCC pond on the Green Rectangle." Peter thinks that "new sections of the plank walk could be built and installed by '6 to 8 guys working for four days.'" 2) Senate Bill #1609 pertains to the "Metacomet- Monadnock - Mattabasett Trail System," not the "Monadnock Trail."

Resignations/New Members/ Member News: none

GLCT Report: none

Trail Reports:
Westwoods.
Bob H. posted signs at all trail entrances announcing the start of the season for deer hunting.
-Team A - (Bob Handschumacher) Bob reported that there was no progress cutting trees and reblazing the Yellow Circle Trail.
-Team B. (Dia Robinson) --- see "work parties"
-Team C. (Karen Owen-Buckley). see "work parties"
Paul Trail- no report
Kampmeyer- no report
Eastwoods - Sally gets occasional inquiries about how to get to Eastwoods. She suggested posting a sign near the intersection of Podunk and Bear Hill, which would say "proceed west to cul-de-sac."
Hoadley Creek- no report
Spencer Creek -- Dixie led a walk on December 9 which was attended by 40 people. Some expressed disappointment that they were not able to see the "Holiday Lights in Guilford" as advertised.

Work Parties.
-Nature Trail - Fred, Paul, Joe, Peter J, and Bill B worked 10 man-hours clearing standing dead hemlocks from the Nature Trail.
-Community Work Party (CWP) - Paul led a work party that cut down 10 trees and cleared two others from the Green Rectangle Trail.

Old Business

New Business
-Closing of Westwoods By the end of the year, Westwoods will be officially closed except for trails that are marked on the maps at trail entrances as safe. At this point in time, our definition of "safe" is that 90% of the dangerous trees on a particular trail have been felled. But this definition still needs to be clarified with both the state foresters and GLCT. Huber Hurlock will post state closure notices and mark trees with yellow on the Connecticut State Forest portion of Westwoods. He also plans to resume cutting with the scudder soon in order to open more trails. Off-trail activities (primary hunting) will not be permitted.
Work parties on the Trail Committee will divide the labor so that first workers will mark trees to be felled, followed by a second work party to fell trees, followed by a work party to remove felled trees from the trails. It was decided that 3-person teams for the felling parties are the safest. It is still uncertain how we will handle trees on GLCT property and the privately owned portions of Westwoods that are too large for members to fell. It was deemed unwise to allow community volunteers to work during the felling portion, since they would not be covered by GLCT insurance. But it might be possible to ask tree management companies that hold their own insurance to volunteer some time as a service to the community.
Questions arose as to GLCT's liability insurance and its officers insurance (to protect against lawsuits). Sally thinks that WWTrail Committee Officers are susceptible to suits, since they are only leaders of a subcommittee. She will investigate the matter of insurance.

Adjornment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:50pm
Recording Secretary: Karen Klugman