October 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

13 of 80 sheets Page 49 to 52 of 203 11/06/2024 03:21:43 PM 49 with the environmental safeguards of this type, with1 this type of mandate done before, because when I started2 these negotiations the first step I made was to contact3 colleagues and say, hey, I've been asked to do this4 negotiation, I've never seen literature, have you. No.5 To tell you how much no one has seen it is, I'm going to6 use the word settlement agreement again because I don't7 have the ordinance, but the negotiated pages from the8 environmental settlement element, the one section that9 says, environmental, I have been e-mailing around the10 state to other colleagues who have asked for it. And in11 fact even in my own town we now use it as a handout for12 developers as a guideline. So the short answer is, no.13 MR. ALPER: So it's a unique idea?14 THE WITNESS: I don't want to take credit,15 again, for it's a unique idea, but I give your town16 credit for pushing for the question and saying, make the17 environmental concessions part of this somehow.18 MR. ALPER: Is there anything that DEP would19 deny even if they even if they can deny, the ability to20 put a fence, especially on the wetlands side?21 THE WITNESS: So we're not going into the22 wetlands, so we're fine there. Even if we were in the23 limited, the zone where we have a buffer zone to a24 wetland, we would still technically be fine under the25 50 Wetlands Act. If I put a wooden post into the buffer1 zone, I'm okay. If I put a wooden post in concrete in2 the buffer zone, I'm in trouble. It's a strange little3 --4 MR. ALPER: Even if it's in concrete?5 THE WITNESS: Correct. Nothing permanent is6 the answer to your question.7 MR. ALPER: On the deer, would it be8 reasonable to expect displaced deer could become a9 problem here, not just in the yards, but in terms of10 traffic and cars, collisions, that sort of thing?11 THE WITNESS: You know, I would suggest to12 you that the deer are already a problem for traffic in13 neighboring yards. We're not talking about -- again,14 there's 60 acres for them to roam in and eat on that15 property and continue to eat. I don't have a density of16 deer per acre, but I know if you look at South Mountain17 Reservations density of deer per acre it's way to high.18 They will move, there is no doubt about it. Will they19 be a greater traffic problem than they are today, I20 couldn't answer your

Mountain17 Reservations density of deer per acre it's way to high.18 They will move, there is no doubt about it. Will they19 be a greater traffic problem than they are today, I20 couldn't answer your question.21 MR. ALPER: If it was desired to get a deer22 population survey, how would that take place?23 THE WITNESS: You'd have to hire a wildlife24 surveying company, somebody that specializes in doing25 51 deer counts and they would come in, it's not exactly1 like a tree survey because of course deer move, but we2 would do that kind of a count and come up with a density3 per acre. You could read, I can get it for you, but if4 you look at South Mountain Reservation, they've done a5 deer density survey there. Duke Farms, anyone that has6 deer problems does a deer density survey. Any survey I7 have read for anywhere in Essex County says we have too8 many deer per acre.9 MR. ALPER: Would you recommend one be done10 as part of this project? Is it important to know the11 actual number or actual count on density?12 THE WITNESS: In my opinion, no. I'd be13 happy to research it further. I don't see that this has14 enough impact on the deer population. The deer15 population is impacted by many factors and one of them16 is just general development.17 MR. ALPER: Okay.18 Is it possible there's something other than19 the deer, the underbrush disease, people partying in the20 woods, human evidence that you've seen on the trails?21 THE WITNESS: I'm sorry, could you repeat22 that.23 MR. ALPER: Is it possible something other24 then the deer is contributing to the loss of underbrush25 52 that if you were to contain so that in which case maybe1 deer fencing would destroy the underbrush because of2 disease, like with the trees or it's human activity3 traveling?4 THE WITNESS: The human activity that I've5 observed over the last four years, plus or minus, tends6 to be very confined to very specific sites. Sites that7 are boarded by rock and bolder, places where people8 could hide. I don't want to get into anything else but9 the number of beer cans I saw would imply there was10 illegal drinking there. The illegal deer stands. Zip11 lines that were from tree to tree. My favorite was a12 motor cross course that was built between the trees and13 that one I don't understand. But that -- the impact14 would be very localized. The impact of lack of15 undergrowth is throughout the forest

12 motor cross course that was built between the trees and13 that one I don't understand. But that -- the impact14 would be very localized. The impact of lack of15 undergrowth is throughout the forest and humans aren't16 going at that level throughout the whole forest.17 MR. ALPER: Okay.18 How much maintenance does large scale deer19 fencing need?20 THE WITNESS: It really all depends on the21 weather. Galvanized deer fencing is going to last a22 long time. Galvanizing is an old process and it tends23 not to rot out. If something falls on it, i.e. a tree24 falls, that needs maintenance. The posts, I did check25