Activity Report to the Portsmouth Town Council
Melville Park Committee
February 2010 |
Organization:
The Melville Park Committee was established by the Town Council to develop recreational plans for Melville Park and to provide information to the Council regarding how the Park can become a strong asset for passive recreation in the Town. The current members of the Committee, appointed by the Council are Ed Rizy Chair), Patrick Higgins (Vice-Chair), Grace Kinnunen (Treasurer), Joanne Emerson (Secretary), Thurston Gray, Sr., Glenn Williams, Jeff Richard (Finance), Donald Sly, Glenn Steeley and Jodi Reed.
Historical Background:
The area known as Melville Park, including approximately 153 acres was given to the town of Portsmouth "exclusively for public park or public recreational purposes" by the US government on March 16, 1978. Since that time the town has developed a very successful and attractive campground. The state Department of Environmental Management stocks two of the ponds with trout four times each year for fishing. The upper and lower ponds are significant freshwater fishing sites. Also five nature trails have been established.
The Current Committee:
The Melville Park Committee began meeting in February 2004. We established a list of projects and goals. The committee’s previously reported completed projects were:
- Stairs and stepping stones at the spillway exiting the lower Melville Pond
- A display of photographs of completed projects. This display was placed at the Portsmouth Town Hall, the Portsmouth Public Library and the Portsmouth Senior Center alternatively. The display was updated last year.
- Barrier gates put in place at two locations: West Main Road/ Mott Farm Road and the upper Melville Pond behind the Melville Elementary School.
- Yard Sales to raise funds for the Park, held for three years
- National Trail Day celebrated annually in the Spring, involving trail clearing, laying mulch and trail marking
- Bird Houses built and installed throughout the Park
- A floating dock installed on the west side of the Upper Pond for fishing and boat launching
- Developed and posted a map of trails using GPS
Recent Activities
Park Rules
Rules and regulations based on state park practices and procedures were drafted, presented to the Council; after their approval, copies were printed, posted and distributed.
Trail work
A “Red Trail” was developed, running from the last pond outflow to the bay and railroad tracks. The Green Trail was extended, near ponds 3 & 4, almost to Bradford Road, stopped by a swamp. The Blue Trail was widened by use of a brushhog, operated by Committee members. The Orange Trail is also being extended into an unused portion of forest skirting the pine grove. It is also encompassing a spur that runs to the foundation of the property’s original farmhouse and barn. Two Mutt Mitt dispensers were installed and are being resupplied to reduce dog litter on the trails.
Melville Park Website
A website, accessed at www.melvilleponds.org, was developed and is regularly maintained. It provides meeting notices and minutes, park photos, and upcoming activities.
Pond Maintenance
Worked with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to review pond status. Applied for a grant but available funding was deleted. Committee members partially cleared undergrowth from around ponds 4, 7, and 8. Hired Pare Corporation to perform an engineering study on pond restoration. A final report was delivered in May 2009. Further work on soil monitoring, funding sources and proposal writing has been deferred. The Water Quality Restoration Team is being contacted for assistance in fish improvement and removal of invasive plant species.
Mott Farm Road
The road and bordering ditch have been cleared by the Department of Public Work’s heavy equipment. The Committee has covered wet sections with crushed stone to facilitate traffic.
Winter Walks
Held three walks through the Park for all interested citizens. Intending hold tourst annually.
Signing
To improve visibility of the park, additional signs have been procured and installed on West Main, Bradford and Sullivan Roads. The parking area has been clearly marked.
The Information Sign Board has been updated to show trail maps. Copies of Park Rules are also displayed there.
Tool Shed
A Committee member, working with campground personnel, built a shed with interior compartments for park and campground tools. With volunteer labor, the only cost was for materials. A chain saw, weedwacker and hedge clippers were also purchased and used in trail clearing.
Scout Activities
Scout troops from Portsmouth and Middletown have held campouts in the park. As part of Eagle projects, they have built three picnic benches, installed near the waterfall; two walkways over streams; a boardwalk over a wet area on the Blue Trail; extension of the Green Trail, including small bridges; cleanout, repainting and new doors for the concrete building above the falls; and clearing, marking and mapping 25 fishing spots around the lowest pond, built and installed 4 bulletin boards.
Cooperative Agreements
The Committee met with the Campmaster and with the head of Public Works to allocate responsi-bilities for Park maintenance. The agreement has worked well for the past two years.
Future Plans
- Develop, implement a drainage solution for Mott Farm Road to enable all-weather passage.
- Eliminate wet and soggy areas of existing trails.
- Apply for grants to remove built-up silt and invasive plants and restore the small ponds.
- Advertise for additional Melville Park Committee Members.
- Continue maintaining and clearing hiking trails and improving trail markings.
- Develop a Melville Park budget and long-range plan for preservation of this unique tract.
Each Melville Park Committee member has played a part in making the Melville Park Committee and its past and ongoing projects successful. We look forward to working with the Town Council and the relevant departments of the Town Administration to make the Melville Park an outstanding passive recreation area for the citizens of Portsmouth.
|
|