Sunapee seeks volunteers for Conservation Commission, invites residents to join meeting

Sunapee opened a public door for residents who want a say in how the town protects its lakes, hillsides and open space, using a May 1 volunteer notice and a May 6 reminder to draw people to the Conservation Commission’s 7 p.m. meeting in the Town Meeting Room at Town Hall.

The meeting agenda made the invitation a formal part of town business. “Visitors - Call for Volunteers” sat alongside April minutes, a treasurer’s report, invoice approvals, a Dewey Meadow and Wendell Marsh project review, a Sullivan County Conservation Commission update, an A-S hike at Ledge Pond update, kiosks, peer review, trail mapping and a draft calendar of 2026 events.

That mix shows why the opening matters. The Conservation Commission is not a ceremonial board. Sunapee says the commission is charged under New Hampshire RSA 36-A:2 with protecting natural resources, especially watershed resources. The town also says the commission researches local land and water areas, coordinates conservation activities and oversees town forests, work that can influence trail care, shoreland stewardship, invasive-plant concerns and broader land-use questions.

The commission’s public schedule suggests the role is a steady one. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., and the commission webpage lists seven members and one alternate member. The current roster includes Van Webb, Barbara Chalmers, Clifford Field, Timothy Fleury, Ginny Gwynn, Doug Hanson and Jeff Kellner, with Wendy Nolin serving as alternate.

Sunapee’s conservation planning also has a longer history behind it. Town material says the commission dates to the 1960s and points to a 1967 plan that envisioned eventually protecting 3,000 acres through conservation easements, at a time when roughly 12,000 acres of open or wooded undeveloped land remained in town. More recently, the Sunapee Conservation Commission developed the town’s Natural Resources Inventory & Conservation Plan in 2022 with technical assistance from the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission.

The town has also asked voters to support that work with money. A 2008 warrant article sought $25,000 for the Conservation Commission Fund, underscoring that conservation in Sunapee has long depended on both volunteers and public backing. The current volunteer call continues that pattern, asking residents not just to observe the process, but to help shape it before decisions about land, water and trails harden into the next round of town policy.