Dozens of people turned up last week for the first meeting of a group of residents concerned about the over-use and breaking of rules at Willard Pond.
The majority of the shoreline is owned by the N.H. Audubon Society, but there is a boat launch at the end of Willard Pond Road that belongs to the town of Antrim. The boat launch has become a popular swimming spot.
Anitra Sorensen, who lives on Willard Pond Road in Antrim, called together a group of neighbors, and representatives of the Antrim Conservation Commission and the Audubon Society, to discuss issues that have developed as the boat launch has become an increasingly popular spot to visit.
The group, which Sorensen informally calls “Friends of Willard Pond” met on Wednesday at the Hancock Town Library for the first time.
“These are people who love Willard Pond and are happy to be an advocate for it, and I’d like to take advantage of that energy,” said Phil Brown, the New Hampshire Audubon director of land management.
Neighbors have complained that visitors to the pond speed down the narrow dirt road, fill the parking lot with cars that overflow into the road, have campfires, let dogs run free, use the pond at night and drink alcohol at the pond, Sorensen said.
“Everyone enjoys the tranquility, the clear water, the kayaking, and the educational resource offered by the pond, but it’s a small and fragile environment that hasn’t been able to carry the amount of people who want to use it,” Sorensen said.
Antrim police have received an increased number of complaints from residents of Willard Pond Road in the last few years, Antrim Police Sgt. Brian Lord said Monday, resulting several citations, speed stops and at least one arrest.
“We’re going to continue to do what we did last year, which is increase our patrols,” Lord said.
Willard Pond Road, the only access to the boat launch, begins in Hancock. Lord said in an interview Monday that the Hancock and Antrim police departments have a standing mutual aid agreement, and if there were an emergency requiring rapid response, both Antrim and Hancock – which has a shorter response time – would respond.
The group discussed several approaches to alleviate the issues, including creating clearer parking spaces, coordinating with both Antrim and Hancock police for better speed enforcement via speed limit signs and to possibly use volunteers to remind people of the rules of the Audubon property.
The group also discussed working with an organization such as the Lake Host Program, which coordinates with volunteers to run courtesy boat inspection programs to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, such as milfoil and Asian clams.
Brown said that this winter, after receiving complaints the previous summer, he’s been in contact with representatives from Antrim, as the town owns the boat launch, and Fish and Game, which owns the parking lot, to try to coordinate solutions.
Brown, who facilitated Wednesday’s meeting along with Sorensen, said willing volunteers would be an asset to the Audubon.
“There was a sense they wanted to come out, do things and get involved,” Brown said. “Potential volunteers would be a real asset in addressing issues like dogs off leashes and litter.”
Brown said he and Sorensen plan to meet to review the proposals from Wednesday’s meeting and create an action plan. The Friends of Willard Pond plan to meet again at some point in the next few weeks, at a date and time to be determined.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.