Field Notes

CONSERVATION RESTRICTION Susan and Walter Birge feel they have more than enough land for their needs at 141 Madaket Road; enough that they hope to place a conservation restriction on their 15.9 acres (minus their own building envelope) along Madaket Road opposite the turn for Barrett Farm Road. Hunting will be allowed on this land, as will the installation of birdhouses and up to four wooden benches, but public use of the property will generally be limited to its natural state as a scenic vista along Madaket Road.

The conservation restriction is being orchestrated and will be held by the Nantucket Land Council, a steward of many of the conservation restrictions on the island. The Nantucket Land Council holds some 1,000 acres in 60 conservation restrictions, including 270 acres owned by the Linda Loring Nature Foundation off Eel Point Road.

For the Birge's to grant a conservation restriction on their property, the Board of Selectmen must vote to approve it, and is expected to do so at tonight's meeting.

100 TREES IN 100 DAYS One of 100 trees to be planted in 100 days around the world is going to be planted on Nantucket by Bartlett Tree Experts to help celebrate its 100th anniversary.

By planting trees on July 21, Bartlett Tree Experts is hoping to germinate a healthy attitude toward trees and community. Nantucket's tree will be planted on land owned by the Nantucket Islands Land Bank opposite Crooked Lane on Madaket Road near the bamboo forest.

PLAYING CATCH-UP The Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund cancelled its July 18 appearance before the Conservation Commission in favor of a tentative meeting schedule of Aug. 1 and 15, according to SBPF Executive Director Cheryl Bartlett.

SBPF is now bound by law to present yet again all its information about its proposed beach nourishment project for three miles of the 'Sconset coastline to the Conservation Commission because the commission has two new members as a result of the Board of Selectmen's recent appointments. The Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund's engineers were scheduled to present information on the project's borrow site and the environmental impacts of dredging sand three miles offshore at the July 18 meeting.

The August meeting will be a broad overview of the project, not because everyone wants to hear it all over again, but because the newly reconstituted ConCom needs to be brought up to speed. The expiration of the terms of commissioners Diane Holdgate and Clark Whitcomb prompted the selectmen to appoint Andrew Bennett and John Braginton-Smith to fill those seats on the seven-member commission. Incumbent David Gray was reappointed to another three-year term.

ROWING TO FRANCE, OR AT LEAST TRYING TO Forty-nine miles east of any part of the Massachusetts coastline is pretty far offshore - and for someone to get there using just oars is accomplishment enough. But for Charlie Girard, it wasn't nearly far enough. The 26-yearold Girard set out to break the transatlantic rowing record of 62 days and 19 hours on July 4 by rowing 10 hours a day from Orleans, Mass. to La Tranchesur Mer, Vendee, France using a technologically advanced boat.

All of Girard's training didn't prepare him well enough for the rigors of rowing his 23-foot boat 4,000 miles on the open seas. At 7:20 p.m. on July 5, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a call from Richard Williams of Orleans, Mass. whom Girard had just contacted, telling him the rower wanted to be rescued, according to PA2 Luke Pinneo of USCG First District Public Affairs.

Girard was dealing with five-to-eightfoot seas in 15-knot winds. At 8:15 p.m., the Coast Guard launched an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and crew to Girard's location, hauling him aboard at 9 p.m.

Banged up by waves that knocked him into the sides of his rowboat, Girard was flown to Air Station Cape Cod and taken to the hospital. He was

later released. I