Resident reports Blanding's turtle sighting; state biologist interest noted

A resident told the Conservation Commission that while walking trails behind his house near abandoned granite quarries he photographed a turtle he believes is a Blanding's turtle. "I've never seen a Blanding's turtle before," the resident said, and confirmed he had shared the photo with Mark Ward and with the state's amphibian and reptile atlas project and Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The Chair said he also passed the photo to state contacts and that Kevin Ryan, the state turtle biologist, expressed interest in conducting additional study or trapping to better assess abundance. Commissioners discussed the need to protect sensitive location data and to coordinate with state biologists before broad dissemination. The resident said his camera stamps coordinates and he could provide additional images if encountered again; staff and members encouraged the continuing exchange but emphasized that precise location data for threatened species are often withheld from public release to reduce poaching and disturbance.