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Attending: Bob Gray, Anna Hull, David Ross; Henry Whitesel A) Key Dates 1. Our next meeting will be Saturday, May 10, 3:30-5:30 at Henry’s 2. Wild Flower Hike, Goat Hill, May 11, 1 pm 3. Grassland Restoration Days (conditions permitting) • Saturday, April 12: Goat Hill Barrens
B) Action Items Going Forward Mike Bertram: Add to site tracker database notes on how best to avoid damage to rare species during workdays. Point person for our history initiatives
Bob Gray: Arrange to meet with Henry to go over how best to update site tracker data base following workdays. Arrange for Ruth and Rose to complete PPFF disclosure forms. Notify Jane Dorchester that we wish to proceed with asking her to give a presentation on historic buildings in the area built with serpentine stone as well as a discussion of the historic use of serpentine as a building material. Contact Oxford Historical Association liaison Ken Woodward to propose session for sometime this fall after Mike’s October 21 lecture. Schedule a meeting/conference call with Anna and Jen Renhill on volunteer outreach. Continue exploring how best to revise our memo of understanding with PPFF to clarify the circumstances under which we need to obtain a liability insurance rider for an FSLSB-sponsored event. Follow up with Maryland Native Plant Society. Point person for monitoring our strategic plan. Anna Hull: Ask Oxford Public Library to post our workday schedule. Contact (once the semester is over) John Dighton to check on need for a support letter from us for his grant application. Point person for science, education and membership/outreach initiatives. David Ross: Set up Dropbox folder for Board documents. Add master stakeholder file to Board documents folder. Follow up with Jay Gregg about Chester Co. planning for Nottingham Pk.
Point person for administrative initiatives. Kent Wagner: Decide whether to propose a trail creation project at Lower Chrome for the season ahead. Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives. Henry Whitesel: Work with Bob on strategies for entering workday updates into the site tracker database. Explore Jay’s willingness to provide space for shared FSLSB equipment or trailer. Point person for our conservation/maintenance activities C) Agenda Items Considered 1. Approved Minutes from Board Meeting of 02/28/2014. 2. Approved today’s agenda. 3. Reviewed Action Items from 02/28/2014 Board Meeting All Make time to check out latest version of Bob’s site tracker database circulated via email; relay comments to him on the format and information captured. Done. See (8) below. Henry and Bob will meet to review strategies for updating site tracker following workdays. Bob will place on agenda for next month’s Board meeting.
Mike Bertram: Update mission statement on Web site:
Bob Gray: Arrange for Ruth and Rose to complete PPFF disclosure forms. In progress. Schedule meeting/conference call with TNC’s Liz Johnson Done. See (11) below. Find a day for HW, BG, AH & KW to walk lower Chrome to explore Bill tree work proposal; could coincide with some trail work or planning. Done. See (7) below. Fine tune master stakeholder list in electronic form. David to place list with Board’s shared documents. Follow up with architect about historic serpentine buildings slide presentation The architectural historian, Jane Dorchester, is very interested in giving a presentation on historic buildings in the area built with serpentine stone as well as a discussion of the historic use of serpentine as a building material. Bob will notify Jane that we wish to proceed and contact Oxford Historical Association liaison Ken Woodward to propose session for sometime this fall after Mike’s October 21 lecture. Pursue university contacts on Master Land Plan / Stewardship Plan Scope (with David) See (11) below. Schedule a meeting/conference call with Anna and Jen Renhill on volunteer outreach. In progress. Will check on the procedure we need to follow whenever there is a need to revise our memo of understanding with PPFF. In particular, clarifying the circumstances under which we need to obtain a liability insurance rider for an FSLSB-sponsored event. In progress. Participate in meeting/conference call with Bob and Jen Renhill on volunteer outreach In progress. Draft letter for Bob to send in support of John Dighton’s grant application. There has been no follow up by John. Anna will double check whether this letter is needed and will make contact once the semester is over.
Evidence of Scottish Highland cattle as effective greenbrier control? There is no readily available data confirming or denying this conjecture. We’ve agree to let the matter drop for now. Contact Chris Hoess to see if he would be interested in leading Maryland Native Plant Society hike at Goat Hill on September 21. Chris has confirmed that he would lead September hike. Bob to follow up with the MNPS
Chris also plans to attend the May 11 Botanical Hike
Point person for science, education and membership/outreach initiatives. Marci Mowery: Provide Bob and Henry with revised volunteer sign up sheets once available. In progress. We want to be able to use a conservation volunteer form for Goat Hill work days. Anyone who works for our organization on any one of our properties doing our normal course of business is covered under PPFF liability policy. TNC insurance would also be in effect for workdays on TNC managed land.
David Ross: Pursue university contacts on Master Land Plan / Stewardship Plan Scope (with Bob) See (11) below. Other initiatives in progress. Explore using Google Docs or Dropbox to store Board-only data and documents Board agreed to go with Dropbox. David will pursue. Each new secretary will need to change ownership configuration for the folders.
Follow up with Jay Gregg about Chester Co. planning for Nottingham Pk. In progress Meet with Henry to collate available contact information for volunteers Done Point person for administrative initiatives. Kent Wagner: Let Bob know when you might visit Lower Chrome for some trail planning; possibly coordinate with discussion of Bill Birney proposal. Done. We ask Kent to let us know if he wants to plan a trail creation project at Lower Chrome for the season ahead.
Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives. Mike Waltz: Develop a plan for sharing and storing TNC equipment with State or County (with Henry). See (5) below.
Henry Whitesel: Develop a plan for sharing and storing TNC equipment with State or County (with Mike Waltz). See (5) below. Done Reschedule meeting with Joe Frasetta In progress. Contact Patrick Hurley about spring workdays and to explore whether he or others might be interested in our master plan project Will contact about opportunities next fall. Provide Anna with a list of likely work sites on planned workdays so she can flag any plants needing protection. We agreed that the most effective way to address our concern lest rare plants be damaged during our work day activities is to ask Mike Bertram to identify worksites and dates where the most care is needed. Find email from Jay Gregg on visit by representative of National Park Service. Point person for our conservation/maintenance activities 4. Monthly reports from board member “Leads” as applicable: We’ve had three workdays – problems with attendance – struggle to get even 3 people
b. Science (AH) Anna will ask Oxford Public Library to post our workday schedule. g. Administration (DR) 5. Status of TNC request for “shared” equipment acquisition cost and maintenance expense. Need for permanent convenient storage, ability to transport. 6. Status of Maryland Native Plant Society lecture by Mike Bertram (Sat. Sept. 20 at Cecil College) and hike of barrens (Sun. Sept 21 - location: TBD) Agree on Goat Hill for hike. 7. Status of request by Billy Birney to harvest cedars and other trees at Lower Chrome. Tabled discussion until Mike Bertram can attend. 8. Review status of Site Tracker Spreadsheet Henry and Bob will meet to review strategies for updating site tracker following workdays. Bob will place on agenda for next month’s Board meeting.
9. PPFF – Marketing assistance regarding event promotion, social media, outreach, etc. 10. PPFF – Requirements In progress 11. Discuss 4/ 8, 9:00 AM conference call with Liz Johnson (TNC) regarding Master Land Plan / Stewardship Plan Scope and Harris Steinberg (U. Penn Praxis) meeting on 4/ 18, 2:30 PM) Sequence of meetings allows us to explore what capabilities TNC can provide us before we consider the work we would need obtain through grant or other funding. Will discuss next steps at next Board meeting. 12. Plan next Botanic Hike. May 11. Mike Bertram is the leader. Bob to follow up with Maryland Native Plant Society. 13. Discuss Mike Bertram’s burn vs. scrape e-mail. Agreed that evaluating appropriate management techniques should be a core part of the strategic plan 14. Admin – Status of contact lists in electronic form: Board members, stakeholders, volunteers David will circulate a list of potential documents and other files to store in the Board-only access Dropbox folder. 15. Next board meeting date, time and location. Saturday, May 10 3:30-5:30 at Henry’s. 16. Other business None 17. Adjourned at 5:03 with thanks to Henry for space and food.
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