DRAFT MINUTESFriends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens
Board Meeting |
Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens Attending: Bob Gray, Anna Hull, David Ross, Henry Whitesel; convened at 3:30. A) Key Dates 1. Our next board meeting will be 2. Grassland Restoration Days (conditions permitting)
3. Hikes/Talks
B) Action Items Going Forward Mike Bertram:
Point person for our history initiatives Bob Gray: Will review scanned map files on the CD provided by BoF and identify those that should be stored on Dropbox. Will follow up after 8/22 with Ken Woodward (OHA) on date/time for Jane Dorchester presentation in 2015. Will discuss our preservation goals for New Texas with Natural Lands Trust. Will talk with Marci/Jen about managing membership (PPFF bylaws require that Board be elected by members during annual meeting). Will contact Jay to reserve a pavilion for Sunday, October 26 volunteer picnic/thank you. Will look for activity reports sent by Kent Wagner for workdays he led. Will draft MOU for Jay to review about shared equipment acquisition cost, maintenance expense and permanent storage. Will ask Molly and Liz to draft a shared agreement (based on similar agreements we assume exist at other TNC sites) between TNC and BoF granting Friends access. Will schedule follow up phone sessions with Henry to update Site Tracker. Will follow up with Temple University on possible fall class visits and 4th year undergraduate master planning exercise. Will ask Joe to suggest some dates when he is coming down here and could meet with us to discuss updating Goat Hill master plan (reassemble 2008 team?) to reflect our planning initiatives and to discuss possible 2015 burn at Goat Hill (bring in BoF burn boss?). Point person for monitoring our strategic plan. Anna Hull: Food for Aug. 20 event. Will send reminder to Jen Rehill for list of networking opportunities Will double check that Sara at Deloitte has workday schedule For accessing PA Heritage gateway
Will resend latest email exchange with Chester County Community Foundation on funding opportunities. Will invite Carol to visit Chrome to see if glade spurge is present in wetland sites Area 8 and 14
Future: Posts workday schedules Point person for science, education and membership/outreach initiatives.
David Ross: Drinks for Aug. 20 event Will contact Jim Subach for background on TNC conversations with Hannums over New Texas. Will be in touch with WCU about fall workday field trip. Will look up Dockstader Foundation grant application process. Will follow up with WCU faculty on mapping inititives. Will follow up with Chester County Planning Commission staff for meeting. Will coordinate a meeting between John and Bertha Kinnaird and John Goodall of Brandywine Conservancy over application to preserve land that could host a Goat Hill-NCP connector trail. Will contact Liz if we haven’t heard back from her by August 21/22 about dates for Chrome site assessment and 2015 NCP burn planning session. Will research parcels between Camp Horseshoe and Goat Hill. Keep track of future agenda items:
Point person for administrative initiatives. Kent Wagner: Provide activity reports for workdays led. Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives. Henry Whitesel: Cups, plates, napkins for Aug. 20 event Will circulate workday reports for New Texas and Goat Hill. And follow up to make sure he has reports for workdays led by Bob and Kent. Will follow up with Patrick Hurley at about Ursinus workday field trip. Will request reimbursement from Molly for equipment sharpening and service. Will devote some of September 19 Goat Hill workday to clearing path along tree line to shed. Will keep in mind the need for deer fencing in areas where glade spurge is present. Point person for our conservation/maintenance activities C) Agenda Items Considered 1. Approved Minutes from Board Meeting of 07/18/2014. 2. Approved agenda. 3. September board meeting date, time and location: 4. Review Action Items from 07/18/2014 Board Meeting Minutes (not elsewhere addressed on Agenda) Mike Bertram:
We used this point in the meeting to thank Mike (in absentia) for his work in creating the treasure trove of links to newspaper clippings about mining in the barrens– a wonderful resource for history purposes. http://the2nomads.org/FriendsWebSite/Mining.html Bob Gray: Will review scanned map files on the CD provided by BoF and identify those that should be stored on Dropbox. Picked up the CD today. Complete inventory of maps provided by Western PA Conservancy. Post on Dropbox. Done: See W. PA Conservancy's Maps Catalog folder on Dropbox.
Will follow up in August with Ken Woodward on date/time for Jane Dorchester presentation in 2015. OHA presentations committee meets on 8/22 – will check back then
Contact Rocky Gleason to find a time (around a work day?) to meet with him and David to discuss New Texas. Rocky reports no particular knowledge of the Hannums – so no need to talk to him on this topic. Will be a resource when it comes to documenting the natural resources at New Texas.
Anna Hull:
Follow up with Jen Rehill
Anna will send a reminder Send workday schedule to Sara at Deloitte. Anna will double check Will find time to complete our application for using the PA Heritage gateway. Application approved ; need letters from NCP and TNC authorizing access to site specific data [keep in mind this need when we meet with Hannums] –will draft letter for Liz and Jay
Will post workday poster locally. Done OMI, Herrs, library, Starbucks
Will follow up with Chester County Community Foundation on funding opportunities. Will resend latest correspondence. David Ross: Will follow up with Lancaster County Conservancy about New Texas and Rock Springs. Waiting until we are ready to move to set up conversation with Hannums. Bob will talk with Natural Lands Trust. David will talk to Jim Subach (who had head local TNC office in the 1990s). Sara is the mom. Last June Bob, Anna and Henry met with Trish in her kitchen; seemed very open. Theresa was at that meeting. Henry describes as the Alpha Hannum. Bob will instigate conversation with Hannums when we are ready. David to circulate LCC strategic planning material on Rock Springs. On Dropbox. Discussed annual membership picnic/thank you at Nottingham Park. Bob will talk to Marci/Jen about managing membership. We are asking our Board members to consider whether we should institute a modest dues structure for members? We can ask those who come to the picnic what they thin. Bob will contact Jay to reserve a pavilion for Sunday, October 26 Kent Wagner:
Henry Whitesel: Workday report (New Texas?) with photos to Mike Bertram. In progress. Following up to make sure he has reports for workdays led by Bob and Kent.
5. Monthly reports from board member “Leads” as applicable: Done this month 6. August 20 FSLSB presentation / event at Oxford Library (AH, MB). Mike working on slides -- Anna will talk with Mike about what we are doing Press Release (Bob to Anna and Jen) Went out on the 13th; Carey is promoting through library channels. Anna: Adapt our workday poster to create and circulate a poster for August 20; will contact Michelle at OMI about promoting. Done David: Will post workday and library talk posters. Reach out to local clergy and retirement communities. Done Bob – request 30-40 Rose trail brochures In hand. Anna to ask Henry what role he is to play Henry will be prepared to give a brief description of workdays. Anna: Refreshments? AV needs? Anna food; Henry plates, cups and napkins; David drinks
7. Scheduling/hosting an annual meeting/membership picnic at NCP (Bd). See above 8. Collaborative initiatives: a. Ursinus and WCU special workdays (DR); Henry will contact Patrick and David with WCU b. Temple field research trip (BG) Allison Brown – mid September – a possibility
9. Status of agreement with (a) NCP about “shared” equipment acquisition cost and maintenance expense, and permanent storage location and Bob met with Jay and fleshed out these points of agreement: David and Bob reported on the workday trailer obtained by the Horseshoe Scout Reservation. David will look up Dockstader Foundation grant application process. Board authorized Henry to request funds from Molly for equipment sharpening and service.
(b) TNC for storage of BoF equipment in TNC barn (DR and BG) Bob will ask Molly and Liz to draft a shared agreement (based on similar agreements we assume exist at other TNC sites) between TNC and BoF granting Friends access. Henry will devote some of September 19 Goat Hill workday to clearing path along tree line to shed. This will be an opportunity for inspecting the shed, which now stores our walk behind brush hog. Henry plans to bring brush hog to NCP workday on the 22nd.
10. Rare barrens species protection –Internal list, Site Tracker spreadsheet and map of probable / known locations (using site observations and PA Heritage Program info access per Rocky Gleason), (BG, AH, MB) Bob and Henry met August 10 to update Site Tracker for Goat Hill. Will schedule follow up phone calls for Chrome and New Texas Anna: Follow up on protecting glade spurge. Will consult with Henry after he returns August 2, then check in with Carol Loeffler; Henry met with Carol and now can identify the plant – a common looking weed – our trails are real close to some sites on the wet lands. The hope is to install deer fences on some Goat Hill sites by next spring Anna will invite Carol to visit Chrome to see if glade spurge is present in wetland sites Area 8 and 14 11. Master Plan status: (BG)– Immediate Action Items: David: Will contact Gary Coutu about scheduling a check-in conversation with Bob. Will suggest to WCU faculty a student project to find potential route for a trail connecting Horseshoe and Goat Hill trail systems. - Temple University planning potential,; Still a possibility of 4th year undergraduate class final project for an overall master planning exercise
- Chester County 2020 – 07/22 mtg recap; Bob had previously circulated notes of 7/22 meeting. CC 2020 willing to act as a facilitator of discussion with the various players – pull together a workshop, design charrette
- Requested meeting with Chester County Planning Dept David awaiting response
- Ed Herr meeting re Herr lands, integrated lands concept - recap. We briefed Henry on the results of the meeting. Bob and David did excellent prep work on mapping in preparation for meeting. Ed is supportive of our overall goals and wants to be kept informed. Will discuss with his brother willingness to host a Goat Hill-NCP connector trail over Herr land. David will work with landowners Kinnaird and Buchanan and Brandywine Conservancy over plan to run connector trail across their land as part of effort to acquire development rights.
- Recap of phone conference with TNC – Chrome Plan, 2015 Burns, New Tx Liz will propose dates for a pilot site assessment exercise at Chrome. Anna can host meeting at Lincoln University in morning, then site visit after lunch. We prefer doing this on a Thursday. TNC Conservartion by Design “2.0” workshop has been delayed. This should not delay our pilot initiative. We continue to encourage Liz to suggest the State Line Serpentine Barrens as a potential test-run for TNC to observe the revised Conservation by Design planning tool in action. We’ll continue to highlight protecting State Line Barrens as playing an important role in water resources for the Susquehanna/Chesapeake Bay watershed. Liz will propose dates for a meeting between TNC burn team members and Jay Gregg at NCP. We’ll keep open the goal of resuming burns at Chrome as well.
- Recap of meeting with Ray Hayden Ray eager to support our initiatives. Looks forward to continued partnership in maintaining and extending BoF/TNC trails at Goat Hill. Gave tour of workday trailer. Challenge: Figuring a route across intervening parcels (in one case barely 30 feet) to connect Camp Horseshoe with Goat Hill trails. David will identify parcel owners and research on going conversations within West Nottingham Township government. Ray will provide links to or copies of procedures and standards for accepting volunteers. - Plans for regular update / input from key stakeholders (Jay, Joe, Pal, etc) Bob Will follow up with Joe
Bob will ask Joe to suggest some dates when he is coming down here and could meet with us on these and related topics.
David and Pal: update Pal on our plans. Agreed not to approach Elk Township until we can deliver a complete draft management plan.
12. Admin – Master Plan documents folder; (DR) Tabled 13. Volunteer “standards” (Bd) Marci: Policies about limiting volunteer participation is our call. PPFF policy requires anyone who does repeated work to go through a background check. We will discuss during September Board meeting. 14. Other business None 15. Adjourned at 5:50 with thanks to Anna for hosting (and for amazing chocolate zucchini bread)
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