Meeting+2015+May+7

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Green Square Building, 217 W Jones Street, Videoconference Room 3001
 * Allow time to get through security - please bring a photo id
 * Allow time to find a parking place (or ride the bus, or bike)

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 * Attendance Notes**

Connors (presiding), Robertson, Salter, Hess (notes), Blank, Shouse

// **Steering** // ** Committee ** (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Increase momentum ** by growing active signatory membership.


 * ** Memoranda of Understanding are beginning to expire **
 * We started signing them in 2010 with a 5-year term


 * NOTES**
 * We'd like to get everyone to renew
 * Opportunity to get new partners - people will ask partner based on their personal connections
 * Automatic renewal - you're being renewed unless you opt out - need to draft new language [ Hess to redraft ]


 * ** Bus tour: Develop //ad hoc// committee to work on this **
 * Who is target audience? Officers of local environmental NGO groups? Elected officials?
 * Logistics, timing, etc


 * NOTES**
 * Still looking at a bus tour in the spring - list of WakeWonders will drive that (see Promotion Committee)

//**Promotion Committee**// (Kaytee Smith, chairwoman) GOAL: ** Tell the story ** of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County and the stewardship they have and need.


 * **Discussion: Steering committee suggests we develop //ad hoc// committee to roll out best places in Wake County**
 * Monthly feature? Quarterly? Just dump a bunch of sites on right away?
 * How do we involve the Municipalities?


 * NOTES**
 * People at BioBlitz were excited about this idea
 * Work with Melissa's draft criteria and sites
 * Columns for names of sites, highlights (why would you go there?), publicly accessible, yes/no, sensitivity, comments, ask for others
 * Two lists: One that are open to the public with trails, parking, etc; the other for more sensitive sites with controlled access and guided tours
 * Blank and Salter will lead on creating this list and matrix
 * Need list of reviewers - Connors can lead

//**Inventory Committee**// (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Places on the ground ** - designate publicly accessible WakeNature Preserves.


 * No specific items - but will be involved in Best Places rollout

//**Capacity Committee**// (Gary Blank, chairman) GOAL: ** Bring resource managers together ** to carry out appropriate stewardship of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County.


 * NOTES**


 * BioBlitz debriefing **
 * Lots of agencies, high excitement, good information
 * No feedback from the presenters
 * Sequencing was good - was good to get out first in the morning
 * CVS was too long and complicated and threw off schedule – should have been higher level overview – missed wrap-up and opportunity to sell WakeNature
 * Confusion about lunch - not sure why - maybe be more explicit
 * People had not heard about the County's Natural Resources Inventory Database and were excited to know about its existence
 * Wonder if any real bioblitz's will be conducted as a result of this
 * Could WakeNature do a workshop for LAR students at NCSU to bring their attention to how important the ecological aspects are when planning and designing landscapes? Esp not planting invasive species.
 * Audubon NC has a bird-friendly native plant list
 * NCSU Going Native species has a list of [|invasive plants to avoid]

//**Other Business**//

 * NOTES**

Blank reported at Michaux's sumac replanting
 * Moving plants from the yard at his home to Wake County's Turnipseed Nature Preserve and possibly Raleigh's Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD, Nature Park. NC Bot Garden also wants some of it.
 * Team of students has dug up and potted plants from his yard
 * They are being placed at the Raulston Arboretum for the summer to await replanting in the fall at the recipient sites.
 * Coordinating with US FWS to make sure everything is done according to FWS procedure.