Meeting+2008+Sep+4

Thursday 2008 Sep 4 8:30-10 1214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**

Attending: Steelman, Hess, Alexaander, Trickel, Holcombe, Treasure, C. Smith, Lisk, Blank, Sinclair, Wallace, Ramsey, Shumate
 * Attendance Notes**


 * Annotated Agenda Items**

//Please add items you'd like to see on the agenda by noon Wed 3 Sept//

//Please add your pre-meeting discussion of these items under the item right here on the agenda, or on the appropriate linked page.//

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT: TOM HOWARD WILL BE DOING A PRESENTATION OF A NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY AT EITHER BLUE JAY POINT OR YATES MILL ON SEPTEMBER 25. THIS WILL PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COLLEEN AND JACKIE ARE DOING FOR THEIR NRLI PRACTICUM.

- Kaytee Holcombe has been hired to work on the Engaged College initiative, of which WakeNature is part. Kaytee is a graduate student in Natural Resources. - Lisa Hausfather is a Natural Resources undergraduate student who has asked to become involved in WakeNature. She will help us with the 14 Nov workday. (did not attend)
 * Introductions as needed** (5 minutes)

- Please bring your photos from the 1 May work day at Marks Creek for Jamie
 * Photos for Jamie Ramsey**

We went over the presentation, which included: - Draft overview presentation (Hess) - [|MuniParksV1.ppt] -- use projector at Yates Mill + handouts -- discussion about how to modify proposed nature preserves criteria; these serve as flags or triggers to cause a closer look at how the land might be managed. These are more policy oriented than management oriented. Criteria help identify most important areas and we would apply NHP and Wildlife Action Plan data. The properties in your inventory might contain "nature preserves" and the NHP and WAP data might help identify where those parcels are. --describe dependent groups --change protected to conserve --add question to the effect that "we need to know how this approach can be modified to work for you?" --add more explicit problem statement: we saw the absence of categories that allow us to value/celebrate/conserve parcels of land within the wake county system that possess unique or special ecological significance. -- add more explicit goal statement: to address this problem we began to develop categories that would allow us to identify what we are calling "nature preserves" and to begin to develop a process by which we could provide a greater degree of management and stewardship for these parcels. we are feeling our way as we go. we are piloting this process with marks creek to see if it works, how it could be refined. we have extended the conversation to you to get your feedback/reaction and to see if there were broader interest and willingness to assist in refining the process as we figure out how to move forward.
 * Municipal Parks Directors Meeting** (Hess, 35 minutes)

- Marks Creek background info (Snow)--not here, will present at next meeting.

-- Kristin and Jacklyn will work on their portion and present at next meeting.

- Review list of info for packets (see meeting page ). Packets will be prepared before the meeting.

- Do we have an RSVP list? Add list of people we know are coming to the meeting page --No

- Need action items and deadlines.
 * Who will deal with food? Making packets? Louise will coordinate bagels, cream cheese and coffee/drinks.
 * Who will arrive at 8:30 for setup? Louise Alexander and Kaytee Holcombe will help setup. Please post list of what will need to be done (on meeting page ) in time for next meeting so we can discuss.

- Lisa Hausfather, a Natural Resources undergraduate, has agreed to help organize this and recruit students to come. - Patti Clayton would like to hitch on to this as an immersion for some new faculty. Hess will coordinate to see that this happens smoothly. -Toddi Steelman is available that entire day to coordinate and keep people on task
 * Marks Creek Workday** (Hess, 25 minutes)

Jamie will coordinate donations of food for the day.

Wake County objectives, as stated in the management plan, include: marking boundaries, making maps, identifying potential trails and identifying restoration sites. Not all of this is possible on the 11/14 workday, so we need to prioritize what we want to accomplish given the number of people we anticipate having participate.

We are contemplating centering the work day around exotic and invasive species. Where are the exotic species? How do we remove them? What do we replace them with?

Trails also might be a focus. Creek crossing is hazardous.

Tim will post to the agenda for the next meeting a prioritized list of activities that Wake County would like to see completed on site. Jamie would like to a figure so she can begin to solicit donations for food.

Turnip Seed Road #1 Unit at Marks Creek Open Space Management Plan Status (Blank, 15 minutes max)

Gary, Jacklyn, John and Kristin have been modifying the plan. There are 10 descriptions of habitat types. There are some recommendations for work that could be done. Objectives were identified. Additional work will focus on management priorities within the given timeframe for the plan.


 * Volunteers** (carryover from last time, Ramsey, 15 minutes) **POSTPONED**

What exactly are we looking for?

From Steelman: NRLI help with volunteer network-- Toddi spoke with Mary Lou Addor and suggested sending a note out on the NRLI listserve to see if there was someone out there who was interested in helping with this or who might know of someone interested in helping with this. Do you think we should follow through with that? If so, Toddi will follow up. Mary Lou also suggested that Toddi come and present during the next NRLI session in '09 to describe the idea and see if anyone in the '09 class would be interested. Toddi committed to doing this. We might have another idea by then of what we could do or even have satisfied our volunteer organizer by then, but the opportunity will stand for us to take advantage of it.

From Petrovick: Regarding volunteers you might announce the need on http://www.volunteermatch.org/ if you can't find them elsewhere.

From Hess: Sherry Dutton (NCSU NonProfit Minor Program) has WakeNature on the list for her capstone course. We are soliciting a student to help us organize volunteers. Snow has agreed to provide a modest stipend.