Meeting+2010+Sept+2

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

Kaytee will be unable to attend {see notes below} Ramsey, Blank, Lobsinger, C. Smith, Steelman (presiding), Perlmutter, Cienek, Schmidt
 * Attendance Notes**


 * Annotated Agenda Items**

//Please add items you'd like to see on the agenda by 5PM Tues before the meeting.//

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


 * Introductions as needed**

Summary of changes
 * Review and approve** **revised management plan template****.** This should be in place before Turnipseed review.
 * 1) Changes are mostly cosmetic, reorganizing sections to provide increased clarity about why site qualifies for WNPP status, make the link from important natural features to proposed management clearer, simplify the review process.
 * 2) Require natural features be documented in a table, classified by the WNPP criteria (proposed for revision below): ** exceptional natural features, outstanding natural features **, natural **features**, or cultural and historic features.
 * 3) ** Require a simplified three-year workplan in tabular format. **
 * 4) ** Require annual workplans in tabular format. **

Summary of changes
 * Review and approve related changes to** **WNPP Criteria****.** Changes are marked, relatively minor, and do not (Hess' opinion) change our intent.
 * 1) We defined WakeNature Preserves has having one or more **//areas//** //: exceptional natural areas, outstanding natural areas, natural areas, or cultural and historic areas.// Change the word **//area//**** to **//feature// . This makes discussion and explanations in the management plan clearer by eliminating confusion between the specific features to be managed as distinct from the overall area to be managed.
 * 2) ** Do not require buffers to have any specific natural features. The purpose of a buffer is to protect important natural features from otherwise adjacent development. A buffer does not have to have any natural area value other than that. **


 * NOTES**
 * Some discussion of whether buffer language in criteria should be made more specific. Decided to accept as is following subcommittee recommendation.
 * For people who already have management plans, we will add a crosswalk table to the application so that they don't have to rewrite their whole plan. We will, however, ask for an executive summary including the table of qualifying features.
 * There is concurrence that these changes are acceptable.
 * Steelman noted that as the criteria were voted in to begin with, we need to vote on the proposed changes. She will put that on as a future agenda item.
 * For the purposes of Turnipseed review, we will proceed as if revised criteria have been accepted.
 * County will have revisions done this week. Hess will move the review process forward.

Scott Anderson forwarded this document to me as part of an effort to operationalize the WAP Priority Habitat Areas. [|Priority Habitat Guidance July 2010.doc] From Gary Perlmutter: Looking at the priority bat species list, should / can we do a bat survey (using mistnets) of Turnipseed at some point? And I know a bryologist who'd be interested in surveying Turnipseed of its mosses, liverworts and kin.
 * WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN PRIORITY AREAS**


 * NOTES**
 * Provides guidance for defining and managing priority habitat

I wanted to share with you my final tweaks on the WakeNature logo. I hope you like how I have refined it and I would love to have everyone see it in this weeks meeting. Unfortunately, I cannot be there. Thursday mornings, unfortunately, are a bit of a conflict for me and I can't make the meeting. I wanted to give you a couple of talking points below and hope that you are OK presenting it to the team.
 * LOGO Progress //and// Domain Name**

1. The mark I feel captures the excitement, richness and the active nature of all that the WakeNature Preserves Partnership, and the sites, represent 2. It begins to tell a story and represents the physical benefits to the public and our elected officials 3. All that are connected to the Partnership will find their "place" in the mark 4. As far as practicality, the one color execution allows for ease of reproduction. It will easily transform to the "Partnership" version of the logo. Even small, the essence is not lost and the organic crest shape tells a story

Lastly, I can see it working with the tagline "Promising Nature a Future" and I have attached a version with it incorporated. Next steps would be polishing it and moving on to the Partnership version and then having further discussions with the team about signage and the possibilities there.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions and I look forward to everyone's feedback. Shawn

From Kaytee: I like the green image better. I think the animal/nature silhouettes are more clearly defined and you tell pretty quickly what they are. I like the tag line added but feel it should flow better with the image, it seems kind of disconnected, I think is should be more form-fitted to the image.

From Gary P. The logo is simpler and easier to read. However, this could be further improved if we use an Arial-type font for the lettering.


 * NOTES**
 * General consensus that we like the logo, with the tag line on the bottom
 * For the sign we like green; for letterhead we like black
 * Next step is to get a good, printed copy on paper
 * Steelman will follow up with Shawn
 * Steelman will also send to listserve for comment






 * Update on domain name?** From George - not done yet - next two weeks.

Check in about transportation and numbers for volunteer day. What is the status of NHP (Toddi)? From Scott Pohlman: The answer to your first question is no, unfortunately – I will be in the Sandhills with several other NHP staff on Sept 10 for the Sandhills Conservation Partnership meeting (marking the 10th anniversary of the partnership). The answer to the second question is yes; all but two of the staff have the work day (Sept 24) on their calendars. Scott
 * VOLUNTEER DAY**

We will need to figure out what we want to accomplish on the 24th with the help of NHP.

From Kaytee: I contacted Whole Foods and they will provide water, cereal bars, and bananas for snack for the volunteer work day. I will pick those up and bring them that morning.

From george: I have not yet reserved the CNR van - do we need one? If so, I will do it right after the meeting.

NOTES
 * Natural Heritage Program people will be there on the 24th and will do whatever it is they have expertise in.


 * We have very few people signed up for the 10th, but LaTroya is going to do filming on that day.
 * CNR van NOT needed.
 * Van will leave Jordan circle at 8AM
 * We'll meet on Pleasants Road side approx 8:30A


 * Hess will follow up with mammal permitting issues (contact Judy Lassiter)

Are we good to go on this? We are scheduled to see the video a the 9/16 WNPP meeting.
 * OUTREACH SCHOLARSHIP CONFERENCE**

From George - I will draft a short PPT for the second session and solicit times for a short meeting in mid-September.

Can those involved stay for an extra hour right after the 16 Sept meeting?

SIngle PPT slide with a few things we can talk about HESS to follow with Hester to confirm we'll see video on 16 Sept
 * NOTES**
 * how we go started
 * what are we going to do in the future
 * how do we sustain
 * power issues
 * service-learning joys and sorrows

Toddi and Kaytee will present a draft of the MOU for group consideration if time allows.Please see the proposed draft [|WakeNature Preserves Partnership MOU Draft Aug26, 2010.doc].
 * MOU**


 * NOTES**
 * New to have MOU reviewed in detail by potential signatories.
 * Questions about how high up the food chain we have to go for signatures.

Things are progressing well here. We have nearly finalized the definitions we will use. We have firmed up the criteria (objective + subjective). We have a list of potential properties that could be included in the two designation areas 1) Nature Preserves (new park classification) and 2) Natural Area (overlay). At our next meeting we will test the list of properties to see how they stand against our criteria. This puts us within the finishing line of completing our task of 1) identifying criteria; and 2) providing a list of candidate properties to the city council.
 * RALEIGH NATURE PRESERVES TASK FORCE UPDATE**

Toddi


 * NOTES**
 * Steelman reviewed subjective criteria with the group
 * At the next meeting we will ask if we can post details of process on WNPP wiki

Hess and Lobsinger (and possibly Snow) will be meeting with the Leopold Wildlife Club on Tues 7 Sept 6PM. They are interested in doing this work. 1214 Jordan Addition.
 * Mammal survey at Turnipseed**


 * TogetherGreen Grant Update.** We didn't get it :-(