Meeting+2010+Feb+4

Thursday 2010 Feb 4 8:30-10 1214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**


 * Attendance Notes**

Hello everyone, I am going to have to miss this meeting and I will be out of town for the next meeting on Feb. 18th. I will plan on having better attendance at meetings beginning in March! In the meantime, let me know if there are items I can assist with. --Jacquelyn Wallace

Attendees: Alexander, Blank, Lisk, Hess (note-taker), Connors, Steelman, Schmidt, Snow, Trickel, Cienek, Ramsey, Perlmutter, Willis


 * Annotated Agenda Items**


 * 0. Introductions as neede****d**


 * 1. Update on Communications Plan**

> **From Victoria Miccoli 3 Feb** > During our last class we put together the first section of our campaign proposal. Pretty much, we took all of the feedback we received from you and your colleagues and put together the beginning of our proposal, including the background, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, problems, goals, structure, etc. of your organization.

> From this first section and the interviews with you and your colleagues, we put together a survey. We will use this survey as a "pre-test" of the general public's current knowledge of WakeNature, and environmental issues. This pre-test will be used as a basis for us to measure how successful our campaign was in the end. This is pretty much everything we have been working on so far!

> Also, we were wondering if you would like one or two of our members to sit in your meetings and give your team updates ourselves. It's up to you!

> **Response by George Hess 3 Feb** > Thanks for your reply.

> My one concern is that what you describe presumes that the general public is the audience we most want to reach. I'm not sure that is the case - we might want to be more narrowly targeted. I know that we are also interested in reaching decision-makers (elected official and agency employees), potential volunteers, and the segment of the public most likely to be interested in nature-based recreation. For example, it might make sense to try and target people who frequent the NC Museum of Science or who are already members of Triangle Land Conservancy. We (the WakeNature folks) aren't quite sure which of these publics deserves the most attention right now. Is that something that your team can help us with?

> We'd love to have some of your team members join us for our meetings. If anyone can make it tomorrow (Thurs) morning, we do have time for an update on the agenda. All of our meeting dates are at http://wakenature.wikispaces.com/Meeting+Schedule and we meet in 1214 Jordan Hall Addition - the big open conference room right when you walk in the door. Do you think anyone can make it tomorrow?


 * NOTES**

At initial meeting (Ramsey, Blank, Gillen) most of the questions had to do with //why// you'd want to have a nature preserve - this is interesting, because they represent most people who do not have the background we do that makes it "obvious" why this is an important thing to do. These were good questions in terms of the kinds of things we need to communicate.

We haven't seen the survey and are not sure who is going to receive it. Surveys through other organizations often require approval.

Hess will keep in touch with Victoria about this. A phone call is in order. Try to set up an informal meeting.


 * 2. Update on shake ups with Wake County Open Space**


 * NOTES**
 * Last year's cuts came out of operating budgets
 * This year's are coming out of personnel - vacant positions are frozen and not being filled and there are some layoffs
 * This results in the need to move people around to fill holes
 * Lisk moved to park manager
 * Open Space Planner position dissolved, but OS program still exists
 * Filling in with temps and interns


 * WakeNature presence will be maintained and could become a higher priority to make up for staff shortages
 * Steelman asks if there's anything we can do that would be more help - Snow says we are already doing it, and please just continue - communication and coordination are key to keeping things going, especially if we decide to branch out to other sites
 * OSAPAC will be writing a letter of support for the open space program
 * Is there an opportunity for a N&O Point of View here - how do we creatively meet our goals?
 * Event before Turnipseed goes to the Board of Commissioners (BoC) - have a walk on-site to show what this place is and what WakeNature has done - get the BoC to go with us - some concern about bringing the BoC to an unimproved site - good plant blooms in April


 * 3. Management Plan update-- Gary and John take the lead**


 * NOTES**
 * Still a couple of months away
 * Forestry part being reviewed and synthesized
 * Need input on level of detail needed in classifications
 * Coarse scale resolution for now, including the fine level data we already have, and noting places where further fine-level data are needed


 * 4. Application Approval process**


 * NOTES**
 * TIming on issues ...
 * Management plan (mostly) complete - this has to be finished first
 * OSAPAC approval of concept
 * Tour with BoC
 * BoC approval granting permission to Open Space division to apply for WNPP designation
 * Application submitted
 * We need to schedule the timing on these things


 * TLC also working toward submitting application for Temple Flat Rock. However, this is delayed for at least 6 months because of their own budget constraints.


 * 5. Master's Projects-- Schmidt and Willis**


 * NOTES**
 * Schmidt
 * Cost-benefit analysis of protected open space
 * Question? What can she do to help us most?
 * Calculate opportunity cost (development) vs value of ecosystem services, with sensitivity analysis
 * There was a sense that we should do the analysis for all of the open space in Wake County, as an aggregate - similar to what Kirschman did for Mecklenburg - we all really liked his presentation and would like to see something similar for Wake County
 * TIming - trying to be done in November
 * Snow is very interested in working with Schmidt on this - he has been in conversation with Kirschman already about data


 * Willis - postponed until next meeting (we were out of time)
 * Will be working on the Guide to "Cool Natural Areas" in Wake County


 * 6. College of Natural Resources volunteer day - this is being offered to all CNR employees as part of a college-wide public service initiative.**

When: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 12:30-5 pm (rain/snow date is Feb. 24)Where: Meet at 12:30 near Jordan Hall to take a van to the siteWhat: Site restoration using hand tools (see below) Wake County's Division of Parks, Recreation, and Open Space has been purchasingopen space in eastern Wake County along Marks Creek. Located between Turnipseedand Poole Roads near Wendell, the 200+ acre Turnipseed site is currently being consideredfor designation as a nature preserve. Much of this site has substantialgranite rock outcrops that have been covered by exotic, invasive plant species afteryears of agricultural land use. We will begin to restore some of the granite rock outcrops by removing exotic invasive plant species and "unearthing" the rock within the meadowarea of the Turnipseed site. This work will be done with hand tools. You should wearsturdy shoes. Work gloves will be provided, but if you have a pair you like you should bring them.