Meeting+2012+May+3

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

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 * Attendance**

Miller, Perlmutter, Snow, Sullivan, Brooke Massa, Steelman (presiding), Bockhahn, Hess (notes), Blank, Pohlman, Cook


 * Introductions as needed**

Brooke Massa is a local Wildlife Resources Commission employee who will likely replace Kacy Cook as the WRC representative on WakeNature.

//**Promotion Committee**//
GOAL: Create more public awareness and appreciation of our highest quality natural areas in Wake County. In 2012 we will: 1) develop a website (completed); 2) maintain/update the website (on-going); 3) promote WakeNature through one or more Stewardship Awards; 4) Promote WakeNature by holding a training session for resource managers; 5) Create promotional materials to get the message of WakeNature out to a broader audience; 6) Work on fundraising provided key fundable priorities are identified

1) Update on Urban Stewardship Award-- meeting with Cindy Holmes on 4/24 (Gary and Leigh Ann)


 * NOTES**
 * Hammerbacher did talk with Holmes briefly at the awards ceremony - not much detail - interest is still there
 * Steelman will follow up with Holmes.

2) Update on Service Learning portions of courses (Attarian and Boone) for Spring 2013 and Fall 2012 respectively. Swift Creek Bluffs and Lake Johnson target areas. Attarian feels the proposed project is not a good fit for his class, so this will not be an options for us in Spring 2013.


 * NOTES**
 * Idea from Kofi Boone (Land Arch) might work really well with Lake Johnson - he's doing a more in-depth study in SW Raleigh
 * Steelman will follow up with Boone - we like the idea!

3) State of Things at UNC-- Toddi will follow up
 * We like this idea, but everyone would be nervous about being on air

4) Press kit-- Kaytee following up

I put together a list of things we will need to put into the Press Kit, which we already have some of, but they will need to be updated. I am also attaching a intro letter that I put together. It doesn't have to be exactly like this, but gives everyone an idea of content. I phrased the letter as something we might send to property owners that have properties that would fit the criteria for a nature preserve. We can always have other letters, for example, a new preserve kit. We would just need to figure out what we want on the letterhead as far as contact, address, and so on, we can always change the text. We could also include the video we have if we can copy it. Please see the attached documents.

Do we have money for the kit, I wasn't sure?

My suggestions:

1. Figure out main message to potential NPs owners.

2. Determine the property owners that have property that might be candidates and create database.

3. Send intro letter with press kit.

4. Set-up info session they can come learn more about us.

In addition remember to send me any media/presentation information you have so I can post it to the web/facebook.

Let me know what you think.

NOTES
 * Steelman will ask Kaytee to check into the N&O Monday science page
 * We like the ideas above in terms of reaching out to potential WNP owners
 * Still need a small press kit for when we announce preserves

//**Inventory Committee**//
GOALS: 1) to compile a list of potential WakeNature preserve sites that contain examples of excellent ecological resources that either are being managed for their sustainability or are in need of management, 2) select two potential sites to focus on resource inventory building and management plan development for WakeNature Preserve designation. Focus sites for 2012 include TLC's Swift Creek Bluffs (nearly complete) and City of Raleigh's Lake Johnson Park. With Swift Creek Bluffs nearly complete, a third site for focus is an assemblage of properties in the Marks Creek watershed near Turnipseed: Beech, Williamson and West tracts.

From Gary P.: I've worked on the element occurrence spreadsheet provided by David Carr (thanks for sharing!), and will present it here with an example WNP candidate profile with information compiled from the spreadsheet. Needless to say, they're a work in progress, but the goal is to create map of the county with WNPs depicted with icon links that open to provide a window of each site's description.


 * NOTES**
 * Idea is to work with the full list of sites and pick a handful to develop more detailed profile information on
 * Hess will work with Smith on details of interactive web site for her fall course

//**Capacity Committee**//
Gary Blank will present status of Swift Creek Assemblage work.-- Will go first on the agenda due to conflict at 9 am.


 * NOTES**
 * Blank presented the work that he has led on the Swift Creek Bluffs Assemblage
 * Has the Swift Creek Bluffs significant natural heritage area
 * Several priority species: marbled salamander, eastern box turtle, hood warbler, notched rainbow mussel
 * Other natural forests
 * A greenway is planned to cross Holly Springs Road in this area, but it's not clear where. Currently the proposed greenway is not shown on any of the assemblage properties. TLC does not want it on Swift Creek Bluffs. DOT might be OK with it on their property. Latest Cary map shows the path on the north side of Swift Creek.
 * "Passive recreation" is the most appropriate use given conditions and natural resources on site.
 * TLC seems to be most appropriate lead group on any efforts to formalize management.
 * Recommended a footbridge from Swift Creek Bluffs to the DOT property along the sewer line easement. Cary is most likely candidate for figuring out how to cross Holly Springs Road.
 * Open question - how do we deal with upstream runoff, which is causing degradation on the sites?

//**Are we going to reschedule work day?**//


 * NOTES**
 * Work day at Turnipseed was rained out in late March
 * Considering rescheduling for Fall
 * Still interest in emptying the pond if it dries down during summer - problem right now is parking and access because Pleasants property has been sold.

//**Survey/Workshops idea**// We have a few more responses from folks in Wake County PROS/Cary/Harris Lake/Lake Crabtree - up to 22 responses now (from 12 last time). Rapid inventory and invasive species are still the most popular choices, followed closely by management planning.


 * Current thinking, pending any further input on survey, is to offer an invasive species workshop in the fall (September 2012) and a rapid inventory workshop in the spring (April 2013).
 * Idea: Can we set these workshops up as continuing education opportunities that would provide credits to people needing continuing education credits, and charge a fee for this? This could attract people from a broader area and possible help with our name recognition.
 * USFS has subsidized 6 FEOP all-day Workshops on NNI (the last coming in July or August), so template already exists and FEOP site has all the presentations on-line . Audience has been landowners and professional forest managers, but we certainly can look at adapting the agenda.


 * NOTES**
 * We needn't recreate an invasive species workshop - we can either find a way to pay FEOP to do the workshop or use their template. There's is focused on forest managers, so there would likely need to be a slight shift in content. They also have continuing education credits set up for their workshop.
 * Could we use the TLC grant to pay FEOP to help us conduct one of these workshops? And WNPP cover food and supplies?
 * Target would be 2nd or 4th week of September if we're using FEOP - that's when they have time.
 * Promotion committee will follow up on this idea.