Meeting+2009+Nov+19

Thursday 2009 Nov 19 8:30-10 1214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**


 * Attendance Notes**

Kaytee will be unable to attend. Alexander not attending.

Present: Lisk, Pohlman (new from Natural Heritage), Blank, Steelman, Hess, Wallace, Snow, Shumate, Ramsey, Thomson, Perlmutter, Reis, Cienek, Connors, C. Smith


 * Annotated Agenda Items**

//**NO FURTHER AGENDA ITEMS CAN BE ADDED TO THIS SESSION.** We need the full time to deal with the two items on the agenda.//

//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** (5 minutes)


 * Application Form (until 9AM)**

Wake County will bring a completed application form and any problems they encountered in doing so.

Here is the pdf application. I wasn't sure what the address was that we send it to. I will add that later.



NOTES: Contribute to the development and growth of public understanding of natural systems, the interdependence of all forms of life, and the vital dependence of human communities on the health of natural communities.
 * Alexander filled out the form. Lisk reported that there were no major problems.
 * The first item on the objectives list is best moved to the bottom ... and change in criteria as well ...
 * Change to "Could contribute to ..." and move it to end of list
 * We don't expect all of the objectives to be met on every application


 * Change "expectations for public use" creates in some people's mind the expectation that the public will use. Change to "level of public use and access"


 * TLC feels this application form will work for them as well, though they will have some work to do to pull a management plan together


 * Annual Review & Discussion of Future Organization** (rest of meeting, led by Hess and Steelman)

Here is the annual review of progress since January 2009: [|WNPPReview.2009.11.19.pdf]

We would like to frame the discussion around a question of organizational structure: How formal does WNPP want and need to be to carry out its mission?

This question is becoming increasingly important as (1) people have left WNPP and it has been hard to replace them (e.g., Natural Heritage), (2) others may be leaving, (3) we are about to accept applications from Wake County and Triangle Land Conservancy, (4) we need to be available to work with Raleigh as the craft their nature preserve designation, and (5) we seem to be seeking increased recognition and funding.

To open the discussion, we would like to pose a range of organizational formality that ranges from 1 to 9 (whole numbers only), as follows ...

1 = a very informal group of people working toward establishing a nature preserve system, but acting as individuals, and the organizations they claim to represent accord no formal recognition of (and possibly do not even know about) their participation in the partnership.

5 = a group of people working toward establishing a nature preserve system, and the organization they represent knows of and recognizes their participation in the partnership.

9 = a very formally organized group of people working toward establishing a nature preserve system, who have been appointed by the organizations they represent to participate in the partnership.

Opening questions: (a) Where on this continuum was WNPP last year? **Average result = 3.3** (b) Where on this continuum is WNPP now? **Average result = 4.8** (c) Where on this continuum does WNPP need to be to carry out its mission?
 * Average result = 7.2 before discussion, 7.7 after discussion**


 * NOTES:**
 * Pretty clear consensus that we need to organize more formally, to gain legitimacy from a political perspective.
 * But do not want to become bogged down in bureaucracy, but a charter and by-laws seem reasonable and desirable
 * Will examine that Chatham Conservation Partnership, which has gained some level of political recognition ... http://chathamconservation.wikispaces.com/ ... charter at http://chathamconservation.wikispaces.com/Charter
 * Consensus that we could really use a 1/2time staff person to help herd the cats and keep things moving
 * No clear and obvious path for making these changes