Meeting+2013+Jun+6

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Location: Wildlife Resources Commission, Centennial Campus, NC State University See agenda for May meeting for detailed directions and parking instructions.

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 * Attendance Notes**

Attending were ... Pohlman (presiding), Hess (notes), Scott Anderson (WRC), Connors, Betsy Cook (TLC Intern from Duke), Sherry Graham (Raleigh), Hammerbacher, Lobsinger, Massa, Salter, C Smith, Snow


 * What's up at your agency?**

In an attempt to learn more about what we're each doing and to find places where WakeNature partners can work together, let's go around the table and have someone from each partner agency talk briefly about one or two of the noteworthy, WakeNature-relevant projects you're working on or are coming up in future. We're thinking briefs - 3-5 minutes per agency.


 * NOTES**
 * Wake County Parks, Recreation, & Open Space (Snow, Lobsinger)
 * Targeted land acquisition process underway for FY 2014
 * A Natural Resources Management Plan working group has been formed among park staff. They are trying to get a handle on this issue. Their activities could lead to some WakeWonder or WakeNature Preserve applications.
 * Natural Heritage Program (Pohlman)
 * No active inventories underway in Wake County at the moment
 * NHP has some interests in the Harris Lake area that overlaps with Wake County Parks, Rec, & Open Space
 * Wondered if we could take the WakeNature model to another county - specifically thinking about Guilford County. There is definitely interest in trying this.
 * Recreation Resources Service (C Smith)
 * Offer technical assistance to communities for recreation and leisure services
 * Manage Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF)
 * Host a teleconference series that is conducted statewide - perhaps WNPP can offer sessions.
 * Wake Audubon (Connors)
 * 22 wood duck boxes at Turnipseed managed by Delta Waterfowl. Great nesting success and monitoring program. Also have boxes for prothonotary warblers.
 * Wake Audubon and the Museum of Natural Sciences have submitted a grant to build a Chimney swift tower at Prairie Ridge
 * Prairie Ridge should be considered for WNP designation - talk with Charles Yeltin. [ Connors will follow up ]
 * Wildlife Resources Commission (Massa / Anderson)
 * Falls and Harris Gamelands are in Wake County and have some management for biodiversity.
 * New NC Birding Trail web application - there are sites in Wake County. What can WakeNature learn from the work behind creating the Trail? @http://ncbirdingtrail.org/
 * Raleigh Parks (Salter)
 * Working at Lake Johnson Nature Preserve to ensure new environmental center construction activities do not harm rate plants
 * At Horseshoe Farms Nature Preserve, conducting inventory on meadows in advance of replanting as prairies.
 * NC State U (Hess)
 * Will be working on Schenck Forest as a WNP or WakeWonder
 * Lake Raleigh is politically infeasible
 * Triangle Land Conservancy (Hammerbacher)
 * Working on several areas in SE Wake County that could lead to WNP applications
 * Brumley Nature Preserve close to opening in Orange County - we might get some management ideas there

// **Steering** // ** Committee ** (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Increase momentum ** by growing active signatory membership.


 * Agenda Items**
 * Discussion item - cancel July meeting, but keep moving things forward?
 * Hold meeting at WRC in August and have WRC present? They cannot present today, and we're considering July cancel.
 * @Park Directors Meeting status (Beedle, Snow)
 * Individual muni meetings - Snow & Hess created a list of priority municipalities to visit (not in priority order): Apex (bringing nature park online), Garner (interested), Holly Springs (just purchased property from TLC with easement in place - must be nature preserve), Knightdale (new park coming), Raleigh (lots going on, touch base), Zebulon (Little River), Wake Forest (Joyner Park; old reservoir area). Should we proceed on this or just wait for a directors meeting?


 * NOTES**
 * Cancel July meeting
 * Next meeting will be on 1 August at WRC with WRC presenting
 * All in favor of Park Directors Meeting approach. Will do individual meetings to follow up on details once we've had the full meeting
 * During discussion, it came up that Holly Springs is creating a Nature Park on a 130ac area adjacent to Bass Lake. The land has a TLC easement on it. WNPP might be able to help - someone will follow up (can't recall who, but am trying to find out).

//**Promotion Committee**// (Kaytee Smith, chairwoman) GOAL: ** Tell the story ** of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County and the stewardship they have and need.


 * Agenda Items**
 * Ecosystem Services ( Hammerbacher )
 * Trifold update (Hess for Smith) - [[file:WNPPTrifoldJune.pdf]]
 * Anderson Point signs have been installed!!! (yeah, Melissa!!)


 * [[image:DSC03328.JPG width="480" height="360"]] || [[image:DSC03336.JPG width="480" height="360"]] ||
 * [[image:DSC03332.JPG width="480" height="210"]] || [[image:DSC03335.JPG width="480" height="210"]] ||


 * NOTES**
 * Hammerbacher presented on ecosystem services. Trying to create a brochure that shows ecological value of nature preserves in terms "regular people" can understand. Will have a version posted for comment soon.
 * Hess presented new draft of trifold that KSmith created - will take more comments
 * Would like to have a celebration event for the Anderson Point signs, but nobody seems willing to lead it. Hess and Salter will visit the site to see about alternative placement of the "Anderson Point Park" sign, because there's a tree right in front of it (see photo above, upper left).

//**Inventory Committee**// (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Places on the ground ** - designate publicly accessible WakeNature Preserves.


 * Agenda Items**
 * Swift Creek Bluffs update (Salter, Hammerbacher)
 * WakeWonder Ideas - we need some nominations


 * NOTES**
 * Swift Creek Bluffs will not be ready for a few months
 * WakeWonder not discussed

//**Capacity Committee**// (Gary Blank, chairman) GOAL: ** Bring resource managers together ** to carry out appropriate stewardship of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County.


 * Agenda Items**
 * Management of Natural Areas Workshop report (Tuesday, May 14 @ Historic Yates Mill County Park)
 * [[image:DSC00654.JPG width="240" height="180" caption="Raleigh, Wake County, and Wake Forest"]] || [[image:DSC00652.JPG width="240" height="180" caption="County and Raleigh"]] || [[image:DSC00650.JPG width="240" height="180" caption="Wake County, Raleigh, Wake Forest"]] ||

>> Attached please find the map that was requested. The highlighted areas represent where herbicide applications are planned for Duke Energy Progress rights-of-way. I am not sure if the highlights will show on a printed map but if you roll the cursor over or click on the highlights comment text boxes show with additional comments. On another note, Duke Energy Progress Distribution Vegetation Management local offices are aware of the rare plant site on Barwell Road and have signage at the site marking for contractors to not apply herbicides that is on NCDOT right of way. I believe the rare plants at this site are Michaux Sumac. Please let me know of any other concerns that you may have on City of Raleigh property or right of way’s in Wake County. >> Thanks, >> Robert “Buzz” Chenoweth, Senior Distribution Arborist >> Duke Energy Progress >> 4690 Sims Creek Road >> Raleigh N.C. 27614 >> C: (919) 630-3571 / O: (919) 431-4715 >> >> >>
 * Barwell Road update (Salter)
 * Request from Duke Energy Progress through Salter to evaluate powerline right of way spray areas - are there any plants they should be worried about in these areas?
 * Melissa,
 * What to do with volunteers - have the odd request from time to time - one recently came through the website - don't know how to respond (Hess)
 * From Gary Blank: "We don't really have a volunteer coordinator and probably won't anytime soon. So unless we have a specific event or activity to engage them, we really don't have anybody to whom we can refer volunteers except our partners. Maybe the standard response needs to be to ask them what they want to do, then refer them to one of our partners who has capacity to employ volunteers in some effort: TLC, Raleigh P&R, Wake County OS?"
 * Next workshop - September - what topic shall we cover?


 * NOTES**
 * Barwell road invasive plant remove went very well. Potential for Raleigh Public Utilities to be a WNPP partner.
 * No discussion of volunteers
 * Next workshop ideas - looking at early October (Park Directors Meeting in Sept)
 * What to do with data that people volunteer? Crowd sourcing / crowd mapping / citizen monitoring
 * Herbicide application certification
 * Field management - how to manage early successional habitat, including open fields, meadows, prairies, rights of way - things like ecological sensitive mowing schedules, pesticide application ,etc. Hammerbacher said she'd be interested in a co-lead on this. This was the favored idea during the meeting.

//**Other Business**//

 * NOTES**
 * Connors reported on Turnipseed NP - the lupine we planted a while back are growing!! Frogs and sally's are breeding in the pond that was partially drained. Connors is slowly clearing stilt grass from the rock outcroppings.
 * Connors suggested that //all// of Schenck Forest be considered for WNP status, not just the registered natural area, because it is a great breeding ground for woodcock