Meeting+2013+Apr+4

//WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting//
Thursday 8:30-10

entrances on Salisbury Street and Fayetteville Street
 * Wake County Parks, Recreation, & Open Space - Wake County Office Building, 337 S. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, 10th Floor - **
 * Map to building
 * Please park in the Wake County Public Parking Deck located at 216 W. Cabarrus St. corners of Davie, McDowell and Cabarrus Streets - entrances on Cabarrus and Davie Streets - your parking pass will be validated.
 * Please sign in at the front desk. If you enter at the entrance on Salisbury Street, make sure you walk all the way down the hall to the 4 elevators at the end- DO NOT use the 2 elevators near the desk on Salisbury - if you enter on Salisbury, please use the elevators at the far end of the hallway.

Tweet about this meeting ... media type="custom" key="9797796"


 * Attendance Notes**

Attending: Pohlman (presiding), Hess (Notes), Beedle, Saler, Lobsinger, Dale Suiter, A. Miller, Trickel, Massa

Dale Suiter from US Fish & Wildlife introduced himself.
 * Introductions as needed**

// **Steering** // ** Committee ** (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Increase momentum ** by growing active signatory membership.
 * Partners Meeting - at our steering committee meeting (28 Mar) we discussed the idea of having some kind of annual Partners Meeting to share information among all the WakeNature signatories. Part of the idea is to find ways to get some of the partners more involved in our efforts. We'd like your thoughts on this idea.
 * Park Directors Visits - we also talked about visiting the directors of each of the parks departments, one or a few at a time, to talk about WakeNature and see about mutual needs and benefits. The Steering Committee (at least 2 of the 3) would make these visits; if a WakeNature member is from the town we're visiting, we'd welcome that as well. Hess volunteered to update our summary information to facilitate this discussion; we'd also use the trifold being developed by the Promo Committee. Thoughts?


 * NOTES**
 * Beedle suggested that we contact Advocates for Health in Action (AHA), a coalition of organizations in Wake County that foster healthy living through good eating and an active lifestyle. This might broaden our connection with people. The organization is working for environmental changes that improve health. Beedle would be willing to start this conversation. There was general agreement that this was worth pursuing.
 * Partners Meeting - the alternative idea of asking one partner to highlight what they're doing / need/ wish for in natural areas management at each meeting was seen by those present as a better approach than trying to set up a full partners meeting, at least initially. Steering Committee is to move this along.
 * Park Directors Visits - Beedle is interested in organizing such a meeting. Early June was suggested as a good time frame - after management planning workshop, before summer, before public schools let out. Beedle will talk with Snow to get this moving.
 * Those present agreed that it was also a good idea to simultaneously pursue one-on-one meetings with parks directors. Steering Committee is to move this along.

//**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.
 * Anderson Point Signs being produced (Salter). After a few final checks and corrections, the Anderson Point Park signs are in production.
 * Status update on trifold and other materials.


 * NOTES**
 * Signs are being created by the contractor and should be installed ahead of Neuse R Greenway dedication
 * Neuse R Greenway dedication will be at Anderson Point on Thurs 25 April - Dedication is at 5PM with music and activities until 7P
 * No updates on trifold or other materials.
 * LongLeaf festival will be 13 April at Harris Lake. Lobsinger and Pohlman will be there representing other parties, but will also represet WakeNature. We don't know where our WakeNature poster is - Hess will look. Lobsinger will get WakeNature sign from Snow and take that; she and Pohlman will also present information about WakeNature.

//**Inventory Committee**// (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Places on the ground ** - designate publicly accessible WakeNature Preserves.
 * Swift Creek Bluffs update (Salter)
 * WakeWonders, anyone? Hemlock Bluffs isn't going to work out directly as a WakeNature site. We need to consider other alternatives. One idea is to seek a few WakeWonders among the County Parks or TLC properties in Wake (they are the two partners currently willing to accept the label). This relates as well to the conversations with parks directors and the partners meeting discussed during the steering committee portion of the meeting.


 * NOTES**
 * Swift Creek Bluffs - latest version of document is on the Swift Creek Bluffs page. SubComm will complete work by next meeting (2 May) and will present their recommendation for final vote at following meeting (6 June).
 * Pohlman will complete list of information need for WakeMapper by next meeting (2 May).
 * WakeWonders ... Trickel suggested that the longleaf pine area at Harris Lake would be an good WakeWonder - there is no formal management plan yet, but it's in the works. She and Hess will follow up regarding process.

//**Capacity Committee**// (Gary Blank, chairman) GOAL: ** Bring resource managers together ** to carry out appropriate stewardship of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County.
 * Mitchell Mill workday - Pohlman will report.
 * Barwell Road Michaux's sumac workday - Raleigh - looking to schedule on one of the first few Fridays or Saturdays in May
 * Our **Service Raleigh workday** out at Turnipseed was a great success! Anna and Meghan received help from 7 NCSU civil & textile engineering student volunteers to haul at least 11 full garbage bags, 1 stovetop oven, 1 oil drum, and an assortment of other metal items from the ditch below the barrow pit on the George Pleasants tract.
 * A big thank you to Service Raleigh volunteers and Lake Crabtree County Park staff for allowing us to borrow a truck and a wheelbarrow to get the job done!
 * Also, thank you to Kaytee for posting our event on the WakeNature website! : []


 * Natural Areas Management Planning Workshop(14 May) updates
 * Announcement sent to parks directors and others (28 Mar)
 * Hemlock Bluffs will attend and present in the afternoon


 * NOTES**
 * Barwell Road workday will be on 10 (Fri) or 11 May - Salter will solicit best day from potential participants.
 * Dale Suiter is part of a group called the Rare Plant Alliance that helps organize people for short-term projects that needs lots of people-power over a day or two. He will mobilize this team to help out with Barwell Road.
 * Trickel noted that G. Blank and R. Braham (NCSU) planted some sumac out at Harris Lake - not quite sure where - Hess will follow up for maps.
 * Mitchell Mill workday went well - 8 people participated and attacked the privette. They tunneled in and sprayed a Garlon formulation from the tunnels. State Parks will continue this work under the direction of Jimmie Dodson.
 * Service Raleigh for Turnipseed report above. SErvice Raleigh at Anderson Point had 25 people remove a LOT of eleagnus.
 * Management planning workshop moving forward - registration within two weeks.