Meeting+2013+May+2

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Location: ** Wildlife Resources Commission, Centennial Campus, NC State University ** Street Address: 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh 27606 Google maps link


 * Free Parking** ... There will be parking passes left for everyone at the parking kiosk on Varsity Drive, this kiosk is a small brick building in the median on Varsity, see aerial image below. The kiosk is circled in red; the WRC building is the one in the upper right. Tell the attendant that you are there to attend Brooke Massa's WakeNature meeting at Wildlife Resources and s/he will tell you where to park.


 * Meeting Room** ... The meeting will be on the 4th floor, conference room 445. When you head up the stairs or elevator go through the Inland Fisheries door, walk past the receptionist desk to the hall way, turn right down the hall and the room is immediately on your left. You do not need to go through the door to Wildlife Management (which will be at the end of the hall way). You can ask anyone for help getting to the conference room if there is any confusion.


 * Thank you** ... to Brooke Massa (WRC) for organizing this for May, June, and July!



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


 * Attendance Notes**

Attending: Pohlman (presiding), Hess (notes), Massa (hosting), Blank, Lobsinger, Snow, B. Kirkman, Jamie Vincent, Trickle, Hammerbacher, Beedle, C. Smith, Salter, Ander


 * Introductions as needed**

Jamie Vincent is an NCSU undergraduate student who has been working with Blank to seek grant funding for a volunteer coordinator for WakeNature.

// **Steering** // ** Committee ** (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Increase momentum ** by growing active signatory membership.
 * **Partners presentations.**At the last meeting we decided to move forward with the idea of asking one of our partners to make a presentation about their natural areas activities during each meeting. The Steering Committee met last week and developed this idea further. We propose ...
 * Doing this quarterly, in conjunction with the organization hosting the meeting. We like the pattern we've developed of having the meeting at one of the partner sites for three months in a row, then moving to another partner. We propose having the presentation during the middle meeting of each quarter. For example, WRC is hosting May, June, and July. We'd propose WRC present during the June meeting.
 * We would allot 45 minutes at the meeting for the presentation.
 * Looking ahead (bold italics for presentation) ... NC Museum of Natural Sciences (August, //**Sept**//, Oct) ... Natural Heritage Program (Nov, //**Dec,**// Jan) ... Soil & Water Conservation (Feb, //**Mar**//, Apr)
 * **Parks Directors Meeting.**Update from Beedle & Snow. If this doesn't look like it's going to happen, alternative is one-on-one visits.
 * Snow & Hess created a list of priority municipalities to visit: 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).


 * NOTES**
 * Idea of partners presentations was well received
 * Snow and Beedle still working on setting up a date in early June and soliciting interest
 * Added Wake Forest to the list of priority municipalities for visits, if we go that way

//**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.


 * Longleaf festival update. A poster and cards were available. (Lobsinger, Snow)
 * Neuse River Greenway dedication. (Hess)
 * Trifold and other materials update (Hess for Smith) - something will be ready on Thursday [[file:WNPPTrifoldBrochureMaySmall.pdf]]


 * NOTES**
 * Pohlman asked Lobsinger what resonates with people when we talk about WakeNature among the public. Lobsinger said that they're really intrigued by the whole partnership idea - they're kind of surprised, pleasantly, that we actually meet and talk about these things.
 * Trifold
 * general feeling that there's too much text
 * question of audience raised - this is for "general consumption" as an introduction to what WakeNature is. It will not contain detailed information that might be required to solicit partners.
 * Everyone will send Hess comments on the trifold by Fri 10 May; he will assemble them to forward to K. Smith

//**Inventory Committee**// (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Places on the ground ** - designate publicly accessible WakeNature Preserves.
 * Swift Creek Bluffs management plan will be ready in June (Salter)
 * WakeNature mapper (Pohlman)
 * Pohlman and Smith are working on this
 * Smith and Connors will work on the birding parts for the various sites
 * Solicit ideas for places to study for WakeWonder status - is this the right approach (going for low-hanging fruit) - or do we need to be bolder? (Hess)


 * NOTES**
 * Swift Creek Bluffs Assemblage
 * Raleigh Parks is still refusing to consider WakeNature designation for any of their properties
 * DOT is not returning our inquiries
 * We will modify the application so that it requests WNP status for the Triangle Land Conservancy portion only.
 * We will leave the management recommendations for Futrell and DOT portions in the plan and use them to continue conversations with those organizations, but will not seek WNP status for those portions of the assemblage at this time
 * The WakeNature Mapper is down because our license to use Bing maps for background has expired. C. Smith is pursuing
 * WakeWonders
 * People like the idea of designating WakeWonders
 * Snow noted that the people at Blue Jay Point Park are very interested in either WNP status for the whole park or designating portions as WakeWonders
 * People want time think about this and provide ideas - Hess will create a wiki page to compile and solicit input

//**Capacity Committee**// (Gary Blank, chairman) GOAL: ** Bring resource managers together ** to carry out appropriate stewardship of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County.
 * Revisit moving Michauxs sumac from Blank's house to Turnipseed
 * Management Planning Workshop status and updates (Blank, Hess, Lobsinger) - 23 registered (as of 29 April), mostly Raleigh & Wake County
 * Volunteer coordinator (Blank) - what needs do we want to address with grant applications?

NOTES
 * Blank is still working through Fish & Wildlife Service red tape to move the sumac
 * Management planning workshop on track
 * Volunteer coordinator idea well receive. Vincent, Blank, Hess will continue refining for a 30 Oct submission
 * Removal of invasive plants at Barwell Road sumac site scheduled for 10 May, led by Salter

//**Other Business**//

 * Hammerbacher noted that an intern has been pulling together ecosystem services information for WakeNature and they will be presented at the next meeting