Meeting+2010+Mar+4

Thursday 2010 Mar 4 8:30-10 1214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**


 * Attendance Notes**

Attending: Aimee Schmidt, LeighAnn Cienek, Gary Perlmutter, Steph Jeffries, Colleen Bockhahn, Kaytee Holcombe, Neal Weisenbaker, Kate Hipps (comm class), Elizabeth Cook (comm class), Amanda Obremski (comm class), Jamie Ramsey, Jacquelyn Wallace, Jennifer Peeples (comm class), James Kiwanuk-Tondo, Chris Snow, Louise Alexander, Jackie Trickel, Scott Pohlman, George Hess, Gary Blank Notes by Hess


 * Introductions as needed** (5 minutes)


 * Amanda Willis: presentation on her master's project**//**WNPP guide**//


 * Notes**
 * Do we want to create an inventory or a visitor's guide
 * Guide would focus on publicly accessible places and include information about seasonally significant natural areas - ie, where are the neatest places to go at particular times of year - perhaps something like this NC seasonal guide
 * Some concern about providing detailed information about where sensitive areas and times are - could cause problems for the resource if too many people use inappropriately - how do we balance?
 * Ecotourism, sustainable ecotourism - these are other options, but usually refer to "far away places" - but it would be nice to provide information to tourists visiting Wake County also
 * Recommend not doing an inventory, but producing a "glossy" guide instead
 * Consolidate information about the best natural places in Wake County into one place
 * "Watchable Wildlife" concept - Tennessee
 * A guide to these neat things could help recruit volunteers also
 * Framing around ecotourism endorsed by group; developing content is first step - along the lines of places and seasons

-- survey -- next steps
 * Communications update/input**


 * Notes**
 * Some surveys have neem administered - Wake elected officials have been emailed, some are also being done in person.
 * Some issues with lack of conformity - spelling of WakeNature, changes to surveys and documents
 * Hess will serve as central point of contact and will reach out to rest of group as needed to communicate decisions
 * Have been doing libraries in person - completed that part and have about 50 survey responses

-- timeline and ppt I will complete the draft of the Turnipseed Plan the first of next week and I’ll send a copy to everyone to peruse. I will be in Nicaragua from March 12-21, and will be incommunicado. Thanks, JC
 * Turnipseed Designation****OSAPAC presentation**


 * Notes**
 * Gary Blank will be handling the plan once John turns it over to complete preparation for the OSAPAC meeting on 22 March
 * Attending OSAPAC meeting will be ... Snow, Ramsey, Steelman, Alexander
 * Desired outcome - a resolution from OSAPAC asking to have the WakeNature item put on the County Commissioner's agenda - typically a draft resolution is brought to the meeting - Ramsey will draft a resolution for us to look at - packets go out to OSAPAC on Thurs 18 March
 * Key questions to be answered:
 * What's in it for Wake County?
 * What's in it for WakeNature?
 * What would happen if Wake County did not support this?
 * Action requested of commissioners is permission for Wake County Parks to submit the application; by allowing Parks to submit commissioners are also allowing Parks to accept designation if accorded.
 * Aiming for 3 May County Commissioner meeting, which means we need to have material available by 16 April for the agenda vetting process - would include resolution, WNPP ExecSum, 1-pager about process
 * At CC meeting, it would be good to show all the volunteer hours
 * Are we still planning to take commissioners to the Turnipseed site before it comes to their meeting? Yes - Alexander and Cienek will lead up. Van tour of general Marks Creek area with an optional walk at Turnipseed toward the end. Target is late mid- to late-April.
 * Trickel and Bockhahn are presenting the natural resources database concepts to the county review team on 1 April - question on the table is whether it is viable to accept and maintain this database - this will allow us to tie together these project during out presentation

Process outline (from our book chapter) WakeNature manages the WakeNature “brand” and can designate a property as a WakeNature Preserve. The process we are developing is …
 * 1) A municipal agency or other organization submits to WakeNature an application, including a stewardship plan, to nominate a property for WakeNature Preserve designation. The stewardship plan can be created in consultation with WakeNature or independently by the submitting agency or organization.
 * 2) A WakeNature committee reviews the application against criteria established and published by WakeNature for preserve designation and stewardship plans.
 * 3) WakeNature either approves the application and designates the property a WakeNature Preserve, or denies the application. In the case of denial WakeNature may work with the submitting agency to rectify shortcomings of the stewardship plan, if the property otherwise meets the criteria for designation as a preserve.
 * 4) WakeNature reviews the status of properties periodically (every five years is currently being considered) and may revoke WakeNature Preserve status, if the site is not being managed properly or no longer satisfies WakeNature criteria.


 * Grant Opportunity - Together Green**

Hi everyone. At last night’s Wake Audubon Board meeting I brought up the possibility of partnering with the WakeNature Preserves to submit a Together Green grant (deadline 7 May, announced August), per Kaytee’s prior e-mail. We discussed potentials briefly- one which would address the broad scope of the WakeNature Preserve concept and perhaps seeking money to hire a pt coordinator; or one which would focus more on beginning to implement the stewardship plan for Turnipseed. The Board was most interested in the potential for Turnipseed since that has the capacity to involve members in a volunteer effort. I have concerns about the timing, since the plan hasn’t been adopted. But nothing was ruled out. There is another complication, the Board was already considering submitting a grant proposal to help develop the fledgling Junior Naturalist program that Wake Audubon has begun. Its possible that two grants could be submitted, but it is also possible that one could be developed that would satisfy both interests. Another possibility would be to submit a planning grant for one project, and an innovation grant for the other. Regardless, I think this is good news. I am unable to be at tomorrow’s meeting but I would hope you would begin to discuss this. I suggested that the WakeNature group would assist with the writing of this grant if the partnership were to go forward- so obviously we would need a person or two to step forward and be willing to meet with the Audubon Board members who will help draft this grant. John Connors 3 March


 * Notes**
 * Holcombe presents three options - environmental education, volunteer efforts are central
 * up to $25K on organizations that partner with Audubon - trail work, diversity trails, etc
 * $5K planning grant - relatively new organizations - eg, help planners fit natural resources into their work
 * fellowship program - send a person to a 2-week workshop for developing volunteer organizations
 * Holcombe will work with Connors as point people on this with the Audubon connection approach; Alexander will also work on this. Grant is submitted by Audubon.


 * WNPP Booth** at Migratory Bird Day at Blue Jay Point - 24 April - Kim and Louise


 * Notes**
 * Shumate is working on this, but was unavailable to report. Snow says that all is in hand. There will be a strong child focus to the display
 * Trickel would like something for WNPP at FrogFest 10 April at Crowder Park - we will discuss at next meeting


 * Update on Raleigh** Parks/Board Meeting-- George/Toddi


 * Notes**
 * Hess & Steelman provided update
 * Hess will ask Cheshire to send cleaned-up coverage to Pohlman and Pohlman will overlay NHP data


 * Announcements:**

I (Gary P.) will be giving a seminar on the Turnipseed lichen survey as a NCSU Forestry Seminar. Monday, 8 March, 4-5 pm at 2010 Biltmore Hall (next door). Feel free to attend.

TITLE: Lichens of Turnipseed Conservation Area (Wake County, North Carolina): a WakeNature progress report

AUTHOR: Gary B. Perlmutter, UNC Herbarium / Wake Nature Preserves Partnership

ABSTRACT: The Turnipseed Conservation Area in eastern Wake County, North Carolina, is being surveyed of its lichen diversity as part of an assessment toward its designation as WakeNature's first nature preserve. Here I introduce the Wake Nature Preserves Partnership (WakeNature), and report on the progress of this survey, now about halfway completed. Lichens were sampled in the southern part of the Area in the following terrestrial habitats: forest edge of a powerline corridor, bottomland hardwood forest, mixed hardwood-pine forest, regenerating pine stand, granitic boulder clusters/outcrops and granitic flatrocks. So far a total of 161 species in 67 genera were catalogued, representing 34 families. Thirty-seven taxa are new county records with 21 newly reported from the North Carolina Piedmont and nine new state records, bringing the County lichen flora to 230 species. Lichen floras in Turnipseed are described by habitat and an environmental assessment via ratios of air pollution tolerant : sensitive lichen species is presented.

Another management/stewardship model: This is not so much for discussion at this meeting, but rather for the group's reference and information. I just recently learned that the NC Botanical Garden manages and stewards a few properties through their foundation; many of them are called preserves. Here is a webpage that describes this: [] Note that they are not all in Orange or Chatham Counties -- one is even in Fayetteville. (from Jamie)