Meeting+2010+May+6

Thursday 2010 May 6 8:30-101214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**


 * Attendance Notes**


 * Attending**: Hess (notes), Perlmutter, Snow, Wallace, Schmidt, Trickel, Bockham, Steelman, Gillen, Blank, Alexander, Ramsey
 * Guests**: from Discover Life John Pickering, Nancy Lowe (outreach coordinator)


 * Annotated Agenda Items**


 * Discover Life Presentation (30 minutes)** - John Pickering and Nancy Lowe from Discover Life, based in Athens, Georgia, will talk about their project and discuss ways they can assist WakeNature in our efforts. See web site here: http://www.discoverlife.org/


 * NOTES**
 * Web site that is a blend of Picassa / Google Maps / dichotomous key id keys (but easier)
 * Allows upload of photos, map locations of species, identification of species, inventory, monitoring, etc
 * Built to be used by "the public" to identify species and put them in a database - basic idea is to take photos and an online community helps with identification
 * Request is to have WNPP use the site to store information - want us to use the site, provide feedback, and help improve the site
 * Trying to improve the caliber of citizen science with appropriate documentation - photos, GPS locations - all taken according to a protocol
 * Integrates data from literature, museums, sound recordings, photographs, etc
 * Photos and GPS location are the key to making this work


 * Turnipseed Lichen Inventory Update** - New discoveries! Plan to visit site with Discover Life folks after this meeting - anyone is welcome to join.
 * Newly described species of crustose lichen discovered on site


 * Update on County Commissioners Presentation/Van Tour**
 * Van tour was 4 May - how'd it go?
 * BOC meeting Monday May 17 2 pm in County Commissioners chambers on the 7th or 9th floor of the Wake County Courthouse. We need members present. Who can come? Steelman, Chris will be presenting ppt/talking points; Hess will be there and can do whatever is needed.
 * Review PowerPoint for BOC meeting (Snow)


 * NOTES**
 * Chris has a PPT ready for review and shortening - we did not review it today - Snow will send out for comments
 * Target is about 10 slides to tell our story - how we started, grew, and our objectives
 * Will combine the two action items (continue working with WNPP and apply for WNPP status)
 * Commissioners Bryan and Gurley visited site on Tuesday - went well
 * Few questions have been asked, which Snow sees as a good thing
 * Sig Hutchinson will speak first, then Snow will present his PPT and we'll deal with any questions
 * Discussion of possibility of press release - decision to wait on that until we actually make the WNPP designation for Turnipseed


 * Together Green Grant** for volunteer coordinator (It's due 7 May so this is kind of late)
 * Connors, Alexander, Holcombe, Hess have been moving this - plan to submit Thurs (today)
 * WNPP will write brief letter of support (can Steelman do?)


 * NOTES**
 * All is in order - Alexander has it in hand and will submit on time tomorrow 7 May

Their official final presentation will be held Thurs 13 May 1- approx 2P Room 110 1911 Building NCSU campus ... who can attend? We need a presence. The main problem is that this conflicts directly with my (Hess) class, which ties up me, Blank, Snow, and possibly others. The agenda on that day is 3 presentations of 20-30 minutes each followed by discussion with groups after all presentations. So, we can go first (1PM) and then leave or we can go last (around 2PM) and then be able to stay and talk with the team members for a bit. I need to make a request of the prof after our meeting this morning.
 * Communications Team will NOT do a dry run presentation of their communication plan**
 * **Can attend:** Steelman, Gillen, Ramsey (?)
 * **Cannot attend:** Hess (same time as my class presentation)
 * G. Blank can be whichever place you think I am needed most (I think at NR300 presentation).
 * Our preference is to be last at approx 2P so that we can stay for discussion - Hess will request

update-- what happened?
 * Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance Public Comment**


 * NOTES** - no report on this - Ramsey had to leave out meeting early


 * Update on Raleigh Parks/Board Working Group**-- George/Toddi
 * Agreement that Significant Natural Heritage Areas, Element Occurrences, and Priority Wildlife Habitat are good criteria for initial screen of parks
 * Also want to consider additional information that has been gathered in the field by staff (Salter) that might not show up on NHP maps
 * For next meeting, Ander, Salter, Pohlman will develop a list of 4-6 parks for deeper evaluation to get a better feel for how this approach works and to uncover any issues that might need further investigation - idea is to pick a couple of "no brainers" (ie, clearly good candidates for WNPP status) and a couple that might be more questionable / difficult.


 * Lake Raleigh Woods Management Plan in Fall with FOR784**: Gary Blank
 * aim to use WakeNature Management Plan template
 * will do scoping for environmental assessment and maybe complete Environmental Assessment
 * will use service learning approach with graduate students
 * aim for WakeNature Preserve Designation
 * prepare presentation for NC State University Board of Trustees to authorize (if deemed necessary)