MINUTES for FRIENDS OF THE NORTH FORK OF THE SHENANDOAH RIVERBOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Thursday, February 7, 2008
6:30 pm Call to Order – Falyar
Treasurer’s Report/Budget – Proctor
- $83906.08
- Net operating funds - $9110.17
Action Items/Discussion of Reports from Committees:
Legislative CommitteeWater, Air, and Waste Boards:
- new bill from Rep. from Russell County - still leaves boards watered down but
to a slightly lesser degree.
Meeting with Del. Gilbert - Leslie
- now, later, what is our agenda?
Potential partnership with Potomac Conservancy - hiring a new policy person
soon that will be involved in North Fork issues - Shen. Co., Frederick Co. - Leslie
- work with them as much as possible on potential joint projects.
Science CommitteeSurface monitoring program, update on meeting/status - Leslie
- summary of monitoring meeting.
- next step… coordinate this effort with strategic planning process.
- need to have a work session focused on science - this needs to occur before
meeting with FOSR. Work sessions will occur before next Board meeting
on March 13.
VCWQ monitoring letter asking for reinstatement of DEQ funds - sign on? Leslie
- Leslie will draft a letter to send.
Trace Organics update -
- report out by Feb. 29.
Project opportunities and funding sources - John
- Ches. Bay Small Watersheds Grant (due Feb. 29) - John
- Funding to support benthic/bacteria testing on Toms Brook, other TMDL streams - in association with SCIP effort
- VASOS, FOSR, Pure Water working on somewhat parallel effort.
- EPA CARE grant (due March 17) - John
- Analysis of endocrine disrupter's affects on fish and humans - potential
project for Fish Kill Task Force - Friends lead?
- Smith Creek involvement - Leslie
- meeting on Friday, ideas for Friends participation?
- Fay Cooper applying for EPA 5 Star conservation grant
- report from tomorrow's meeting
Fish Kill task force - John
-
Woodstock STP - Leslie
- report on visit with Jim Fitzsimmons
MARPATBrochure development - Cindy
- discussion
- Leslie working on the text for brochure; Cindy will work on tips sheet text.
- Kim - member discount for workshops (check on this) - is this possible to correct with Parks and Rec.? Potomac Conservancy providing $500 for rain barrel workshop.
- paying instructors at least a small amount for the art workshops.
- grocery bags for publicity - Cindy talking with Blue Canoe Crew (will pay $1.00
per bag and do the screen printing - to give away at presentations). Use fabric
bags rather than plastic (Kim had found some that were not plastic).
- Margaret has suggestions for tips.
Power Point update
- New Market Rotary -very successful
- questions were asked - in particular - why can't you go upstream of fish kill and
find the problem.
- need to really push the information on workshops - press releases.
Computer/PowerPoint project purchase
- Kim will purchase computer and projector and move forward.
Strategic PlanningNext steps
- Strategic planning meeting took place with Frank today.
- Narrowed 7 goals down to 6 focused on science, advocacy, education, awareness, financial sustainability and governance.
- Need to do some hard work on the relationship of our science/monitoring and advocacy goals -what are our goals for monitoring.
- Need to break board and staff into workgroups to narrow objectives and action points - 3 weeks from next Thursdays to meet in working groups to distill sharper
focus for plan.
- Frank will be at next board meeting to go over workgroup findings
- Refine draft at April Board meeting - for board meeting
- Possibly have pre meeting to annual meeting so group could go over it and
Board could vote it in.
- We will make sure to not lose any ideas just streamline - all ideas will be printed
in an Appendix.
Goals, objectives, and actions (sometimes objectives and actions will be closely
knit).
Will have Frank's report by next Wednesday.
Science and Advocacy Workgroup - John Holmes, Margaret Lorenz, Ken Owens, Ron Falyar,
Education and Awareness Workgroup - Cindy Frenzel, Jack Lorenz, Diane Gould and Susie Wilburn.
Financial Stability and Governance Structure Workgroup - Kim Uhl, Gary Proctor, Mary Gessner,
Annual meeting/State of the River Planning committeeOutline of tentative meeting program
- Margaret will call Diane
Potential Board Members -
- see Attachment 1 - Mary, John, and Diane up for re-election..
- Greg Kosarin?
- email board members for potential ideas for Board members - want to try to
diversify the Board somehow.
- Coe or Jean Sherrard
- farmer
- none come heres
- Steve Shaffer with Blue Canoe (in Rotary)
- Steve Hutton
- Steve French
- Barbara Halverson
- Shenandoah Forum - two dairy farmers - who
- Emma Randall
- Dee Shaffer
- David Hutton
- Bernie Walsh - Surveyor
- look at membership - Kim will look at that
- Carol Stroebel
- Abby Kennedy -
- Chuck or Beverly Veatch
- Ellen Nash or Johnathan Jay
- Darnice Pettigrew - Strasburg
- man who donated forest land in the Cedar Creek area - Cindy knows
- circulate list - get it larger and then give Board member assignments. What we're looking for is geographical diversity and representative diversity - business, ag, etc.
Riparian mailingLetter, contents approval - Leslie will send the most recent draft around for final approval
Matching funds?
- Board would like to hear from Elizabeth Cottrell and the Shen. Community Found. at some point.
- go with Atlas as a premium.
Board and Officers Liability InsuranceNeed policy - $847 per year (3 years locked in) for $1 million of coverage
- need indemnification clause in bylaws in case of a lawsuit - org. will defend board member
- get a copy of the proposed policy and send to Kim.
Shenandoah Community Foundation - Endowment possibilities - have Elizabeth Cottrell speak at some point.
- send Kim Elizabeth's email
No Dumping signs
Call from Mt. Jackson resident asking if we have any signage used to say a particular
site has been cleaned by Friends, etc. Leslie
- Wanda Shoemaker - 36 Palmyra Road
New Business:
Calendar:- February 12 - Annual Meeting Committee meeting
- February 15 - grant deadline
- February 15 - Friends newsletter deadline - to Free Press
- February 21 - WRAC 7pm at Shen. Co. Admin. Building
- Febraury 23 - VA Citizens for Water Quality conference - Shen. University
- February 27 - Seven Bends Park public meeting - Shen. Co. Admin. Building
- February 29 - Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant proposals due
- February 29 - DEQ 2007 grant report due
- March 15 - Clean UP
- April 1-3 - Environment VA
- April 12 - Clean up at First Spring
- April 26 - FRIENDS Annual Mtg. / 20th anniversary celebration
- May 2-4 - River Rally, Ohio
- May 10 - Rain Barrel Workshop
- May 17 - Rain Garden and Riparian Forests workshops
- May 31 - Soapstone Carving Workshop
- June 6 - Shen. Sojourn
- June 7 - Monitor Appreciation Day
- June 7 - Fossil Pottery workshop
- June 7 - River Color Painting Workshop
GrantsNorcross - proposal for $2500 - APPROVED!
Agua Fund - 2008-2009 $15,000 APPROVED! Summary of 2007 activities and report on 2008 plans due MARCH 3.
MARPAT - contact in March or before with update and proposal for 2008-2009
- pre-proposal due in May
Water, Air, and Waste Boards:
Industry representatives backed off considerably last night in their quest to weaken two Virginia boards that represent the public in pollution issues.
An industry-backed bill, sponsored by Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Augusta, aimed originally to remove from the boards the power to issue permits that govern airand water-pollution emissions. That power would have gone to the head of the state's environmental agency.
But Landes submitted a substitute bill to a subcommittee of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee last night that allowed the boards to keep their permit power.
"The substitute [bill] does not diminish the authority of the boards in any way whatsoever," Landes said.
The new bill, instead, would establish timetables and other requirements that Landes said would make the boards act more consistently.
Opponents said the new bill appeared to be an improvement, but they were concerned because they had been afforded little time to review the changes.
The subcommittee voted 6-1 to set aside the substitute bill, House Bill 1332. The group is not scheduled to meet again before the House sends its bills to the Senate. Unless a special subcommittee meeting is held, Landes' bill is surely dead.
But a similar measure, Senate Bill 423, sponsored by Sen. Phillip P. Puckett, D-Russell, should keep the issue alive and give the two sides in the debate time to try to reach a compromise, said Del. Clarke N. Hogan, R-Halifax.
John's Science Committee update:
I will leave it to you to provide an update on the monitors meeting. I would like to move forward with another meeting with FOSR and wonder if I should ask for it or you. If I am to ask, I will need dates that you and Ron can attend. I know Mary's schedule, kinda.
Here are a few more updates.
* The visit to Richmond see state officials on policy issues and monitoring and fish kill work was cancelled due to the icy roads on Friday and we will be rebooking that trip.
* I am still working with the Task Force to decide whether they are going for EPA CARE funding. If not, I will start looking with more seriousness at our prospects.
* I have an unofficial final report from USGS. No big surprises. Bud, Bob Luce and I are working on the Friends report and hope to circulate an internal draft this month. I will be negotiating an extension with USGS. We have until the end of March for the final reports to VEE and Oakhill.
Board of Directors Terms April 2007 Board of Directors Terms (Ending Year - April)
Jack Lorenz 2009
Ron Falyar 2010
Gary Proctor 2010
Ken Owens 2010
Open Slot
Open Slot
Mary Gessner 2008
Diane Gould 2008
John Holmes 2008
Open Slot
Margaret Lorenz 2009
Kim Uhl 2009
Open Slot
Open Slot
Directors Emeritus
Garland C. Hudgins (deceased)
Robert H. Kranich (resigned)
Bobbi Hinkins Kranich (resigned) 2008
Annual Meeting - potential programCash Bar - 6:30 - 7pm+
Begin - 7pm
End at 9pm
20th anniversary
- Introduction - 20th anniversary
- Honoring the founders - Ron Falyar
- Bob Kranich, Sara Faulconer,
- try to get former founders to come - gratis
- Dinner
- Strategic Plan - into dessert
- State of the River
- brief presentation of draft plan
- Board elections
- slate of candidates
- Show our Power Point presentation, instead - let the membership know what
we're doing. Really promote, add a little bit of history to the presentation.
- Auction off plants and/or planters
- floor cloths
- 50/50 raffle
Endowment Possibilities
I hope you'll be on the lookout for a donor who might be interested in helping you start an endowed fund with the Shenandoah Community Foundation for the benefit of your organization. While the minimum required balance for a named, endowed fund is $5,000, we allow organizations to start with less as long as they are committed to bringing it up to $5,000 in no more than five years. I'd be more than happy to come speak to your board about the benefits of having an endowment fund with the Foundation -- not only do we help you promote your organization through our own promotion efforts, but it is so much less hassle and administrative expense than having your own endowment. You'll see on our website that Response, the Shenandoah County Historical Society, and the Falcon Music Boosters have already established funds. We're in dialogue with the Free Clinic, the Humane Society, Healthy Families, and Alliance for Shelter about starting endowment funds for the benefit of their organizations. Once the fund is established, you can then promote it to your constituents for estate planning, and it builds up to provide you with a steady annual stream of income that doesn't depend on constant fund-raising.
January 22, 2008
Monitoring Committee meetingAction items - in bold
Attendance:
Bill and Ginny King, Ellen Nash, Jonathan Jay, Herb Wilburn, Mary Gessner, Tav Haffner, Kim Haffner, Roger Bolland, Margaret Nelson, Ron Falyar, Leslie Watson, John Holmes, Lee Dieter.
Introductions:- Budget situation
- DEQ cut all funding for this year. Monitoring groups lobbying legislature to restore funding in future years
- John going to Richmond with others - one of the issues to be discussed is
DEQ budget cuts.
- Trace organics
- no results from USGS yet – our contract with USGS runs out Jan. 31.
- report on results will come next -- by FNFSR - hopefully in Feb.
- profile of organics in the river and what that means is the focus.
- our effort encouraged DEQ to do trace organic monitoring as well.
- Well depth monitoring - Shen. Co. wells
- John Kreitzburg doing this and will continue into 2008.
- E. coli analysis by Ken Owens
- He has been evaluating E. Coli levels at NS 10 below former Aileen Plant - where leachate from Shen. Co. Landfill is currently treated.
- high levels of E. coli at this site after storm events
- Woodstock STP
- in middle of its major expansion and upgrade
- reports of odors in the vicinity - FNFSR is investigating and working
with landowner close to the STP
- maybe some additional water monitoring to track Woodstock STP and others = should
be all STPs or nothing and this information should be assessed for
deviances from permitted levels.
John Holmes will follow up with this, looking at permitted facilities on the North Fork.
- FOSR relationship - going well
- We have had a monitoring coordination meeting and have another planned shortly
- If monitoring logistics issues surface, they should be communicated to Leslie
- Re-evaluation of the Water Quality Monitoring Program
- What's the point of the program? (refer to FOSR report)
- Fish Kill Task Force used our data initially - signaled ph issues.
- FOSR's use of the data is helpful - their report.
- one clear goal is to get representative periodic samples along the river and its tributaries
- STPs outfall sampling could be important but it will only be of value if the results are checked against permit limits.
- different use of data -
- need to track and use this data immediately if we test at STPs.
- another difficulty - only able to test for certain parameters - can't get
hormones, and trace organics.
- what are the critical locations with the limited resources that we have?
- STPs - either need to do them all or not at all - have to be careful.
- John proposes pulling up historical data for STP outfalls
- look at our data against permit limits
- look at map and propose shifting around direct discharge sampling.
- look at data from direct discharges - send around an email to get
everyone's opinion.
Periodic testing - twice a month to once per month.
- end up with less data, but good long term trend data.
- frequent sampling if there is abnormal event - i.e. fish kills.
- John's gut feeling - one time per month would be enough and would allow people to
get involved in other ways. Folks could sample more sites or get involved in other monitoring such as benthics and e.coli related to TMDL areas.
.
- another option would be to do a second set of sites every other week if we go once a month.
- monitors would rather not go far away from where they live.
- John was approached by DEQ to get funding to do storm sampling - and
we decided not to do that - told DEQ to do it themselves - too much
to ask monitors.
- Want to get best value out of time and effort.
- Group registered general comfort with a shift to monthly sampling.
- Small group (Leslie to initiate) will be convened in the next two months to review current sampling sites and propose changes to all of the monitors for consideration and discussion.
- E.coli Testing method is being considered in support of the TMDL process. Ken can do e. coli but our lab is not certified. FOSR is considering an automated system with certification. In that case we may start doing e.coli for all our sampling sites:
- E. coli - would it require more certification of monitors, etc. May mean supplemental
training.
- Where would the E. coli samples originate - same as surface sites?
- would like to have new sites focused on impaired streams.
- focus on TMDL areas first - special project and then go back to
monitors a year from now.
Benthic testing is also being considered in support of TMDL area improvement for those that are benthic impaired. We would sample two or four times a year. Method not selected. Will report back to monitors on specifics to see if anyone interested
- DEQ would like volunteers to look for dead and dying fish in the spring.
- DEQ wants to do some training for this in order to do a more systematic
review.
- looking for people to float the river or wade.
- Volunteers to go out for this:
- Herb Wilburn, Mary Gessner , John Holmes
- Leslie will inform DEQ and ask that they work directly with these three via email.
- Bill King - offered to use his newspaper column to advertise this or any other matter. Leslie will communicate to the rest of the board.
- Current Biweekly Program Logistical problems:
- Mary - gone a lot - need backups, more people.
- thermometers - how long do you need to wait for the change in temperature.
- Leslie will approach Karen about this
- measure temperature at same place every time
- Leslie will send minutes out by email and we will communicate with all the monitors via email as we go forward with the revisions and additions to the monitoring program..
|
|