Report on Annual Membership Meeting: Susan provided minutes (distributed via email). 20-25 people were present. Positive feeling about our activities. Might want to ensure more time for next years meeting, we were somewhat short of time. Several issues were brought up by members during the discussion, as noted below.

We need to address the issue of Reed Canary grass not currently being on our brochure and website. Wetland scientists want us to address this situation and may not be supportive of our work if we do not consider it a species of concern. This species was not listed initially since we were concerned about negatively effecting our relationship with the agricultural community. Agreement that we should leave the list off of the brochure and just use a couple of examples of invasive plants that we all agree on. Discussion of how to handle on the web site: When the IPAW list goes public we need to make sure we address these issues. A suggestion is that we take the current list off the website and once the "official" list is ready we provide a summary of the issues for each species based on pros and cons so that these issues are addressed.

Sponsoring/Accepting Grants on behalf of other weed groups (Braker): Add to guidelines that a representative (individual or organization) of the group being sponsored be an IPAW member. What about groups not based in WI or working on projects outside of WI? Agree that this could be considered if the project was appropriate for IPAW to work on. Motion made and carried with change as noted above.

Strategic Planning/Work Planning: Need to develop this for IPAW. This would focus our work for the next year or more. Hard to know where to focus our work without agreement on what our priorities are. Agreed to set up a day-long meeting specifically to do this. Dan will find a facilitator for this planning meeting. Kelly suggested that the committees have the opportunity to have input at this planning session. Our June meeting will be this planning meeting. Dan and Nancy will put together an invitation for the committee chairs and regional groups.

Nominating Committee (Undersander): Tim DeMarco has expressed an interest in being on the board and taking on the Education Committee responsibilities. Tim was elected for a three year board term contingent on his acceptance. Dan will contact Tim about his election and ask that he convene the Education Committee.

Science committee (Gerber) Kelly encouraged us to complete the surveys; only about 40 have been received so far. List should be ready to discuss by committee sometime in May. This may be delayed depending on data entry/summarizing issues.

Plant Industry Relations (Lenhardt) Several meetings have been held, both were very positive, meeting notes will be going out shortly.

Conference 2003 (Kearns/Utegaard) Planning has begun for our 2003 conference. We will hostl be an Invasive Plant Species symposium at the Natural Areas Association (NAA) Conference to be held September 24-27, 2003 in Madison. The NAA planning committee has been formed and has begun meeting. May 8, 9-12 at TNC is the meeting date for the first meeting to discuss the Invasive Species Symposium. (Editors note: the second meeting has been set for June 3 at 3:30 at The Nature Conservancy office) IPAW may have $1000 or more for room charges. NAA needs a memo that Kelly has drafted that describes IPAW's role in the conference. May need to approve this shortly so executive committee may need to deal with this soon, prior to our June meeting. We also should be hosting the meeting of the regional plant pest councils. We will need to seek funding for this conference, EPA has expressed an interest in funding the regional plant pest council meeting. Nancy and Kelly will work on this grant application.

Education: Garlic Mustard and Buckthorn brochures: DNR received funds recently to reprint these brochures. They will be available for sale through county extension offices. IPAW could consider putting funds into this effort so we had copies to distribute. General feeling that if the brochures are being made available somewhere (for sale) our job is to simply direct the public to those sources. DNR is also looking for funding to develop a brochure for honeysuckle. No decision made on funding pending our long range planning meeting.

MN booklet was discussed. IPAW could have some extra copies printed if we provided some funding. Need to look at this as part of big picture. No decision made. (Editors note: Ten of these booklets are available through Nancy Braker at TNC. If anyone wants a copy they should contact her.)

Governmental Relations (Roark) From Kelly, DNR is putting in a budget request ($200,000 - 350,000) for invasive species work to include a wide variety of items (invasive plant law, education, control, etc). Roark: Gov. task force recommendations are going through right now and progress looks promising. The legislation is "imperfect", but a foot in the door.

Fundraising (Braker) $5,000 gift came in from Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation, INC., for publishing needs. Braker will send a thank you, and this gift should be mentioned in our next newsletter.

Regional Groups (Braker/Kearns) Two groups are getting ready to meet. Sauk County boot brush project is underway and others may be able to order signage and brushes as part of this order. Conference in Chicago in October planned, there will be a regional group meeting as part of this conference.

Meeting adjourned at 2:35.

Respectfully submitted by Nancy Braker, Secretary

IPAW - Minutes Apr 02