Minutes

Board of Directors Meeting

Tuesday, February 10th, 2004, 11:00a.m. – 1:00p.m.

Nature Conservancy Office

633 West Main Street, Madison

Board members present:  David Hamel, Tom Boos

Members joining via conference call: Dan Undersander, Jim Reinartz, Patrick Goggin, Susan Lenhardt, Steve Strachotta, Rolf Utegaard

Also present:  Kelly Kearns

Informal discussion prior to the meeting re. Meeting with Wis. Nurseryman’s Assoc. to discuss invasive species of economic importance.  Susan reviewed the proposed agenda.  Dan offered to introduce IPAW, it’s membership and mission at the meeting.  Susan will circulate a list of attendees.  Consensus suggested that New Hampshire did not set a good example by rushing into restrictive laws.  The Massachusetts example would be a good one to discuss at the meeting.  Kelly will look for Massachusetts program information.  A field trip to witness escaped Buckthorn and Honeysuckle would be most impressive in April or October but the Nursery people should suggest a convenient season for such a tour.

A similar meeting might be advantageous if held with the Seed Trade Association.

The meeting was called to order by Dan Undersander at 11:15 am.

Minutes of the January 13th, 2004 meeting were approved as submitted.

Treasurer/Membership report for February indicated $19,443 currently in the account.  Approved as submitted. 

Tom presented a 7-page spreadsheet of income and expense detail for the period March 2001 through the present.  Approved as presented.

For the purpose of planning an annual budget, Dan requested boiling the summary pages down to one page that lists prior year amounts by account type, and the 2004 budget amounts the same as 2003.  Cash-on-hand should be divided to show amounts already committed to major projects.  Tom was authorized to place $10,000 CD for up to 1 year.

Rolf reminded the board of the need for constant revision of mailing list addresses.

Old Business

IPAW Program Assistant (PA):  Dan reported that an email vote of the Board had approved the list of PA duties submitted last month.  Such email votes will be preceded by an email reminder in future.

Dan (IPAW) and Rebecca Smith (TNC) will negotiate an agreement covering the legal and financial arrangements for employing the PA on TNC premises.  Dan again asked for recommendations of names to be interviewed for the job.

Newsletter:  Rolf has sent issue #6, Feb. 2004 to the printer.  Initial mailing will require 230 copies.  Extras are useful for recruiting new members and public information.  The board approved a print run of 500 copies.

It’s also time to reprint the IPAW Working List of Invasive Plants of Wisconsin (Newsletter #4, March 2003).  The board approved a print run of 600 copies of #4 prior to the February mapping conference in Stevens Point.  Jim will pickup copies there for use at the meeting with Nurserymen’s Assoc.

The next newsletter should come out in two or three months.  The board accepted March 15^th as the target date for submitting articles and the following list was suggested:

                Nurserymen’s Association meeting report (Susan)

                Mapping workshop report (Heather will take notes & Jim will make sure she has help)

                Education Committee meeting (Rolf)

                Early Detection Project species of concern (David Egan at UW)

                Midwest Invasive Plant Network (Kelly)

                Aquatic plants color insert (Pat)

                Betty Czarapata memorial message (Kelly)

                All about garlic mustard (Tom Boos)  Tom Brock has something on the web site already.

We need a database of subjects treated in prior newsletter issues.

Rolf will discuss our publication schedule (March 31 submit all articles, April 15^th to printer) with Dave Beckman in hopes he will continue his role in layout.

Committee assignments and Nominations for election to the Board:  The nominations committee will present a slate of candidates for board approval at the March board meeting.  The mailing of paper ballots to membership should follow immediately after that meeting (Tom).  Dan again requested the board members to send him suggested names.

North American Prairie Conference (Tom):  In Madison this summer.  The board approved a $100 booth space reservation and will consider the additional $400 “Sponsor” contribution during the March board meeting.  Meanwhile, Tom has made the conference summary available via email and Tom will follow up with an emailed request for directors to study the agenda and be prepared to vote next meeting.

Invitation from Milwaukee Public Museum for April 17^th fair (Tom):  Tom will email information.

New Business and Committee Reports: 

Education Committee (Rolf):  Meeting is planned for Feb. 23^rd in UW Stevens Point.  Please send agenda suggestions to Loren Ebbecke.

Science Committee:  Heather, Jim and Kelley have the Statewide Mapping Workshop on schedule.  There will probably be some subcommittees created to accomplish follow up work.  There is probably a role for IPAW in grant writing and maintenance of a statewide database of invasive plant locations if that is one outcome of the conference. 

Also, there have been feelers for IPAW to assist with mapping 540 acres in Door County.  Perhaps in future, IPAW could work through regional groups who would do the field work.

Legislative Committee (Gene via Kelly):  IPAW missed the meeting with Scott Hassett today because Gene had to be out of town and would appreciate help.  Patrick will call Gene to offer to serve as vice-chair or co-chair.

Kelly will send Tom a mailing list for the Governor’s Council on Invasive Species.  Dan will send Tom a list for the Governor’s Council on Forestry.  Fred Clark is leading a sub-committee on forestry invasives.  Tom will add those names to Rolf’s mailing list to automatically receive newsletters.  Dan will invite Fred to our March board meeting.

Pat introduced SB.413 about non-native fish species.  IPAW’s priority is to make sure the wording allows plants to be added later by the DNR and DATCAP.

NRCS has requested some sort of coordination with IPAW (Patrick).  Dan will talk to Pat Murphy about this.  Is NRCS staff currently seeing IPAW literature?  Is NRCS willing to help with Mapping?  Can IPAW help to review NRCS standards?  Could there be an NRCS liaison slot on the IPAW board?

Liaison and coordination with similar agencies should be part of strategic planning at the March board meeting.  Tom offered to contact Wisconsin Wetland Association re. liaison.

American Seed Producers Association:  Steve agreed to submit a summary report of ASPA ‘s interest in invasives and how we might work together to move all the groups in a parallel manner.  Due at March board meeting.

Next meeting:  Second Tuesday:   March 9^th at TNC offices, Madison.

Meeting adjourned at 12:30pm. 

Respectfully submitted:

David Hamel, Secretary

Note:  Approved as submitted at March Board meeting.  DH