Minutes

Board of Directors Meeting

Tuesday, May 4^th 2004, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

UW-Arlington Research Station

Arlington, WI

Board members present:  David Hamel, Dan Undersander, Gene Roark, Nancy Braker, Tom Boos

Members joining via conference call: Patrick Goggin, Rolf Utegaard, Jennifer Baker, Steve Strachota, Jim Reinartz, and Donna Van Buecken

Also present:  Kelly Kearns and Angie Ashley

Vice President, Rolf Utegaard, called the meeting to order

I.   Introductions

§         Jennifer Baker is the newest IPAW board member. 

II.  Administration

§         Minutes of the April board meeting were approved as submitted.

§         Treasurer’s report was approved as submitted.

§         Annual Budget:  Show amounts for insurance, displays, and conference fees.  Increase newsletter budget by $1,000.  Angie will get contact info to Steve for Conserve-a-nation, an insurance company that insures land trusts around the nation.  Budget approval is postponed until website proposal is approved.

III.  Old Business

§         Program Assistant:  IPAW has to hire Angie on an independent contract because of a conflict of interest issue since Nancy is an employee of TNC and also Angie’s IPAW supervisor.  TNC will gift money to IPAW and then IPAW will contract with Angie.  Dan will work with Rebecca on a Memorandum of Understanding to explain how the money will be transferred.

§         Newsletter Update:

Ø       Posters were sent to Rolf

Ø       Nancy sent corrections

Ø       Dave Beckman wants articles by May 10^th

Ø       Kelly and David Eagan sent their articles to Dave Beckman

Ø       Jim and Heather Patti will submit article on Invasive mapping by May 14^th

Ø       David H. will update Dave B. – add Jen Baker and remove Susan Lehnhardt and David Spatcher

Ø       Rolf will email board within next two weeks with update on newsletter

Ø       Kelly will write a paragraph about the Governor’s Council on Invasive Species meeting

Ø       Nancy will write a paragraph on new and returning board members

§         Election ballot:  Received approximately 50 ballots with overwhelming support to reelect Gene Roark and Donna Van Buecken and new board member Jennifer Baker.  Kelly Kearns and Mike Engle, Fish and Wildlife Service, were write-ins.

§         Status of EPA GLNPO grant:  No news yet

§         Payment method for web site:  What works best for IPAW, works for Marsha.  Tom will work with Marsha on a system of how to transfer money from IPAW to website.  Dan suggested paying two years in advance.

§         Web site expansion plans and budget:  Board members should look at website before next meeting and be ready to discuss what IPAW wants from website, how is it going to help IPAW meet its goals, what needs to be accomplished for that to happen.  Half of the next board meeting will be spent brainstorming on ideas.  Dan suggested inviting Marsha to next meeting.  Approval of website will be postponed until next meeting.  Nancy suggested subcommittee to look at website and present thoughts at June meeting.   Subcommittee of Dave Beckman, Kelly Kearns and Jen Baker will try to answer these questions:  How important is this website and where do we get the most bang for our buck?

§         Industry committee activities:  Steve sent a rough draft to Dan, who will review and critique.  Steve will give report at June meeting.

§         Statewide Forestry plan:  Patrick will email a draft of the comments to board members next week and then send final draft to Rolf for his signature.     

IV.      New Business: 

§         Committee Reports

Ø       Education Committee:  Will meet first week of June 

§         Governor’s Council on Invasive Species:  Jim attended the first meeting and gave a summary of IPAW activities.  Four subcommittees were formed: Education, Research, Regulation, and Interagency Coordination.  Jim is on the research subcommittee.  Jim proposed to have an IPAW representative on the Education subcommittee.  Kelly sat in as a temporary IPAW rep.  They discussed the targeted audience.  Kelly sent them the database from IPAW’s education committee, which they’ll use as a template.  The education subcommittee is scheduled to meet in August.

§         Election of Officers and Committee assignment:  Dan Undersander was reelected as President, Rolf Utegaard as Vice President, David Hamel as Secretary, Tom Boos as Treasurer. 

Ø       Nancy encouraged board members to think about becoming an officer or help recruit other good board members or officers.

Ø       Jim will check with Heather Patti and Eric Parker about their involvement on the Science committee.

Ø       Angie will run query to see which members are interested in the Education committee.

Ø       Tom will ask Tom Brock about his involvement on the Website committee.

Ø       David H. will be the new chairperson of the Newsletter committee and continue to monitor newsletter articles.

Ø       Donna will continue as Membership chairperson.

§         Additional matters:

Ø       The Governor’s Council on Forestry will have a field day in June to discuss invasive specie issues.  Fred Clark is organizing it and looking at the Baraboo Hills as a location.  He may want to include some members from the Governor’s Council on Invasive Species. 

Ø       Tom offered to be a clearinghouse for presentations.  We can put a note on the website as to what’s available and to contact Tom for copies of presentations.

Ø       Please do not use Tom Boos’ home email address

Ø       Agenda and minutes should be put on list serv.  We should ask members for additional items that the board should consider and input on the agenda. 

Ø       A letter of thanks and appreciation will be sent to each board member whose term has expired.

Ø       A subcommittee was formed to explore potential ideas for the annual meeting.  The board approved the subcommittee to evaluate and decide on date and location. They will report at the June board meeting.  Nancy Braker, Tom Boos, and Donna Van Buecken make up the subcommittee.

Ø       Kelly reported that UW-Extension, DNR, IPAW received a grant for environmental education curriculum.

Ø       Gene announced that there will be a Citizen-Based Monitoring Conference August 20 & 21 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.  Rolf and Kelly will work together on getting the IPAW display to the conference.

Meeting was adjourned at 12:44 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Angela Ashley