[MassChestnutOrchards] MATACF 2008 Annual Meeting Draft Minutes
Federowicz, Yvonne Marie
Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.edu
Sun Jan 4 17:01:19 EST 2009
Hi Frank,
You are one of several people whose current terms expire next autumn and who will be up against the same term limit issue that we dealt with this year. This year we discussed the issue with regards to several people and decided that we would suspend those limits for that group.
Part of the problem is that we don't have a lot of potential new Board members "waiting in the wings" - we have just been adding many people in as new Board members once they showed enough interest, could come to most meetings, etc.
If we take all the people off whose term limits expire, we will have at least a couple of years with a substantially smaller Board since we don't seem to have a lot of potential replacements at this time.
The issue will need to be brought up again next summer though when the 2009 Annual Meeting & Elections are being discussed.
-----Original Message-----
From: masschestnutorchards-bounces at masschestnut.org on behalf of Frank Howard
Sent: Sun 1/4/2009 3:07 PM
To: masschestnutorchards at masschestnut.org
Subject: Re: [MassChestnutOrchards] MATACF 2008 Annual Meeting Draft Minutes
Dear Yvonne and All, Jamie asked me if I was on the Board as MATACF
was formed. I responded that I thought I was on the Board when Susan
was first president and Gary was vice-president. He informed me that
I had therefore reached my term limit.
I wish to abide by the rules for the long term benefit of the
organization. New ideas and energies flow from new board members.
I've seen this in other organizations. I'll plan to be a loyal member
of MATACF, but not appeal for suspension of term limits.
Sincerely, Frank
On Jan 3, 2009, at 10:10 PM, Federowicz, Yvonne Marie wrote:
>
> **********************************************************************
> *
> *
> * MA - TACF Annual Meeting - Morning Business Meeting 11/22/08 10:20am
> *
> **********************************************************************
> *
>
> Board Members Present: Kathy Desjardin, Yvonne Federowicz,
> Charlotte Zampini, Rufin Van Bossuyt, Brad Smith, Jamie Donalds,
> Mike Novack, Guy Shepard, Denis Melican, Lois Breault-Melican
>
> Others present: Paul Sisco, Kendra Gurney
>
> (Other Board Members arrived somewhat later)
>
> **************************************
> * Modifications to Bylaws & Elections
> *
> * Four items to be voted on (Motions)
> **************************************
>
> 1. Amendment to Bylaws: "Board votes to amend 4.2 of Bylaws by
> adding the following phrase to the last sentence, 'provided that
> the Board for good cause may suspend the term limits for specific
> board members.' "
>
> 2. Suspend term limits for the re-election of the following Board
> members : Richard Hoffman, Gary Jacob, Mike Meixsell, Brad Smith
>
> 3. Vote to expand board size by 1 to 20
>
> 4. Vote on Slate of Director positions that are expiring as of
> 1/1/2009 as well as officers.
>
> Term limits became an issue this year: several of our Board members
> would have been beyond the original limit.
>
> ***
>
> Motion #1:
> Rufin proposed motion #1, Brad seconded
> Passed unanimously
>
> Motion #2: Suspending term limits for all on the list who
> Motion: Charlotte, Seconded Yvonne
> Passed unanimously
>
> Motion #3: Board increased by 1 to size of 20
> Brad motioned, Mike seconded
>
> (4) Elections - unanimously re-elected all on the ballot.
>
>
> BALLOT:
>
> Ballot for MATACF Board of Directors and Officers - includes
> all current nominations and potential re-elections
>
> Eight current Directors have terms ending 12/31/2008:
>
> Jamie Donalds
> Richard Hoffman
> Gary Jacob
> Mike Meixsell
> Guy Shepard
> Brad Smith
> Bruce Spencer
>
> Two New Potential Directors have been Nominated:
>
> John Meiklejohn
> Brian Clark
>
> Officers up for re-election:
>
> Jamie Donalds - President
> Yvonne Federowicz - Vice President
> Kathy Desjardin - Secretary
> Mike Novack - Treasurer
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------------
> Board Members NOT up for re-election this year - terms
> expiring 12/31/2009 (several will have term limit issue at that time):
>
> Lois Breault-Melican
> Kathy Desjardin
> John Emery
> Yvonne Federowicz
> James Garland
> Frank Howard
> Denis Melican
> John Mirick
> Michael Novack
> Rufin Van Bossuyt
> Charlotte Zampini
>
>
> Yvonne announced South Kingstown Land Trust & Master Gardeners new
> orchard.
>
> business meeting adjourned 11:40
>
>
> ****************************
> * Annual Meeting - Afternoon
> ****************************
>
>
> Additional Board Members present: Frank Howard, Gary Jacobs, Bruce
> Spencer, Rich Hoffman, Mike Meixsell
>
> Many new people - Kathy has list
>
> 25th National Meeting Summary
>
> Nut distribution: 1000 BC3F3 nuts from Meadowview - going to senior
> members first
> 5 nuts or 2 seedlings for $25
>
> CT Board Meeting: wondered who had joined early enough
>
> National office is moving from VT to Ashville; Ashville NC US
> Forest Service Building
>
> Chinese chestnut trees: timber type trees that resist the blight
> China has 3 spp; they saw seguinii and henryii - these were large,
> forest-type - not shrubs at all; bigger than Mollissima which were
> more orchard-type
>
> Castanea henryii is more adapted to southern China
>
> Sarah has found that specific combination of trees important for F1s
>
> Chapter Legacy Tree: why don't we sponsor one as a chapter? Needs
> $10K; we already have $1700 committed - can talk about now and in
> January
>
> Kendra - the $10K might be flexible
>
> National membership is at over 5900 people
>
> We have 48 F1s at U. TN. - 95% germination rate
> (another cross had 0)
>
> Chapter liability insurance: National insurance policy covers the
> chapter board members, possibly our chapter activities
>
> TN is only paying $400/year - we can talk about that in January
>
> Paul Sisco has resigned as SASC but has been voted on as a member
> of the national board
>
> Rufin: National meeting was focused on celebrating 25 yrs of TACF
>
> U.S. mining reclamation - Office of Surface Mining (mountaintop
> removal) - law was passed in 70s that recontouring required;
> however trees wouldn't grow well - compacted
>
> Chestnuts being planted - advanced hybrids - growing about 2x as
> fast as oaks in same areas
>
> Toured Ashland farms near Chattanooga; chefs created feast;
> Dollywood has chestnut plantation (Dolly Pardons)
>
> Phil Rudders from MN - first president of TACF
>
> Two days of Board meetings
>
> Upton, MA remembrance of chestnuts in 25th national program.
> Karl. Had joined foundation.
> "I am 95 yrs old and I can remember picking up native chestnuts...
> I can remember filing my pockets with the nuts on the way to
> school... teacher caught me... (teacher took his chestnuts!)..".
> railroad ties cut from blighted chestnut; made planks for bridges,
> horse stalls, etc.
>
> Marshal Case is retiring but is staying on part-time as search
> extending. Narrowed down now.
>
> *****************************************************
> * Charlotte Zampini: Pollination and Orchards Report
> *****************************************************
>
> Pollinations 2008
> Quabbin 32 nuts
> Exeter 108 nuts
> Smithield 18 nuts
> Sudbury 74 nuts
>
> New Orchards
> Dartmouth, MA
> Glocester, RI
> Additions
> Stockbridge
> Westerly
> Lancaster
>
> Number of lines:
>
> 19 "good" Clapper lines, plus 8 additional smaller lines; can add
> additional genetic variation
>
> 21 good Graves lines, 5 additional small lines
>
> 1 Nanking line in ground and seeds for another small line
>
> For 2009 need at least one more Nanking line, and to plan
> additional lines for new orchards (esp. RI)
>
> Not all orchards are doing well.
>
> Charlotte wants to organize teams to go through orchards and work
> on existing
>
> Additional lines from new Chinese: Upton Chinese is in a few
> orchards as F1s.
>
> Pruning, putting fertilizer pellets in, weeding, putting irrigation in
>
> Inoculations
>
> Wrentham MA done on June 19th, 2008 on its largest line
> Team of 4 people optimal
> about 3 orchards need to be inoculated next year
>
> Test Plantings
>
> Quabbin, MA - Bruce Spencer
> re-introducing in forested areas
>
> Bruce & Rufin put in 142 nuts in areas that had been harvested.
> Had dramatically different results. Used different shelters.
> Success was 80% in lowest locations near pine trees and with soil
> moisture. Up on hill with east slope - 30%. South facing 8% -
> even higher up. Had a wet summer too. On dry southern slope had 0
> germination at top. Sprouts all over place but moisture critical
> for nuts.
>
> Paul Sisco asked if we used planting mix - answer no.
> Kendra: soil compaction? Bruce - no - slash left
>
> Bruce: seedlings - had very good results - had good root systems,
> all planted on lower slopes.
> Hasn't checked one other spot.
>
> Bridge grafting possible according to ? - Charlotte -
>
> Agrifos & Pentrabark - being tried in south - Kendra would like to
> attempt using this
> potassium phosphite
>
> Could help keep mother trees going
>
> Not extremely expensive - $75 for enough for a couple of large trees
>
> www.treehelp.com agrifos
>
> Joe James in south working on Ink disease resistance - "root rot" -
> looking for lines with natural resistance
>
> We have 3 or 4 in our orchards that are highly resistance
>
> Jamie has a cross that is ink-resistant, will send nuts to Joe -
> needs F2s
>
> Paul - looks like F2s have higher resistance to ink, works somewhat
> like blight resistance
>
> 50 or 100 nuts spread across a couple of lines.
>
> Jamie: Grass near trees really slowing growth - even with older
> trees slows everything down.
>
> John Emery's orchards have excellent growth- lots of weeds - not
> grass - John Meiklejohn plowed before starting his and doing very well
>
> Riverbend: in a state park, very visible - did a night planting, 25
> or 50 seedlings went in
>
> LUNCH
>
> Tower Hill BC3 Orchard History
>
> MA-TACF's first "official" orchard
>
> New Orchard 2001 Internet was dialup,
> John Trexler has been very supportive
> Rufin, Tim, Anne, Cormiers had done work
> Brad agreed to be manager
>
> Rototilled the rows with a large commercial machine
> Limited space - 4' spacing between trees, 12' between rows
>
> Had a difficult time planting, wore people out
>
> No weed-free planting mix, grass grew up in everything
>
> After this, 3 people could plant more than 20 did in less than half
> the time
>
> bamboo, bluex
>
> Tower Hill - also did watering
> Put up nice signs, interpretive signage
>
> Kelley Americans were part of Tower Hill Plantings
> Some died, some thrived '
> year 1 - best were 12-18 in tall
>
> Trees in tubes were very spindly, learned that tubes needed to come
> off 2nd year. Tower Hill has very light deer pressure.
>
> Insufficient F1s, Fred sent some up from Meadowview.
>
> After 2 years realized that south end of orchard had poor growth,
> so stopped trying to grow there. Construction vehicles had been
> parked in bad area. Compacted.
>
> First 3 years need lots of watering unless rainy
>
> 2004 orchard stabilized about 80 trees of 144 original.
>
> Then natural blight started setting in. Mysterious mutated leaves
> on F1s.
>
> Deer seemed to love horse chestnut more than chestnut...
>
> 2006 natural blight started coming in
>
> By year 7 inoculated
>
> Inoculation help needed!
>
> Some trees look ok for a bit, then cankers got drastically worse in
> fall
>
> ep155 very harsh on chestnuts,, took into November to look
> extremely bad
>
> Future of TH: demonstration orchard; The Nuttery
>
> Pruning seemed to have no ill effects
> Visibility raises interest but didn't appear to increase membership
> drastically
>
> Do not replant in a "bad hole"
>
> Orchard managers should be psyhologically prepared to see all of
> their bc3 trees die
>
> **********************
> * Kendra's Report
> **********************
>
>
> Seed Orchards
>
> MA-TACF will be trying to get this going soon
>
> Kendra - NH native
> Worked on chestnut restoration for her MS thesis, did cold
> tolerance research, controlled pollinations
>
> Is now the New England Science Coordinator
>
> Science Coordinator provides sceintific support to chapters, link
> between chapters and national
>
> Major areas: breeding orchards, pollinations, inoculations,
> selections, seed orhards, data management, events coordination
>
> UVM providing office space
>
> MA/RI strengths:
> pollinations
> breeding orchards
> sample ID
> events coordination
>
> MA/RI foreign territory
> inoculation
> seed orchards
> etc
>
> Inoculation:
> Must be at least 1.5"diameter
> larger is better,room for duplicated inoculation points
> often variability in size due to material availability and replanting
> Helpful if controls are large enough to be included
>
> Severity of Blight:
> Likely see natural blight occurrence before inoculation time
> Blight infection may slow growth of trees
> Blight cankers may limit possibly inoculation points
>
> Case-by-case decisions
>
> Clear answers?
>
> Unfortunately, not really
> Best to take on case-by-case basis
> decision may require a field visit
> Options include:
> Inoculate when trees are smaller with only two points
> Inoculate weak trees with weak fungus only
> ?
>
> Example from PA
> Orchard with very bad natural blight
> Growth further inhibited by deer browse
> Decision to inoculate put off until trees reached appropriate size
> Could only inoculate with weak strain, as basal cankers left no
> place for stronger strain
> Saving grace: same line planted elsewhere and selections taken from
> different location
>
> Trees that are struggling anyway will have a difficult time
> fighting blight
>
>
> Canker Ratings
> Look at EP155 and SG cankers on all trees
> Rate based on size of each canker as a composite score
> Of those showing acceptable resistance, also rate Americanness
> Select best
> Remove others
>
> Paul Sisco - if trees aren't blooming yet might as well wait
> Since these will be pollen parents; if inoculate will slow down
> path to blooming
>
> Not quite getting 1/8 because of Americanness
>
> Slide of canker size rating scheme
> strong and weak blight cankers both small in best trees
>
> Takes a while for cankers to develop
>
> Time of flowering important- late flowering but depends on soil
>
> Seed Orchards
>
> What you need:
> 1 acre per block, each block made up of about 20 plots
> 150 trees/plot, 3000 trees per block
> Final density ~20 trees/block
> Orchard should remain for ~25-30 years
> Agreement or management plan between cooperator and chapter may be
> appropriate
>
> These get selected at about 1" diameters at base, but methods are
> still under review
>
> Each plot is offspring of one line
>
> Fred has 9 blocks, thinks might get 2 good in 1 block and none in
> another
>
> Need final density good for cross-pollination
>
> Time frame longer than breeding orchard
>
> Lines won't all be ready at same time so will need long-term
>
> Timing shouldn't be as much of an issue in terms of the blight
> killing these final trees, they should be able to survive for quite
> a while
>
> Conflicting opinions on how strong an agreement to get
>
> State MOUs may be ok if visible spot
> Private land more risky
> Might consider buying chapter land
> Easements
>
> No national agreement template yet but we might want to draft
> something about that
>
> 9 blocks total
> at least one cooperator with 4-5 acres
> experience and/or infrastructure key
> may split rest into smaller orchards
> one volunteer can handle a 1-block orchard
> similar work load to breeding orchard
> Must have COMMITTED orchard manager
>
> Irrigation system gets in way
>
> Recommendation is to water from a tank when necessary, having a
> pump even better
>
> Going from 3000 trees to 20, irrigation systems difficult to work with
> Are our soils so different that our trees need more than Meadowview?
> Kendra says NH doing ok
>
> Possible collaborators:
> DCR seems good start
> Possibilities with NRCS in RI
> May also try USFS, TNC, Universities, Forestry Societies, Land Trusts
> May be old USFS seed orchards in MA, does anyone know more about
> this? Rex Mann (KY)
> (not chestnut) - could ask Rex
>
> Search for grants - having partners helps
>
> National has an MOU with Forest Service
>
> Adding collaborators always helps getting grants
>
> Bruce says there is a state seed orchard in Sterling, MA
>
> No federal land in MA though
>
> **************************************
> *
> * Paul Sisco - Keynote Talk
> *
> **************************************
>
> Paul went to Princeton and majored in European History but did
> biochemistry too
> evolution was against law to be mentioned in TN - his teacher did
> anyway
>
> Was professor at NC State
>
> Charlie Burnham got Paul involved
>
> Paul was first regional coordinator
>
> No formulas - need to know what kind of soil -
>
> Love nitrogen - acid-loving
>
> Deer - use 4-foot wire fences around each - big - 100in circumference
> also get buck rub
>
> $4-5 /cage put on with releasable cable ties, easy to put on and
> off; cuts a hole in bottom of each cage
> Some fence entire orchard
>
>
> Their one orchard has had almost all "good"-look after inoculated,
> but after a couple more years differences have emerged
>
> Unraveling the Mysteries of chestnut DNA
>
> Genes for Blight Resistance - where, how many, do some Americans
> have different ones
>
> Barriers to Recombination
>
> Differences between Chinese and American chromosomes
>
> Percent Chinese remaining in our releases
>
> Parentage - can determine using genetic markers
>
> Genetic Diversity
>
> Genetic fingerprinting
>
> Holy Grail: identify and clone genes for resistance
>
> Europeans have 12 linkage groups on their chromosomes
>
> Paul was uncertain about B-E-F as sites for resistance genes
>
> Tried to line up markers from sative and oak with dentata
>
> Couldn't match one of them though
>
> Barriers to combination: Inversions and translocations
>
> Inversion: area in 1 chromosome flips
> Reciprocal translocation - piece of 1 chromosome pasted onto other
> and vice versa
>
> In 2006 Reciprocal translocation tested - Paul had data indicating
> but couldn't prove
>
>
> Meiosis in Chinese-American crossing - get crossing pattern
>
> Visible in microscope photo Paul's associate took in actual meiosis
>
> a lot of meiotic products don't work
>
>
>
> Does it involve B & E that have resistance factors
>
> They are hoping that the resistance factors have both passed into
> same offspring
>
> E and B are on different chromosomes according to their probe
> results, using probes developed using related (oak and sativa)
>
> Fagaceae Project
> Beech, Mollisima, dentata
>
> Making cDNA libraries
>
> Ethylene gene much higher in Chinese chestnut when blighted
>
> Oxidase gene neutralizes acids that blight produces
>
> Compare resistant BC3 to susceptible one and determine how they differ
>
> Compare different resistant BC3s and see what common Chinese is
> left in all on each Chromosome
>
> Want to insert segment into a particular tree seed and see if it
> confers resistance is best proof
>
> Seed orchards - don't want Chinese trees nearby
>
> More genetic variability in southern U.S. due to ice age
>
> A new sequencer available to National at Meadowview
>
> If can screen seed orchard choices, could nail resistance and
> Americanness
>
> Paul has 2 articles in JTACF in 2006 - related
>
> The website is: Familytreedna.com
>
> mitrochondrial dna also
>
> The 7 daughters of Eve good book for women to read
> 3:47 ended for orchard tour
>
> _______________________________________________
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> MassChestnutOrchards at masschestnut.org
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