[MassChestnutOrchards] MA/RI Board Minutes 01-17-2010 - DRAFT

[Yvonne Federowicz]

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#    MA-TACF January Board Meeting 01/17/2010
#
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National Grid, Worcester, MA

Present:Mike Meixsell, Rufin Van Bossuyt, Mike Novack,Guy Shepard, Gary
Jacob, John Emery, Jamie Donalds, Yvonne Federowicz, John Meiklejohn,Lois
Breault-Melican, Denis Melican, Brad Smith, Roy Najecki, Rich Hoffman, Bruce
Spencer, Kathy Desjardin, John Mirick, Charlotte Zampini

Guests: Randy Proseck (UMass), Peter Williams (member), John Maple (member)
Kendra Gurney (TACF)

12 noon

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# Treasurers Report: Mike Novack
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Presented budget from 2009 and proposal for 2010
don't have the budgeted irrigation money anymore
got a large number of signs last year, but putting some money in for it

John Mirick -
Federal filing: only have to file if over $25K
State filing:  PC for public charity

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# Motion
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 to accept Treasurers Report: Mike Meixsell, seconded: Gary.  Passed
unanimously.

Postal expense for annual meeting are large portion of it
website about same

Inoculation: how much does a set of gear cost?

Awards: budgeted for placques because the organizations donating trucks are
helping a great deal

Rufin: we have plenty of wood at Guy's storage spot that could be used for
awards and such ˆ around 1000 board-feet

Guy: Davey Tree and other national companies' staff like having their
pictures in their national magazine
If we go to their place and give them an award, it is easier for them
Irrigation and such will depend upon number of new orchards

Charlotte's student, Adam, might be a candidate for a summer intern - help
us get our data standardized and such
Also a data logger/PDA type device
Intern could also work on inoculation

John Mirick:  getting grants:
1.getting the money ˆ need a financial statement from us, show that we are
'worthy'
2.after getting grant, need to show exactly what we're doing with grant
1.need to find out how much detail they want
2.might need to document how much paid intern, etc.
3.for small dollars we have, often wouldn't have to give that much detail
4.Mike's records show whether we spent all of the money on intended purpose

Budgets can be flexible we aren't legally bound to stay within that in same
way as a town

We can fund an intern later

John Mirick moved approve budget with small change; move signage $500 to
„supplies‰ - passed unanimously

Inoculation supplies: Kendra thinks that plates and such will just be sent
from Meadowview

#######################
# Guest: Randy Proseck
# Possible orchard siting
# Seed/BC3?
#######################

Randy: Umass Extension ˆ works on landscape, nursery & urban forestry team
and numerous other agricultural issues
Was connected with us by Maryland person: John
Dan Gilman got involved
Then got in touch with Kendra and Jamie
Umass had a lot of land

University won't do a „deeded easement‰.
Administrators are on furlough for a while due to budget problems

Kendra: Penn State  - PA chapter has a 10-block area for seed orchard.  Had
Kim Steiner, Kim Phelps ˆ got University to sign germplasm agreement. That
is the only agreement TACF has with university


Cooperative research agreement: might use this for University partnerships,
get National to draft one of these.

Randy needs to know next steps; still needs to talk with more
administrators.

Kendra: next step could be finding out what Umass is willing to do.  Seed
orchard is main goal; if not that, could try something else.

Jamie: one seed orchard block would be helpful; a solid connection with
Umass is very good for organization

Universities are often motivated by good publicity/causes

There are several other tree species that will need long-term research and
breeding like this too ˆ filberts, elms (need more diversity), butternut

Randy knows of a research farm near the river; some spots have irrigation

What other choices do we have?  Land trusts might be ideal...?

Rufin: Rutgers U. has a hazelnut research project ongoing. Rufin will
investigate.

Corps of Engineers and TACF have a recent agreement...

Charlotte: Could we include in Germplasm agreement commitment on their part
for helping to move

University does a lot of work on peninsula

Many private organizations do want to donate land

Cold Springs could also be a possibility (Umass)

Randy will next ask their dean to ask higher to see if there is interest

1 block would have 20 or so trees left  randomly spread on an acre, after
selection. We would have to move these somewhere if the agreement for land
were lost; larger trees are more difficult to move

Umass no longer has Master Gardeners connected directly with it

#######################
# Annual Meeting Review
#######################

The newspaper being present was very helpful in getting us publicity, Kathy
has received a lot of

Guy and Brad did a lot of great work



##################################
# Possible Seed Orchard
# Guests Peter Williams & John Maple
# Grafton, MA
##################################

John Maple is a horticulturist; Peter Williams is a landowner.  They are
interested in creating an orchard
Grafton, MA

Have land on Brigham Hill called Brigham Hill Farm.  They have been giving
land back to town's Land Trust.  Land has a lot of chestnut.

We described needs of orchards

Several Board Members live very close to this spot

Jamie would like people to visit the Grafton site
Can we get water there reliably
Soil tests
Land Trust policies

Planting will be staggered so water access needs to be continued

They would like:
 a written description of orchards;
what easement terms we need

We can give them some nuts for this spring to see how they grow
They gave us permission to walk the land and take soil samples

Kendra: Updates

Inoculation Report

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# Regional Meeting March 20th
############################

Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, NH
Pretty much geared to people familiar with what we do

Planting Manual from Penn State ˆ please read it beforehand.
Bring bag lunch, snacks

Database Project ˆ National database; could be very helpful
Everyone's data is in their own format for the most part

Not everyone has gone to the standard Excel form either in our chapter yet

This time, we are putting together as much info as possible for the
developer beforehand
Bill Adamson is putting a lot of time in on this, leading the project.
Taking a structured approach.

Getting all our data into the database will be crucial; we will need it
standardized first
Charlotte will coordinate?


There would be a new format for entry, an online one

Would give us idea to pull out data on project

Jamie ˆ why not have all our data public
Charlotte also wishes her data open

If people want data on orchard
(Charlotte) -terms of use ˆ added the data permission piece
If National generates a report using our data, we should have access to that

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#  Motion: 
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We strongly feel that it is important for our data (both summaries and raw)
to be viewably (read access) open to chapters and TACF members and staff.
However people will need permission to use our data to publish (John) (Mike)
passed unanimously

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#  Secretary's Report:
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Membership: 333 members...

Quite a few contacts.  Charlie Chase ˆ Middleboro, 4H. Could help volunteer,
group.

Kathy went through several other people with good chestnut info. Have some
extra nuts from Brimfield, MA contactˆ Americans?

Trustees of Reservations:  info

Worcester County Seedling Sale: pure American seedlings?  Hybrids?  Need
more info.
They have put our website on their form, but we're not providing the
trees... but we don't know what the nuts are.

Their documentation says both pure American and hybrid.
We would like our name taken off their info but also they need to clarify
their documentation

John Meik. & John Emery:
Motion: Our name be removed by the Worcester County Seedling Sale from
association with their product

Placques for Jim Garland and Frank Howard: Kathy contacted Meghan, she
forwarded info and waiting t hear back.  Kathy also asked a local contact.
Guy's wood could be used, Kathy will find out what is needed.

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#  Motion
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Approve Minutes Fall and Annual

Jamie moved, Rufin seconded.  All voted positively.

Committee to do soil testing Grafton ˆ Guy Shepard, Charlotte Zampini, John
Meiklejohn, Mike Meixsell

Easement Agreements:

Memorandum of Understanding: can be used with state or local agency,
nonbinding.  Written statement of intent. Usually try not to use large
committee, use a few negotiators.

Eminent Domain can always take land.

Having multiple parties included in the easement is safer, as all have to
agree for changes to occur, generally.

Landowners can save a lot of money by giving up development rights.


Please email John Mirick our wishes for the list of items we'd like on the
Easement List (bulleted items)

MA Secretary of Commonwealth ˆ Changes in our Bylaws
Number on our Board
Name of Chapter ˆ needs to be changed officially
- can do at next Board Meeting if we advertise

National votes to accept chapters; National will also need to accept the
name change

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#  Motion: 
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Jamie proposed that we Change our name with National officially; seconded
Kathy; all in favor

In April we will do the vote  to change the name.

People have voted to get BC3F3 nuts to the Chapter; several of us have
decided to give ours to the chapter

Charlotte knows of a 97-year-old gentleman who would like chestnuts... She
would like him to get BC3F3

What to do with the chapter's BC3F3 nuts that have come in this spring to
various members, who have donated them to chapter?

Charlotte will take care of them temporarily.


Could plant them at visible locations, then tell the people in whose honor
they would be in.

National Grid? Can revise as we go forward.

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#   Restoration Planning:
#######################

Phone calls on 25th of Month: any member of foundation can be on
Mike Novack, Charlotte, and Jamie will be on.

Please read the Restoration document before the meeting

Restoration Branches: Jamie has spoken with woman interested in this (Susan)
in Princeton, MA.
Restoration branches can organize events to have donations and information -
$40 to get in, price of a membership. So they are a member for a year.

We also might be able to get these folks involved on committees.  Kathy will
send a list of people in her area.

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#  Spring orchard activities
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Charlotte - 
Nanking:
could try for at least 2 more lines;

Hawley has room for some

Plantings Spring 2010 (BC3)  :  SKLT, Westerly, Glocester & ?
(added to minutes by yf after meeting)

A couple more Nanking mother trees at least would be good.

Major push for inoculations this spring/summer: almost 9 orchards ready!

more Lincoln
more Wrentham
Stirling ˆ priority
Medway ˆ could be a potential seed orchard also
Moore State Park ˆ or could wait
Jim Garland
John Meiklejohn would like to wait on Granville
Lunenburg ˆ possibility

Closed canopies are bad ˆ waiting too long is bad

Might be using Frank Howard's money this year to hire an intern

two-week period when all this has to be done

We will still all need to pitch in.  Need to do preparation.

Adam could do the work, has already done inoculations.

Executive Board can authorize; $15/hr. Charlotte will talk to Adam.  We
don't yet have a concrete off for him though, and we have up to $5K plus
other funds or so to use for this.

Adjourned 4:40pm




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