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<TITLE>MA/RI TACF Autumn Meeting Minutes</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>In case this didn’t make it out to the full list...<BR>
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Draft Minutes MA-RI/TACF October 3, 2009 Quarterly meeting<BR>
River Bend – Uxbridge, MA<BR>
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Present: Guy Shepard, Brian Clarke, Mike Novack, Jamie Donalds, Brad Smith, Rufin Van Bossuyt, Denis Melican, Lois Melican, Kathy Desjardin, Yvonne Federowicz, John Meiklejohn, Kendra Gurney<BR>
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Treasurer's Report MikeNovack<BR>
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It will be 2-3 years before we are planting thousands of trees in Seed Orchards<BR>
Finances are looking good even though donations are down somewhat<BR>
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We are doing well partly since the orchard supply expenses are down.<BR>
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Motion to approve Treasurer's Report: Brian, seconded Guy. Approved Unanimously.<BR>
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Mike would like a budget committee. Volunteers: Mike Novack, John Meiklejohn, Jamie Donalds.<BR>
Idea is to approve a tentative budget. Should have something by the January meeting to put in front of the Board..<BR>
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Secretary's Report Kathy Desjardin<BR>
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330 members so down a bit<BR>
Have a few contacts new, got some tree calls<BR>
New person in Chepachet (part of Glocester, RI)<BR>
Also Kendra heard from someone in Foster, RI<BR>
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Harvesting: Brian is trying to get the tall mother tree harvested; some difficulty with truck. A road was put in back to this tree over the summer which helps.<BR>
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Geocaching: Kendra has used TACF poker chips in these, and Jamie has a “travel bug” with chestnut wood and his bug is getting him emails – it's out in KY now.<BR>
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New tree leads: there are more potential mother trees coming in<BR>
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Kendra has a nice fillable PDF form that she can send Yvonne for the website<BR>
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A leaf sample of “sawtooth oak” from Asia was brought in; it looks remarkably like chestnut<BR>
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Minutes – approval of August 2009 – Brad motioned approve, Rufin seconded, unanimously approved<BR>
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Inoculation Report<BR>
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We have done 4 inoculations so far<BR>
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Looked at Wrentham in July, made some final selections<BR>
some can be removed now. Mower would like some pruning done, he does a very nice job.<BR>
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Kendra will look at John Emery's orchard again on November 14.<BR>
Presentation at URI – November 14, 2009 – Kendra<BR>
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When do we pull out? Depends on what we want to do with the land. To fill the seed orchard, the BC3F1 selections have to grow a bit to begin to produce more offspring (BC3F2).<BR>
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No need to rush inoculation because it stresses trees out and might slow their flowering; we will need them to grow larger.<BR>
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2-4 selections per line rather than 1 to reduce inbreeding further down the line<BR>
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Kendra: inoculation is much easier with about 15 people<BR>
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Putting tree numbers onto trees makes them easier - Kendra found a “timber crayon” - in Forestry Supplies – don't come off easily<BR>
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John Emery and Kendra will look at his orchard again<BR>
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John Meiklejohn: soon we will have an uptick in # of inoculations per summer<BR>
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Kendra: Fred feels that larger tree diameters before inoculation is better now. Doing whole orchard at once is best.<BR>
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Keeping track of how many trees have natural blight, how many are large enough – very helpful in timing inoculation<BR>
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Rufin: at Wrentham the innermost row is not doing as well<BR>
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In CT one tree grew 8 feet this summer<BR>
Generally was a good year for growth<BR>
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Organizing ahead of time is key to getting volunteers to help<BR>
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TNC might have some; Trustees of Reservations, Audubon, Wild Turkey Federation, RITree, Master Gardeners<BR>
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Paul Gayle has seen the Glocester Orchard – has a forest management plan for his acreage – would like to do a test planting. Kendra's group has not yet figured out how to respond<BR>
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This person is a new “cooperator” - might be 5 years before National can get them seed but perhaps he could work at seed orchard or regular orchard<BR>
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Person in Glocester – can they do a seed orchard?<BR>
Would they like to do a Nanking?<BR>
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Nanking might have resistance more similar to Henryii – might be a cross from China<BR>
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Yvonne and Kendra will go out to see Mr. Gayle's property, maybe it could be another Nanking spot?<BR>
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Rufin: Mass Fish & Wildlife would like to put seedlings in and Sandy Anagnostakis is giving them some, we are not sure what type<BR>
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We requested that they not put them very close to our orchards to keep the genetics separate<BR>
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ANNUAL MEETING<BR>
We need a speaker! Annual Meeting<BR>
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Possibilities:<BR>
Kendra: Hopkins has done work on general forest change<BR>
Paul Scharbag at Forest Service – Kendra's advisor– has done cold tolerance work – climate change tie-in<BR>
Brian the new president of TACF is another possibility – he will likely attend and we would like to ask him to talk some anyway<BR>
The scientists who did the two sets of websites on chestnut response to climate change (modelling)<BR>
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Kendra will also be speaking at URI 9-12.<BR>
Yvonne might talk a bit there, also man who put together the solar installation<BR>
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Charlotte – genetics and how much interbreeding <BR>
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Site is ok – Brad has it organized. Site has a security person.<BR>
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Signage<BR>
Kathy & Brad to do <BR>
desserts, food<BR>
projections stuff<BR>
need a projector – Chapter machine<BR>
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There are two rooms we can use. Board and beginners meetings<BR>
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Board Meeting starts at 10; presentations at 11<BR>
Could have a video<BR>
Brad managing the newcomers' meeting; Kendra can help if needed<BR>
Video recordings: Marty Jessel?<BR>
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Orchards<BR>
Rhode Island:<BR>
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Westerly soil test showed little nitrogen, esp in deeper soil<BR>
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FORMALIZE:<BR>
We should require soil tests before any seed orchard is put in<BR>
Also a test planting<BR>
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River Bend with irrigation is doing much better<BR>
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Spigots should get drained<BR>
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Elections:<BR>
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Will need to suspend bylaws for people first elected in 2001<BR>
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Board size will be shrinking<BR>
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Yvonne could ask Rhode Island people<BR>
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Frank Howard and Jim Garland: making them honorary?<BR>
We need to discuss this in January – what to do for these people as thanks, keep them involved<BR>
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Roy could be asked – he has come to several Board meetings<BR>
Motion: if Roy shows interest when asked by Yvonne, that we are approving his nomination today so it will have been approved within the 30-day limit. John Meiklejohn. Seconded: Yvonne.<BR>
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Approved unanimously<BR>
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The 20th position would be open then.<BR>
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National TACF Meetings<BR>
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National brought up “regionalizing” representation. Jamie and many of us do not like this idea.<BR>
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Jamie would like to make a proposal at Pittsburgh with our support:<BR>
decouple chapter representation to national board from the Presidency. Could be a “seasoned” member<BR>
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Representation from chapters doesn't have to be the president but would be for 3 years?<BR>
Rufin is “at-large” member of board<BR>
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“green-ness” is bad, takes time to learn the committees and such. <BR>
Chairman thinks Board is too large, unwieldy<BR>
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Number of chapters has grown<BR>
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Mike Novack: moves that chapter expresses its support for that change type. John Meiklejohn seconded. Passed unanimously.<BR>
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SEED ORCHARDS<BR>
John Mirick came up with a report on seed orchard development but could not make this meeting - > January meeting<BR>
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DCR & chief forester very in favor of seed orchard (Lois & Denis) but no paperwork yet<BR>
Meetings coming up.<BR>
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Trustees of Reservations – Rufin went to see their proposed site. Smaller than we need for seed orchard plus surrounded by invasives like autumn olive.<BR>
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Jamie: he could draft a letter to Trustees. Will pass it by John Mirick – working with Guy, John Meiklejohn & John Mirick – partnering with Trustees for seed orchard space<BR>
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Kendra offered to help with that as well – also researching<BR>
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John Meiklejohn has a spot he would like Kendra to help look at re. seed orchard<BR>
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Minimum seed orchard size: ¾ acre<BR>
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Stockbridge orchard: getting support for this – Jamie & Rufin asked Kendra to help since she goes down to CT. We have lots of members there, and one manager. Craig Moffit.<BR>
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We could try to organize work parties of members near Stockbridge<BR>
Rufin: Kathy gave him a list of people<BR>
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Peter Berle = Former Stockbridge manager - was president of National Audubon, did lots of other environmental work. <BR>
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Laurel Hill conservancy is in that area; it is the oldest conservancy in country now.<BR>
TACF may have taken some pollen from their hill early on.<BR>
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Conway orchard – John Meiklejohn & Charlotte went up last fall. Intended to get back but have not yet. Trees are growing into their wire cages. Metal tubes, impacted.<BR>
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Plan: go up to Conway in Spring 2010 and do more maintenance.<BR>
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Mike Novack lives fairly close to it. <BR>
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If someone comes forward and wants to help with Conway, we can use their help<BR>
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Conway Mother Tree: <BR>
Guy knows person to help Brian<BR>
Kendra might know someone also<BR>
John Meiklejohn: Bartlett Tree is very committed to TACF around country, has helped in Granville<BR>
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Other harvests: RI to be done this week<BR>
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Weedwhacker – Rufin taking, to get to Charlotte<BR>
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The irrigation system for Glocester is coming in; it has been on back order<BR>
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Master Gardeners don't need theirs perhaps but <BR>
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Glocester needs to get it – then we can install next spring<BR>
Jamie will contact Yvonne once it's all in, then we can get it to RI for winter<BR>
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Tech Soup – people liked idea of us getting account; Kendra can then have access for Adobe<BR>
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Denis & Lois – chocolate chestnut ice cream for annual meeting<BR>
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SCA headquarters is in Charlestown NH and they want an orchard – Kendra will be working with them<BR>
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TACF National Meeting:<BR>
photos are good but presentation needs to be updated <BR>
Kendra will send around the PDF for us to update<BR>
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Get orchard measurements to Charlotte!!!<BR>
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Motion to Adjourn 4:17<BR>
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Yvonne needs to contact Don Wulf in Cranston – Kathy will send pictures</SPAN></FONT>
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