GARRETT COUNTY
Forest Conservancy District Board
1728 Kings Run Road
Oakland, MD 21550
301-334-3296
` www.gcforest.sailorsite.net
Minutes of the Garrett County
Forest Conservancy District Board Meeting
July 14, 2014
Call To Order:
The Garrett County Forestry Board met at 9:00 a.m. on Monday July 14, 2014, at Mt.
Nebo Work Center. Members of the Garrett County Board in attendance were: Ken
Fisher, Paul Shogren, Mike Minnick and Mac McIntire.
Mike Minnick, Chairman began the meeting at 9:07 am.
The minutes from the June 9h meeting were approved as written.
The treasurers report as of of June 30, 2014 is: Total balance: $5953.05
Forestry Board - $2753.94, NRCC 545.00 Oak SilvAH 1304.11 for a grand total
of $4603.05. A copy of the Treasurers report is attached to the minutes.
Accomplished: The Garrett Board of Education has changed their policy on
materials from outside sources being distributed in the school system. All
materials must be pre-approved by the Board and must have the following
disclaimer statement on it before it can be distributed to the schools:
These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Board of Education of Garrett
County, the Garrett County Public Schools, or any agents thereof. See Board Policy Number
960, Procedure Number 960.1
Accomplished 1/29/14 Information on the Arbor Day Poster contest for 5 th
graders was approved by the Board of Education and the information was e
mailed to the elementary schools.
Accomplished 2/6/14 Information on the seedlings for Arbor Day for 3rd graders
was approved by the Board of Education and the information was e mailed to
the elementary schools.
Accomplished 2/14: Information on NRCC was distributed to the two high
schools, the home school program, the 4 H program, the Boy Scouts in the
Potomac Chapter and the Girl Scouts.
Accomplished: 2/14: A Governors proclamation on Arbor Day has been
received and arrangements have been made to present it to the Commissioners
on April 1, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.
Accomplished 2/28/14: Two schools, (Route 40 Elementary and Crellin
Elementary) submitted posters for the 5th grade Arbor Day Poster Contest.
Accomplished 2/4/14: Set up a display in the window at the Ruth Enlow Library
in Oakland.
Accomplished 3/7/14: The Arbor Day posters were judged by the Arts Council
and returned to the Garrett Board
Accomplished 3/12/14: The top Arbor Day poster was sent to Becky to be
transported to Annapolis.
Accomplished 4/2/14: The Garrett Forestry Board presented the County
Commissioners with a Governors proclamation in recognition of Arbor Day in
MD. A news release on the presentation was sent to the local papers.
Accomplished 4/21 & 4/22/14: Mike Minnick presented the second and third
place winners of the 5th grade Arbor Day poster contest with their awards at
Route 40 School on April 21st. Gregan Crawford presented the first place
winner with her award at Crellin School on April 22. A news release on the
presentations was sent to the local papers.
Accomplished 4/29/14: Forestry Board members Chuck Hoffeditz, Paul
Shogren, Mike Minnick and Ken Fisher manned the Forestry station at the 4 H
Center for the Garrett County Envirothon.
Accomplished 5/7/14: Forestry Board members Chuck Hoffeditz and Ken Fisher
attended the Managing Forest Pests for Watershed Restoration training at the
Washington County Ag Center on May 7.
Accomplished 5/ /14: Joe Winters and Mike Minnick interviewed the three
students that submitted applications for NRCC. All three students, Kyle Klotz,
Jeremy Martin and Bryce McIntire were approved to attend NRCC. Bryce
McIntire dropped out because of another commitment. Blake Thomas Upole
was approved to attend the program, giving the Board 3 students for this year.
OLD BUSINESS:
Deep Creek Watershed Management Plan Development
Ken reported that the steering committee combined the four subcommittee reports and
a draft report has been sent out to the committee members. All of the information on
the watershed management plan can be found at
www.dnr.state.md.us/ccs/dcl_wmp.asp. There is a meeting on the state of watershed
on July 24, 2014, 7:00 9:00 pm in the Garrett College Auditorium. Secretary Gill, MD
Department of Natural Resources will be at the meeting. On August 9, 2014 at 10:00
am there will be a meeting at the Wisp and the report will be available for comment.
The draft plan is slowly evolving.
The Forestry Board is still working towards the goal of encouraging landowners within
the watershed with ten acres or more, of getting a Forest Stewardship plan. This
information is included in the draft plan. The members discussed this, and the Board
wait until the proposals in the watershed management plan are finalized before sending
out a mailing to these landowners. .
The members also discussed holding the workshop or workshops in the Fall to provide
the landowners with information on the Forest Stewardship program. It was discussed
that Willie Lantz be contacted to look into ways the Forestry Board the Farm Bureau
and the Ag community could work together. The workshops for the landowners in the
Lake watershed might be a good starting point.
Volunteer Hours:
Each year a report on the volunteer hours is submitted to Annapolis to show the
involvement of volunteers in forestry accomplishments. These hours include the
meetings, tree plantings, etc., in which Forestry Board members become involved. The
Boards hours since the June 9th meeting were: Ken 5 hrs. E-mail, Deep Creek
Watershed Management Plan Development and meeting; Paul 6 hrs. Marcellus Shale
Mac 3 hrs. meeting and Marcellus Shale and Mike Minnick 11 hrs. - meeting, e mail
and NRCC applicants, and 3 hrs meeting for 4 members for a total of 37 hrs.
NRCC
There are thee students that have been approved for NRCC for Garrett County (Kyle
Klotz, NHS, Jeremy Martin, SHS and Blake Thomas Upole (NHS). Joe Winters and
Mike Minnick interviewed the three students and approved all three students for the
program. Bryce McIntire had called on June 2 nd and had to drop out because of a
conflict. Letters informing the students of their acceptance to NRCC have been sent to
Kyle Klotz, Jeremy Martin and Blake Thomas Upole. Jacob Terrys mother submitted an
application for her son and he is not interested in attending this year. Bryce McIntire
and Jacob Terry will be contacted next year for the 2015 program.
MARCELLUS SHALE
Paul went over information on the county Marcellus Shale committee. A copy of Pauls
report is attached to the minutes. The Governors Commission on Marcellus Shale is
behind schedule with their report for the Governor.
NEW BUSINESS:
MEL NOLAND GRANT
The Board members had discussed the Mel Noland Challenge grant at the April, May
and June meetings. Two projects that the members had discussed at the February
meeting were suggested as potential candidates for the this grant: 1) Arbor Day
seedling program for 3rd graders. The Board had purchased 1000 hazelnut seedlings
($295.00) for handout in the schools. Peat moss and baggies will be purchased to use
in packaging the seedlings. Total cost - $445. Last year, Board members, MCC and
Garrett Project personnel completed the packaging in about 3 4 hrs. The second
project is the purchase of trees for planting at Hickory as a part of the NRCC activities
three trees - $390. This information will be put into the grant form and will be discussed
at the August meeting on July 25 th at Hickory.
Ken had pointed out at the June meeting that the request for a Mel Noland grant should
be for upcoming activities such as the re-vitilizing of the arboretum at HEEC, the tree
plantings at HEEC for NRCC 2014, and the school seedling program for the 3 rd graders
in the Spring 2015.
NEW MEMBERS
The members discussed potential new members. Mike said he had mentioned it to
Jason Shank, Coordinator at Hickory Environmental Education Center and to Becky
Yost, Vo-Ag Instructor at NHS.
Mike raised the question of the Forestry Board becoming a member of the Chamber of
Commerce. The members discussed this and it was decided to contact the Executive
Officer for the Association (Becky Wilson) to see if this was legal and to see if it is
worthwhile. It costs $150/year to be a member of the COC.
Ken had suggested at the May meeting that the Board consider providing each school
that has an arboretum with descendents of three famous trees Washington
Tree(American Elm), Wye Oak (White Oak) and the Liberty Tree (Tuliptree). The MD
Nursery will be contacted to see if these seedlings are available.
Since the Boards primary function is one of education, Chuck had suggested at the
June meeting that the Board look at ways that they could interact with scouts, 4 Hers,
etc. Paul Shogren and Mike Kozier are already active with scouting and they will talk to
the scout leaders and see where the Board and the youth groups could interact.
The Garrett County Fair starts on Sunday, July 27 th. The judging of the photos will be
done at 1:00 pm on Sunday. This years judges will be Mac McIntire, Ken Fisher, Mike
Minnick and Chuck Hoffeditz. The judges will meet at 1:00 pm at the 4 H Building to do
the judging. The awards will be presented on Friday, August 1st at 3:00 pm. Paul
agreed to present the awards.
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 am.
Calendar of Events
July 20 26 NRCC
July 25 Forestry Board meeting at NRCC (HEEC) (Aug.
meeting)
July 27 Judging of Photo Contest
Aug. 1 or 2 Presentation of awards to the winners of the Photo
Contest
Sept. 8 Forestry Board meeting
Summary of the Minutes from the Garrett Forestry Board Meeting on
July 14, 2014
The Garrett County Forestry Board met at 9:00 a.m. on Monday July 14, 2014, at Mt.
Nebo Work Center. Members of the Garrett County Board in attendance were: Ken
Fisher, Paul Shogren Mac McIntire and Mike Minnick.
The members discussed NRCC (three students have have been approved and a check
for $1650 has been sent to the Foundation. A draft of the Deep Creek Watershed
Management Plan, has been sent to the committee members.
GARRETT COUNTY
Forest Conservancy District Board
1728 Kings Run Road
Oakland, MD 21550
301-334-3296
` www.gcforest.sailorsite.net
REPORT TO THE FORESTRY BOARD AND COMMUNITY ACTION ON THE
GARRETT COUNTY SHALE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GCSAC)
July 14, 2014
By Paul Shogren
A large study by Towson University Regional Economic Studies Institute Impact
Analysis of the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative(RESI) has been released. Six
comments of the study were delivered to the GCSAC at its 1 July 14 meeting and
included herein. I have not read through it.
Two additional comments on RESI were submitted by Paul Durham of Heritage
Resources, LLC. Summaries are printed below:
1. RESI report inplications for recreation and tourism In my opinion the RESI
report should not be relied on by policy makers as the final source of information
on this subject. Garrett County needs a social science understanding of what
factors drive our recreation and tourism economy. What perceptions and desires
cause people to want to be here and what might threaten those perceptions and
desires after gas development starts?
The recreation and tourism sector remains at risk from shale gas development.
Community driven discussion should fall within the context of whether the risk is
acceptable, and why, and whether all of the risks have been properly mitigated in
order to minimize negative impacts tourism.
A Marcellus Shale Public Health Project conducted by the University of Maryland
School of Public Health was presented to the public on 28 June at Garrett College in
draft form. Part of the news article is printed below.
