May Council Meeting Minutes

The Winston County Natural Resources Council met on Thursday, May 19th at the U. S. Forest Service Office in Double Springs.  Present were:  Bill Snoddy, LaVerne Matheson, Tony Avery, Tom Counts, Allison Cochran, John Sudduth, Johnna Franks, Chris Wright, Tim Malone, Wade Hill, John Creed, James Burnett, Jim Hughes, Mike Henshaw, and Carl Godsey.  The following topics were discussed:

• Storm Damage in the Winston County Area-Tony Avery, Chris Wright, Johnna Franks, Tim Malone, and Wade Hill.  AFC cleared roads, opened powerline right-of-ways, buried dead poultry, and aided in debris burial for six days in the Hackleburg and East Franklin Areas.  The FSA and NRCS are working to get disaster aid to affected producers.  FSA programs can help farmers clear debris from fields and forests, get funds for dead livestock and poultry, and funds to help replace some types of fencing.  There are also programs to help replant damaged forests.  Anyone needing information on these programs should contact Tim Malone at (205) 921-3103.  
• Tony Avery reported that he felt that little of the damaged timber would be salvageable due to a number of reasons.  Difficulty in picking up horizontal stems, poor market conditions, blue stain in lodged timber, reduced tonnage due to drying of dead timber, high diesel fuel costs, and other factors will mean that much of the timber will be not be recovered.
• The balance in the Council's treasury is $7,920.29.
• John Sudduth and Wade Hill described an effort by the Winston County Cattlemen and the Winston County Farmers Federation to provide free fencing supplies to affected livestock producers in Marion, Franklin, and Lawrence Counties.
• The Council voted to provide up to $200 for the Winston County 4-H Wildlife Evaluation Team to travel to the State Competition in June.  
• The 13-Year Cicada has been heard by several council members in the northern part of the forest and in Lawrence County.  Others have not heard them, so the population seems to be spotty.
• Chris Wright mentioned that the signup for the Prescribed Burn Program has been delayed until June 1st.  Plans are for the sign-up to be open during the month of June.  Here's a link from last year's program.  When details of the 2011 Program are released, they will be posted on this blog.
• LaVerne reported that there would be a kickoff meeting for the Rock Creek Watershed Management Program on June 7th, in Arley.  Details of the meeting will be announced later. 
• The date for the TREASURE Forest Helene Mosley Awards Program will be Friday, October 7th, at Bill and Jeanie Snoddy's Loblolly Farm TREASURE Forest in Double Springs.

These minutes submitted by
Mike Henshaw, Secretary
WCNRC