WCNRC November Meeting Minutes

Allison Cochran, Rollins Jolly and Mark Finley met briefly.

Zack dropped off some information and updates before running to another commitment.

Mark shared highlights from the Treasure Forest/Alabama Natural Resources Council meeting in Prattville.  They toured some interesting properties, including a longleaf straw raking operation.  He attended a session on how to have an active natural resources council at the local level.  He brought us back a guide with some great information.  It will be scanned to share with Council.  Lot of good ideas to grow and strengthen our organization and for workshop and field day planning.  Thanks to Mark for attending and sharing.    This information will be of great use for planning our 2020 Landowner Field Day, possibly at Bill Self’s and/or focusing on shortleaf pine.  Council needs to start planning that event before too long.

FAWN review – About 300 students attended FAWN and it was a success.  Zack shared thank you letters from the students.  Council can review and discuss ideas to improve FAWN in the future, if possible to meet curriculum needs if teachers give some input.  Additionally, would be good for council to discuss how to tweak the Payne Outdoor Classroom event to teach different material or target a different group of students.  There is some overlap noted between the two events.

Alabama Water Watch is hosting a training for citizens interested in conducting chemical and bacteriological water testing in the area, specifically in the Bankhead National Forest.  The training will be held at the Double Springs Municipal Building on January 22-23. Visit AWW online for more information.

Deer season is open and surveillance for Chronic Wasting Disease is on-going.  There is a freezer at the Bankhead office in Double Springs for people to place deer heads for testing.  Instructions and supplies are on site.

Zack shared several updates –

There is progress with Winston County Commission at the Mims property at Sipsey Fork and Hwy 33.  The county engineer is working on surveys and drawings at the location to improve the parking lot and emergency vehicle access and blocking the lower portion of the road to vehicular traffic to the river.  The County will include a project in their proposal to the Alabama Resources Advisory Council for funding for this project.  The County will be working with the Freshwater Landtrust and Mims family on this potential project for access to the river and for stabilizing and reducing erosion at the site.

There may be some FireWise funding available to the Cooperative Extension office for use in our county.  Council members should be thinking of ideas for FireWise projects, educational activities, materials, etc. 

We had discussion on the Rural Schools Act (in lieu of taxes) program that allows money from National Forests timber revenue to be accessed by Counties. FireWise is one title or funding mechanism of that program.  Projects funded under the other titles of that program are approved by the Alabama Resources Advisory Committee.  Council, Extension and others will work with Winston and Lawrence Counties on ideas for competitive proposals for those funds.  Project proposals are due to the Alabama Resources Advisory Committee in June this year.

We aren’t sure if the council usually meets in December.  Since there are no pressing agenda items for December, we might skip meeting that month. But, we will send an email and blog post out on whether or not there will be a December meeting.

-allison