January 2022 Meeting Summary

January 20, 2022 Winston County Natural Resources Council Meeting Summary WCNRC members in attendance included John Creed, Maggie Johnston, Zack Brannon, Dylan Gilbert, Jamie Seagraves, Casey Hammack, Lauranne James, Andy Scott and Allison Cochran. The guest speaker was Jared Carter with Alabama Mountains, Rivers, Valleys RC&D. Over 20 people attended the meeting including media, representatives from Smith Lake associations, Backcountry Horsemen of America, NARCOG, US Forest Service, City of Double Springs and Winston County, Wild Alabama, and hikers and other trail enthusiasts. Jared Carter shared a presentation about the new North Alabama Trails and Recreation Program. The NATR covers 18 counties from Marion to Cherokee and includes Calhoun and Cleburne. Smith Lake and the Bankhead National Forest are included in the program area. The goal is to increase outdoor recreation opportunities and infrastructure and spread the wealth from sites that may be overused and impacted. There are many large initiatives such as Alabama Scenic River Trail, Singing River Trail, TN River Line Initiative, but we could use more. Many popular areas like Sipsey and Monte Sano could benefit from spreading use to other areas, as well. The NATR will bring expertise, awareness, funds and labor to maintain and grow sites. NATR has quarterly networking meetings in their hubs of Muscle Shoals, Cullman, Gadsden and Huntsville. Jared encourages us to let NATR know about our needs and skill sets. NATR is planning an Expo on October 1, 2022 at Ingalls Harbor in Decatur. Exhibitors will have booths and classes to highlight what North Alabama has to offer in the way of recreation and trails. They are looking for exhibitors, and there will be a fee for booth space. They are also looking for ways to promote the event. NATR funding is another component of the program. Looking for funds and labor and a way to connect people and organizations. They hope to have lists of resources and grant sources. NATR CREW is also in development. This would allow organizations to have access to volunteers, a volunteer pool of sorts and provide opportunities for collaboration. A partnership with Jacksonville State University will offer a series of workshops in this regard. To join NATR, go to the website natrails.org and the cost is $100. This is a wonderful opportunity to get your projects in the public eye and to collaborate and network with other organizations. Any trail and recreation opportunity is welcomed, like hiking, biking, paddling, equestrians, etc. NATR does not include traditional parks and recreation things like golf, sporting events, nor hunting and fishing. An upcoming workshop is planned for April 12-14 with University of Alabama’s Center for Economic Development that will explore North Alabama recreation needs based on SCORP data and prioritization of what the state is looking at investing in. Visit NATR website for information on this webinar. Other WCNRC business covered – Alabama Cooperative Extension hired a new 4H program coordinator in Winston County. We welcome Dylan Gilbert. Winston County Commission joined the NATR. Alabama Forestry Commission will have some trees to give away in celebration of Arbor day this year in Winston County. More information will be available at our February meeting. Bankhead National Forest is kicking off a new project on south Bankhead, Pinetucky Project, focusing on longleaf pine and Northern bobwhite habitat restoration. An associated collaborative stewardship project is in development, as well. Prescribed burning has kicked off and will be ramping up in the coming month. The Bankhead Liaison Panel holds quarterly public meetings and all are encouraged to attend to learn more about the management of the National Forest. Wild Alabama is partnering with Bankhead National Forest on two successful citizen science projects. One is a white oak collection and restoration project in the Balls Mountain Area with numerous school groups, Boy Scouts and other organizations involved. The second is a hemlock wooly adelgid monitoring project. The next meeting will be February 17th at Houston Rec. The WCNRC meets on the third Thursday of the month.