Agendas and Minutes

Forest Lands Committee (View All)

Regular Monthly Meeting

Agenda
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

ASHLAND FOREST LANDS COMMISSION May 12, 2004 MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT: Frank Betlejewski, Richard Brock, Jo Anne Eggers, Stephen Jensen (Chair), Diane White Bill Robertson Members Absent: Anthony Kerwin Staff Present: Chris Chambers, Nancy Slocum, Keith Woodley Non Voting Members Present: Marty Main Non Voting Members Absent: Chris Hearn, Cameron Meeks I. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Jensen called the meeting to order at 4:31 p.m. in the Siskiyou Room. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the Regular Commission Meeting of April 14, 2004, and minutes of the two Special Meetings of April 22 and April 29, 2004 were approved as edited. III. PUBLIC FORUM: No one spoke. IV. COMMISSIONER ETHICS/PUBLIC MEETING LAW TRAINING City Recorder Barbara Christensen explained that this training was in response to a City Council goal. The presentation was taped by RVTV in preparation for a video training tape. Christensen went over public meeting requirements, parliamentary procedures and public records law. Assistant City Attorney Mike Franell discussed ethics. Of special note to the commission: an official subcommittee meeting must be noticed if a quorum of the subcommittee is present and if the other groups involved have not noticed the meeting. This meeting must be noticed at least 24 hours in advanced by posting on the meeting building’s bulletin board and faxed to the Daily Tidings. Commission training is not a meeting requiring notice. Christensen invited the commissioners to email her ideas for future training. V. STAFF REPORTS A. Update on Lower Watershed -Fire Chief Woodley reported that 26 people attended the May 1st public hike. They visited Units H, G and N and the BTI trail. There is an interpretive sign for BTI being planned to explain the restoration work. Main reported ongoing piling and slash work. They are scoring some green downed Douglas fir to help prevent beetles. B. Update on USFS and CWPP Proposal – The City had just received word that it was granted until October 1, 2004 to complete the Community Alternative. Data collection would be at the City’s expense and could become an issue. USFS will assist in providing GIS data and a Forest Service Specialist would be available on a limed basis to answer questions. Linda Duffy did not believe there would be a conflict of interest with Commissioners that are also Forest Service employees. Woodley forwarded Duffy’s request for one or two point people from the City to act as liaisons to the Forest Service on this project. Woodley was contacted by a national newsletter called 'Land Letter', a subdivision of Environment and Energy Publishing out of Washington D.C. He expected a lot of peer review as our alternative was one of the first under the new HFRA Act. Chris Chambers, Forest Grant Worker Coordinator, researched grant money for data collection, but most money would not be available until after the October 1st deadline. Perhaps money could be used for follow-up surveys. Jensen thanked Chambers for all his hard work on the CWPP. VI. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: A. Approval of Public Forum Protocol – Jensen offered a draft agenda that included a proposed statement as well as “Other Business” broke down into “New” and “Old” Business. Assistant City Attorney, Mike Franell, reviewed and approved the additional wording. Robertson moved to approve the language and include it in future agendas. Eggers seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. B. Restoration Project: Winburn Parcel – Jensen wondered if the Commission’s work on the Winburn parcel should be postponed while working on the Community Alternative. Brock thought that, as a microcosm of the entire watershed, the Winburn Parcel could be used as a research site for mid elevation landscapes. Betlejewski said the detailed inventory (180 plots) of Winburn could be used to develop prescriptions at the seral stage. White noted that the scales were quite different (160 versus 8,000 acres). Main said the CWPP would be time intensive. He believed there is no urgency in Winburn as large trees have recently been thinned around – his concern was losing large trees. Betlejewski thought the Watershed could potentially be treated with 20-30 prescriptions replicated over and over. Robertson noted that if we evaluate the entire watershed, we would answer many questions about Winburn. Commission agreed to put management of the Winburn parcel on hold until after October 1st. C. Community Wildfire Protection Plan/Community Alternative – Eric Navickas asked to be recognized. Navickas said the Forest Service plan, as proposed, would create a ½ mile fuel break into a roadless area on the Winburn ridge and it would be compartmentalized into 5 acre pieces. The Community Alternative as submitted was site specific, but did not allow for roadless protection. Robertson noted the need for funding for data collection. Betlejewski estimated around $50,000. Woodley thought it important to look at the Forest Service’s existing data first. Jensen asked for volunteers to form a subcommittee to inspect the Forest Service’s data. Betlejewski, Brock and White volunteered and asked Marty Main to join them. Commission agreed. Robertson moved to continue the meeting until 6:30 PM. Eggers seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Eggers suggested contacting private foundations to help with immediate funding needs. Chambers volunteered to talk to local groups. Brock would invite community groups to send a technical representative(s) to be part of the gap analysis subcommittee. Robertson volunteered to help with the CWPP. Jensen, Eggers and Slocum would work on public collaboration efforts. It was noted that subcommittee work would include “technical,” “social,” and “other” values. The commission asked the outreach group to schedule a meeting with all stakeholders as soon as possible. VI. PROJECTS PENDING/REQUIRING ACTION – Tabled. VII. OTHER BUSINESS – None VIII. REVIEW AND SET COMMISSION CALENDAR / NEXT MEETING Commission agreed to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, May 26 from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM depending upon the availability of the meeting room. IX. ADJOURN: 6:32 PM

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