Agendas and Minutes

Forest Lands Committee (View All)

Regular Meeting

Agenda
Tuesday, February 13, 2007

MINUTES FOR THE MEETING

ASHLAND FOREST LANDS COMMISSION

February 13, 2007 – 5:30 PM

Community Development, 51 Winburn Way

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:         Richard Brock (Chair), Anthony Kerwin, Jim Lewis, Dan Maymar,

                                                Joseph Vaile, Diane White        

Members Absent:                   Zach Williams

Staff Present:                          Chris Chambers, Nancy Slocum, Keith Woodley

Non-Voting Members Present:         Eric Navickas

 

I.                   CALL TO ORDER: Chair Brock called the meeting to order at 5:45 PM in the Siskiyou Room. The Commission welcomed City Councilor Eric Navickas as the new Council Liaison.  

 

II.                APPROVAL OF MINUTES: White/Lewis m/s to approve the minutes of January 9, 2007 as submitted. Motion passed unanimously.  

 

III.             PUBLIC FORUM: None

 

IV.              ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: Slocum asked that the “Winburn Parcel Plan” be moved to the end of the agenda in order to finish items that would take less time. Brock agreed.  

 

V.                 OLD BUSINESS

A. AFRCAT / AFR Update – Chambers discovered a discrepancy in the Ashland Fire Resiliency Community Alternative. The plan characterized only 1400 of the 1800 acres in the project area. He thought the 400 acre Horn Gulch area could be easily characterized using the methods outlined in AFRCA.  

 

Woodley reported that District Ranger Linda Duffy would be at the March Commission meeting. The Commission wanted to discuss the best way to ensure the City’s future involvement with the project and tour sample prescription markings in a variety of landscapes.

 

B. Noxious Vegetation Inventory Update – Chambers reported that the results of the grant will be announced in May.  There has been no additional inventory work completed.

 

The Parks Department has treated 18 to 20 acres of Scotch broom along the ditch in the Strawberry/Hald property. They are also treating Lithia Hill.

 

C. Winburn Management Plan – Moved to the end of the agenda.    

 

D. MOU Revision – Tabled until next month’s discussion with Linda Duffy.

 

E. Earth Day Booth – Vaile will work on this with Slocum and Williams. Some suggestions for a display included an aerial map of the watershed showing the city and a list and samples of noxious weeds.

 

VI.               NEW BUSINESS  

           

A.     Maintenance Needs for Lower Parcel – This item would be tabled until Marty Main was ready for an update.

 

B.     Proposed AFLC Resolution in Support of Burning in the WUI – Chambers reported that there were new federal levels of particulate matter. The Department of Environmental Quality has asked cities to ban open burning. The Fire Department staff drafted an ordinance banning open burning except for the purpose of forest fire fuels reduction. He asked the Commission if they wanted to write a letter of support for the ordinance.

 

Chambers noted that the only other exception to the ban from the Commission’s viewpoint may be the burning of noxious weeds. Transporting some weeds had the potential of spreading their seeds. Commission agreed.

 

                  White / Kerwin m/s to charge Brock with writing a letter of recommendation including the burning of fuels and noxious weeds as exceptions to a ban on open burning. Motion passed unanimously.

 

C.     Commission Charter Review – Commission reviewed their revisions from October, 2006. Vaile/Kerwin m/s to accept the revised charter and forward it to the Legal Department, then to City Council for their review and approval. Motion passed unanimously.

 

D.     2007 Goal Setting – The Commission’s three year goals were revised and are attached to the minutes.

 

VII.           OLD BUSINESS

C.     Winburn Management Plan – Brock summarized the editing the subcommittee did on February 5, 2007.  Brock planned on drafting a section on botany. White would begin the Course Woody Material section. The Commission discussed terminology of “coarse” versus “large” and “debris” versus “material. White would also address the effect of large woody material on prescribed fire.

 

Kerwin will draft the section on Wildlife. Vaile wondered if any woodrats were ever seen in the area. No one had reported a sighting. Kerwin noted that Fish and Wildlife had recently been developing good data. There are three historical Northern Spotted Owl sites close to the Winburn Parcel. Other wildlife to be addressed include fishers, bats, grey owls and goshawks. Main noted the inherent diversity within the parcel which should be maintained.

 

VIII.        ADJOURN: 7:30 PM

 

Richard Brock, Chair

 

Respectfully Submitted, Nancy Slocum, Clerk

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