MINUTES FOR THE MEETING

ASHLAND FOREST LANDS COMMISSION

October 9, 2007 – 5:30 PM

Community Development, 51 Winburn Way

MEMBERS PRESENT:            Craig Gorson, Anthony Kerwin (Chair), Christopher Iverson,                                                                                  Ben Rice, Dan Maymar

Members Absent:                    Jim Lewis

Staff Present:                           Nancy Slocum, Keith Woodley

Non-Voting Members Present:

Also Present:                            Marty Main, Darren Borgias

I.                CALL TO ORDER: Chair Anthony Kerwin called the meeting to order at 5:32 PM in the Siskiyou Room. Commission welcomed Craig Gorson and Ben Rice to the Commission.

II.              APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Gorgon/Iverson m/s to approve the minutes of September 11, 2007 as submitted. Motion passed unanimously.  

III.            PUBLIC FORUM: None

IV.            ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: Darren Borgias asked that the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) Technical Assistant grant be added to New Business. Kerwin approved the request.   

V.              OLD BUSINESS

A.  Review and Vote on AFR Implementation, Mitigation and Monitoring Comments to Forest Service – Slocum, Main, Borgias and Woodley worked on the draft response and sent it to the Commission via email. Since there were substantive changes requested to that draft both in content and tone, the letter came back to the Commission for a final review. The Commission made several edits to the final letter.

Maymar / Gorson m/s to accept the letter as edited, asked Slocum made the changes and mail the final letter October 10^th with Woodley’s signature.  

B. Winburn Parcel Management

Before discussing the specifics of the management plan, Main was asked to explain to the new commissioners why the Winburn Parcel was important to the city. In the watershed Winburn, with its different ownership, operates under different realities, budget, and set of regulations (no NEPA). It can serve as a model for up to date treatment options. Its 160 acres has 69 permanent plots that track number and species of trees and vegetation, down woody debris, snags, soils and amount of fuels. Main said that, with the proper treatment, the City can reduce the risk for a stand destroying fire in that area.

Rice wondered if it would be appropriate to allow the USFS or ODF to review our final management plan as a way to further communication between agencies.

VI.             NEW BUSINESS: None  

A.     OWEB Technical Assistant Grant Application

Darren Borgias, Stewardship Ecologist for the Nature Conservancy, said a goal of the Conservancy was to begin to offer wider support to local watershed owners. As such he is offering to apply for an OWEB Technical Assistance Grant of $50,000 on behalf of the City (deadline is October 22). Borgias provided the Commission with a draft concept paper describing the purpose for the requested funding as “to enable the City of Ashland technical staff and contractor to collaborate with the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest in delineating units, unit specific prescriptions, and necessary inventory to implement the USFS proposed Ashland Forest Resiliency Project developed collaboratively under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.” Bear Creek Watershed Council has offered to write a letter of support and the Fish and Wildlife may write the other. Borgias is requesting Commission’s approval to move forward with the grant application.

Gorson moved to allow Borgias to write the grant with Woodley and Main doing a final review. Iverson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

VII.      COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: None

VII.          ADJOURN: 7:25 PM

Anthony Kerwin, Chair

Respectfully Submitted, Nancy Slocum, Clerk