Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Action Items: 1. Peter Kolb, (MT) needs good, high quality tiff or jpeg forest photos; attractive to look at; also links to what we already have up on web sites; by March 14, 2005. These slides will be used in the web-based education project. 2. Eric Norland (WDC) asked: a. Who would be willing to help plan the Extension Foresters meeting in conjunction with the SAF National Meeting in Texas? b. Who would be willing to help plan the CSREES exhibit at SAF National Meeting? c. Who would be willing to help plan the CSREES exhibit at Association of Consulting Foresters Meeting (6/19-20)? d. Eric asked for feedback on the National Web-based Learning Center  are we using it; promoting it; is it an attention-getter; is it user-friendly? - If you wish to volunteer contact Eric via email directly. 3. Send Bob Wheeler (AK) before and after slides of trees damaged by fire & showing their recovery for usage in the AK-ID proposal... 4. Bob Wheeler (AK) will let Tony Nakazawa (AK Extension Director) know that the committee is interested in meeting in late summer in Fairbanks in 2006. Committee of Bob Wheeler., Peter Kolb., and Ron Mahoney (ID) will look into logistics of additional study tour to the Brooks Range. 5. Don Hanley (WA) will develop a raft web site for WCC-1003. This website will link shared educational program elements for usage in the west. 6. Don Hanley will ask the non-represented western states (NV, WY, HI) to join WCC. 7. Don Hanley will solicit committee members asking for scheduling availability for quarterly conference call meetings. WCC Web-based Learning Project: Peter Kolb updated us on web-based learning project. Purpose of 1st module is to increase awareness of values of forests, get people thinking about planning, describe national trends related to forests & why their efforts matter to themselves and to society. Module will last 20-60 minutes. Summarized history of project. $15K budget for initial module with 3 segments; Flash-based. Money transferred to Montana State University in November 2004; nothing spent yet. In Montana internet connections often can be very slow, so he feels we need to talk about level at which this is done. Showed a simple, quick, 20 slide PowerPoint as an example of what he has been thinking of doing. Very simple, no data collected. Culminated with a downloadable form where they can fill out property info and goals for the property, stored on their computer. Some have discussed using video; viewed a portion of video on DVD from MSU about forest land ownership and stewardship program. Discussion of coached stewardship planning concept and practice in relation to this module. Peter Kolb asked what is ultimate goal of this module? Bob Sturtevant (CO) said that he wants something that can help landowners do something on their own with as little help possible. Viewed www.forestandrange.org. Committee complained about having to register (Don Hanley will express concerns to Samuel Jackson, UTN). Viewed streaming video examples using MS Producer WSU. Video takes up most of the bandwidth. Bob Wheeler feels state-by-state incentives that are available need to be included in presentation. In addition, landscape level planning needs to be discussed. Peter Kolb said it would need to be included, but not necessarily in first module. Maybe a first slide might ask what state youre in and direct you to help from your state. Deborah Young (AZ) asked what we might measure in the future as our impact. Eric Norland (WDC) said intent is to reach people who don't show up for workshops. For internet savvy persons, not for everyone. Deborah Young suggested we look at rangelandswest.org web site for a model of how to direct people to help in their state. Eric Norland National Update: Eric handed out USDA-CSREES budget information. RREA increase of $29K; recommendations on spending? Presidents 2006 budget proposal (handout) - about $12 million increase over last year (very significant). Some new programs including New Technologies for Ag Extension ($3M) and Agro security Education ($5M). NRI greatly increased and AES competitive grants new. Money came from Hatch & McIntype-Stennis; getting away from formula funding; ½ off this year & ½ off next year. Moneys for 406 programs also moved into NRI & AES Competitive Grants. Also, would pay full overhead on NRI. Level funding a huge accomplishment for Extension. Scott Reed (OR). Asked about implications of all of this for growing RREA program. Eric Norland doesn't think we'll ever get to a $30M formula program. Strategy should be to talk about base needed, then what more you could do with more money that is competitive. Bob Wheeler. Asked about healthy forest initiative. Eric Norland -- mostly to Forest Service and state foresters for fire-related work. People/agencies are protective of money; doesn't know what the opportunities are. Forest Service heavily allied with FS. Don Hanley. Asked about Agro security Education program. Eric Norland didnt know, but assumes it's a resident instruction program. Dave Baumgartner (WA). Asked about Forest Service budget. Eric Norland said there were some significant cuts, including in S&PF, but they have more flexibility in how they handle moneys. Peter Kolb asked what is the $21MM in the CSREES budget item under other? Eric Norland stated that they are Congressional earmarks/line items. Such items will continue to be sources of funding. Don Hanley: What is future of RREA? Eric Norland - RREA is authorized in Farm Bill through 2007; would need to be reauthorized. Wonders if RREA name is best, but risky to change name. Need to tighten & bring up to date (enacted in 1975). Thinks it could be reauthorized. Thinks that NGOs, etc. will go for access to the money. Scott Reed asked where power is now - Eric Norland mentioned National Council Private Forests). Eric - NCPF will have a lot of say in the future negotiations for RREA. Bob Wheeler, USDA-NRCS will be lobbying for that Farm Bill. How do we have that impact? Eric - NRCS as an example has NACD lobbying for their budget. We need to be at the table. Getting a coalition and not having a lot of contention is very important to Congress. Eric passed out CSREES-NRE (Natural Resources Extension) unit handout. Unit continues to grow. Adding Forest Health & Protection Program Leader. Looking to hire a National Program Leader in Range & Grasslands. How to spend extra $29K RREA money? Scott Reed suggested giving to web learning center. Jim Reeb (OR) suggested making pools available to regions. Deb Y. suggested taking one specific measure of RREA impact and do a system-wide assessment of impact/outcome. Peter Kolb said in Wheeling (ANREP National Meeting in Wheeling WV) that it was discussed that RREA is spent in each state in many different ways; might be hard to state impact. Scott Reed and Deborah Young (AZ) agreed, but is it a legitimate use (non-program) of RREA funds. Eric feels like assessment is legitimate. Colleen Hefferin (CSREES Administrator) does not want advocacy done with these funds. Eric Norland mentioned that Mel Baughman (MN) & Matt Frazier (FL) are in WDC to work on some advocacy efforts with ANREP & the Extension Directors. Scott Reed Presentation: Future of WCC 1003 and how we relate to the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (see WFLC handout) -- Extension forestry has tried to play a role in this coalition, but hasnt been successful. Have many similar goals to us. Deborah Young, Scott Reed, and Eric Norland have attended one of their meetings. The trio was received politely - but without follow-up. Eric Norland stated that we were told that Extension Foresters will never be part of the Coalition, because they are not leaders in forestry. Bob Sturtevant (CO) said that WFLC is hiring a new Director, so this is a good time to have an impact; be on their doorstep when the new Director is in place. He feels that the snub wasnt coming from the Director, but from State Foresters. Bob Wheeler wonders if our name (WCC 1003) hurts; not descriptive; also do we need a brochure or something describing what we do, who we are? We will take Bob Sturtevant's suggestion and be on WFLC doorstep when they have a new Director. Scott Reed is now comfortable with riding coat tails; we need to be a strong committee, maybe linking with NAPFSC or eventually creating and hiring a new western extension forester. Peter Kolb - they may have great differences in mission to what our mission is; we don't advocate, they do; need to be cognizant of that. Fred Deneke Presentation: Deneke is a former National Extension Forester; now Staff Lead for Woody Biomass Utilization USDA-FS, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the woody biomass utilization program in the FS. Woody biomass includes a wide range of materials, from sawtimber on down. Nine percent, of US, energy comes from renewable energy; of that, 47% is from biomass & biomass is the best source. Talked about opportunities, potential, projections, benefits. Many states are getting involved with renewable energy, but not biomass. Extension can play a very important role in educating people about the potential for woody biomass and how it can help with forest health treatments. Doug McCreary (CA). - What progress has there been on small, portable biomass utilization technology? Sue Levan (sp?) at FPL is a good source of information on this. Something on this is likely to show up in the next Farm Bill; get in on it. Don Hanley has sent a copy of Fred's PowerPoint to full WCC Committee. Address questions to: fdeneke@fs.fed.us Tony Nakazawa, Extension Director in AK: What is the reporting required of a committee such as ours? Need annual report including impact statement(s). March 1 deadline, but second week of March OK. Follow CSREES themes listed on handout. Scott Reed how can we have such impacts, being a coordinating committee, rather than a group of researchers as are many of these committees? Don Hanley - we are doing, but haven't done a project. Scott Reed - maybe share programs we do from each state and aggregate them. Tony Nakazawa - suggested mentioning activities involved with our developing a strategic plan. Deborah Young - look at committee's charge, what we said we would do, & report how we've done that. Peter Kolb - There is great value just in getting together and sharing program ideas, whether or not it leads to multi-state projects. Bob Wheeler mentioned our discussions about how we'll approach the next Farm Bill and how we'll deal with WFLC. Dave Baumgartner (WA) agreed with Peter's statements. Bob Wheeler Presentation: Bob Wheeler and Ron Mahoney (ID) have a proposal in to the national web-based learning center to do a module on wildfire effects on forests and trees. Would like us to send him before-and-after slides of trees damaged by fire & showing their recovery. If funded this web-based project will be endorsed and use by WCC committee members Showed PowerPoint titled Forest Health and Environmental Stress in Alaska. Discussed forest health problems in AK, particularly as affected by climate warming. Extension may have a role to play in educating people about potential impacts of these changes on forests and other environments. Asked if we are interested in having a WCC-1003 meeting and tour in Alaska late-August 2006? Seemed reasonable to some to do this. Could do just a meeting in Fairbanks w/out tour part or w/ shorter trip to Brooks Range. Eric Norland - what could we do with this, instead of just seeing it? Need some way of telling a compelling story using this. Deborah Young - she has first ever climate specialist; get NOAA involved in a project climate science and our forests. Peter Kolb - hard to get funds to do this; maybe make this a public awareness-building activity; invite key legislators to come along & educate them. General agreement that a late summer/fall WCC 1003 meeting in Fairbanks would be worthwhile. In terms of adding a longer tour before, people generally felt OK, but many werent sure they could do it (money-wise and/or time-wise). In terms of a tour with legislators, might work; hard to get members, a few key staff for a few days might be possible. Bob Wheeler is to get back to Tony Nakazawa that we are interested in a meeting there & maybe a tour. Get Steve Jones (Chancellor U. Alaska-Fairbanks) involved. Committee will be Bob Wheeler, Peter Kolb, and Ron Mahoney; to investigate the logistics of major tour and funding opportunities. Committee Business: Don Hanley: Do we need a brochure or web page to highlight what WCC-1003 is and what it does? Some sentiment that a brochure might be too static & out-of-date too quickly. Maybe a simple web page would be good; WSU will put together something simple. Priority issues on handout - how do we want to identify WCC-1003 in terms of how we relate to these priorities (forest health, wildland and defensible fire concerns, urban interface issues)? What do we do about non-represented states (NV, WY, HI)? Don Hanley will work on it. When should we meet & should we meet by phone periodically? Don Hanley will send out e-mail asking for availability for conference call.

New project

Solicited by each state represented in the committee, will be placed on website for distribution. Examples include forest stewardship coached planning video tape produced by Montana State University.