Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

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2013 Annual Meeting of the

NEERA 1005 "Sustainable Wood Energy" regional project group

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Date: 11 Nov, 2013, 18:30

Location: Desmond Hotel and Great Valley Conference Center, Malvern PA

Present: Mike Jacobson (PSU), Jingxin Wang (WVU), Seth Carsten (SUNY Morrisville), Ray Miller (MSU), Zwyia Wojnar (CU), D Ciolkosz (PSU), T Richard (PSU), S Wurzbacher (PSU)

1. Welcome and Agenda

Mike Jacobson welcomed all.  The broad goal of the meeting is to establish the overriding purpose and vision for the group's activities. 

2. Station Reports

Station reports were provided by Michigan State, Penn State, SUNY Morrisville and West Virginia University (see attached). 

3. Selection of Officers

Ray Miller was nominated for committee chair by Mike Jacobson, seconded by Tom Richard. 

Kaushlendra Singh was nominated for committee Vice Chair by Jingxin Wang, seconded by Ray Miller

Larry Smart was nominated for committee secretary by Mike Jacobson, seconded by Dan Ciolkosz

All three were unanimously approved for their new positions

4. Development of regional project focus and strategy

A wide ranging discussion ensued, including the following points:

-          This is a good time to look for funding.  MSU is very interested in torrefaction for co-firing (R Miller)

-          shall we go after a NE Sun Grant project?  Chemicals are the focus.  We could look to work with American Refining Group on bio-based FT products.  T Volk had ideas on coupling SRWC with Mixed Hardwood for reducing storage needs. (T Richard)

-          NSF grants are being announced, and DOE coal grants are being announced. (J Wang) 

-          Could the group function as a focal point for educational programs in the region?  Compare Coal/Wind to Coal/Biomass for meeting AEPS?  (D Ciolkosz)

-          SRWC as a wildlife cover?  Demos on forest thinnings?  Opportunities for fragmented and/or hygraded lands.  Partnership with DCNR could be good, since they are one of the only ones that do precommercial thinnings. (S Wurzbacher)

Action Plan - D Ciolkosz to prepare NEERA Planning Grant for developing a regional vision for sustainable wood energy.  Commercial partnerships to be sought for Sun Grant proposals. 

5. Adjourn

M Jacobson commended all on their participation. 

R Miller mentioned two upcoming SRWC meetings: 10-12 March in Gisbourne NZ, and Jul 20-23 in Vancouver BC. 

LeBoldus, J.M. Isabel N., Floate K.D., Blenis P.V., and Thomas B.R. Testing the hybrid susceptibility and phenological sink hypotheses using the P. balsamifera  P. deltoides hybrid zone and Septoria leaf spot [Septoria musiva] PLoS ONE. (In press)

LeBoldus, J.M. Zhang, Q. and Kinzer, K. (2012). First report of dollar spot caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa on Agrostis stolonifera in North Dakota. Plant Disease 96: 1071.

LeBoldus JM, Stanosz GR, Qin R, and Faria O. 2012 Screening hybrid poplar for resistance to Septoria musiva: Greenhouse to field correlations using a novel inoculation procedure. Oak Ridge, TN.

Brueggeman R, Friesen T, and LeBoldus JM. 2012. Genotype by sequencing and Marker Assisted Selection: Breaking the Bottleneck. Proceedings of the National Fusarium Head Blight Forum. Orlando, FL.

Dunnell KL, Nepal A, and LeBoldus JM. 2013. A medium thouput greenhouse phenotyping assay of Populus spp. for Septoria canker resistance. Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference.

Clemson, SC. Nepal A, Friesen T, LeBoldus JM. 2013. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) mediated transformation of Septoria musiva. North Central - American Phtypathological Society Regional Meeting. Manhattan, KS.

Qin R, Stanosz GR, LeBoldus JM. 2013. Non-wound greenhouse screening of hybrid poplar trees with Septoria musiva. America Phytopathological Society. Austen TX.

Walla, J., LeBoldus J.M., and Bergdahl A. 2013. The old and the New: Two needle diseases of spruce in North Dakota. F1680.

LeBoldus, J.M., Bergdahl, A., Knodel, J., and Zeleznik, J. 2012. Dutch Elm Disease in North Dakota: a new look. PP1635. Publications are included in the Minutes documents. In addition, publications are reported by individual Land Grant Institutions through USDA's REEport system.