Those present: Harriet Wise, Keith Schoonover, Lynne Marquess, Ginny Brace, Tyson Rose, Mike Kay

1. Keith called the meeting to order and the following correction was noted in January’s minutes: The minutes should read that Sarah was accepted into the “Forestry Program” at Virginia Tech.

2. Harriet Wise distributed a sampling of the calendars and books that were published showcasing her photography. Harriet said that she is very interested in photographing large distinctive trees and thought that perhaps the Forestry Board could help her locate large or unusual looking specimens. Harriet said that she is thinking about doing a calendar showcasing the Champion Trees of Frederick County but would be open to other suggestions. Harriet also said that she would consider publishing a book of photographs or even a handbook of sorts that can be used by those wishing to plant trees so they can view different details like form, kinds of fruit produced, fall color etc. Harriet also wondered if the board knew of any grant opportunities to help fund this project. Harriet expects that it would take 1 ½ to 2 years to see this project through. Harriet distributed her card and asked members to consider these questions and contact her to discuss them further. Mike provided Harriet with Ranger John Leaf’s contact information. John is very knowledgeable about the Champion Tree program having worked with it over 20 years. Mike also indicated that a real informative book on choosing trees for the site was published by Penn State about 15 years ago, and this book can be purchased on their web site. Ginny thought that it would be helpful for the board to purchase a copy with funds from the Treasury.

3. Membership: Mike learned that Larry Sharpe broke his hip about 5 weeks ago and is now on the mend. Get well soon Larry!

4. Treasurer’s Report: Tom will not be able to attend meetings for the next three months due to a conflict he has with a course he is taking. Tom sent an e-mail on 2-5-09 indicating that we have $10,751.34 in the Treasury. This includes $8.75 in interest accrued from last month.

5. Logging Site Exams: Two plans were submitted for adjacent properties on Dixon Road near Urbana. These plans were submitted because the landowners hope to conduct a logging operation and the properties are part of an Agricultural Preservation easement. As part of the process a Stewardship Plan was prepared by Bill Bond which was approved by the State Forester (Mike). The final requirement is to have the Forestry Board visit the site and approve the logging plan. Looking at the logging plans Lynne noted that the landowner’s objective was to follow the Stewardship Plan; and, as Mike did not keep a copy of the plans we don’t know how to evaluate the objective statement. Lynne asked Mike to obtain copies of these plans so we can proceed with the logging exams.

6. NRCC: Mike provided Lynne with copies of all the handouts that were recently distributed via e-mail. Mike also made some copies for Ginny. Lynne intends to attend a Careers Day program at Thomas Johnson High, staff a table and try to recruit students for the camp. Lynne also asked Frederick County Board of Education if we could submit materials to the individual schools and was told that Lynne should give the materials to a contact with the Board of Education. Finally, Lynne mentioned that Karen Gardner interviewed last year’s students for a story that will run in the News Post sometime soon.

7. Gypsy Moth: Mike mentioned that Parkton received 4 bids from interested applicators and the Gypsy Moth Task Force selected Helicopter Applicators as the winning bidder. Parkton is set to send applications to everyone who participated in last year’s program. This would not include people in Walkersville and Woodsboro who are at risk this year. Perhaps an additional informational meeting like we had in Frederick would be a good idea in Walkersville.

8. Interpretive Signage: Tyson distributed copies of some signs.

9. Web site: Tyson mentioned recent updates to the FCFB Web Site.

10. Bugs and Blights Workshop: Ginny attended this program in Carroll County and said that there was a lot of useful information and the program was well attended.