The meets monthly. Each month this Web page will contain some information resulting from the latest Board meeting that we think maybe of public interest. Below are a few highlights of the meeting held on June 13, 2011.

Those present: Keith Schoonover, Tom Anderson, Ginny Brace, Jim Arnold, Lynne Marquess, Clarence Tipton, Mike Kay

1. Keith called the meeting to order and May’s minutes were approved as written. Lynne commented that at present Mike distributes the first daft minutes to members along with DNR, Forestry Board and Tyson to go on the web site. Lynne suggested that Mike wait for the minutes to be reviewed and send the final product to our partners. After some discussion Mike proposed that he send out the first edition with “Draft” written on it then send out the corrected with “Final” on it.

2. Membership: Mike introduced Clarence Tipton to board members. Clarence is interested in Board activities so he was invited to the meeting. Mike distributed Keith’s New Membership to him and Keith provided Tom with his. Now we have the Executive Committee in place!

3. Treasurer’s Report: Tom mentioned that there was a lot of activity last month, mostly as a result of the Neighborhood Green program. We also provided Angie Toms with a $510 PLANT grant and sent Jeff Grills $360 funds for the Arboretum. We also received a very generous contribution of $500 from the Nancy McCartney family.

4. Logging site exams: We will be meeting at Ginny Brace’s house at 8:00 am on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 to visit the property in Libertytown.

5. NRCC: The Education Committee met in early June and is trying hard to recruit 14 additional students so as to increase attendance to levels where we will break even financially on the program. (I don’t know if my blood sugar level is down or what but I’m really kind of dragging here.)

6. Neighborhood Green: We had a very productive training session although there were a number of no shows. Jim, Lynne, and Ginny were present at most programs with Jim and Ginny acting as instructors. Mike will be meeting with Karen Gardner and Heather Montgomery to do a newspaper article on the program where we will be visiting participants that have completed some practices and recent attendees to review their plans . Heather submitted a NFWF grant to provide funding for practice implementation.

7. Nature Notes: Ginny has been providing enough content for weekly columns but she would like to find more contributors in the bird, animal, and flower – herbaceous plant communities. “Enough with the tree articles Iron Mike!” We thought it would be good to place a notice about the emerald ash borer being found in Howard County.

8. Natural Resources Lecture Series: Mike distributed a memo that proposed a number of potential programs. Mike will attach this to the minutes and if you can do so, it would be nice for you to rate the programs, provide descriptive titles or narrative, or enclose other potential topics to consider. We are probably looking at a 6 month program that could begin in July 2011, September 2011 or next spring. We thought a central location would be best like Walkersville library, C. Burr Artz library, or Pinecliff Park.

9. Bear Branch Trout passage: Lynne wanted everybody to know that an improved brook trout passage way is being constructed underneath Mt. Ephraim Road to permit better stream movement for this wild, native trout species.