Those Present: Claude Eans, Steve Thrasher, Vince Perrotta, Jim Arnold, Tom Anderson, Mike Kay

1. Call to order: We met this month at Claude’s home to discuss the Scout’s Forestry Merit Badge training and to take a look at the facilities at the Walkersville Watershed. Unfortunately Mother Nature was not cooperating and a severe thunderstorm was raging outside. So, like the troopers we are, we decided to stay inside, drink coffee and eat chocolate chip cookies and brownies. (Claude, Steve, and Mike visited the watershed on June 6.)

2. Treasurer’s Report: Tom reported that he is receiving some more Neighborhood Green checks from Heather that he will put in the Treasury.

3. Logging Site Exams. Mike mentioned that one plan came in and suggested that he visit the site in the course of conducting all the Neighborhood Green visits he has to make this month. (Hi Heather!) Board members gave him permission to do this.

4. Neighborhood Green: We had close to 80 people show up for the program and nearly 70 applications for site visits were submitted. Vince relayed that he thought the training was excellent, he noted that Heather did a good job with her talk and was a good monitor keeping everybody on time and the program moving along at a brisk pace. Everybody thought that the attendees were very interested in the program and we received a number of questions from participants. Heather handed out the site visit assignments and we are in the process of meeting participants on their property. Mike discussed incorporating funding through the Healthy Forests Clean Water Initiative with Eric Sprague to help fund Neighborhood Green projects that lie outside the Linganore Watershed, (and as a result do not qualify for cost share). Eric was fairly positive that HFCW funds could be used for Neighborhood Green as long as the Forestry Board stays involved in the program. Mike will compile a list of projects once he has completed his site visits and send them to Eric for consideration.

5. NRCC: Claude asked how NRCC applicants are coming along and Mike indicated that he is not aware of any students that applied from Frederick County. Claude mentioned that he will once again provide his Scouting contacts with information on the program and see if we can drum up some interest.

6. Scout Merit Badge training: Claude reviewed his outline and Steve, Claude, and Mike described the facilities at the Walkersville Watershed. The three of us think that the watershed would be the best place to hold this training for a number of reasons including: It has all of the facilities already in place (pavilions, restrooms, trails etc.) It is a managed forest. There would be no drive time such as would be necessary moving from Gambrill to the Frederick City Watershed. We would have exclusive use of the area. We also think that all of the 5 stations that Claude envisioned (Tree ID, Wood Samples, Duties of Forester, Ecology, and Managing Forest) could be held in fairly close proximity to the main gathering area around the pavilions. We envision that Board Members could staff the five stations, split the Scouts into groups of five, and then have them visit each station on 30 minute intervals. Once this portion of the day is finished we could leave and let the Scouts work with their leaders and Merit Badge counselors to finish their lessons, be graded and fulfill their requirement for the merit badge. We envision that our time commitment would be from 9:00 am -12:00 pm. After some discussion a motion was made to accept Claude’s course outline and allow Claude to meet with the Scouting contacts to relay this material as our formal proposal. The motion was seconded and passed by those present. Claude will meet with the Scouts and deliver our proposal. Should our proposal be accepted the next step is to identify instructors, divvy up assignments, and visit the watershed to tag trees and decide where the stations will be located. A suggestion was made to create a Merit Badge committee at the July meeting so we can act on this outside the course of the regular meetings.

7. Nature Notes: Tom indicated that we have a decent backlog to hold us over until Ginny returns from Holiday. Tom also relayed an email he received as per his most recent article on stink bugs.

8. Web Site: As per Tyson’s email the site is up to date; and, Tyson encourages folks to get out there and take some photos.

9. Other Business:

   • Mike relayed that he read of a parasitic mite that had been released in Canada and Michigan to help control Emerald Ash Borers with good initial results.

   • Tree Farm Program: Claude mentioned that a Tree Farm program is being planned in Allegany County for October. Claude will provide more information as it becomes available.