Star Prairie Land Preservation Trust – December 8th, 2008 Meeting Minutes

Suzanna’s in New Richmond

 

     The December Meeting of the SPLPT was called to order at 4 pm by President Beth Wood.   

     Board members present were Pete Kling, Mike Reiter, Mike Kelly, Trish Moberg, Stu Nelson, Beth Wood, Consultant Cheryl Clemens and Aleisha Miller with daughter.

 

     The November 3rd, 2008 the treasurer’s report was approved as read while the secretary report was approved as disseminated via e-mail.

  

  1. The subject of Donor Recognition was briefly addressed with a copy of the Fine Arts Council brochure circulated. This will remain an agenda item for future meetings.   
  2. The River Protection Grant was reviewed by Cheryl. The grant expires at the end of the year. Volunteer hours for educational purposes can still be added to the total.
  3. Records of the SPLPT are currently kept in a file cabinet at the Menke garage. An Ad hoc committee was formed consisting of Mike Kelly and Stu Nelson to collect all pertinent documents. Cheryl will look into what documents need to be saved. A motion was made and approved to purchase a suitable storage cabinet for this purpose. Ron and Pete will come up with a suitable location for this cabinet.
  4. A 2009 budget will be set following tabulation of actual expenditures for 2008. Stu will work with Cheryl to finalize this.
  5. How and when decisions are made by the SPLPT was discussed. Members of the Board serve on various committees and work within those committees. It is important that lines of communication are set to keep others on the Board informed as to the decisions being made. E-mail communication was felt to be a good way to get this accomplished.
  6. The Schottler property easement process has been finalized to everyone’s satisfaction. Aleisha has been working on baseline documentation of the Schottler property with numerous photos taken which correspond to pertinent areas. This should be completed soon with duplicate copies made. One will reside with the Trust while the other will be provided to the Schottlers.
  7. The Boche property has been enrolled in the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program to replace the present CRP program. The area has been burned and spot plantings will be performed next spring to bring the property up to the specifications needed. This is a 15 year program which will provide valuable habitat for wildlife.
  8. The location of the gate to the McMurtrie property located off Highway M was discussed. The adjacent landowner will be contacted to see if the gate can remain in its present location. This issue will be put to rest by the Property Committee with a report given at the next meeting.
  9. Warren Irle, an area resident, has made a monetary contribution to the SPLPT in memory of his parents. He desires that the money be used in conservation projects in Stanton Township or surrounding areas. A letter acknowledging this generous contribution will be sent. Warren also is interested in working with the SPLPT in setting up a conservation easement on his land.
  10. There is an opportunity for the SPLPT to partner with other groups to employ an AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) intern for area lakes. The Cedar Lake District has dedicated a monetary amount for this project. The SPLPT has committed $250.00 for this also. Volunteer time can also be pledged at a rate of $12 per hour.
  11. Cheryl has taken on the responsibility of finalizing the trail guides for use on the marked trails of the McMurtrie Preserve. She has been working with “Printing Plus” to get the job done. A prototype copy of the guide was available for review. Colored drawings to highlight the text may be sought before the guide is finalized.
  12. The next McMurtrie Preserve event is a hiking/snowshoeing outing on the land scheduled for December 20th. Aleisha is heading up this event. In the future it was felt that we need to partner with other groups to get dedicated participation. Aleisha will e-mail the Board a description of the proposed activities for PR purposes.
  13. The SPLPT’s winter greeting cards have been printed and will be mailed shortly.

 

     The next scheduled meeting of the SPLPT is Monday, January 12th, 2009 at Suzanna’s in New Richmond. The second Monday of every other month was selected as potential meeting dates. Meeting dates for 2009 include: March 9th, May 11th, July 13th, September 14th and November 9th, 2009.  

 

With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 5:30 pm.

 

                                  Respectfully Submitted - Mike Reiter - Recorder