Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting

February 3, 2007 Lake-Osceola State Bank, Baldwin

Administrative

1. The meeting was called to order by Vice President Dave Gibbs at 9:04 am.

As there was not a quorum present, all matters requiring a vote must be ratified at the next scheduled meeting – March 3. 2007.

2. Attendance: Jay Barnhart, Paul Bigford, Rick Conney, Jill Engelman, Dave Gibbs, Dick Schwikert, Chuck Turk.

Excused: Jim Bos, Jeff Carpenter, Fred McLane, Kevin Morlock and Ken Sink.

Absent: Steve Fraley, Jim Schramm and Tom Seroczynski.

3. Minutes of the January 6, 2007 Board Meeting: Motion made by Chuck Turk to accept the minutes as distributed. APPROVED (to be ratified).

4. President’s Notices:

The Mason-Lake Conservation District Annual Banquet will be held February 24^th at Riverton Township Hall; Paul Bigford will represent PMWC.

We have received 19 memorial donations for a total of $670 in memory of the late Ronald L. Ptaszenski of Ludington. Mr. Ptaszenski was not a member of PMWC, but is understood to have loved the Pere Marquette River and his family wished his memory to live on through the donations to our organization.

A thank you note was received from Bill Sessions for the PMWC logo shirt we presented him with.

Old Business

5. Financial Integrity: Jay Barnhart

A. Treasurer’s Report: No written report distributed. Verbal report

summarized the Ptaszenski memorial donations.

B. Spending Plan: Jay Barnhart reviewed last year’s revenue and

Expenses.

1. It was decided to add Right-of-Way Habitat Anchoring as a separate expense line item.

2. The C4C Chairman, Steve Fraley, was asked to review the project’s budget with an eye to possibly adjusting application fees in the year 2008. 2007 fees remained the same as Year 2006.

3. The line item previously marked encourage responsible behavior will be renamed “symposium”

4. Expenses for the newsletter, mailings, postage, supplies

etc. to be a separate line item from the office expense

(rent/telephone/internet).

5. Global warming to be added as a new expense line item

Jay will issue the revised 2007 Spending Plan for ratification at the March meeting.

C. PMWC Endowment: Jill Engelman recapped the Lake County

Community Foundation’s report for the PMWC endowment which reflects a total of $ 9,668 in the account to date. The interest for 2006 has yet to be posted. Going forward, it will be possible to determine exactly the total value of the donations received per year.

No report on the Fred Mann’s Endowment Fund.

D. Great Lakes Commission Grant: Conservation Resource Alliance

(CRA) prepared the 2006-2007 Budget Statement; PMWC signed off and submitted it to the Commission in January.

E. Expos: FFF’s Macomb Expo will be March 10-11; Dave Gibbs has

Reserved a table and a room; Rick Conney plans to attend; Please Dave know if you wish to participate.

F. Cast for Conservation© and Annual Banquet: Jill Engelman has drafted a new C4C invitation; an article will be placed in the

upcoming FFF newsletter and the Mainstream for both the C4C and Banquet. Discussion on whether to offer a speaker, author,

musical entertainment or no program at the Annual Banquet was held and whether the topic should be educational or entertainment.

Consensus of those present seemed to lean towards an educational speaker. Directors are asked to forward suggestions on topics/speakers to Jill.

F. Membership Renewals: Jill Engelman has drafted two versions of

the renewal reminder – one for members who have renewed in 2005 and 2006 and a second version for those who have not renewed since 2003 and 2004 will be sent. The increased printing cost (color printing) is hoped to be offset by enticing older members to renew. An accounting of renewals (from what year) will be made to assess if the color printing was beneficial.

6. Restoration Committee:

A. Next meeting: No date has been set by CRA.

B. Nature Conservancy Plan: Expect proposal from John Legge this month.

7. Unified Management:

A. Natural River Zoning Review Board: Paul Bigford - No hearings in January. Just received: the requests for variances will be heard at the February 26^th public hearing (at Logan Twp. Hall on Tyndal): Brad Fredricks (Big South below Ruby Creek) is requesting addition of a 24’ x 24’ second story addition 28’ from the river. Also, Clint Anderson (Red Moose Lodge on M37) is requesting an after-the-fact land use variance to operate a commercial hunting/fishing guide service out of the motel. Natural River regulations preclude new commercial businesses, although the lodge already has a land use permit for use as a motel.

B. Pagura Litigation: Judge Monton has not yet ruled on penalties following the July guilty finding; Dick Schwikert will check with Attorney Bill Farr as to possible PWMC response.

C. USFS PM River Management Plan: Fred McLane received a phone call on January 24^th from Les Russell informing PMWC that the promised February 1^st publication of the plan is being delayed until the fist week of March due to scheduling difficulties with the State and Tribe representatives. Rick Conney will call for another meeting between past presidents and the Forest Service staff to attempt to hasten the process.

NOTE: there was a general discussion regarding the lack of response and/or accountability with many of the agencies we must interface with. Examples of the delayed Pagura decision, the unresolved Henry Campground case, the MDOT objection to our stormdrain screen, the Village postponing their stormdrain project

(separate from MDOT project) – All is an indication of government not responding to it’s citizens. It was suggested that letters-to-the-editor, or op-ed articles in the media might draw public attention to the issues. We need to publicize our willingness to stand firm and demand accountability.

D. Village Stormdrain: Fred McLane and Dick Schwikert will meet

with the incoming Village President Doug Bolles to emphasize our intentions of resolving the issues as quickly as possible.

E. USFS&WS: We have not receive a reply to our letter regarding

support for several sea lamprey projects (sterile males for PM, pheromone research, offer of assistance in sampling); it was suggested a subcommittee meet with F&WS staff to follow up on their future plans for improving the Custer Weir and other lamprey control techniques.

New Business

8. Board Meetings: The Lake Osceola State Bank community room has been

reserved for the first Saturday each month; The May meeting will be in

conflict with the Bank’s scheduled carpet cleaning. An alternate location

will be necessary. The September (Saturday of Labor Day weekend)

meeting will be reviewed in August.

9. Ice Mountain: The January 10^th public hearing at Newaygo’s Monroe

Township Hall was attended by over 200 irate citizens, none of whom

supported Ice Mountain’s presentation. The venue was not conducive to a

meaningful discussion of the issue of water mining, and no DEQ

representatives were on hand to answer technical questions. The White

River Watershed Partnership has formally requested another public

hearing to more thoroughly review the Ice Mountain proposal. PMWC

has a copy of the proposal on file. PMWC needs to name a chair to follow

this more closely. It was suggested that PMWC host a symposium on the

issue of water mining, but since it is a statewide issue, it was felt that PMWC should join with MUCC or another broad-based group to form a coalition to debate the matter. PMWC must begin to express concerns to our state representatives. Dick Schwikert and Paul Bigford will draft a proposal for review by the Board in March.

10. Global Warming: With publication of the United Nations study on climate

change and its impact on natural resources, Dave Gibbs will provide a list

suggestions for local and personal consideration.

Meeting adjourned at 11:42 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Dick Schwikert

Edited and keyed,

Jill Engelman