NAASF FHC Confernce Call Notes 6/17/2014

NAASF Forest Health Committee
Conference Call – June 17, 2014 – 02:00 p.m. to 04:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Call-in phone number: (888)861-0198
Passcode: 6958854814#
Conference Call Notes – DRAFT – Please send comments/corrections to Tivon Feeley at
[email protected]
Participants: Ken Gooch (MA-Chair), Tivon Feeley (IA-Secretary), Andrea Diss-Torrance (WI), Bruce
Payton (RI State Forester), Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair), Ron Murray (MI), Barb Schultz (VT), and Ralph
Crawford (USFS).
Not Available: Val Cervenka (MN-Past Chair), Becky Gray (WI), Bob Tatman (MD-Leadership Team),
Butch Sayers (WV), Dave Struble (ME-Leadership Team), Ian MacFarlane (NAASF), Noel Schneeberger
(USFS), Paul Ricard (RI), Phil Marshall (IN), Rob Davies (NY State Forester), Rob Lawrence (MO), Rosa Yoo
(NJ), Steve Koehn (MD State Forester), Tiffany Arp (IN), and Tom Macy (OH).
Agenda:
1) Forest Health Committee EAB Proposal to be presented at NAASF summer meeting.
2) Forest Health Issues/Matrix update.
3) FHC 2015 Workplan to submit to NAASF.
4) Update on winter Forest Health Committee meeting - February 2015 - West Chester, PA.
5) Development of a state rotation for officers - secretary, vice-chair, chair, and immediate past chair.
6) State/region rotation for hosting the annual Forest Health Committee Meeting: 2016 meeting in New
England/NY .
Discussion: Last call before the state forester’s meeting.
EAB Proposals to be presented at NAASF Meeting.
Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)- A two page was document sent out to the group. The items in bold are the
three top priorities from the Madison meeting. The list is then broken down by the levels of funding
priorities, based on varies funding levels. We are trying to keep this short. Andrea Diss-Torrance (WI) is
doing this in bullet form.
Bruce Payton (RI State Forester)- Will make sure that this document get to Ian.
Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)- Please send any further comments now. We have very limited time. Barb
Schultz (VT) and Ron Murray (MI) both liked the document as is. Comments from Tivon Feeley (IASecretary) and Val Cervenka (MN-Past Chair) have been received.
Andrea Diss-Torrance (WI)- Asked for clarification on the bio-control funding. Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)
explained it was for the field monitoring post release, not the PPQ costs.
Bruce Payton (RI State Forester)- Will read through the document to make sure it is clear and provide
feedback to Don.
A consensus was reached from the group that this will be the document that will be presented to the
State Foresters, but there may be some more comments from Bruce Payton (RI State Forester) to
incorporate. A final version will be sent to the group by Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair).
Forest Health Issues/Forest Pest Matrix.
Tivon Feeley (IA-Secretary)- Looked at the comments voted on at the Madison meeting and the
comments sent in from the states. Made the appropriate changes that did not conflict with the
Madison vote. The colors are now the Homeland security colors. There was some concern that green
indicated that the pest was safe. The categories are now wide impact range and potential for regional
impact, severe localized threat with moderate threat to a wide area, and a pest of localized concern.
Andrea Diss-Torrance (WI) – Requested a final copy be resent. Not everyone received a copy of the final
version. Tivon Feeley will resend the list.
Bruce Payton (RI State Forester)- Will provide comments to Tivon Feeley (IA-Secretary) if changes are
needed. Tivon Feeley (IA-Secretary) will make those changes and resend the document to the group if
there are any.
Forest Health Committee Workplan to submit to NAASF.
Ken Gooch (MA-Chair)- A copy of the workplan was sent out by Val Cervenka (MN-Past Chair) in
February and is available on our webpage. We have completed item 1, update and refine forest health
priorities. Rob Lawrence (MO) went to the NAASF UCF Meeting completing priority 2, coordinate with
the NAASF Urban Forestry Committee, Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair) is still on the Continental Dialogue
(item 4), we are waiting to see if there is any funds from the USFS to expand item 5. All items have been
competed as much as we can, but we need to continue to keep working on updating the compacts and
start working on the emerald ash borer initiative with Urban Forestry. Perhaps a subcommittee is
needed for the EAB Initiative?
Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)- Agreed that we need to get a subcommittee going to start working on a EAB
initiative with the NAASF Urban Committee.
Bruce Payton (RI State Forester)- Agrees that both groups should be working together on this item.
Ken Gooch (MA-Chair)- It is time to develop the committee as the first step. He will add this to the next
workplan. That is the only item to be added to the work plan at this time.
Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)- We encourage the local representative FHC member to attend the Plant
Board Meeting when it is in their state. We need to determine the various Plant Board meeting will be
held this year.
Update on winter Forest Health Committee meeting- February 2015, West Chester, PA.
Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)- Make your hotel reservation by January 23, 2015 to hold your room. If you
have to cancel, it is not a big deal, but the hotel will release the group room rate if you do not reserve in
time. We are waiting for NAASF to finalize the registration. It is expected to be ready by July. The dates
are February 23-26 with 23 being a travel day. Mark your calendar and plan your travel arrangements.
Development of a state rotation for officers, secretary, vice-chair, chair, and immediate past chair.
Ken Gooch (MA-Chair)- Will let the State Foresters know that we changed to a 1 year cycle and ask them
to accept the current slate of officers.
Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)- Created a summary of past officers and where the meetings have been
hosted. It was discussed that we could rotate through the states alphabetically to start the new
secretary.
State/region rotation for hosting the annual Forest Health Committee Meeting – 2016 meeting?
Tivon Feeley (IA-Secretary) – Does the Vice Chair host the winter meeting? Don Eggen (PA-Vice Chair)
will look into this option. It would keep the meeting moving to each state and the person will know in
advance they will be planning it.
Ken Gooch (MA-Chair)- Will get a 2015 workplan out to everyone before the State Foresters summer
meeting.
Other business - discussion: No other business was discussed.
Meeting adjourned at 2:46 pm.
Next call dates: Committee – August 19, 2014.
Full Membership – August 19
All calls at 2:00-4:00 Eastern Time.

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