COMMENTS FROMMEMBERS ABOUT TPE-PSC SPLIT
1. Hello Dave,
I have been a member of Prairie Smoke for a few years, although I have to say that the only activity I have done with the group is the tour of the Oronoco SNA last summer. It appears that a lot of thought has gone into the decision made concerning
The Kemmericks
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2. Go for it!! Great idea and we fully support it.
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3. The only thing I will miss is the TPE news letters and articles, I suppose one can belong to both groups if dues paid. Thanks for all your work.
Ron Johannnsen
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4. Hi, I fully support the Board's decision. Please let me know if I can be of any help. Thanks, Mike Kvitrud
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5. I agree with the direction that you suggest. I look forward to hearing more details. I have some neighbors that like the idea of Prairie Enthusiasts but do not simply want to spend money on a Wisconsin Land Trust. In addition to sending money, I have done a lot of volunteering on Saint Croix Chapter projects.
Jim Nelson Family
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6. Hi Dave,
Congratulations to you & the Board on reaching this decision! You’ll certainly recall that my feelings about the TPE-PS relationship have been clear, and maybe a little abrasive, for years. It would be ideal if your parting could be mutually agreeable, as you suggested, but I would certainly not worry about it. The work that you and other core board members have done over the years has given TPE terrific financial support. Unfortunately, you’ve received little in return, other than disapproval of your commitment to helping private land owners. TPE owes PS a heartfelt thanks, and you owe them nothing more.
Regards,
Keith Baker
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7. I support this decision and will return to active status when these changes happen. If I can help out along the way, please let me know!
Thanks,
Mark Stopyro
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8. Thank you loyal members and leaders of Prairie Smoke!
I am pleased that Prairie Smoke now has the regional membership required to support independent non-profit status. It has matured since existing as a committee of The Chatfield Fish and Game Club.
I had hoped that TPE would be able to function in Minnesota as well as it does in Wisconsin. The fault is not that of TPE. The state of MN still lacks the mechanism and funding to seek, protect or acquire lands of natural and scientific interest.
It is not fair that the Minnesota Chapters support the efforts in Wisconsin.
Thank you for keeping me on the list. My Membership to TPE is long over due.
Please let me know when/where I can join the new Prairie Smoke!
Please keep the Logo too!
Deb Anderson
9. I realize that I have passed the deadline to respond to your email, but still want you to know that Susan and I support this change and feel that the Prairie Smoke organization will gain much more than is lost by becoming independent and focusing our resources on local concerns as expressed in the mission statement. We realize that there will need to be an investment to organize as a 501(c)3 non-profit. Let us know when you will be accepting donations to the new, independent, Prairie Smoke.
Thanks for all you do.
Tim Gossman
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10. Hello Dave,
I have been a member of Prairie Smoke for a few years, although I have tosay that the only activity I have done with the group is the tour of theOronoco SNA last summer. It appears that a lot of thought has gone into thedecision made concerning TPE. Could you tell me how little of the dues paidactually comes back to the local chapter? It sounds like not very much. Isthere any advantage to being affiliated with TPE such as use of equipment,consultation, etc? If there is some advantage, would our paying some
additional dues to our Prairie Smoke chapter be feasible?Thanks much for your work on this. I certainly do hope to be able to do more with the group in the future (as retirement is in my future!)
Ryan Kemmerick
Hi Ryan,
I can answer some of your questions.
In terms of finances, 70% of all dues stays with TPE in Wisconsin. Only 30% is returned to our local chapter. There is one particular membership category (can't remember which one, but it costs $500/year), where 100% of the money stays with TPE in Wisconsin. Any other income our chapter receives comes from our own fund raising efforts (selling t-shirts/bandanas), donations some members make directly to our chapter, and the occasional grant we might receive. When TPE does the annual fund drive, 100% of that money goes to TPE in Wisconsin. None goes to the local chapters.
If we split from TPE, we will keep all burning equipment (which is owned by the chapter, not TPE) and most of the money we currently have in our local account (about $5,000). There is also an account in Wisconsin (about $2,000) controlled by TPE, but with the Prairie Smoke name. It looks like they are willing to let us have that as well.
Prairie Smoke existed as an independent organization from the mid-1980s until early-2000s. We are 100% volunteer with no paid staff, no paid officers, and very low dues. We do not plan on changing that as it is unnecessary and costly to pay anyone. The total cost of separation will be $400, paid by Prairie Smoke.
We run a lean organization. We keep dues low and will not raise dues when we separate. They might even go down. We typically spend around $2,000 a year on expenses. Most of this cost has to do with obtaining, replacing, or repairing equipment for prescribed burning (which is the main reason this group was initially created). We also spend around $400 a year on food/refreshments for our all-member meetings (about 3/year) and bi-annual prescribed burning workshop.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
Dave Edwards
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11. Hi Dave,
This is a pretty big deal, and the board should provide more complete information so members can make an informed choice. I assume the members will vote on something like this, and you do want all the members to come along after the separation.
For example,
What's the current TPE income that comes from Prairie Smoke members? Of that, what now comes back to Prairie Smoke?
What is planned to be the Prairie Smoke income after separation? What will the dues be, what's the planned dues income, and what's
planned for other income?
What are the planned annual expenses after separation?
Administrative: newsletter, picnics, any staffing, I don't know what else
Conservation activities: What do you plan to spend on restoration, education, acquisition, etc.?
TPE has paid staff. Will Prairie Smoke have paid staff, if so provide details.
What will be the costs of the separation, for example setting up 501c3, and any other costs.
When we separate, will we take any TPE money with us?
Who will own the burning equipment, or does it already belong to Prairie Smoke?
Please share this with the other board members. There should be another mailing with more facts.
Thanks,
Pete Mattson
Hi Peter,
I can answer some of your questions.
In terms of finances, 70% of all dues stays with TPE in Wisconsin. Only 30% is returned to our local chapter. There is one particular membership category (can't remember which one, but it costs $500/year), where 100% of the money stays with TPE in Wisconsin. Any other income our chapter receives comes from our own fund raising efforts (selling t-shirts/bandanas), donations some members make directly to our chapter, and the occasional grant we might receive. When TPE does the annual fund drive, 100% of that money goes to TPE in Wisconsin. None goes to the local chapters.
If we split from TPE, we will keep all burning equipment and most of the money we currently have in our local account (about $5,000). There is also an account in Wisconsin (about $2,000) controlled by TPE, but with the Prairie Smoke name. It looks like they are willing to let us have that as well.
Prairie Smoke existed as an independent organization from the mid-1980s until early-2000s. We are 100% volunteer with no paid staff, no paid officers, and very low dues. We do not plan on changing that as it is unnecessary and costly to pay anyone. The total cost of separation will be $400, paid by Prairie Smoke.
We run a lean organization. We keep dues low and will not raise dues when we separate. They might even go down. We typically spend around $2,000 a year on expenses. Most of this cost has to do with obtaining, replacing, or repairing equipment for prescribed burning (which is the main reason this group was initially created). We also spend around $400 a year on food/refreshments for our all-member meetings (about 3/year) and bi-annual prescribed burning workshop.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
Dave Edwards
Thanks Dave, those are good answers. There is one other potential expense, which is getting 501c3 charity status, or maybe you already have it from pre-tpe days.
Keep me in mind for burns, I do like to burn and I've had a fair amount of experience now between my 15 acres and helping out with burns at the HormelNatureCenter.
Thanks,
Pete Mattson
12. Good Morning From Drum Creek Farm,
We will always be members of The Prairie Enthusiasts, we will be members of Prairie Smoke only if it is a chapter of TPE.
In my opinion, Prairie Smoke is suffering from delusions of adequacy.
Marcia Ukura
Marci,
Thanks for your input. I will pass it on.
Not sure if you are aware of this, but Prairie Smoke has existed (as an independent group) since the early 1980s, way before TPE was formed. We have only been associated with TPE for the last 8 years but have decided that our missions simply don't match.
We are aware, you mentioned it in the first email that we didn’t receive, in our experience, the communication skills of PS have been abysmal.
What we do is quite narrow compared to TPE. Our local chapter is not a land trust and has no interest in being one since we have excellent land trusts in Minnesota already and land trusts require a tremendous amount of money and paid staff. We are more of a cooperative for private landowners who want to grow and maintain their own prairie. Wehave 110 acres of diverse prairie that we manage ourselves. We asked PS for advice to manage an invasion of Wild Parsnip. Someone finally called who was not helpful at all, his final words were, “you’ve got bottom land, you’re screwed”. In our opinion we are not screwed, we are blessed, we even have a colony of beavers. We’ve figured it out ourselves.
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TPE has let us know that our prescribed burning for private landowners is really not in alignment with what they do and presents a liability to their organization. Pheasants Forever burns for us, they have all kinds of volunteers just waiting to get on crews.
This separation from TPE is in the best interests of Prairie Smoke and the TPE organization. Also, it is very likely that the TPE, Southeastern Minnesota chapter will still exist (if TPE wishes it to exist). It's just that a part of the group will separate itself, its activities, and its liabilities away from the parent group. This group will call itself Prairie Smoke (a name it has held since its beginnings in the early 1980s).We still are NOT interested in belonging to the independent PS
Dave
Marci