DRAFT
MACD Board of Directors
Conference Call
April 14, 2014
Directors & Committee Chairs Present: Tony Barone, Jim Beck, Willie Bernard, Bob Breipohl, Dwight Crawford, Steve Granzow, Steve Hedstrom, Dave Mosdal, Shirley Parrott, Bob Petermann, Dean Rogge, Roddy Rost, Jim Simpson, Mark Suta, Jeff Wivholm and Pete Woll.
Others Present: LeAnna Johnson, CBM; Ray Beck, Karl Christians, Dave Martin, Laurie Zeller, DNRC; Rachel Frost, MRCDC; Guelda Halverson, MACDEO; Jane Holzer, MSCA; Laura Andersen, MWCC; Joyce Swartzendruber, NRCS; Elena Evans, and Jan Fontaine, MACD.
Minutes: MOTION MADE by Steve Hedstrom to approve the 3/10/14 minutes as distributed with a second by Shirley Parrott. Passed.
Public Comment: None.
Discussion
1. Bison: President Jeff Wivholm discussed the meeting that FW&P was to be holding concerning bison – Dean Rogge is the MACD representative and he talked with Arnie Dood from FW&P – conservation districts were not going to have a seat at the table - talking points were developed but will be worked on more – the meeting was canceled – figured they couldn’t come to an agreement and no public comments were being accepted – Dean Rogge would like us to develop a program Ecological Knowledge (LEK) – we could help FW&P with other issues.
2. Travel Stipend: President Wivholm had an idea that each of the four MACD Standing Committees has a $500 travel budget – if the money is requested a report needs to be given to the Board. MOTION MADE by Steve Hedstrom to approve this idea with a second by Steve Granzow. Passed.
3. Local Conservation Month: a meeting was held last week – planning is coming along – working on a web site and logo – should be an exciting August – hopefully this will be kept on CD agendas.
4. Outreach: hoping to put together materials on districts and MACD – will ask CDs to send in pictures.
5. Irrigation Water Management Contractor: the notice for another contractor is out and applications are due April 23rd.
6. Transition Agriculturalist: working on putting a 223 grant application together to help fund this position.
7. Washington, CD Trip Report to the Districts: trip went well – report was sent to Districts – these trips are important to help keep contacts current.
8. Waters of the United States: this is a proposed new rule from EPA & Corp of Engineers – at this point not out for comment – NACD has not established their position.
Reports
DNRC, Ray Beck: the next biennium budget has been submitted with extra MACD requested monies included. They are working on draft legislation on contracting and Sweet Grass CD is OK with how it is prepared. Still working on funding employee health legislation. Also working on the display boards – Area V draft is done – the general display need message, branding, slogan. Administrative grants are due soon – CDs should include employee health insurance in these requests.
NRCS,Joyce Swartzendruber: the agency worked with Corp of Engineers on Waters of the US – program rules to roll out – met with Sen. Walsh on Saturday to discuss the Farm Bill, Dave Mosdal also attended. The Chief’s top three priorities:
- Farm Bill – making fast track – can carry funding over but will be watched carefully.
- Conservation Stream Line Delivery Program/Client Gateway - will be out this summer.
- Administration Transformation – merging/going to national teams.
President’s budget for 2015 is out – there is a net loss. DNRC will help to get the working groups up.
MACDEO, Guelda Halverson: they are working on the convention Wednesday night event – will be going on the Fairmont Hotsprings tour – working on training modules and a conference call will be held this week – spring meeting will be around the MACD Board meeting.
MSCA, Jane Holzer: met with NRCS on how to use cost share incentives, salinity controls - they are thinking about it. CBM meeting tonight – six districts working on baseline water monitoring – DEQ is also doing monitoring.
MRCDC, Rachel Frost: had a successful quarterly meeting in March – Native Riparian Task Force met – CMR working group meeting is 4/17 – a scoping meeting on the salt cedar project will be held 4/23.
YRCDC: No report.
Coal Bed Methane, LeAnna Johnson: setting up a meeting with the Governor – training people on grants and started sampling – will be attending the May Pondera CD meeting.
MWCC, Laura Andersen: registration is open for the spring training on monitoring May 13-15; the capacity grant through BLM is also open for applicants.
MACD District Operations Committee, Shirley Parrott: the Bridger Plant Material Center is not closing but will be cutting back. Appointments to the PMC Board of Managers needs to be made. MOTION MADE by Dean Rogge to appoint Jerry Lunde and Dwight Crawford to the PMC Board of Managers with a second by Jim Simpson. Passed.
MACD Education Committee: No report.
MACD Financial: see distributed cash flow statement.
MACD Soil Resource & Land Use Committee, Dave Mosdal: there is a draft report of the meeting with Sen. Walsh – final will be sent out to the Board.
MACD Water Resources Committee, Jim Beck: met with Eurasian Milfoil Water Task Force, minutes will be sent to the Board – a dam workshop will be held 5/5 in White Sulphur Springs – work continues on the state water plan, upcoming meetings are posted on the DNRC web site.
NACD/Northern Plains, Steve Hedstrom, Dean Rogge: Northern Plains meeting is 6/11–13 in Denver – NACD summer meeting is July 21-22 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Other Business
2014 Convention: a tour will be held at Fairmont Hotsprings on May 9th – a letter needs to be sent to NACD requesting an officer attend the convention – Pete Woll will be working with Districts on resolutions.
Announcements
Next Scheduled Conference Call: May 12th.