The Board of Forestry met on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland, Virginia.
Convene Meeting
The formal Board meeting began at 1:00 p.m. on October 23, 2008. Those present were: C. Harrell Turner, Anitra B. Webster, David Blount, R. Easton Loving, Marvin P. Wilson, III, David Wm. Smith, Judy Guse-Noritake, Frank Brooks and Carl Garrison, III and Donna Hoy with the Department of Forestry.
Call to Order
Chairman Turner called the meeting to order.
Ms. Hoy called roll.
Changes and Adoption of Agenda
Chairman Turner asked if there were any changes that needed to be made to the agenda. No changes were noted.
Approval of Minutes
Chairman Turner asked if there were any corrections/deletions to the July 31, 2008 minutes. Mr. Wilson made the motion for the minutes to be approved as written. Dr. Smith seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Recognition of Guests and Visitors
Chairman Turner welcomed Mr. Bud Watson, Small Forest Landowner/Executive Director, Virginia Forest Watch; Mr. Randy Bush, Virginia Forest Products Association; Mr. Jim Mooney, Virginia Loggers Association; Mr. Gerry Gray, Virginia Forest Watch; Dr. Janaki Alavalapati, Virginia Tech; Mr. Ron Jenkins, Mr. John Carroll, Mr. Brad Williams and Mr. Gary Heiser with the Department of Forestry.
Hearing of Citizens and Delegations
Dr. Alavalapati gave the Board a brief summary of his education/experience and his position at Virginia Tech. He also expressed his interest in working closely with the Board of Forestry and the Department of Forestry on future issues of concern.
Information Items
Chairman Turner stated he had spoken with Secretary Bloxom and expressed the Board’s concerns with the Department of Forestry budget cuts.
State Forester's Report
State Forest Overview
Mr. Heiser made a presentation on the Department’s State Forests. He reported there are 19 State Forests, comprising 55,439 acres. The smallest State Forest is 128 acres and the largest is 19,808 acres. 13 State Forests were given to the Department as gifts from private landowners.
The State Forests generate $900,000-$1,000,000 annually in timber sales, hunting permits, building rentals and donations. Average acreage size for timber sales is 26 acres per sale. Sales are established from a 10-year management plan for rotations and harvest levels. 64 percent of these funds are used for salaries, 25 percent goes to the county, and 11 percent is used for operations. Income tax check-off funds are used solely for conservation and education.
The State Forests are used for demonstration, education, applied research, water quality, recreation and wildlife habitat. The core principles for managing the State Forests are conservation of biological diversity; maintain and improve productive capacity of the forest; maintain health and vigor of the forests; consider socio-economic benefits; protect soil productivity and water quality; preserve and research historic resources.
The Board members toured some management activities on the Cumberland State Forest Friday morning.
Economic Study
The Board was given a copy of the executive summary: The Economic Impact of Agriculture and Forestry on the Commonwealth of Virginia: The Study in Brief, and the full study: The Economic Impact of Agriculture and Forestry on the Commonwealth of Virginia, prepared by Dr. Terance J. Rephann, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Mr. Carroll stated this report had received peer review by various universities before it went to print. The Governor held a press conference in late September releasing the report and findings, which was very positive. The findings in this report were in line with the Department of Forestry’s economic study figures released approximately every 5 years. The difference of $4.1 billion was the cost of societal benefits, which were not included in the Weldon Cooper Center report.
Planned distribution of this study will be to legislators, planning departments, Board of Supervisors, etc. The Department of Forestry has committed to look at forest products sectors that have low numbers and discuss what the Department can do to improve those areas.
The cost of publishing this study was shared between the Department of Forestry and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The Board discussed land-use tax throughout Virginia in some counties. Mr. Garrison will send the Board a list of counties that do offer land-use tax credits to forest landowners.
2009 Legislation
Mr. Garrison reported the Department of Forestry had not received approval back from the Governor’s policy office on proposed legislation for 2009. He will send a notice of approved legislation to Board members upon receipt.
Budget
The state’s budget deficit is reported to be $2 ½ - $3 billion. The Department of Forestry’s budget cuts this go round was 13 percent ($2.1 million in FY ’09). Reductions were taken by reducing money for the purchase of fire fighting equipment; eliminating capital outlay projects; moving non-general funds to general funds; sharing a water quality position with Virginia Tech; reducing 6 regions to 3; splitting cost of an Administrative Support position between general and non-general funds; increasing fees for the Reforestation of Timberlands program; reallocating non-general fund positions to general fund; eliminating commute mileage for first responders; freezing vacancies; eliminating 4 positions (including 1 layoff).
Mr. Garrison reported the Department’s budget in Fiscal Year 2010 will look much worse. It will be mid-December before the Department will know what additional cuts will need to be taken. The proposed 2 percent wage increase for state employees has been pushed forward to July 2009, with the likelihood that the increase will be taken away all together. The Department has already started to put together a contingency plan for an additional 15 percent budget cut.
Mr. Garrison stated he has already visited with one Region and has the other two scheduled in early November to meet with all personnel to answer any questions they may have about the budget situation.
JLARC Study
The final draft of the JLARC study on state employee salary compressions is complete. The report will be submitted to the General Assembly members prior to the start of the 2009 session.
Mr. Jenkins reported that the Department of Forestry met the criteria to qualify for enhanced retirement. He will seek inclusion of this section for Department of Forestry employees.
Action Items
None
Committee Liaison Report
Mr. Mooney reported the Loggers Association meeting was very successful. Secretary Bloxom, Mr. Loving and Mr. Garrison were in attendance.
Mr. Wilson reported Fairfax County adopted a tree preservation ordinance earlier in the week.
Other Business
None
Scheduling of Next Meetings
The next meeting of the Board will be January 15, 2009 at the Virginia Forestry Association Office in Richmond.
The previously scheduled meeting for December 18th was cancelled.
Details of future meetings will be sent out after the January meeting.
Adjournment
There being no further business, Chairman Turner accepted a motion that the meeting be adjourned. The meeting was officially adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna Hoy
Recording Secretary
c: Board Members
The Honorable Robert S. Bloxom, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
Dr. J. Michael Kelly, Dean, College of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech
Mr. J. R. Bush, Virginia Forest Products Association
Mr. Paul Howe, Virginia Forestry Association
Mr. David E. Anderton, Jr., Association of Consulting Foresters
Ms. Tammi Belinsky, WildWood
Mr. Steve Brooks, Virginia Forest Watch
Ms. Ann Duff, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation
Mr. Jim Mooney, Virginia Loggers Association
Mr. Gerald Gray, Virginia Forest Watch
Ms. Donna Pugh-Johnson, Virginia Agribusiness Council
Ms. Martha Moore, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Mr. Roger Sherman, MeadWestvaco Corporation
Ms. Staci Henshaw, Auditor of Public Accounts
Mr. Charles F. Finley, Jr., Forest Landowners Association
Mr. Andrew Smith, Virginia Farm Bureau
Mr. Jason Woodfin, Virginia Forest Watch
Mr. Bud Watson, Virginia Forest Watch
NOTE: Tapes of Board meetings are on file in the Office of the State Forester.
Last modified: Monday, 19-Oct-2009 15:03:11 EDT
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