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Welcome to the Virginia Department Of Forestry

Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources
Minutes
April 18, 2006

April 18, 2006, 10:00 a.m.
Moody Board Room, Moody Hall
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

Board of Trustees Members Present

Advisory Group Members Present

Guests

Recorder of the Minutes

Convene Meeting

Jay Gilliam, Chair, called the meeting to order around 10:00 a.m. and welcomed everyone in attendance.

Introductions

Everyone present introduced themselves.

Foundation's Purpose and Progress

Chair Gilliam explained the purpose of the Foundation and progress made in the planning and development process with the goal of having a specific strategic plan by the end of the year. Chair Gilliam worked with Senator Emmett Hanger to try to find a mechanism that would make both the public and private non-regulatory programs that serve environmental education, pollution prevention, and citizen monitoring more sustainable than they have been in the past.

Diversifying sources of support will determine the success of this effort. Legislation was passed in 2005 to create the Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources and established one Board of Trustees member for each of the river basins in Virginia.

Chair Gilliam expressed his appreciation for all State agencies that have supported the Foundation's efforts, priority members of this effort being DCR, DEQ, DOF, DGIF and DACS. He also thanked DOF for providing administrative support.

Chair Gilliam emphasized the need for progress in receiving donations to the Trust Fund due to the clause in § 10.1-2139(C-2) of the Code of Virginia that states, "Should no funds from any source be received in the Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources Trust Fund by July 1, 2007, the provisions of this act shall expire." Several contributions have already been made to the Trust Fund to cover travel expenses and meals for Board meetings (i.e., a donation of $500 from Smithfield Foods will be submitted by Dennis Treacy who supported the idea of establishing the Foundation).

Changes and Adoption of Agenda

Chair Gilliam distributed a proposed changed Agenda. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the change.

Approval of Minutes

With a motion from Ed Davis and a second from Jim Garner, the January 20, 2006, Minutes of the Board of Trustees were approved as written.

Planning and Development Committee Report

Hearing from Guests

Harry Gregori stated that his main interest is pollution prevention. He made the distinction between pollution control (measured at the end of the pipe) and pollution prevention (let's not create waste in the first place or let's reduce the toxicity of the waste that we're generating). From a water quality standpoint, chlorine systems can be used but require safety controls, OSHA inspections, and training. A simpler alternate system such as ultra-violet lights can be used to eliminate environmental issues. There are a series of strategies that can be used to prevent pollution from happening in the first place in any kind of operation such as in offices, factories, chemical plants, military bases and from a farm standpoint (agriculture) in production of crops using various chemicals and fertilizers. Chair Gilliam stated that, during the course of this year, the Board will be developing strategies for programs in environmental education (K-12, higher education, community-based) and citizen monitoring using DGIF programs such as the master naturalist program and wildlife mapping. Chair Gilliam asked Mr. Gregori for his assistance in identifying pollution prevention programs that the Foundation might support, and Mr. Gregori agreed that he would be happy to help with that.

Ann Regn stated that pollution prevention and environmental enhancement requires education and training. Environmental education is a very broad subject, and the role at DEQ is to widely promote programs and link them across the State. Ms. Regn understands the variety of State programs (publicly and privately funded) and has seen some of them struggle to survive through various challenges. The Environmental Education program helps organizations to link with grant programs and find ways to meet the Commonwealth's priorities as well as the organization's priorities. In Year 2000, through an initiative called Virginia Naturally, a list of environmental education programs throughout Virginia was developed. This list will be updated and will be made available at the next Board meeting.

Russ Baxter spoke about priorities of DCR as they relate to non-point source pollution. The Foundation was born on a watershed basis, and Board Members live and have contacts in their watershed areas. There are challenges in all of Virginia's watershed basins. Virginia State agencies, other states and the federal government are all addressing problems with the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Watersheds Alliance (Virginia Roundtables) is meeting to talk about a more formal alliance that will give a larger voice to watershed organizations. The hard reality is that there is far to go with respect to non-point source pollution because it comes from a diversity of sources (agriculture, urban, suburban); and the infrastructure is not in place to manage non-point source pollution as there is to manage point-source pollution. Because of budget cuts, many activities are voluntary which sometimes do not fare very well. Decisions need to be made regarding how to maintain a consistent level of delivery of non-point source programs and how to educate the public on their role in preventing non-point source pollution. DCR is trying to be more innovative by holding focus groups with farmers about conservation and cost-share programs to meet their needs. The Chesapeake Club, which is a citizen education program, has been formed. It is important to understand the public's needs and perceptions and work that better into their programs as well as those of constituency groups.

The Foundation and DCR will benefit from working together to find a path to follow that will make education and implementation more consistent than it has been in the past. Chair Gilliam stated that, in the beginning stages of the Roundtable's coming together, there was some antagonism with constituencies being brought together that had never been together before; but it was the start of something really good. It was an initiative of DCR. The Shenandoah Pure Water Forum is now being used as a tool to address the tragic problem of the fish kill which destroyed 85% of the small mouth bass in the Shenandoah River Basin. The Shenandoah Pure Water Forum has been successful because Coors Brewing has not only supplied financial support but also manpower and leadership to that Roundtable. This Foundation is hoping to find other entities (businesses, philanthropists, local governments, and the average interested citizen) that want a leadership role in other parts of the State.

David Paylor stated that one of the most important things for the Foundation is making progress with environmental issues through partnerships, raising awareness and fostering collective responsibility on the issues. Community education is essential to help people understand the connection between "precipitation patterns and the tap" or "the connection between lawn fertilization and the ability to have blue crabs on your plate." It is important to find ways to raise their awareness and find ways to translate watershed responsibility into something that matters to them so that they can be motivated to change behavior. Recycling, as an example, has given people concrete ways to change behavior for sustainability. Non-point source issues are one of the ways to accomplish this. Fund-raising efforts can bring corporate citizens into certain issues. DEQ's Virginia Environmental Excellence Program encourages people to develop pollution prevention plans, environmental management systems, and provides opportunities for them to get some flexibility to provide site specific solutions (results-based government vs. rule-based government). If the Foundation can give people an opportunity and the tools to find solutions to problems and catalyze corporate and community responsibility, it will be very successful. Chair Gilliam expressed his appreciation for DEQ's support and continued assistance. Chair Gilliam worked with the Save Our Streams Program in Virginia for 10 years and concluded that there are a remarkable number of people in the general public that are very interested in these types of programs and want to be involved in a meaningful away. If the Foundation can support the existing opportunities out there now to allow those interested citizens to have a diversity of opportunities to be involved in a meaningful way, then it will have accomplished its goal.

Activity Reports from Board Members

Kim Chiapetto spoke with people in her community of Floyd County which is a unique county in that all water flows out but no water flows in. Citizens are very concerned about development. Farms are being sold for sub-divisions which means more wells are being dug, and rainfall is low. More people want to move to Floyd County because of its close location to the cities of Roanoke and Christiansburg. Citizens are afraid of losing wells if there is a dry summer. Chair Gilliam mentioned that Harry Gregori teaches environmental planning at VCU, and people with his skills can be helpful in dealing with the issues in Floyd County.

Shelley Butler-Barlow stated that development and loss of open lands is the first topic on everybody's minds. The City of Suffolk is the fastest growing city in the State. She had general discussions about the Foundation with people in her area (Regional Manager for VCR, Head of Farm Bureau's Ag in the Classroom Program, people from Farm Bureau, President of Virginia Agri-Business Council and Vice President of Luck Stone). She attended an organizational and information meeting for the Chowan River Watershed Roundtable; it was good to see people coming together to begin discussion and work on issues of concern.

Ed Davis distributed a questionnaire to Board members of facts they should be aware of about their watershed. Mr. Davis has been working with the new Secretary of Education, Dr. Thomas Morris, who is a past President of Emory and Henry College, and Deputy Secretary Dietra Trent, to build a relationship with Education and the Foundation. Governor Tim Kaine plans to make "Excellence in Education" his theme. Environmental Education can be a major strategy in getting people of all ages involved in environmental issues. Mr. Davis expressed concern that some Board members represent watersheds that are not in their area of residence. He distributed a map of Virginia's watersheds which was prepared by John Scrivani, Director of the Forest Resource Information Division, Virginia Department of Forestry. This map shows the 13 watersheds that were designed for Board members to represent. The map also includes cities, counties, and interstate highways in Virginia. Mr. Davis concluded by saying that, if we started today with clean air, clean water, healthy forests, and everything perfect, in a few years the environment would be messed up again because of our culture. It is important to build a collaboration for community responsibility, and education is a very positive step in that direction.

Chair Gilliam stated that Mr. Davis has put lots of effort into planning and development and considers him the point person for education whether it be K-12, higher education or community-based. Chair Gilliam also requested that Ms. Barlow reach out to agriculture and forestry. Anyone who is a Board member or Advisor can be a meaningful partner in those initiatives. Chair Gilliam expressed his appreciation to Mr. Davis for the time and effort that he has put into his role on the planning and development committee.

Agnes Anderson, as a real estate agent, has seen farmers let their cattle go to the river to drink. She would like to see more people fence their waterways and/or put in ponds or lakes for cattle. She would like to see farmers use non-tilling methods.

Jim Garner stated that last fall he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Alliance of the Chesapeake Bay. He feels that it is important for all Foundation Board members to know the answers to the questions distributed by Mr. Davis earlier. In the area where he lives, he continues to see wells being drilled, farms being broken up and wells being lost. In addition to being concerned about streams, lakes and ponds, ground water should not be forgotten. This could be a hidden tragedy about to happen in parts of the State.

David Larimer stated that, although this is the first meeting he has attended due to his legislative responsibilities, he has spoken with people in his area; and one of the top concerns is waste water treatment. Straight piping into the rivers and streams still exists, and there is an initiative by planning districts in Southwest Virginia to identify needs and secure funding for more waste water treatment. Litter is also an important issue as it tarnishes the beauty of the land.

Roderic Slayton stated that this is also his first meeting with the Board. He remembers the problems experienced with the drought of 2002, and ground water is still an issue in his area. He also encourages educating the public on the issue of waste management (trash) with the assistance of State agencies. Chair Gilliam stated that one of the fortunate things that happened after the 2002 drought was the State of Virginia developed a new water supply planning initiative. He suggested educating Board members about that water supply planning process and determining how the Board can interface with this initiative, possibly through gathering data on ground water quality and quantity.

Lee Stephens, who represents the York River Basin, stated that there is lots of waterfront property in that area and real estate values are increasing. Conservation easements are starting to boom. Groups such as the Middle Peninsula Land Trust are getting the word out about tax benefits to encourage people to do the right thing.

He then reported on the meetings of the Planning Committee. The first meeting was a brainstorming session which included being cognizant of the sunset clause, determining ways in which to raise money and leverage businesses and education to the community so that the Foundation could move forward in protecting the environment of the Commonwealth. In discussing private donations, it was decided that the Foundation should apply for 501(c)(3) status; however, there are problems with this since the Foundation is a "body politic."

Jim Kibler's idea of forming a subsidiary corporation that can channel funds into a 501(c)(3) may be an option. The Foundation needs to make the public and companies aware of its programs so they will be encouraged to donate money as well as find ways to give them a return on their investment--helping the Commonwealth become a better environmental place. The Foundation, as a non-regulatory body, needs to give corporate "at-a-boy's" and avoid antagonistic behavior.

The March meeting dealt with the Foundation's mission, vision and goals. The agreed upon draft mission statement was "Facilitate Natural Resource Philanthropy in Virginia," philanthropy being the pivot word in the statement--trying to encourage people to give and to do. The agreed upon draft vision statement was "We envision enhanced natural resource conservation for the Commonwealth, through complementary efforts by diverse sectors, collaborating, through a strategic, watershed-based approach." Efforts were made to reinforce ways to convey the message that good environmental stewardship is good business and will be of benefit to the people and companies. The Foundation needs to look for businesses that benefit from good ecology. A Board retreat is being planned at Sweet Briar College for the purpose of building positive relationships and trust between Board members and for strategic planning to come up with tangible, measurable goals such as increase the capacity of natural resource education staff Statewide. Chair Gilliam stated that the idea for this Foundation has origin in Coors Brewing who has maintained a level of support and leadership for the Shenandoah Pure Water Forum, and they're proud of it. Their sense of ownership and consistency is a step in the direction of sustainability.

Strategic Planning Discussion

Jim Garner asked Chair Gilliam if today's plan was to reach consensus so that a final mission and vision statement, subject to review later, could be agreed upon. Chair Gilliam stated that this was the plan. Mr. Garner suggested that a formal motion be made to accept the draft which can be later modified. Lee Stephens moved to adopt the Mission statement that reads, "Facilitate Natural Resource Philanthropy in Virginia." Jim Garner seconded the motion.

Chair Gilliam asked Mike Foreman to assist the Board in reaching consensus on the mission and vision statements. Mike Foreman explained his role in the strategic planning process stating that he cares about the process and not the final outcome. Mr. Foreman clarified the definitions of "mission statement" and "vision statement." A mission statement is a one sentence description of what you're going to be doing, very simply stated. The vision statement can be longer and should clearly and without question describe where you want to be in the future at some unspecified date. Goals are what exactly you're going to do--what you want to accomplish. Accountability is part of the goals--who is going to do what by when. Strategies under the goals also have accountability measures involved with them. This process will bring this group of diverse people together, organizing a single plan or way of doing business.

Each Board member was polled and offered the opportunity to express concerns with the Mission statement. Concerns were expressed with the term "facilitate" being overused or not understood. Ed Davis stated that the committee was concerned about duplication of efforts. There are other environmental and citizen monitoring programs, and the Foundation needs to find its true niche. Chair Gilliam stated that "facilitate" means make or help something happen; and in our case, "philanthropy" means giving money or participating in the process.
Mike Foreman clarified the term "consensus," which means that you can live with what's agreed to; you may not like everything about it, but you can support it.

Ed Davis moved to amend the Mission statement to change "facilitate" to "foster."
Kim Chiapetto seconded the motion. A vote was taken on the amendment. Discussion followed. A poll was taken of all Board members. There were five votes for "facilitate" and three votes for "foster."

A vote was taken on the original motion to accept the draft Mission statement of "Facilitate Natural Resource Philanthropy in Virginia." Consensus was that the original Mission statement be accepted.

Lee Stephens moved to adopt the draft Vision statement that reads, "We envision enhanced natural resource conservation for the Commonwealth, through complementary efforts by diverse sectors, collaborating, through a strategic, watershed-based approach." Jim Garner seconded the motion. Each member of the Board was polled. The phrase "watershed-based" was a concern to some and others felt it was appropriate. The draft Vision statement was approved as written.

Other Business

Chair Gilliam stated that the Department of Forestry is looking at the possibility of using $10,000 of the Water Quality Penalty Funds to cover expenses for Board of Trustees meetings for strategic planning. Smithfield Foods, c/o Dennis Treacy, said they would make a $500 contribution to the Trust Fund, and other entities are considering such contributions.

Lee Stephens presented Chair Gilliam with a donation to the Trust Fund in the amount of $500 from Spotts Fain law firm. Chair Gilliam expressed his appreciation to Spotts Fain who will receive public recognition and will be known as the initial and charter supporter. The Foundation will ensure that their investment will be good for Spotts Fain as well as for the State of Virginia.

Chair Gilliam stated that he would develop a one-page information sheet to distribute to potential sponsors. The information sheet will include the reason the Foundation was established and its purpose, the Foundation's Mission and Vision statements, and estimated costs of a two-day retreat, web site, and an intern to research existing public and private programs in Virginia. Chair Gilliam will distribute this sheet to vendors at the Environment Virginia Conference. Board members will receive a copy of this information sheet.

Jim Garner emphasized the importance of the Board approving the Mission and Vision statements so that Lee Stephens can include this in his presentation to the Board of Forestry today. Chair Gilliam expressed appreciation to Lee Stephens for making the presentation to the Board of Forestry.

Chair Gilliam asked the Board to authorize the two-day retreat at Sweet Briar College on May 17-18, 2006. The Board did so authorize.

Chair Gilliam stated that Senate Bill 1141 mandates that the Board shall seek assistance in developing criteria and advice on grant priorities and any other appropriate issues from a "task force" (or advisory group) consisting of the following agency heads or their designees: the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the State Forester, the Director of the Department of Historic Resources, the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Director of the Virginia Museum of Natural History. Chair Gilliam asked the Board for authorization to allow him to invite additional interested citizens to participate in the advisory group. The Board did so authorize.

Jim Garner made a motion that Chair Gilliam request the Department of Forestry to place this Foundation on the Agency's web site consistent with the Board of Forestry and the Reforestation Board. Lee Stephens seconded the motion. The motion passed.

Ann Regn announced that the Board is invited to the Low Impact Development Awards Ceremony at the George Marshall Library and Museum at 5:00 p.m. today.

Chair Gilliam announced that there will be a Virginia Watersheds Alliance Annual Meeting (Virginia Roundtables) today at 1:00 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room of the Marshall Library. Everyone is invited. Ed Davis will attend the meeting representing the Upper Tennessee River Basin.

The meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources adjourned at 12:08 p.m.

Last modified: Friday, 07-Mar-2008 19:13:35 UTC