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Reforestation of Timberlands Board Meeting Minutes
Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center
March 16, 2005

Chairperson Ann Duff called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Board members present were: William Pepper, Charles Rose, Grant Cosner, Thomas Jefferson III, Earl Pickett, Mark Martin, Ann Duff and Ken Morgan. Daniel Mastin was absent. Department of Forestry personnel in attendance were State Forester Carl Garrison, Deputy State Forester John Carroll, Director Forest Management James Starr and Director Forest Management Dean Cumbia, Regional Foresters Ed Zimmer and Greg Winston.

Ann Duff reviewed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act requirements forbidding discussion of prices and markets between attendees at the meeting.

Minutes of the September 29, 2004, were approved as presented.

Mr. Cumbia told the Board that he would provide a packet covering Conflict of Interest training to those who had not taken the training. After reviewing the packet of information they should then sign the statement that they had completed the training.

A joint meeting with the Board of Forestry was discussed. The next BOF meeting will be April 11, 2-5 PM at VMI. The following meeting will be in the fall and may be the best time for the joint meeting.

Carl Garrison reviewed the bills of interest from the General Assembly. A listing of these bills was distributed to the Board.

Mr. Cumbia reviewed a comparison of the history of signups and signups to date. Mr. Cumbia also reviewed pine health concerns; fusiform rust, spray damage, and vole damage.

Ms. Duff asked about planting contractors. Mr. Cumbia reviewed the planting contracts used in Regions 1, 2, 3, and 6 (Waverly, Tappahannock, Charlottesville and Abingdon). Mr. Winston reviewed the procedures being used in Region 4 (Farmville) this year.

Forest health, including southern pine beetle, Gypsy Moth, sudden oak death, etc. was discussed.

Ed Zimmer presented a proposal, from the Regional Foresters, to require the use of DOF seedlings on RT projects. Motion by Charles Rose, seconded by Mark Martin. If seedlings are available from DOF nursery, it will be mandatory to use DOF seedlings to qualify for RT cost share. The motion was approved.

Mr. Jefferson requested a report on the nursery at the next meeting. Ms. Duff suggested the Board might meet at the nursery for a future meeting.

Mr. Cumbia led a cost share rate discussion.

Mr. Garrison reported that an additional $500,000 had been added to the budget by the General Assembly. The total funding will be $750,000 above this year’s budget.
Different associations were instrumental in getting the budget increase. Ken Morgan asked the Chairman to send a letter of gratitude to the associations and legislators for their support of funding.

There was a discussion of practices which are cost shared and rates, and should site preparation be added back to the practices cost shared. Mr. Jefferson proposed that Mr. Cumbia adjust the rates as needed and include site preparation. Mr. Martin moved to approve the concept of the proposed rates and site preparation be included. The motion was seconded by Mr. Morgan and approved by the Board.

Ms. Duff discussed the Forest Products Tax Task Force recommendations from the September 29, 2004 meeting. SJR 75 requested the RT Board to review the tax structure and make recommendations for change. Mr. Garrison stated that the comments from the input to SJR 75 indicated the tax on hardwood products should be increased. Ms. Duff stated the Task Force recommended to not open the law and not to increase the rates. Ms. Duff will report to the BOF that the RT Board is not in favor of increasing the tax rates.

Mr. Picket commented that a resolution could be used to change, simplify and update the law with out opening the law. Mr. Morgan stated that VAFPA is opposed to opening the law for change. Mr. Starr stated that the sunset clause in the law was removed when the code was recodified. It may be possible to ask Legislative Services to recodify the law and remove the obsolete products and to insert the sentence; “Notwithstanding the provisions of §58.1-3, upon request, the Tax Commissioner is authorized to provide the Board with a list of assessment payers and amounts paid.”Then the Department could receive a list of companies paying the tax and compare that to the Forest Products Operators list and tell who is not paying the tax. Currently the Tax Department can not share the information on who is paying the tax.

Mr. Jefferson moved to simplify the form and then work on changes to enable the Tax Department to provide the tax payment information to the DOF. Mr. Garrison suggested the changes be drafted and sent to Legislative Services for review to see if the changes can be made without opening the law.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 12:30 PM. After lunch the Board attended a field tour of planting density studies on the State Forest.

John Carroll

Last modified: Friday, 07-Mar-2008 19:13:49 UTC