IDAHO TREE FARM PROGRAM
Idaho Tree Farm Committee Meeting
9:30 – 12:00, Thursday, October 15, 2015
Idaho Department of Lands
3284 West Industrial Loop, Coeur d’Alene ID 83815
Minutes
1) Call to Order
ITFC Chair Funk called the meeting to order at 9:41 a.m. Those present were:
Savannah Miller, ITFC Administrator
Steve Funk, ITFC Chairman/TFOY
G. Kirk David, ITFC/Tree Farmer
Madeline David, ITFC/Tree Farmer
Steve Cuvala, ITFC Treasurer/proxy for John Lillehaug, ITFC District III Chair
Robert Barkley, ITFC District II Chair
Russ Hegedus, ITFC Vice Chair/Tree Farmer
Doug Bradetich, ITFC Past Chair/IFG
Mary Fritz, IDL
Kurt Koetter, Tree Farmer
Ray Getchius, Tree Farmer
Steve Bloedel, Consulting Forester
Dave Luther, Inspector
Andy Eckberg, ITFC District I Chair
Frank Gariglio, USDA/NRCS
Excused: David Brummer, Stimson
Unexcused: Gretchen Lech, SFI, Don Heikkila, Tree Farmer and Robert Keefe, UI
2) Anti-Trust Statement
Chair Funk reviewed the anti-trust statement.
3) Minutes from July Meeting
Madeline David moved to accept the minutes from last quarter as amended, Doug Bradetich seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.
4) 2015 Treasurer Report / Budget Review
Steve Cuvala gave the Treasurer’s Report and Past Chair Bradetich reviewed the 2015 budget against actual income and expenditures as of October 6, 2015. Budget started at $7,191.17 as of January 1, 2015. Current balance is $21,381.88. Motion to file the Treasurers report for review by Madeline David, and Kirk David seconded. Motion was passed unanimously.
5) Old Business
A) 2015 Required Inspections
Kirk reviewed the list of 2015 ATFS Required inspections that still need to be accomplished and entered into the ATFS database, and reminded everyone that they are all due before December 7th. Currently, there are 6 of the required 17 inspections remaining that must be submitted to the ITFC Administrator.
B) Overview of the TFOY Tour at Oscar Baumhoff’s Property, Sept. 12th, 2015
Oscar lives in Centerville, Idaho and had a fantastic tour on his 3,000 acres. Total turnout was 56 people with quite a few guests from northern Idaho. Oscar has done a lot of work to benefit local streams in his area by coordinating with Trout Unlimited and local fisheries. He’s reforested several previously barren areas and opened his land for use to various Boy Scout groups and trail riders. It was also noted that many of Oscar’s neighbors have followed his example and began working on their own streams and fields to meet a higher standard. Doug Bradetich advised contacting the national office in D.C. for the Liability Coverage Policy to have on hand for future ITFC functions including tree farm tours. Chair Funk had done that.
C) Overview of Experimental Forest Tour Field Day at U of I
U of I Experimental Forest Tour wasn’t well attended due to lack of advertising for the event. IFOA and TF advertised through Constant Contact and through Newsletters through both organizations, but UI did not have as big of a turnout as had been hoped for.
D) 501(c)3 Non-Profit Update
Chair Funk received confirmation from AFF to move forward in achieving Non-Profit status. He reminded the committee that the goal of becoming a 501(c) 3 is to benefit those that donate due to the tax advantages. Also, incorporation will offer ITFC officers limited liability, and gives the ITFP an opportunity to apply for grants.
E) Creating an internal financial review committee
Plan to continue going forward with 3 members who have assisted with financial review in the past, and have other members contribute and participate as necessary. The volunteer committee for the upcoming 2016 year is Past Chair Doug Bradetich, Madeline David and Kurt Koetter. The Treasurer, Administrator and Chair will also contribute.
F) Replacing District II Chair position
Chair Funk opened the floor for discussion and suggestions on who may be qualified to fill the position for District II Chair, as Robert Barkley is stepping down this year. Chair Funk and Vice Chair Russ Hegedus plan on making in-person visits to potential candidates to fill the position before the end of this year.
6) New Business
A) Discussion on charging TF’s for yearly membership
1.) Proposed fee is $10 per Tree Farmer every year, not per Tree Farm, or $50 for an initial inspection that lasts for 5 years which could be partially subsidized by ITFC. Although collecting funds is not the main goal, investment in the program will encourage more awareness and involvement from Tree Farmers and lend to better outcomes for future audits. North Carolina initiated a similar plan and it proved to benefit the program by keeping those Tree Farmers who really wanted to be part of it. Active Tree Farmers are the goal as opposed to a large quantity of members who are not involved. Montana also plans on charging a fee next year; although the exact fee amount has not been determined, it is estimated to be somewhere in the scope of $10-$50 per Tree Farmer. Madeline David noted that the 2015-2020 management plan standard requires some investment to pass an audit anyway, and that collecting a fee could possibly contribute towards paying inspectors for future inspections.
2.) Chair Funk will follow up with the committee at the January meeting, and again in March at the Annual meeting. The committee formed to research the best approach for this proposed plan include: Mary Fritz, Russ Hegedus and Steve Bloedel. Chair Funk proposed including an article for discussion in the next ITFP newsletter and to send out a poll to Tree Farmers through Constant Contact. The benefits to be part of the ITFP need to be clearly identified and outlined, along with the fee proposal when sent to members for survey.
B) Committee Roster for 2016
AFF has changed the required submission date for the 2016 ITFC Roster List from December 15th to November 1, 2015. Among those members that need to be updated are: Vice Chair – Russ Hegedus, Administrator – Savannah Miller, SFI Representative – Gretchen Lech, PLT position – Jane Thornes, and Robert Barkley needs to be removed as the District II Chair.
C) Leadership Conference
Registration is now open for the National Leadership Conference in Seattle on February 10th-12th for those who would like to attend.
7) Other Business:
A) Next Meeting: Thursday, January 21st 2016
ITFC will be hosted at the Idaho Department of Lands in Coeur d’ Alene, from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. Voting members who cannot attend meetings need to call/email with an excused absence and plan on sending a proxy in their place.
B) Chair Funk adjourned the meeting at 11:43 p.m.
Submitted by Savannah Miller, ITFP Administrator
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