DEERFIELD RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES

DATE: Monday, February 8, 2020 TIME: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm LOCATION: Zoom Meeting Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82803756552?pwd=YTBJdGdGNkpWZGlDTkV0T2xmRVlGUT09 Meeting ID: 828 0375 6552 Passcode: 01301 One tap mobile +13126266799,,82803756552#, +13017158592,,82803756552#,

Art Schwenger ✓ Polly Bartlett

✓ Charlie Olchowski ✓ Ryan O’Donnell

 David Boles ✓ Sheila Kelliher

✓ Jim Perry ✓ Terry Atkinson c Chris Curtis ✓ Patrick McCoy

PURPOSE: Regular Monthly Meeting – Please let Jim know if you cannot attend.

LIST OF TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED --Call to order at about 6:03 p.m. --Review past minutes – January 11, 2021 (Jim Perry) The Minutes were approved. --Identify New Agenda Items not included in this proposed agenda.

Board Member Reports [ ] = Potential Open Leadership Positions (Lead?) ● President/Treasurer & Vice Presidents: (Jim Perry – Pres., Sheila Kelliher - 1st VP, Chris Curtis – 2nd VP) o Mail & Email Call: o Website & Email: o CRC Liaison: Latest news. (Ryan) o New DRWA Logo: (Jim) Discussions on latest permutation. Expect to have .jpg copies tomorrow. o Special Guest: DRWA/CRC Donation Thank You Letter; List of 2020 Donors; etc. – Corey Kurtz, CRC Suggested changes to clarify DRWA specific donations and how they are coming in. Corey will try to get that updated info and the various sources from whence they came. Jim’s concerns about discrepancy between what Phil shows and what we think we have in donations. Corey will get with Phil on this. Chris wants to know if this is a particularly good year for donations compared to previous years. [A little less than past years, but we did not do any Spring fundraising this year due to COVID-19] Corey describes CRC’s twice yearly appeal by mail including DRWA. Our pictures are helpful. Needs our updated mailing list with any new potential contact recommendations from the Board for next appeal in May. Chris says we should include our new website, so folks can check out DRWA activities online. Donate envelope, per Corey, could include direction to our website and new logo (will reinforce the brand). Pat says

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wait til May for website notification, until a couple of details are fixed. Jim mentioned that we have the flexibility to send more than 2 emails per year. Every couple weeks or weekly Corey suggests possible email communication to membership on what we’re doing, but some think that may be too often. o Affiliation Agreement: Discuss any potential changes to the 2-year Affiliation Agreement. Discuss copy of existing agreement sent to the board. The agreement expires in May. (Jim) Chris & Jim will work on trying to meet with Andy on the agreement renewal. Per Chris, thinking of direction we’re heading, vis a vis getting larger grants, applying for smaller grants, we might want more flexibility/autonomy in agreement to pursue or manage our grants if appropriate. Sheila asks if we’re still in a provisional phase of agreement. Charlie feels there is a lot of value in coordinating with CRC when both may be working on the same project. Thereby, Chris suggests clarifying language, realizing the value in the joint affiliation we do have. Insurance question? Chris cites eg.: small grant application with a 1 week turn-around would be a good time to have autonomy to act quickly and not miss an opportunity. Chris suggests some grants don’t allow for an administrative fee, so hopes DRWA will not lose opportunity for valuable grant funding. Charlie suggests calling for the meeting with Andy as a two year review meeting; we are the first of their affiliates. Chris thinks it might be good for David, Charlie, & Sheila to be present at the meeting. Chris thinks the North River Restoration Project is a good example of a project where DRWA should have input on hiring, and Charlie said CRC included him in all their decision making, showing good faith. ● Watershed Projects: o Wild & Scenic Rivers – Status. Update on community and legislative outreach efforts. Next steps. (Chris, Patrick, & Charlie) Chris has met with 14 communities in 2 states, Wilmington VT being the most recent community to sign on in favor of a Wild & Scenic River study. Chris has also been reaching out to other organizations and businesses (eg. Windham Regional Commission on board, VT Agency for Natural Resources (Marie Caduto in favor), MA DCR (no response yet), Crab Apple, Zoar, TU, Green River Watershed Association. Chris is working with congressional aides; would like to get 7 on board (5 presently): Sanders & Leahy and others to name a few. Has sent big packages in mail on the project to have it on record. Next steps: keep building support, get a study bill filed, get this on the top of peoples’ lists in spite of how busy the new administration is getting. Polly asks what the impact is on private property; Chris says none, except they can’t dam or alter the river flow, and the advantage is projects to improve or protect the river. Charlie had a long conversation with Matt Cole from Great River Hydro; we should send him a packet, as he didn’t know a thing about the project. Charlie says we can present it the way we want to; Chris can send him a package. Charlie says packages should also be sent to Brookfield and whoever administers Gardner Falls. Jim will follow up with contact info.

o Green River Cleanup and the Green River Festival – Status Update. (David Boles) David expresses desire to develop a relationship with the Green River Watershed Alliance and collaboration with other organizations the length of the Green River. Ryan says Kathy, CRC VT River Steward, is in favor of getting all organizations in the watershed to work more formally together, eg. swimming holes on the Green River. Ryan says they’re working with Conservancy on respectful stewardship signage. David thinks the Green River Cleanup may be held in similar fashion as last year. Ryan will keep us updated also. Jim has a Green River Cleanup page for the website. o Monitoring: Status Update. Prepared a DRWA letter supporting CRC’s application for a MassDEP monitoring equipment grant. (Ryan O’Donnell - CRC) Ryan had a very busy January coordinating sites for consideration in VT. MA DEP revamped their support, which is mostly for supplies, no staff or other overhead. Other tributary organizations of the River Conservancy are coordinating with them to fully fund the effort to support monitoring. Old data 2

was on an old website and may not be available any longer per Ryan in asking Marie Francoise. Says Mike Cole & MA DEP may have stats from before, but Ryan has data for the last 3 years, which is on the old DRWA website per Pat. Ryan hopes to monitor for turbidity and conductivity as well as bacteria, so 2021 should be a more robust monitoring year and return to full capacity. o Green River Watershed Alliance - Status Update. (Ryan O’Donnell) Additionally GRWA is doing a mailing on wildlife in the watershed. o Dornbusch/Cromack River Restoration Project – Status Update. (Charlie) Nothing to report o Woodlands Partnership – Status Update. (Sheila) Meeting on Tues. 2/23 assigning sub committees. She’ll be on forest and natural resource committees. o Mahican-Mohawk Trail – Status Update. The State trail grant application will soon be submitted by FRCOG for installation of trail kiosks, volunteer days, and trail work in the Wheeler Brook section of the trail in Mohawk Trail State Forest (in the town of Florida). (Jim & Art) FRCOG submitting a grant for some kiosks. Chris cites the need for trail maintenance and bridge repairs in Bardwell’s Ferry area. Chris says he’s been unable to find a contact for the railroad. Polly suggests someone named Shedd from Bernardston, Patrick found a fire chief named (first name?) Shedd. o River Access Forum – Still waiting for a report, per Michael Leff (Jim). o Shunpike Rest Area – Charlemont has their own river issues working group led by Berkshire East. I have no idea what they are up to. (Jim) Group run by Jon Schaefer. Shunpike still has 30 minute parking restriction signs. o Charlemont River Issues Meeting – First Meeting was Cancelled. No news on re-holding the meeting. I sent an email to Marguerite Willis – Charlemont Select Board, three times over three months (her request for comments) asking her to address the “Live Parking” signs at Shunpike Rest Area. No response. (Jim) o Deerfield River Recreation Management Plan – February 18th, Stakeholders Meeting. (Jim) ▪ This second meeting’s agenda will include: ▪ Presentation from Michael Leff about the Franklin County Conservation District’s Deerfield River Access Initiative Report. ▪ Report from Jon Schaefer about the forming a Charlemont group to address Deerfield River recreation topics. Polly says Jon Schaefer is very community oriented and has very deep pockets. Jim asks if his focus is local, also ecological or just commercial? ▪ Update by FRCOG about existing plans and reports related to this topic, and a review of potential funding sources to fund a planning study and implementation. ▪ Are there other topics that should be included? If so, please email me at [email protected]. (Jim) ● Website Maintenance: (Patrick) Status o Update on new website – Status Update. Patrick is close to going live, appreciates the feedback. Please check the website and continue to submit feedback. DRWA board members, please send bio, a couple of sentences about your history and why you’re on the board. Feel free to send river photos, too. Patrick wants everyone’s comfort level on implementing the new website. Jim wants to look at it before we go live. Sheila says we should add that we are members of Mass Rivers Alliance; Ryan mentions Watersheds United Vermont. Ryan says to email both Phil & Mallory at CRC to find out if our membership with MRA is paid. ▪ Reminder to submit feedback on the new website ● https://helicon-grape-6y39.squarespace.com/ ● pswd: DeerfieldRiverweb$ite ▪ Please use this Google Sheet to capture your feedback. If you are not able to use the Google Sheet, please put all of your feedback in a Word Doc and send to Patrick ▪ For discussion: ● General feedback on the site not yet submitted to Patrick? 3

● Do we want to include board member bios? ● Any other current initiatives/board priorities we want to feature on the site? Chris working on W&S River content, Charlie working on Dornbusch/Cromack content, Jim provided Green River Clean Up and Graffiti Removal Project content. Jim is also working on others, such as Mahican-Mohawk Trail maintenance. ● Also looking for additional "Get Involved" content from the Board Members ● Financial Report: Review Phil’s Financial Report. (Jim Perry) Jim says the 2020 and 2021 report received today is incomplete. Ryan says CRC has switched financial systems, our fiscal year cycle is different from CRC’s, and that contributes to why it’s hard to get a correct report. Ryan needs Jim to fill out line items in format Phil is using to get an accurate report. Jim will send it again to Phil and will add Mallory and Ryan. o (Missing Key Information) o Donations: $ 2020 Budget: $ Deficit-to-Date: $ o Income: $ Expenses: $ o Net Income: $ ● Secretary: (Terry) ● [Relicensing]: (Lead?) ● Membership & Community Outreach: (Sheila Kelliher) Nothing new o New DRWA Logo – CRC is working on a refined logo following our review. o DRWA Instagram Account – (Sheila) o Facebook Account – (Ryan) o Donation Thank You Cards –– (Jim) ● Newsletters: (Lead?) ● Education: (Terry) No response from emails sent to Amber Tulloch and follow-up to Hawlemont principal as yet. Will follow up again. o Mini-Grants – Email sent to Hawley asking their intent to use the mini-grant funds. (Terry) ● [Science]: (Lead?) ● New and Old Business: ● Next meeting: March 8, 2021 - Second Monday of the month, 6:00 PM, via Zoom. ● Adjournment

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