KERN RIVER VALLEY FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

Board of Directors and General Meeting

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Those present for the Board Meeting:  Lloyd Smith (72), Ed Royce (200), Christine and Gordon Hancock (10), Emily Diggles (10), Rey Ramirez (100) and RobinWyatt-Little (26).*
* Indicates mileage, round trip.
 
President Lloyd Smith convened the meeting at 8:32 AM .
 
MINUTES:  Motion to approve by Ed Royce. Second by Christine Hancock. Unanimous approval.
 
TREASURER'S REPORT: Christine reports an operating balance of $3100.27.  Grant balances are: Bodfish Canyon , $4411.00; Kennedy Meadows, $2943.00; State Farm, $6203.79 (Living With Wildfire Inserts) and West & Arkelian Foundation, $347.00.  Recent donations received totaled $120.00.  Christine paid grant administrative fees to Patrick Pontes totaling $3546.00. The Board pre-approved payment to H&R Block for May 15th tax preparation.   Motion to approve by Robin Wyatt-Little. Second by Ed Royce.  Unanimous approval.
 
CALENDAR UPDATE:  Added dates include: May 9th, KVLI Talk Radio ( 8:45 AM ), Rey Ramirez and Robin Wyatt-Little; May 24th, Havilah Days, Robin and others.  NOTE:  Gordon and Christine Hancock will host the FSC table at the Spring Nature Festival at the Wildlife Preserve, not Robin.
 
BOARD MEMBER NOMINATION:  Margaret Belz had agreed to serve on the FSC Board, however this is no longer an option.  Lloyd asks the Board to actively pursue a replacement for Emily Diggles' seat.  Gordon Hancock suggested asking local newspaper people to serve on the Board.
 
COMMITTEE REPORTS;
 
GRANT STATUS UPDATES:  Kennedy Meadows:  Ed Royce, reporting for Patrick Pontes, reports that 138 ﾓlicense to enterﾔ letters have been sent with approximately 45% returned.  Ed will send reminder letters.  Ed requested discussion of FSC liability issues concerning the License to Enter document.  Conclusion was that FSC not liable, contractor(s) are.  The draft Request for Proposal and sample Contract are in the review stages. Ed and Patrick are collaborating on the contract protocol & process.  It is hoped letters will be sent to potential contractors by April 24th and a pre-proposal meeting in Kennedy Meadows in May.  The plan is for a June 1st contract start date.
 
Bodfish Canyon Brushing Project:  Rey Ramirez visited the project with Department of Fish & Game resulting in the decision to leave some brush piles for Quail nesting habitat.  John Smith will begin the Archaeological  survey when he receives the University records.  A Notice of Exemption was approved for this project.
 
Sequoia Crest CWPP signatures have been received.  Harry Love is working with the Ranger District on a Memorandum of Understanding for the signature page process.  Patrick will close out this project at the end of this quarter.
 
2009 Grant Proposals: 
Pala Ranches Shaded Fuel break:  Project was approved by BLM for the full requested grant amount of $99,800.00.
Bodfish Canyon Phase 11 Fuel break Project: Project approved by BLM for the full requested grant amount of $99,600.00.
Piute Meadows Community Roadside Brushing & Chipping Project: Project was approved by the Forest Service for the full requested grant amount of $86,900.
 
All applications were completed and submitted with the required maps by the due date. 
 
April is the end of the quarter and Quarterly Reports are due to the Clearing House.
 
Patrick attended the ﾓBuilding Sustainability through Community Engagementﾔ workshop in Santa Barbara .  He will share handouts at the May FSC meeting.
 
FUNDRAISING:  Lloyd reports nothing requiring Board action.
 
CHIPPER PROJECTS:  Due to Margaret Belz’s resignation Lloyd will ask Tom Parkin if he would be willing to Chair the Chipper Days Committee.  Robin will obtain any pertinent chipper information that Margaret might have.  Ed will attend to needed website changes, removing Margaret's name as contact and provide new link for contact information. 
 
SPEAKER BUREAU:  Robin will begin scheduling programs for community organizations. 
 
BYLAWS:  Ed reports nothing requiring Board action.
 
PUBLICITY:  Lloyd submitted a letter to the Fence Post regarding vandalism of FSC Road sign in the Walker Basin area.  Robin has submitted two fire safety articles.  No action yet on cost for tri-fold display board for Speakers Bureau/Publicity events.
 
WEBSITE:  Ed reports that we are to continue using the old URL ﾓ.comﾔ until further notice as the new webmaster has not had an opportunity to add the new URL ﾓ.orgﾔ information.
 
EDUCATION:  Lloyd reports another roadside message board has been ordered. It was agreed that the vandalized sign needs to be placed in a new location, less isolated.  The Board gave approval for two large FSC Logos to be produced.  Unanimous agreement.
 
OLD BUSINESS:  Lloyd completed and distributed the CWPP PDF File on disc.  Robin will take Scott Williamﾒs copy to him and see about the possibility of Scott printing out a hard copy.
 
CHIPPER DATA REPORT:  Lloyd completed and distributed the Chipper Data Report ( 3/25/08 ) prepared in response to an inquiry by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.  The report points out a need for more complete chipper day data.  Efforts to this end are in force.
 
Rey Ramirez asked about the Chipper Day information sheet to accompany burn permit requests at local KCFD Stations.  Lloyd will attend to this.
 
NEW BUSINESS:  Lloyd spoke with Bob LaRue, Director of Kern County Parks & Recreation.  Mr. LaRue is pro FSC and suggested Lloyd contact John Crabtree, the KRV contact person and ask him to attend the meetings.
 
Tom Parkin bought 6 new tri holders for our FSC brochures.  Thank you Tom ONCE AGAIN!
 
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM.
 
BOARD ACTION ITEMS:

·       Recruit new Board Member:  Everyone

·       Retrieve any chipper info from Margaret: Robin

·       Speak with Tom re Chipper Committee Chair:  Lloyd

·       Schedule Speakers Bureau Programs: Robin

·       Inquire re CWPP hard copy with Scott: Robin

·       Develop chipper day info sheet for burn permits:  Lloyd

·       Contact John Crabtree with KC Parks:  Lloyd

********
 
Kern River Valley Fire Safe Council
Stakeholders Meeting
April 17, 2008
 

Additional attendees:  Mark Kingsbury and Patti Mull (12)
 
President Lloyd Smith convened the meeting at 9:40 AM.  Introductions were made.
 
Change to the printed agenda:  Lloyd Smith and Rey Ramirez presented Emily Diggles with an appreciation plaque for her ﾓabove and beyondﾔ service to this FSC since 2001.  A rousing applause in appreciation for Emilyﾒs volunteerism on behalf of the FSC.  Ed Royce was resident photographer.  THANKYOU EMILY!
 
CALENDER UPDATES:  Two changes were noted, adding May 9th for KVLI Talk Show, Rey and Robin, 8:45 AM.  Havilah Days will be May 24th.  Details to be announced.
 
 
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: 
 
Lloyd smith offered congratulations to Rey Ramirez on his recent KCFD promotion to Battalion Chief.  YAY REY !
 
Lloyd retracted his announcement of the new Board Member as Margaret Belz will be moving out of state at the end of the month.  Lloyd asked everyone to pursue finding a new Board Member.
 
Lloyd completed and distributed the Chipper Projects data report.  A terrific job Lloyd!
 
GRANTS:  Ed Royce reports for Patrick Pontes that all three 2009 Grant Applications were funded:  Bodfish Canyon Phase 11 Fuel Reduction Project and Pala Ranches Fuel Reduction Project, both funded through BLM and Walker Basin Road Brushing and Chipper Project funded through the Forest Service.  These projects represent $286 thousand in funding.  Rey Ramirez praised Patrick Pontesﾒ thoroughness in the Grant Application Requests.  THANKS PATRICK!
 
Fundraising: Lloyd reports that thank youﾒs have been sent for recent donations.  To date, 2008 donations total $2092.00.  Response  to  letters requesting donations to property owners associations have been slow.  No word yet from the Kern Community Foundation nor Alta One funding requests.
 
CHIPPER DAYS:  Lloyd reports that the recent Walker Pass Chipper Day was, in a word, TERRIFIC with 400 cubic feet of cleared brush chipped from along the highway on private property.
 
Scheduled chipper days coming up:  May 3rd ﾖ Squirrel Valley; May 17th ﾖ Pala Ranches and May 31st ﾖ Alta Sierra.
 
It was agreed that Chipper Days should be encouraged as a means to reduce burning and improve air quality.
  
SPEAKERS BUREAU:  Robin will begin scheduling speakerﾒs bureau programs with community organizations.
 
PUBLICITY:  Ed Royce volunteered to write articles (before and during) the Bodfish Canyon fuel reduction grant project.  Ed will acknowledge the Crew 87 and Supervisor Randy Griffin.
 
Lloyd spoke with a Mr. Barrientos, reporter, from the Bakersfield Californian regarding an article about the FSC and grant projects such as Bodfish and also the Squirrel Valley Chipper Day event.  Lloyd will follow up with this.
 
WEBSITE:  Ed reports that the new webmaster has been delayed due to the tax preparation season.  Progress soon.
 
EDUCATION:  Lloyd reports six more roadside message boards are ready and another is being made.  Rotation calendar not ready yet.
It was suggested that FSC members and/or KCFD will assist with installing/changing the message boards.  Lloyd asked the Board for direction as to repairing the vandalized sign at a cost of $400.00 or ordering a replacement sign for $600.00.  Ed moved to repair the sign.  Second by Robin.  Unanimous approval.
 
Ed suggested getting the message signs changed ASAP as some of them were no longer appropriate with the current season.  Mark Kingsbury volunteered to do this task.  THANKS MARK!
 
The Caliente sign will be relocated so it is not so isolated, perhaps on the private property of the Fence Post at the Bodfish/Caliente Road junction.  Another locale might be the ﾓYﾔ at the Rankin Ranch.  Discussion ensued regarding an all together different locale such as Evans Road which is a State Highway and would require a permit process.  Rey Ramirez suggested the Forest Service Work Station in Havilah as a possible locale.  No action taken.  Rey Ramirez will take sign to Sierra Signs for repair.  Lloyd, Scott and Cindy will work on message rotations.
 
AGENCY REPORTS:
 
KCFD:  Rey tells us that the ﾓLiving With Wildfireﾔ newspaper inserts are ready for distribution for Wildfire Awareness Week.  Rey will send extra copies to our FSC for use in community education outreach and speakers bureau programs.  Rey asks that FSC members edit the current 08ﾒ issue and make suggestions for the 09ﾒ insert.  Thank you to Rey and Mary Beth Garrison (Tehachapi FSC) for this excellent issue.  A special thanks to Ed Royce for his contribution highlighting the role of Fire Safe Councils on the back page of the insert.  WELL DONE!
 
Rey reminds us of the Wildfire Awareness Week presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 6th, 9:00 AM, Kern County Administration Building.  Robin, Christine and Gordon have volunteered to attend. 
 
Mark Kingsbury met with Department of Fish and Game to assess the Bodfish grant project.  Some piles of cleared brush will remain to provide wildlife habitat.  Historical checks are done for the project and archaeological inspection to follow.  A June 1st starting date is expected.
 
FOREST SERVICE:  Lloyd reports that Cindy Thill has been formally detailed as the PAO (Public Affairs Officer) for the district.  Congratulations Cindy!
 
BLM :  Debbie Santiago informed Robin that a Student Conservation Team will once again spend 2-3 months in the KRV this summer, working on needed wildfire issues/projects. Team leader Danielle Temple and husband Dan, are wildlife biologists.  It was suggested that the local newspapers might like to attend the May FSC meeting to meet Danielle and hear about SCA.  Robin will attend to this.  Lloyd asked members to think about needed projects that SCA might get involved with such as helping elderly residents with defensible space clearing.
 
RC&D:  No report this month.
 
 
PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS:
 
Lake Isabella/Bodfish POA hosted their annual Town Hall Meeting with County Officials .
 
Frontier Trail POA :  All quiet.
 
Kennedy Meadow POA:  Memorial Day BBQ, 11:00 AM.  Forest service and BLM agency representatives will be attending.  License to Enter letters sent with 45% returned.  Reminder letters will be sent.
 
Keyesville resident Patti Mull asked for advice and/or information regarding the many dead and downed trees in the Keyesville area.  She is concerned about the fuel load these dead trees represent in the event of a wildfire.   Apparently there are no agency policies on how to deal with this type of issue for nearby property owners.  To be continued.
 
Meeting adjourned at 11:30 AM.
 
ACTION ITEMS:
 
ﾷ        Message signs rotation calendar: Cindy, Scott & Lloyd
ﾷ        Changing message signs: FS/FSC folks/KCFD
ﾷ        Editing current Living With Wildfire for the 2009 issue.  Everyone
ﾷ        Develop Bodfish Canyon Articles:  Ed
ﾷ        Contact newspapers re SCA at May FSC meeting:  Robin
 
 
REMINDER:  Next FSC meeting is Thursday, May 15th.  Board of Directors meeting is 8:30 AM, Stakeholders meeting is 9:30 AM.

 
GET OTHERS INVOLVED ﾖ BRING GUESTS!