Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable
Bi-annual board meeting
October 26-27
Wise, VA
Minutes 9:00- 11:00 am
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Attendance: Board
Of Directors
Craig Hartsock (President), Allegheny Soil Conservation District Mike Steinmaus (Vice President), Monday Creek Restoration Project Keith Pitzer (Secretary/ Treasurer), Friends of the Cheat Dewey Houck, Rural Appalachian Improvement League Bruce Golden, Eddie Hannah, Lonesome Pine Soil and Water Conservation District Staff
Hanna Wheeler (Coordinator), Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable (ECRR) Guests
Dave Rouse, UVA-Wise Allan Comp, Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team (ACCWT) Evan Smith, Juanita Wells, Irene Bohman, |
I. Introductions II. Purpose of meeting/ Overview of upcoming projects—Hanna III. Cleans Streams Practicum—Allan a. Background i. Lessons learned from ACCWT trainings ii. Tie-in with OSM work iii. History of communication with Appalachian Regional Commission b. Structure/ Audience c. Granted to ACCWT i. Timeline= training (north and south), practicum, training (north and south). 1 year. ii. Audience= Distressed and At-Risk counties in 8-state region d. Significance i. Increased contacts in Distressed/ At-Risk counties ii. Outreach to underrepresented states (ie KY, TN) iii. Collaboration between ECRR & ACCWT iv. Pilot project to potential EPA-funded Hope and Hard Work project IV. Hope and Hard Work a. Background—Allan i. History of communication with EPA Office of Water ii. Relationship to Clean Streams Practicum b. Structure/ Audience—Hanna i. Work with ACCWT/ ARC to continue to involve Distressed/ At-Risk county contacts ii. Expand audience throughout 8-state region iii. Many partners including 8 state-based organizations, River Network, Office of Surface Mining, ACCWT iv. ECRR= main applicant v. Timeline= training (north and south), practicum, training (north and south). 2 years. vi. 2 Tracks (or courses of study): Fiscal Sustainability, Water Quality Monitoring |
c. Significance—Hanna
i. Real capacity-building for watershed groups throughout 8-state region of Appalachian Coal Country
ii. Increased awareness of Appalachian Coal Country issues
iii. Increased collaboration across the region
iv. Increased awareness of/ opportunities for ECRR
d. Related Projects—Hanna
i. Regional
1. celebration of successes
2. gathering of stakeholders
3. planning of next-steps
ii. State of the Region Report
1. a snapshot of Appalachian Coal Country (via data collected during ARC and EPA-funded projects)
2. a tool for raising awareness
3. a tool for influencing policy
V. Other ECRR Projects/ Project Ideas—Hanna
a. “Thank the Funders” week
i. to thank foundations and agencies at work in Appalachian Coal Country
ii. to raise awareness of Appalachian Coal Country issues
iii. “will also involve communities”—Mike
iv. “collect thank-you notes from ECRR contacts”—Allan
vi. “copy legislators”—Bruce
b. Technology Transfer
i. ECRR matches agency excess property (aka computers, printers, etc) with watershed groups in need
ii. ECRR currently assessing computer/ software needs
c. Web Library
i. Grant proposal pending with EPA to create searchable online collection of tools related to watershed clean-up in Appalachian Coal Country
d. Abandoned Mine Lands Reauthorization
i. Summary of ECRR’s work so far—Hanna
ii. Update of work ahead—Hanna
iii. “Any other group working on this? What about CCC or OVEC?”—Dave
iv. “PA AML Campaign”—Bruce
v. “Trout Unlimited”—Allan
vi. “Congressman Rick Boucher is interested”—Dave
VI. Regional organizing—Group Discussion
a. PA AML Campaign updates
i. AML not likely to pass in lame-duck session
b. South Eastern Ohio Watershed Council as a model for ECRR—Mike
c. 2 interesting studies to put on ECRR website—Bruce
d. Cuts in agency budgets—Allan
e. Would Heinz Foundation fund a regional effort?—Allan
i. Ex. To help ECRR provide PA’s AML lobbyist with information/ statistics/ materials?
VII. Update on situation in
a. Evan= sole OSM/
b. No one to take on other OSM/VISTA positions though funding is available (KY River Authority, ACCWT, OSM, etc.).
c. Not a lot of agency support
d. Not a lot of industry to provide financial support
e. Consistency of enforcement below other states
f. “Strategies that work other
places don’t work in
g. Eddie—knows of groups/ people at work or formally at work in KY. Possible allies.
h. Dewey—“find people in the communities that are interested. Once there is a collection of people, politicians start to take notice.”
i. Dewey/ Allan—to arrange meeting between Evan/ interested Kentuckians and the Rural Appalachian Improvement League in southern WV.
VIII. Needs of ECRR in order to complete upcoming projects
a. Thank those involved in EPA project proposal
b. Board recruitment*
c. Board giving/ defined board commitment*
d. Staffing*
e. Funding*
f. Regular Communication with OSM Director
g. Expansion in underrepresented states*
h. PR strategy*
i. Defined decision-making process*
j. Increased inner-communication*
k. Mission statement (revisit wording)*
IX. Business
a. Coordinator’s Report—Hanna
i. Newsletter development
ii. Watershed Restoration Workshop
iii. Technology Transfer
iv. Grant proposals
b. Financial Report—Hanna
c. Fundraising—Group discussion
i. Membership letter of appeal—all board members
ii. Newsletter sponsorship—all board members
iii. Board recruitment—all board members
*Identified
in afternoon board development training
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Upcoming Meetings: January 23, March 21, |