Meeting Minutes

White Clay Creek Watershed

Management Committee

 

January 17, 2006, 1-3 p.m..

London Grove Township Building

West Grove, PA 19320

 

Attendees:

Chuck Barscz                           Jessie Benjamin             Sally Cheyne                            

Scott Gantt                                Jen Gochenaur              Michael Gritz

Janet Kalb                                Bob Kane                     John Kennel

Jake Michael                             Rick Mickowski            Dorothy P. Miller                     

Heather Rose                            Roy Simonson               Jack Stefferud  

Linda Stapleford                        Martin Wells                 Leon H. Wilkinson                    

 

Jessie Benjamin called the meeting to order, welcomed visitors, and asked attendees to introduce themselves.

 

MINUTES Sept.14 2005

Ř      The minutes of the Sept.14, 2005 meeting were read and approved by members present after adding Jerry Kauffman’s name to the list of members present and noting minor corrections that had been made to the version previously mailed.

 

NEXT MEETING

It was decided to hold the next Management Committee meeting Thursday, April 6, 1-3 p.m., at the Judge Morris Estate in Newark. 

 

RAIN GARDEN PRESENTATION

Elaine, Grehl, University of Delaware Longwood Gardens graduate student, presented her thesis project:  design and construction of a rain garden at the University of Delaware.  The garden is designed to capture and infiltrate run-off from surrounding buildings and parking lots during a 2 inch rain. She described the key role native vegetation plays in reducing stormwater runoff and reducing water pollution, the design and construction process for her rain garden project, and the unexpected challenges and eventual solutions.

 

BUDGET APPROVAL

L. Stapleford presented the 2006 budget, previously approved by the Exec. Subcommittee.  The budget presented is $100,000, $10,000 less than last year’s. This reduction allows for the likelihood that the National Park Service (NPS) will increase regional assessments to programs like the White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic River program to balance the cuts to the regional office budget. In addition, $1,629.31 in unspent funds from completed 05 projects is available in 06 either as a cushion for an even larger than anticipated reduction in our NPS funding or reallocation to other projects. Once we know exactly what we will receive from the NPS we will determine how to use that amount.  The budget was approved by a consensus vote.

 

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

 

Education Subcommittee

K. Travers relayed that the Watershed Welcome packets, a community educational outreach project, should be completed and produced in the next month or so.  This is a Stroud Water Research Center project funded in part by a Dockstader grant with some contribution from the Management Committee. There will be a follow up workshop for real estate agents.  Packets will be distributed to real estate agents, homeowner associations, municipalities, and available at outreach events. 

 

Twelve signs promoting the watershed of the Wild and Scenic White Clay Creek have been installed along Delaware roadways.  There was a brief discussion of the problems encountered with PennDOT approval for roadway signs.  Bob Kane, in attendance for Sen. Pileggi, offered to investigate the problem.  

 

Recreational Trails

L. Stapleford reported that the final text draft for the Trail Guide is nearly completed.  She also thanked those who responded to the emailed photograph request and noted the response was very helpful.  The Fair Hill map data has been received and is being edited to make it a compatible format.  All the elements should be passed along to the contractor by the end of February.

 

Fish & Wildlife  

Fish and Wildlife funds have previously been designated for flora and wildlife surveys on lands deemed potential preservation opportunities.  The Open Space subcommittee is the contracting agent for the surveys. J. Stefferud told the Comm. that they have contracted for flora surveys on 3 properties: 2 township parks (London Grove and London Britain) and New Garden airstrip.

 

Open Space

J. Stefferud reviewed progress on land preservation work.  Half the funding for a property in Franklin Twp is secured and the other half is expected shortly. A conservation easement is being placed on a London Grove property that borders 2000 feet of the White Clay Creek. Preservation of a London Britain property is moving along. And some direct landowner contacts are planned for New Garden Township.  The municipal ordinance survey has also begun.

 

Historical and Cultural Resources

M. Wells informed the Committee that a meeting had taken place in December on site re: the impasse on the April 05 London Tract application submission to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PMHC).  The meeting was attended by C. Barscz and another NPS staff member who works with National Historical Register submissions, contractor Bob Wise, and Carol Lee and other representatives of PMHC.  Carol Lee said she would get back to NPS and Bob Wise in January with her decision regarding the application.  They also visited sites relevant to a proposed Landenberg Historical District.

 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REPORT

Section 7 Review

C. Barscz reported there were no new section 7 project reviews for consideration.

 

ADMINISTRATOR REPORT

L. Stapleford reported on the following items:

·         A two part lecture series is planned in partnership with DNS; other sponsors are being pursued. Each lecture evening will consist of a very brief slide show highlighting the WCC as a Wild and Scenic River, a feature presentation, and a presentation on how citizens can help protect the WCC watershed through their own landscape management

      Stroud presentation on Stream Watch data, “WCC a Threatened Treasure”, is planned for March 16, 7:00 p.m at Ashland Nature Center

      DNREC presentation on Pike Creek Restoration will be sometime in April.  DNS is currently exploring having it at 3 Little Bakers

·         Homeowner Association Outreach – The Management Committee received a Delaware Coastal Program Grant to do 2 workshops for H.O.A.’s on habitat restoration in the open spaces they manage. There is a meeting this month to discuss changes Delaware DNREC would like to see in the proposal. A brief discussion followed regarding grant possibilities to expand this effort to Pennsylvania.

·         Citizen Volunteers for Invasive control – Dale Hendricks has offered to train and work with a group of citizens on invasives control in H.O.A.’s open space. Consensus was this would be good to try as a pilot project. Other examples were mentioned of this type of program including the newly forming Delaware Citizen Conservation Corps; Friends of Wissahickon; and Tom Brightman, Brandywine Conservancy, who is working with some communities in open spaces in which the Conservancy holds easements. It was also mentioned that possibly FWCCSP may do this work and Glenn Zelluk, WCCSP, may be a potential resource for training citizens.

·         Municipal MS4 Outreach Assistance/Cooperation – We received a call from a contractor for Avondale inquiring if the Management Committee could assist with Stormwater Program for Municipal separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) outreach requirements.  A phone conference is scheduled to discuss possible cooperative ventures or services that could be provided.

·         Stroud Water Research Center Stream Watch Analysis - $25,000 in funding for the analysis of the data is in the 06 budget.

·         UD White Clay Creek State of Watershed Report – The Water Resources Agency of U.D. has offered to compile this report for us; our only cost is printing.  The report would include compiling indicators that characterize the health of the watershed, identifying locations of specific problems, establishing measurable goals to address the problems, develop alternatives designed to address the problems, and prepare specific recommendations for action. Targeted date for completion is September 2006.

 

OLD BUSINESS

J. Kalb shared a story demonstrating the wealth of historic resources in the area.  She took a 6 yr. old out to an eroded portion of a plowed field and the child found an 8 inch arrowhead almost immediately.

 

NEW BUSINESS

H. Rose asked if the Management Committee would consider supporting the London Grove Twp’s May referendum for an increase in the earned income tax to preserve open space. The consensus was that the River Administrator should draft a letter stating this issue came up before the Committee and the consensus was that such a referendum was completely consistent with the Management Plan and therefore should be supported by the Committee. Jake Michael recused himself from this issue.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.