BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Minutes of Meeting
OHA State Board of Directors
August 20, 2011
Eagles Lodge, Albany

Present:           Fred Craig, President
Don Backman, Chairman
Wendell Locke, Vice President
Mike Vallery, Treasurer
Steve Hagan, Secretary
Duane Bernard, Western Oregon Director, North Region (At-Large)
Nancy Wells-Elliott, Northeast Director
Mike Ayers, Southwest Director (At-Large)
Joe Ricker, Midwest Director
Bill Littlefield, Central Director
Bob Loper, Southwest Director
Fred Walasavage, Eastern Oregon Director (At-Large)
                       
Absent:            Gerald Slay, Southeast Director
 
Staff:                Al Elkins, OHA Lobbyist
                        Duane Dungannon, State Coordinator
                        Ty Stubblefield, Field Administrator

Guests:            Stu Crosby, Capitol Chapter
                        Curt Melcher, Deputy Director, ODFW
                        Don Whittaker, Ungulate Coordinator, ODFW
           
The meeting was called to order at 8:59 a.m. by Chairman Don Backman.

Approval of the Agenda:
Move DOJ changes to Organizational Committee.
Add Tillamook State Forest to Other Business.
Add Executive Seminar to Other Business.
Fred Walasavage made a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Nancy Wells-Elliott seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Enter Executive Session at 9:04 a.m.
Return to Regular Session at 10:58 a.m.

Mike Vallery made a motion that OHA draft a letter to be sent to legislators, ODFW and the ODFW Commission, to address the lack of wolf plan follow-up to be reviewed and approved by special email meeting with a deadline of September 10, 2011.  Wendell Locke seconded the motion.
Motion passed by voice vote, Fred Craig abstained. Mike Vallery will draft the letter.

Bill Littlefield made a motion that upon receipt and approval by the OHA State Board of professional polling questions and a strategic plan answering the questions identified in a letter that the OHA State Board drafts to the Oregon Outdoor Council Foundation, that the OHA State Board contribute $25,000 from savings to the Oregon Outdoor Council Foundation for the purpose of repealing Measure 18. Duane Bernard seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote. Bill Littlefield to draft letter.

 

Secretary's Report (Steve Hagan):
Fred Craig made a motion to approve the minutes as amended. The second was not noted. The motion passed by voice vote.

Treasurer's Report (Mike Vallery):
Nancy Wells-Elliott made a motion to approve the report as read. Duane Bernard seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Field Administrator Report (Ty Stubblefield):

  1. Leupold - modifications to program
  2. A&H tag allocation meeting
  3. LOP pilot program meeting – talk of expanding program statewide
  4. DOJ issues for legislative action – requested changes
  1. Removal from regulations: “No person may be required to obtain more than one ticket, or to pay for anything other than the ticket, in order to enter a raffle.”
  2. $100 signature requirement increased to $600
  3. Increase Class A license ceiling to $20,000
  1. Partnership Improvement Committee letter to ODFW Commission
  2. DOJ raffle report for 2011 State Convention
  3. State website on schedule to be complete by end of September

State Report (Duane Dungannon):
Donation Drive – over $10,000 into Victory Fund; donations to Wildlife Super Fund starting to come in; targeting youth program after first of the year
Grant proposal response in November
Grant proposal from two chapters in Southern Oregon was denied; questions asked about why, if OHA has funds in the bank, is the grant necessary and why OHA is deficit spending?

President’s Report (Fred Craig)

  1. Chapter Financial Responsibilities and Requirements – Passed out another copy to emphasize OHA State Board responsibilities.
  2. OHA State Board – The current OHA State Board agenda is mainly reactive. There is a need to focus on the mission statement, funding, and time usage to further the mission.
  3. Chapter Issues – Most problems have been blamed on lack of communication between OHA State Board and individual chapter. Direct face-to-face contact between OHA State Board members and individual chapters is important. OHA State Board directors need to be well-informed as to what the board is doing and why. Training may be in order (seminars, board get-away).
  4. Funding – OHA State Board needs to target funding where it is most influential, not just qualified grant applications; some grants are more appropriate for chapters to fund so that state can retarget funding. Currently the state board is spending from savings and not replenishing savings.
  5. OHA projects – Currently involved in lots of small projects, no large projects.
  6. Helpful aid for chapters – Need to create something to assist chapter board members with duties.

Al Severson (Mid-Willamette Chapter) presented a framed version of the OHA 2011 poster to President Fred Craig.

ODFW Presentation (Curt Melcher)
Wanted the OHA State Board to note that the agenda for the ODFW Commission when the Partnership Improvement Committee letter was presented was quite full, not much opportunity to discuss letter contents at the commission meeting.
Duties are agency liaison to legislature when legislature in session, position is back-filled during that time period. ODFW  is in general neutral on legislation. One of the reasons is that the agency is under the Governor’s purview. The agency wants to be viewed as providing facts regardless of position on specific legislation (example: cougar bill, provided information related to target areas, livestock depredation).
Deals with day-to-day operations as deputy.
Regarding PIC letter: staff drafting response, take OHA issues very seriously; agency time is currently being consumed by energy development issues (Wind Energy facilities: 19 in place, 24 in development; easy ones are done, newer ones have wildlife impact issues; several are county-sited); discussion of claims on federal land
Pushback from counties regarding oversight
Bill Littlefield asked: regarding ungulate populations, what is ODFW going to do? MDI, decline of mule deer across the West; predator management (cougar target areas); timber management a huge factor in Western Oregon (forage, seral stage development)

Old business:

  1. Umpqua updates (Bob Loper) – Umpqua Travel Management Plan: A new forest supervisor is in place and will be redoing the plan.  Backed off of the “camping corridor” concept.
  2. Grant Committee Report (Wendell Locke) – Program will be targeted strictly towards habitat, not education (youth incentive program is already in place). Intent is to have new process brought for decision-making to the December board meeting. Fred Walasavage made a motion that the Grant Committee look at the grant process, make changes as necessary and develop a grant program for hunter outreach and education. Bill Littlefield seconded the motion. Discussion: Fred Craig recalled this being about the grant process, not about the funding. Bill Littlefield noted that in addition the overwhelming number of grants being youth oriented was causing issues. Motion passed by voice vote. Nancy made a motion that for grant funds committed more than a year ago, the recipient be given 30 days to collect their funds or the money revert back into the account. Duane Bernard seconded the motion. Ty noted that the current follow-up process is not working. The motion failed by voice vote. Bill Littlefield made a motion that OHA contact all grant recipients with outstanding balances to find out if they still anticipate using those funds for which the funds were granted to determine if they will still be used. Joe Ricker seconded the motion. Motion passed by voice vote.

New Business:

  1. OWEB Grant Issues report  - Item covered in Executive Session

Committee Reports:
Organizational Committee:
Mike Vallery reported on the following issues discussed within the Organizational Committee meeting:

  1. OHA Accounting and Property Tracking Inventory System – Committee will collect existing spreadsheets from chapters and work on this item for the December meeting.
  2. Alcohol Policy review – no change at this time
  3. Mileage Reimbursement Review – Committee recommendation is to make no change to the existing reimbursement rate. Committee members will contact members that have inquired directly instead of an email to all chapters.
  4. DOJ Review –
  1. Committee recommendation: signature for $600+
  2. Committee recommendation: raise ceiling to $20,000
  3. Program pre-approval? Committee recommendation to leave this item alone.
  4. Door prize – Committee recommendation to not pursue this item. Ty noted that the term “door prize” cannot be used at a banquet (it is defined in the rules).
  5. Language regarding “One ticket”: committee recommendation to leave this item alone. Ty noted legality issues of multiple ticket types lumped together. Would like to see this either removed or amended. Joe R. made a motion that Al and Ty work together on the DOJ Review; Nancy seconded; motion passed by voice vote.
  1. Grant County trailer – Trailer can be titled in OHA State name. Committee recommendation is to get a bill of sale from Nancy Wells-Elliott to do the transfer.
  2. Chapter By-laws (Bill Littlefield): Fred Craig made a motion that the restated by-laws be approved. Mike V. seconded the motion. Motion passed by voice vote. By-law change needs to be sent to the chapters for comment, response to any changes and then subject to approval at the December meeting.  Mike Vallery made a motion that a letter be drafted by Bill Littlefield and Cindy Rooney summarizing the by-law process and sent with the by-laws. Second not noted; motion passed by voice vote.

Wildlife Committee:
Bill Littlefield reported on the following issues discussed within the Wildlife Committee meeting:

  1. Lobbyist briefing – covered in Executive Session
  2. Band-Tailed Pigeon/Dove – Oregon is already equal to existing federal regulations. Duane Dungannon to contact member with committee consensus of no-action.
  3. Distribution of Wildlife Committee Minutes – Bill Littlefield to draft wildlife committee highlights. Full-board discussion with Organizational Committee Chairman and Board Chairman as to level of interest.
  4. Partnership Improvement Committees – Need to keep communication open between state and committees. There is an expectation that state board members will be part of the process and provide support to the committees as needed.
  5. Wind energy wildlife mitigation authority – Al Elkins to identify recourse possibilities.

Other Business:

  1. Hunt Plan - Crook County Search and Rescue request for OHA support to distribute “Hunt Plan” with membership. Duane Bernard made a motion that the Hunt Plan be put on the web and in the magazine. Mike Vallery seconded the motion. Discussion: Duane Dungannon noted the cost of $2000 to buy an ad that size in the magazine. Stu Crosby noted if it was made available to the Chapters it could be put in the newsletter. questions regarding cost. The motion failed. Bill Littlefield made a motion that the Hunt Plan be distributed by Duane Dungannon as he sees fit.  Fred Craig seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.
  2. Executive Seminar (Wolf): No action taken.
  3. PIC letter – Need representatives to meet with ODFW. Fred Craig will be the state board representative.  Al Elkins to get name of PIC member representative.

Action Items:
Steve Hagan to send OWEB stuff from Executive Session to Al.
Mike Vallery to draft the letter regarding wolf plan follow-up.
Bill Littlefield to draft the letter to Oregon Outdoor Council Foundation with questions.
Duane Dungannon to draft response to Band-Tailed Pigeon/Dove request.
Bill Littlefield to draft wildlife committee highlights for Duane D.
Duane Dungannon to consolidate notes for board meeting highlights (Org and full board highlights?)
Al Elkins to identify recourse possibilities regarding wind energy wildlife mitigation authority
Bill Littlefield and Cindy Rooney to draft a summary of the by-law process.
Duane Dungannon to distribute Hunt Plan

Next meetings:
Dec. 3 - Salem
Jan. 21, 2012 – Salem

Meeting adjourned @ 4:28pm

Steve Hagan
Secretary