2 pm, Department of Agriculture, Room G8-A 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT
Council members present: Theodore Andreadis, William Hyatt, Paul Larson, Richard McAvoy, Darryl Newman, Katherine Winslow
Others present: Ellen Bender, Donna Ellis, Nicole Gabelman
1. McAvoy called the meeting to order at 2:10 pm.
2. Approval of Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes from June 9 were reviewed. A name was added to those in attendance and a grammatical correction was offered and accepted. Larson moved (second: Hyatt) to approve the minutes as amended.
3. Coordinator Update
Funding for the Coordinator position was allocated to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection through the state budget. Hyatt discussed the approval process involved in initiating the position at the DEEP. The paperwork requires approval from both the Office of Policy and Management and the Department of Administrative Services. He expressed hope that as a position being transferred, the paperwork would continue to move forward despite the moratorium on new hires.
4. Hydrilla
Ellis reported that Don Les, University of Connecticut, first reported finding fragments of Hydrilla verticillata in Coventry Lake on September 24. This is the first occurrence of hydrilla in a public lake in the state. Andreadis added that Greg Bugbee, CT Agricultural Experiment Station, surveyed the lake perimeter last week and didn’t find any plants. Hyatt discussed possible future actions and timing for inspections.
5. New/Continuing Initiatives
Ellis continued the conversation about possible regulations or guidelines pertaining to the dispersal of invasive plants through via fill, compost, sand, topsoil, etc. The need to gather more information on this subject was emphasized.
6. Annual Report – contributions & deadlines
The Invasive Plants Council Annual Report was discussed. It will be important to be cognizant of deadlines so that a draft can be available for approval at the scheduled December 8 meeting.
7. Old Business
a. Vice-Chair Nomination
Larson announced that Bill Hyatt agreed to serve as Council Vice-Chair for purposes pertaining to the administration of meetings. McAvoy moved (second: Andreadis) to approve the appointment of Hyatt as Vice-Chair.
b. Update on Bamboo Site Visits
On December 4, Rich McAvoy, John Silander, Katherine Winslow, Jeffrey Ward and Nicole Gabelman visited bamboo sites in Wallingford, North Haven, Orange, and Seymour. McAvoy shared the groups’ findings with the rest of the Council. The Wallingford site showed some evidence of erosion and was discussed as a possible site for continued monitoring. Winslow shared knowledge of a site in Norwich to be prioritized for future visits. There was some discussion about monitoring the literature for information about the expansion of bamboo in neighboring states.
c. Remaining 2015 Meetings
It was discussed that the tentative meeting scheduled for Nov. 10 should take place as scheduled. The Dec. 8 meeting will conclude the remaining 2015 meetings.
d. Sale of Watercress
The discussion about the sale of watercress was continued from last meeting and the confusion about the scientific name change of the plant due to classification was clarified. The Council requested more information about seed companies in other states allowing the sale of this plant as a food item.
8. Announcements
a. Nancy Murray retirement
Hyatt announced the retirement of Nancy Murray, a key member of the CT DEEP. Council members acknowledged her many contributions, which will be greatly missed, and expressed well wishes for her retirement.
b. Western Weed Summit
Hyatt shared information from the Western Weed Summit in Utah. He discussed overall trends in the management of invasive species issues in the U.S. and funding differences among states.
9. Adjournment
McAvoy motioned (second: Newman) to adjourn the meeting. The meeting ended at 3:29 pm.
The next meeting scheduled for 2 pm, November 10th 2015 at the Department of Agriculture, 165 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, CT.