Tuesday, March 7, 2017
3:30 pm, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Valley Laboratory, Windsor, CT
Council members present: Nelson DeBarros (representing William Hyatt), Paul Larson, Richard McAvoy, Darryl Newman, Katherine Winslow
Others present: Ellen Bender, Donna Ellis, Lisa Turoczi, and Emmett Varricchio
1. McAvoy called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. The IPC meeting followed a joint meeting with the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG).
2. Approval of Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes from November 15, 2016 were distributed and reviewed. The minutes were not approved due to lack of a quorum. The group discussed whether members could email their vote to approve the minutes.
3. Discussion on Joint Meeting
The group discussed the potential of working with UConn Extension Master Gardeners, who could conduct invasive plant educational outreach and management activities in support of IPC goals and directives. One suggestion was to provide training for an Advanced Invasive Plant certification. The Master Gardeners could work with their Connecticut county Coordinators to create priority projects, working with municipal staff on a major invasive plant issue. The Master Gardeners would track their hours spent working on the projects, which would be applied toward the 30 required hours needed to become a Master Gardener or the additional training required for Advanced Master Gardener certification (Note: Sarah Bailey, the Master Gardener Program Coordinator was invited to the joint meeting but did not attend.). CIPWG could assist with promoting projects and soliciting participants.
4. Updates and Reports
a. Legislative: McAvoy shared comments provided by D. Sutherland, who submitted testimony on March 6, 2017 in support of Bill 5415, “An Act Requiring the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to Prepare a Plan for the Rapid Detection and Eradication of Newly Discovered Terrestrial Invasive Species.” W. Hyatt also provided testimony, requesting the legislature to allow the IPC to provide recommendations on how to proceed, such as developing a Best Management Practices document for the plan. D. Newman commented that he will reach out to Sutherland and Hyatt. Newman distributed testimony submitted by Dustyn Nelson, CNLA Legislative Co-chair, regarding S.B. No. 835, “An Act Concerning Minor Revisions to Environment-related Statutes Affecting Various Programs of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.”
b. Other: Winslow discussed the Farmland Restoration Program developed by the CT Department of Agriculture in 2011. Activities in the program include the removal of invasive plants. A total of 33 applications were received in 2016, and 195 projects, funded up to $20K per year have been conducted since the program’s inception. The goal of the program is to increase food production, and it is not meant for natural areas. Winslow also described the Farm Viability Program, coordinated by Jaime Smith, and mentioned that this may present an opportunity to obtain a grant for the Invasive Plant Coordinator for the nursery or greenhouse industry as a commodity.
D. Newman will contact Smith for more information.
5. Old Business
Council replacement for T. McGowan
Council members were requested to submit suggestions of individuals to be considered as a replacement for Tom McGowan. As stated in the CT Statutes, the Governor would appoint “one representative of a nonprofit association concerned with oceans, lakes and rivers”. Two members of the CT Federation of Lakes who attended the November 2016 meeting may be contacted, and McAvoy will work with McGowan regarding options for his replacement.
6. New Business
a. Preemption: Newman informed the council that new language extending preemption moved out of the Environment Committee. D. Nelson’s testimony includes a reference to the preemption statement.
Future Joint Meetings: IPC and CIPWG members who attended the joint meeting were pleased with the discussions and comments exchanged by Future joint meetings were suggested, as well as inviting CIPWG members to attend IPC meetings.
7. Next Meeting
The next IPC meeting will be held on July 11, 2017. The tentative location for the meeting will be CT DEEP, 79 Elm St, Hartford, CT.
8. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.