CEA_08-26-10_Meeting_Minutes•
MEETING MINUTES
OF THE
FREDERICK COUNTY CONSERVATION EASEMENT AUTHORITY
Held in the Executive Session Room of the Frederick County Administration Building at 107 North
Kent Street in Winchester, Virginia on August 26, 2010 at 8:00 a.m.
PRESENT: Diane Kearns, Chairman; Jim Lawrence, Treasurer; Robert Solenberger; Elaine Cain; and
Gene Fisher, Board of Supervisors Liaison.
ABSENT: Ritchie Wilkins, Vice - Chairman; Todd Lodge; John Marker: and Charles Triplett, Planning
Commission Liaison.
STAFF PRESENT: Candice E. Perkins, Senior Planner.
OTHER: Kelly Watkinson and Patrick Felling with Potomac Conservancy.
PUBLIC MEETING:
1. July 22, 2010 Meeting Minutes
® On a motion made by Mr. Solenberger and seconded by Mr. Lawrence, the July 22, 2010
minutes were approved as presented.
2. Update on Potomac Conservancy Activities
Ms. Watkinson stated that the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) has the ability to designate
special project areas. People can nominate an area that they feel is particularly worthy of
conservation, community interest, important resources, or properties that meet the qualifications
for doing conservation easements. The person nominating an area submits a nomination form to
the VOF Board with a resolution that lays out why the area should be a special project area. Ms.
Watkinson further stated that once an area is designated a special project area, that allows VOF
staff to rank that area higher when they're evaluating projects. This would allow projects that
are less than 100 acres more potential to be able to move forward through the VOF system. It
gives people who live in that area who want to do a conservation easement a little edge in
working with the VOF. Ms. Watkinson feels it is something that can be used to educate people
on conservation easements, on what's special about the area they live in, even if they're not
interested in doing a conservation easement.
Most of the Conservancy's work in Frederick County is focused on the Cedar Creek watershed.
Ms. Watkinson's idea is to designate the entire watershed of Cedar Creek as a special project
area, as long as the people who live in Cedar Creek understand and support the idea. She is
meeting with people in the watershed area, as well as the Battlefield Foundation and The Friends
of the North Fork, to talk about it.
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Minutes of August 26, 2010
® Chairman Kearns asked how many acres are in the watershed and Ms. Watkinson stated there are
approximately 100,756 acres. A lot of that is National Forest land — 18,700 acres, 1,600 acres
are already in the easement, 600 acres that is the State Park and about 6,300 acres in the
Agricultural and Forestal District.
Mr. Solenberger asked the time frame involved in the process. Ms. Watkinson believes she
could have all the information, letters of support and resolution by the February or March VOF
Board meeting.
Chairman Kearns told Ms. Watkinson that the CEA would support her in this endeavor and that
she should also contact individual Board members to discuss the special project area.
3. Fundraising Efforts
a. GIFT — G ive S for F rederick's T omorrow
Chairman Kearns stated that the rack cards have been ordered but have not yet arrived.
When they get here, she plans on approaching Wal -Mart and Gander Mountain to see
what they're willing to do to help in collecting donations for the CEA. Ms. Cain plans on
talking with the manager of Runners Retreat about collecting donations. Chairman
Kearns will bring the rack cards to the next meeting and she asked members to come up
with businesses they want to visit so that the cards can be distributed and members can
begin contacting businesses.
® 4. Next Meeting Date September 23, 2010
5. Other
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:55 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
�lUtCC.`�' s
Diane Kearns, Chairman
Candice E. Perkins. Senior Planner
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Frederick County Conservation Easement Authority 145
Minutes of August 26, 2010