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CEA 07-22-10 Meeting AgendaCEA Eredet•iek County Conset-vation Easement Author-ity MEMORANDUM TO: Conservation Easement Authority FROM: Eric R. Lawrence, CEA Secretary SUBJECT: July Meeting DATE: July 15, 2010 The Frederick County Conservation Easement Authority will be meeting on Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. in the Board of Supervisor's Executive Session Meeting Room in the County Administration Building, 107 north Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia. The Conservation Easement Authority will discuss the following agenda items: AGENDA 1. May 27, 2010 Meeting Minutes 2. Fundralsing Efforts a. GIFT- Give $1 for Frederick's Tomorrow 3. Update on Potomac Conservancy Activities 4. Next meeting date August 26, 2010 5. Other Please contact the Planning Department (540-665-5651) if you are unable to attend this meeting. ERL/bad C/O Frederick County Planning Department, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA, 22601 (540-665-5651} 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 May 27, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. PRESENT: Diane Kearns, Chairman; Robert Solenberger; Todd Lodge; John Marker; and Charles Triplett, Planning Commission Liaison. ABSENT: Ritchie Wilkins, Vice -Chairman; Jing Lawrence, Treasurer; and Gene Fisher, Board of Supervisors Liaison. STAFF PRESENT: Eric R. Lawrence, Secretary; and Bev Dellinger, Secretary Ill. PUBLIC MEETING: 1. April 22, 2010 Meeting Minutes On a motion made by Mr. Marker and seconded by Mr. Solenberger, the April 22, 2010 minutes were approved as presented. 2. Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation — Conservation Easement Effort Mr. Denman Zirkle stated that he appreciates the opportunity to speak with this Committee about conservation easements. Secretary Lawrence included information in the agenda that was provided by the Foundation. One page outlines battlefield land in the Winchester cluster in 2003, showing approximately 2,012 acres available for protection. The same outline completed in March of 2010 shows approximately 1,455 acres are available for protection; a 557 acre reduction in seven years. Mr. Zirkle further stated that the Foundation has a listing of land owners who they hope may be interested in conservation easements. They have not yet made any contact with these land owners until speaking with the CEA to get suggestions on how to approach the land owners, or even if they should try to approach them. Right now these land owners receive the Foundation's newsletters, published twice a year. Mr. Zirkle continued by reviewing with members the maps he provided showing the core battlefield tracts — Kernstown Battlefield, Apple Pie Ridge, Star Fort, Stephenson's Depot, Opequon Fords Old Charlestown Road, Opequon Fords Berryville Pike, and Redbud Run. The Foundation plans on having a renovated website on line by the end of this year and it will focus not so much on battlefields, as on what the visitor's experience can be in the Valley looking at these battlefields. Mr. Zirkle asked members to contact him with any ideas or suggestions and within the next three months, he would like to give the updated presentation to the Board of Supervisors. Frederick County Conservation Easement Authority 140 Minutes of May 27, 2010 3. Fundraising Efforts a. GIFT — Give $1 for Frederick's Tomorrow Chairman Kearns asked members for their input into creating a website and having a rack card printed up. Secretary Lawrence stated that Mr. Gray in the Planning Department can get a webpage going, but we're not artists. We can get the functionality up and running in order to get the GIFT idea on line, but it won't be a colorful marketing tool at this time. Chairman Kearns believes we can get it going and once there are some funds, we could pay someone to re -do the webpage. Chairman Kearns asked members to participate, along with her, in actually going out and selling the GIFT concept to retailers. Members decided on which rack card they like. After Chairman Kearns obtains the G1 FT website, she'll have the rack cards printed. 4. Nominations to fill Vacant CEA Bond Member Seat Concerning Mr. John Gavitt's vacant seat on the CEA, Chairman Kearns stated she talked to Elaine Cain, who is an accountant at Yount, Hyde & Barbour, and she would be very happy to become a CEA member. Mr. Solenberger made a motion to nominate Ms. Elaine Cain to the Conservation Easement Authority. Mr. Lodge seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Chairman Kearns will pass this along to Mr. Fisher and he can present it to the Board of Supervisors. 5. Next Meeting Date June 24, 2010 6. Other Secretary Lawrence stated he had a discussion last week with Kevin Schmidt of VDACS who helped us get the Snapp property, and Mr. Schinidt commented there are various other grant opportunities. Mr. Schmidt forwarded some contact names to Secretary Lawrence and he will be calling around to see if there are any other grants we can use. If we can receive a $130,000 grant, we can close on the Wright easement; we have until March 2011 to complete the process. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9;00 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Diane Kearns, Chairman Eric R. Lawrence, Secretary Frederick County Conservation Easement Authority 141 Minutes of May 27, 2010 Page 2 CEA July Meeting Agenda July 15, 2010 Agenda Item #2 GIFT Program The effort continues on the creation of the Gift $1 for Frederick's Tomorrow (GIFT) land conservation funding and awareness program. It is through this new program that the CEA would funnel its educational outreach and donation acceptance efforts. Partnerships with local business and community organizations would further the effort. Draft educational rack cards and a webpage have been crafted (see attachments). And the WWW.GIFT.ORG web domain has been secured and is operational. It is envisioned that the G1FT webpage will be enhanced to enable people to subscribe to an email listserve, as well as make donations via a PayPal-type account. The CEA will discuss this draft program and associated literature. Staff will be seeking the LEA's endorsement of the effort to date, and authorization to formally kick-off the program. Frederick County, VA -- Planning and Development Planning Home Zoning Ordinance Calendars Agendas Pending Application Report Documents & Applications Code Violations Community Planning ► Transportation ► Planning Boards, Commissions ► and Committees Maps ! Contact Us Directions Give $1 for Frederick's Tomorrow! Google Planning Site Search 147 North ]Cent Street Wlnchester, VA 22601 (540)665-5600 The Department of Planning & Development Conservation Easement Authority Give S1 for Frederick's Tomorrow! Protection for Now and Into the Future A conservation easement enables landowners to permanently protect their land, assuring them that their property will remain rural, undeveloped and restricting it from conversion to large-scale subdivisions or industrial/commercial uses. Donations to the GIFT program are tax deductible and are used to preserve rural lands and waters in Frederick County. The funds are administered by the Frederick County Conservation Easement Authority. To make a donation please call 540-665-5651. Landowners can still farm, operate bed -and -breakfasts, conduct forestry, and vineyard operations, etc. And of course, landowners continue to enjoy ownership in their land as long as they desire. When the land is sold or passed to heirs, it will continue to be protected. b 2008 Frederick County • 107 N. Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601 . (540) 665-5600 • Email the Webmaster • Site Discidimer --•---------- --- -- http://www.co.frederick.va.us/planning/CEA/GlFr.aspx[7/15/2010 9:55:07 AM] Give I for Frederick's Tomorrow GIFT. Give 1 for Frederick's Tomorrow Donations to G 1 FT are tax deductible and are used to preserve rural lands and waters in Frederick County. The funds are administered by the Frederick County Conservation Easement Authority. 107 N. Kent St. Winchester, VA 22601 (540) 665-5651 Protection for Now. And for the Future. A conservation easement enables landowners to pro- tect their land permanently, assuring them that their property will remain rural and undeveloped, and re- stricting it from conversion to large-scale subdivisions or industrial/commercial uses. Landowners can still farm, operate bed -and -breakfasts, and conduct for- estry and vineyard operations. And of course, land- owners can maintain ownership and enjoy their land as long as they desire. Then when the land is sold or passed to heirs, it will still be protected.