Pigeon River Country Association
Annual Meeting, July 24, 2011
Pigeon River Country State Forest Headquarters
Present
Members: Ray Hoobler, Joe Jarecki, Eugene Horan, Mike brown, Rick Kropf, Greg Keith, Matt Kahn, Scott Whitcomb, Stewart Smith, Judi Jarecki, Fran Hoobler, Larry Kleinhardt, Chuck Carlson, Aurora Hoobler Carlson, Gary Waldo, and Jim Dodds
Non members: None
DNRE Staff: Scott Whitcomb, Matt Kahn
Meeting called to order at 1 pm by President Ray Hoobler.
Approval of Minutes
Motion by Eugene Horan, support by Jim Dodds to approve the minutes from last year’s annual meeting. Approved by unanimous voice vote.
Treasurer’s Report – Joe Jarecki
Report attached here. (pdf)
Motion by Rick Kropf, seconded, to accept the Treasurer’s report. Approved by unanimous voice vote.
DNR Forest Manager Report – Scott Whitcomb
Staffing
Scott was given additional temporary assignment to administer the Atlanta Management Unit as well as the PRCSF in December 2010. A permanent manager for Atlanta is expected to be appointed in the next month or two. This extra responsibility resulted in Scott being responsible for approximately four times the acreage and personnel compared to the PRCSF alone.
The previous forester for the Pigeon, Don Mittlestat, retired and was replaced by Sara Wall. The secretary for the PRCSF, Peggy Moczul, also retired and has been replaced by Kris Polus. She is now shared with the Atlanta Management Unit, so her presence at the HQ has been reduced from three days to two. The equipment operator, Bob Henning, who made significant contributions to the PRCSF, left because he could not pass the annual physical fitness test for fighting fire due to a knee problem and has not yet been replaced. Scott also has a new supervisor, Jeff Stampfly who was promoted to District Manager when Dayle Garlock retired.
Buildings and Facilities
The new display boxes on the HQ porch, legacy of the Jerry Meyers Memorial Fund, have been installed.
The PRCSF received a $50,000 building renovation grant from the Land Trust Fund. It’s being used at the HQ to replace windows cracking due to settling, improving drainage around the parking and driveway areas, repairing sun damage to the southern facing outside wall, and updating displays if funds are left after the other projects. An $8,000 grant was received to update and repair signs noting ORV regulations around the forest perimeter. The Michigan Mountain Bike Association has also helped with installing signs on the pathways. Internet service to the HQ was upgraded to high speed, greatly improving data access and availability.
Campgrounds & Pathways
Attendance is generally down this year, following a statewide trend, but revenue is up, due to increased enforcement and interaction with campers by forest staff. Two campgrounds, Pigeon Bridge and Round Lake, were nearly closed in budget cuts, but were spared for this year at the last minute.
The new Passport system, where drivers can purchase a license plate tab for $10 allowing access to all state parks, may eventually funnel 7% of its proceeds to campground maintenance.
Currently, all pathway maintenance is unfunded, and so is done by the PRCA intern (Matt Kahn in 2011) and user groups such as the Michigan Mountain Bike Association. A comment was made by Larry Kleinhardt that the Michigan Trail Riders Association helps maintain the horse trail (North Spur of the Michigan Shore to Shore Riding and Hiking Trail).
Other Issues
Various potential and in process land acquisition issues were discussed, such as Storey Lake, Cudlip, Thies, Tinsey, Stevens, etc. The proposed and approved acquisition just north of Green Timbers from the Ford family fell through when the Fords changed their mind. Jim Dodds brought up the question of how much land the DNR wanted to procure in the area. Scott stated that the main goal was to acquire from willing sellers all inholdings within the PRCSF boundaries, and large parcels adjacent to the forest for buffer areas.
Horse access regulations are in an ongoing state of revision. A plan to add additional riding access and dispersed campsites was developed as a result of legislation and has been approved by several groups representing the horseback community and the PRC Advisory Council. The US Fish and Wildlife Service expressed concerns regarding a previous version of the plan that accommodations for horses might inhibit the DNR’s ability/authority to manage for wildlife. Scott expects to be able to assure the USFWS the proposal will not inhibit DNR’s ability/authority to manage for wildlife. USFWS approval is needed since federal Pittman-Robertson funds were used to purchase some of the PRCSF land and PR funds are used for wildlife management on land purchased by the state wildlife fund (much of the PRC). Other uses, such as equestrian trails, can’t interfere with hunting or fishing uses on these lands. If USFWS does not approve, it could jeopardize PR funds that come to Michigan. The new proposal to allow expanded horse access is being developed to try to meet the needs of all users, with a May, 2012 target for implementation.
Approximately 1300 acres of timber were marked and cut this year. The Open House for the public to comment on proposed timber sales and other land management activities for the upcoming year is scheduled for 9.14.11, from 3 – 7 pm. The final decision on the land management activities will be made at the Compartment Review on 10.4.11.
A September and December elk hunt is planned. The elk management plan is being updated and includes a proposed goal of keeping elk numbers between 600 – 800 animals. This is a bit smaller target than in the past. The purpose of the lower number is to restrict the bulk of the herd to the core of the elk range which includes the PRCSF area proper, and prevent excessive numbers of elk from moving onto private lands, especially farmland.
Intern Report – Matt Kahn
Matt gave a PowerPoint presentation detailing his work so far, mostly on maintaining the pathways. He’s done extensive work clearing overgrown brush and downed timber, as well as implementing a standardized blaze system to mark the trails. He thanked the PRCA and others for providing him the opportunity to complete his internship in the PRCSF.
President's Report – Ray Hoobler
Angling Gear Restriction and Dam Removal Permit Comments
Ray reiterated the comments the PRCA board submitted regarding the new fishing regulations. The Board, while not an angling organization, is concerned about how new gear restrictions might impact access issues, particularly if more anglers, attracted by the new regulations, begin to create new access points or degrade existing ones.
Ray also reiterated the Board’s objections to the proposed permit for dam removal submitted by Golden Lotus, Inc. These objections, primarily the inadequacy of sand removal and failure to fully implement the Interim Agreement regarding dam removal, are discussed below under Dam Removal Implementation.
Board Issues
The PRCA bylaws need updating to reflect the organization’s status as a 501(c)3 organization. This will require a mail in ballot that will be sent to all members.
There was a brief discussion about how to notify and deal with members who haven’t paid dues for over 2 years. No final decision was made.
Other Issues
The possibility of adding a ‘Members Column’ to the newsletter was similarly discussed. This would allow members to contribute articles, essays, pictures and the like to the newsletter.
The Jerry Meyers Memorial display boxes are mounted at the HQ. Content and a plaque commemorating Jerry will be added. Any remaining memorial funds may be deposited in the PRCA general fund, as per the Meyers family instructions.
There was discussion of having a member contributed ‘Photo of the Month’, displayed on the website and possibly elsewhere. After a year the photos may be published as a calendar for fundraising.
The Otsego Public Library will be holding a book signing for a book detailing the creation of the Land Trust Fund from oil and gas royalties. The author will generously donate $8 from every book sale at the event to the PRCA.
Stewart Smith has volunteered to chair the newly created Membership committee. As a committee chair, he will automatically have a seat on the Board as well.
There’s been no notification of a ruling on the latest court motions in the dam removal process. The PRCA and Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited (MITU) are preparing statements expressing approval or disapproval, depending on what the ruling is. These will be ready for release as soon as the ruling is known.
** Note – The judge’s ruling was received Monday, July 25, 2011, the day after the Annual Meeting. The judge’s order upheld the position of the PRCA and MITU that ‘dam removal’ in the Interim Agreement means full dam removal, not partial removal as Golden Lotus, Inc. and the MDEQ argued. The attorney for Golden Lotus, Inc. has filed an appeal of this ruling, scheduled for August 25, 2011 **
Advisory Council Report – Mike Brown
There was discussion at the Advisory Council meeting about requesting that the Cheboygan County Road Commission better maintain the county road access to Dog Lake and Cornwall Flooding.
Enbridge, a pipeline operator, gave a presentation on efforts they’re making to ensure pipeline safety and to train first responders in the event of a spill.
Professor Rique Campa from MSU is planning to conduct a study of the impact of equestrian and mountain bike use on the elk herd.
The Standards & Limitation (S & L) Committee presented three recommendations regarding commercial use of the forest, particularly guiding, to the full PRCAC. The first, banning all commercial use, was tabled to a later date. The second, clarifying the definition of ‘commercial use’, was referred back to the committee. The third, making sure the Forest Manager is notified and involved in the process and of any guides that are licensed, passed.
The same committee, along with the Forest Access Committee, worked on the issue of expanded equestrian use mentioned above. The S & L committee focused on topics such as reconfiguring Elk Hill campground and the Forest Access Committee on adding dispersed campsites, closing sections of the horse trail to motor vehicles, and adding riding opportunities on closed roads to address safety concerns and to provide additional ‘circle ride’ opportunities.
According to area COs, fishing activity is down this year, probably due to lower water levels. There’s also been illegal ORV caused damage to parts of the forest in Cheboygan County (which allows ORV access on Cheboygan County roads), and results in some spillover illegal use in the forest in northern Otsego County.
Dam Removal Implementation Committee – Joe Jarecki
See attached report here for details, and the note under ‘Other Issues’ in the President’s Report above.
Old Business
No old business.
New Business
Discussion on the need to be vigilant about the possible threat of new drilling in the PRCSF posed by exploration in the Collingwood/Utica shale formation.
Elections
The existing slate of officers was re-elected by unanimous voice vote, with the addition of Stewart Smith as chair of the Membership Committee. The 2011 – 2012 PRCA Board of Directors is:
President: Ray Hoobler
Vice President: Eugene Horan
Treasurer: Joe Jarecki
Secretary/Web Chair: Greg Keith
PRCAC Representative: Mike Brown
Membership Chair: Stewart Smith
President Emeritus: Rick Kropf
Adjournment
President Hoobler adjourned the meeting at 3:20 pm.