Board meetings are open to the public. Board members are listed in www.wwals.net.

Draft Agenda
WWALS Board of Directors
7:00 PM Wednesday May 14 2014
at the Gaskins Forest Education Center,
3359 Moore Sawmill Rd,
Alapaha, GA 31622
Gate opens at 6PM.

1. Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions
2. Speaker: Heather Brasell may say a few words about the Gaskins Forest Education Center.
3. Agenda Review: Additions and Changes
4. Review and Approval of Minutes
   1. 16 April 2014 Board meeting minutes
5. Past Meetings and Events
   1. April outing on the Withlacoochee River, GA Sierra Club John Muir Outing: Paddle Against the Pipeline, Saturday 7:30AM 19 April 2014 on Withlacoochee River from Old Quitman Road. Was cancelled due to high water, with intent to reschedule for a later date. Any ideas on the later date?
   2. Earth Day at VSU, 1PM to 4PM 19 April 2014. Due to weather, was indoors at VSU University Center. DH and jsq staffed, with WWALS banner, membership forms, flyers, and two laptops displaying pictures.
6. Future Meetings and Events
   1. May 17 outing Lewis Lake rookery. BW.
      GQ confirmed Adopt-A-Stream will be there.
      Directions from BW: Meet at the square in Nashville at 4 p.m., Saturday, May 17. Drive to Lewis Lake and paddle out to the rookerie. Be on the water an hour or two. Those who wish to can eat at a restaurant on the square in Nashville afterwards. If we get there and the lake is for some reason closed we can just drive over to the Alapaha and do an upstream and back paddle somewhere north of Berrien Beach.
      2010 Video by Bret Wagenhorst posted by Joseph LaForest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u42MkIj1D8.
   2. Cleanup on Alapaha near 135 bridge or 168 bridge? –Al Browning
      CG: is bridge private or public on highway 168?
7. WWALS board voted April 2014 to look into raising money to hire staff. GA River Network is prepared to assist with advice, and will also open discussions in June on WWALS perhaps being one of two organizations they assist intensively in 2015.
8. Flooding study by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). They made an initial report to the Valdosta City Council, see http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2014/05/videos-flooding-study-by-army-corps-of-engineers-vcc-2014-05-06.html. jsq has contact information for USACE. How can WWALS best monitor and provide input for USACE’s proposed larger watershed-wide flooding study, which may take 1-4 years?
9. Grants
   1. Mott –jsq
   2. Turner Foundation regrants via GA River Network. -jsq
      Deadline 23 May 2014: http://www.garivers.org/protect-your-river/small-grants-program.html. Board members are invited to attend webinar with GRN 10AM 16 May 2014.
      Per jsq discussion with Jesslyn Shields of GRN about question list previously forwarded to WWALS board, need project with concrete results within one year. Three possibilities for WWALS board to select from:
      1. Get local governments to pass ordinances related to the Sabal Trail pipeline (such as Brooks, Lowndes, Colquitt, Madison, and Hamilton County Commissions, city councils, school boards, etc.).
      2. Get USACE flooding study to incorporate invasive species, riparian buffers, karst limestone, and other WWALS watershed features in flooding study, and to interact with related organizations and individuals.
      3. Assist VLPRA and Lowndes County Commission in implementing Alapaha boat ramp and park with appropriate facilities and to link it into a system of Water Trails (blue ways) along the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers connected to those Florida’s Suwannee River Water Management District already has south of the state line.
      Each of the three possibilities would require contacting local, state, and national elected officials and agencies, as well as local landowners, and public outreach via outings, mailings, meetings, letters to the editor, etc. The actual application will require a plan for such a campaign.
   3. Community Foundation of South Georgia – jsq
   4. Woodruff Foundation — Karan Rawlins
   5. Others?
10. Finances
    1. Starting/Ending balance for April GQ
    2. Donation Accounting – GQ Needs receipt from BW for in-kind donation. Also for other in-kind donations.
       BW will send $330 check from FORBS for paddle event registrations.
       GQ will send BW $100 check from WWALS for the paypal registrations.
    3. 501(c)(3) status: waiting on IRS to assign agent. Gretchen Quarterman.
       Pay accountant Harrison Tillman.
       File next IRS form.
    4. Insurance: D&O and liability.
       Pay quotes in hand, or get more quotes?
    5. Flint Riverkeeper passthrough – jsq
       May need to use it for GRN Turner regrants; see above.
11. Committee Reports Please send reports to the board list before the meeting if at all possible.
    1. Membership – Garry Gentry – Recruitment
       CG: $1000 for life membership and Boy Scouts.
    2. Events – Karan Rawlins
    3. Outings – Bret Wagenhorst
    4. Public Relations – jsq jsq and Chris posting on FB. Send photos to Chris to post: protectiongeorgiawatershed@gmail.com
12. Review Action Item List: Please send reports to the board list before the meeting.
    1. Business and membership cards – Garry Gentry GG looking into using social media advertising for targeted recruitment.
    2. WWALS sign with arrow, email address, double sided – Bret to order.
    3. National River Network membership — jsq Pay it if board approves.
    4. Correspondence —
       jsq – send a Thank You note to Don Thieme for his presentation.
       John – send a Thank You letter to H. Doug Everett for his solar vote.
       Gretchen – Panther Forum: anything happening?
    5. Request for information from DNR – Development laws and regulations related to water -jsq
    6. Gretchen filed complaint to DNR about potential violation of water. To post to board.
    7. Ongoing opposition to Sabal Trail methane pipeline. jsq
    8. Waycross about the Seven Out Superfund site; post info from GA DNR. jsq
    9. Distribution of list of sites on EPA/EPD lists for counties in our watershed — jsq.
13. Other Business
14. Adjourn

-jsq

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