• Concerns about future giving- any development program is dependent on the commitment of the board.
• 53% is highest percentage ever, but still is a poor showing The amount is not as important as the total participation, ability to give varies
• Gaylord- foundations often want to know what the board support is before they give
• When we do get Development Director, the first thing that person will ask is why doesn't the board give at 100%
• Daryl- Might be good to break out the stats with the board members who contribute by means of higher membership rates- figures would look better then
• Blount moved to approved budget report, Cornell 2nd, passed

New Chapter- Gaylord Yost

• Lonetree Chapter, Eldon Ehrmann President
• Motion to approve- Williamson, Lindgren 2nd, passed

Request For Support Of Wilderness Designation- Kirk Johnson

• Maps of Allegheny prepared by Tiffany showing oil, gas, trail, proposed wilderness
• Friends of Allegheny Wilderness (FAW) formed last June- wants to expand wilderness areas in ANF
• Currently 2 areas, 9000 acres, 2% of Forest
• Management Plan revision process will guide management for 10-15 years
• Would like NCTA to become an official supporter of FAW wilderness proposal
• Szabo- what does the designation mean in terms of management?
  • No management or resource removal
  • No motorized use
• Szabo- Do proposed areas include existing ATV, snowmobile use
  • Area 5- Tionesta
  • Borders some other areas
• Szabo- what about oil & gas development in area 5
• Gaylord- is there oil & gas in existing Tionesta?
  • Yes- 16 wells, but will be phased out as they are depleted
• Szabo- restrictions on trail marking in Wilderness, will that have affects?
  • Yes
  • No chain saw, no wheels
• Norlin- no mechanical devises allowed
• Cornell- is FAW tax-exempt?- Yes, under Wildlands Project from Vermont, 501 c3 under them
• Papp- reminder of Hiawatha's (Rock River Canyon) decision that NCT is not compatible with Wilderness
  • Brenda Adams-Wyant (Rec Planner ANF) ANF will probably also agree with this
  • ATC has to have it written in that the trail will not be kicked out when Wilderness designation is made
• Szabo- would hate to see trail markings removed
• Gaylord- a lot of local control over the marking scheme
• Leinen- BWCA trails doesn't allow marking, but they have had people lost, so now they want more signs, BWCA has various levels of management
• Johnson- read passage regarding AT use in Wilderness… to maintain their location within Wilderness
• Info from Brenda- used Maintenance Manual, DFC, National Trails System Act
  • Brenda's premise is that the National Trails System Act directs that trails should be located so as to "maximize recreational potential" yet this conflicts with the management objectives of Wilderness Areas.
• Cornell- would FAW agree to include language such as what was read to support maintaining the trail within new Wilderness?
• Leinen- thinks we should stay off the official list because of the possible ramifications with other forests
• Dill- we haven't yet finished our questionaire to give us information concerning supporting Common Causes
• Williamson- SHT has has some experience with deciding who to support
• Yost- ANF is opening Forest Plan and will get comments on all kinds of positions- do we want to not have a position? Cornell- would like us to be in Wilderness as opposed to being outside- if he can assure us that we won't be kicked out
• Yost- the proposal might be rejected because the trail is there, or they might tell us that we have to move
• Papp- how does the process work, ANF and Congress?
  • Anticipates it will be within Forest Plan revision process
  • Or the congress could override and create it anyway
  • Congressman John Peterson (ANF region) is not very environmental
• Gilbert- would like to see more Wilderness along the trail, but we are still stunned by Hiawatha decision and are wary, there is much local discretion. Thinks Triad should attack this as a policy issue first- to give guidance
• Papp- suggested this to John Romanowski- he wasn't sure it was appropriate
• Yost- we need to have a presence at the planning process
• Veit- longstanding practice to tackle only issues that have a direct impact on the trail- This does
• Blount- ANF first chose location, it should remain where they placed it. The issue is bigger than one Forest and one Organization
• Papp- the only way to have a guarantee legislatively is if congress members support our request to keep trail where it is, but probably not possible in Area 5
  • Johnson- the core of 5 is Tionesta Scenic Area, a focus group is being formed to look at the oil and gas issues in that area. Peterson supports buying the mineral rights from the area.
• Cornell- He doesn't think we are ready to move on this proposal, because we need more assurance that the trail will be protected
• Johnson- this may be an opportunity to take a stand that trail CAN be in Wilderness
• Yost- we can support enhancing the variety of environments through which the trail passes
• Menke- likes Wilderness designation, but NCT AND MARKINGS should be protected as a continuous trail
• Szabo- also wants consistent markings

Trap Hills Wilderness In Ottawa-handout in packet

• Yost- Northwoods Wilderness Recovery seems to want to use designation to keep logging out
• Dill- moved to not do anything until we get more information, Leinen 2nd
• Young- we need to use the Common Cause questionaire we developed
• Veit- amend to include that we are sympathetic to Wilderness, but need more info
• Johnson- what if he gets a letter from Peterson?
• Szabo- we need confirmation of what will be the impact on our trail of change in status
• Amended Motion- We are sympathic to Wilderness but will take no action until we have confirmation that there will be no change in the status of our trail.
• Multiple concerns of the politics - we may not want to jump in
• Lindgren- we should vote on the original motion to keep the possibilities more open
• Ammendment withdrawn by Dill, Cornell 2nd the withdrawal first amendment withdrawal passed (Norlin dissenting)
• Original motion passed (Norlin dissenting)
• Szabo- will there be someone from PA participating in the Management Plan revision?
  • Tait
• Williamson- should we amend a policy to incorporate that we support a continuous consistent marking?
• Gilbert- Vision statement does not go to that level- need to use Maintenance and Marking Handbook to include this

Geocaching- Papp

• We need some basic policy
• What is it?- GPS coordinates of a "treasure" are published, people try to find them
• Blount- policy should include a definition of Geocaching
• Harris- does some, and has brought a map of locations on NCT
• Szarka- time limits should also be posted
• Young- moved to support the policy statement with the stated revisions (to add "in advance" and add definition), Szabo- 2nd
• Williamson- what does NPS think?
• Gilbert- it is a sound policy statement
• Passed

Member Concern- Papp

• Don Beattie is concerned that he isn't being heard And that there is misrepresentation of Sheyenne National Grasslands (SNG) trail rebuilding. He believes that the trail was hardened for bicycle travel and that $200K of NCT money funded this
• Menke- he met with SNG FS 2 years ago, severe erosion in W, flooded in E. They wanted to harden the trail to protect it. Hardening needed to sustain horse use
• NPS agreed- NFS did not do it for bike use
• Papp & Veit have both responded to him at length previously
• Yost- we should publish his letter to the editor
• Cornell- would hate to see us take issue against a life member, hiker
• Papp- he is sending false info to many people
• Young
  • He is dispersing false info
  • He tries to accomplish change through wrong channels
  • The tone of the most recent letter is insinuating that our leaders are dishonest
• Yost- we can't take board action, but wants to respond
• Cornell- the more we communicate the deeper hole we dig
• Blount- we should address these issues in the NS with public info
• Papp- there is a public opinion issue due to his letters
• Dill- would like to see Don's articles published in NS, he will type them
  • Veit- must have 1500 word limit
• Dill- also wants his letter to editor published
• Dill- will send him end-to-end policy
• Cornell- the North Star is the best it's ever been… keep that going, don't get sidetracked

Another Member Concern- Dill

• Gene Markley can't get NORTA trail certified (42 miles) because he doesn't have enough labor
• Menke- not all 42 miles are actually ready, he would like them to apply for certification of anything they have done

COMMITTEES

Human Resource Committee Proposal- Yost

• Have been interviewing people for DTM position, is the Personnel Handbook adequate for overseeing the new staff?
• Veit- Thinks Exec Com could act as personnel committee if Cornell served also due to legal issues
• Cornell- ok with him, but thought we should also be looking at the amounts we are paying staff. Probably are others with knowledge that aren't on the Exec Com
• Szabo- has a problem with how much of our business is done by EC, would like to see more board members involved
• Yost- we need some body which can make decisions and set standards
• Leinen- thinks a separate committee could be used
• Veit- may be the single most important thing the EC can do, if VP finance is in on it
• If separate committee is formed, the Pres and VP finance should be on it. What does current EC think?
• Young- has no particualar expertise here
• Lindgren- should use people who are qualified
• Harris- does Bob want a committee?
  • Yes- needs guidance for employee evaluation and oversight
• Blount- too many committees is hard for Bob to deal with
• Papp- would like the guidance of general format to use for evaluations and pay scales
  • Separate committee might have better expertise
  • May need to call on EC for decisions occasionally
• Cornell, Yost, Leinen, Veit will be Human Resources Committee- appointed by Yost

Trail Certification Committee Proposal-- Yost

• How can the organization be involved with helping to see that certifications are done with quality?
• Cornell- CCS and Certification are now totally within discretion of NPS- he would like to see a committee serve as ancillary to the NPS to help. Would like us to have impact on future certifications and CCS monies.
• Committee will report to board before any action is taken
  • Cornell chair, Szabo, Bill, Jerry Keeney (Harbor Springs Chapter), Beye
• Gilbert- wonders what this is all about
• Blount- be careful that the board doesn't get too much coming back to the board and we won't be able to operate
  • Papp- should first send info back to Trail Councils

FY 2003- Papp

• Currently Interior Appropriations Bill has not passed, but House and Senate have both passed bills, need to get agreement, we may get some increase, but probably not entire amount, will need to set priorities.
• Rumors as to increase in CCS money- House, but not Senate.
• GIS money would come out of existing, not new money

Hiring Of Director Of Trail Management- Papp

• Two candidates withdrew, 2 were turned down, 1 was offered but turned us down, 1 will be turned down
• Recommends that the position be relisted at $37,500.
• Leinen- thinks we need to offer an increased salary- suggests $38,500
  • Also need to look at all NCTA salaries
• Veit- needs to check on comparable salaries
• Blount- the responsibility of the new Human Resources Com

Dues Structure Affiliate Organizations- Papp

• Was requested at last meeting- why?
• Young- because if you belong to an Affiliate you get reduced rate for NCTA, but if you are NCTA member you don't get reduced to join Affiliate
• Szabo will put on FLTC agenda, Williamson will check with SHTA
• How are we doing with shared memberships?
  • FLTC is doing well
  • Papp will bring report in Dec with real numbers

Management And Policy Handbook- Papp

• Currently have Chapter President's handbook, Trail Coordinators and board handbook, would like to join them into a single Policy Handbook
• Szarka- as a user of the info, he would like to have all info in one book

Willing Seller- Papp /Blount

• Papp- bottom line- we couldn't get it passed with the western trails in it
• Now only NCT, Ice Age, Potomac Heritage
• Revised bill has gone through mark-up committee
• It will probably pass in Sept, but is not the same bill that passed in the House
• So it will have to go back and forth until they all agree on the same bill.
• CDT may need to introduce their own bill.

Exec Director's Report- Papp

• See written report
• Yost- still would like feedback on goals under various topics from handout April meeting
• Membership report is in the packet
• Landowner video, volunteer maintainer stickers, volunteer brochures are done- samples here
• Financial audit- just signed 990 form, now ready to have 2001 audit, but recommends we wait till 2002. First one always costs more, we changed software and if we audit now we will have two "first" audits.
• Cornell- agree, but wants proposals and costs
• Leinen- see if they might give us a reduced rate as a non-profit
• Gilbert- NPS needs to have audit on file, so don't delay much longer
• Lindgren- moves to audit 2002 rather than 2001, Veit 2nd, passed

GIS Coordinator Report- Stram

• Three maps completed since April meeting, 2 UP, 1 ND segments (different format- not continuous)
• Draft- ANF, 2 in S MI, N LP
• Also has generated zip code areas by chapters
• Digital files have been used by some management authorities
• Yost- how are map sales?
  • Ask Glory
  • Corps Of Engineers just bought 300 ND

Trail Foreman Report- Menke

• Apology for long reports- see written report
• Contact him if you have questions

NPS Report- Szarka

• Most exciting thing to look at Paul Bunyan certification and Itasca -Moraine Chapter

Website Report- Young

• Over 1000 hits/ day August
• 3000 different addresses visit each week
• new design is in place- some reorganization
• Cornell- likes the news feature

Partnership For National Trails System Items Of Note- Blount

• he is nominated to be Pres of PNTS, election is at October Conference
• They are filing for 501c3, will have to build that organization
• Blount- PNTS conference in October
• Papp will be leading a seminar on Capacity Building in the NCTA

SHTA Route Through Duluth- Williamson

• Aug 8, mayor of Duluth agreed to proposal for SHTA through the city

Trail Council Comment- Dill

• expresses disappointment in non-functionality of the Trail Councils- need to either make more effort to make them work, or drop them. Nothing coming down from above
• Papp- hopes having DTM will generate some energy for these
• Cornell- agrees with all of the above- but would like him to be patient till we get DTM
• Yost- WI-UP has been fairly functional, doesn't understand quite why they aren't working
• Veit- was set up with the knowledge that each one would function differently with others
• Blount- our trail is unique in that there is so much variety of environments, situations
• Papp- general framework was created that for some reason the organization hasn't adopted. Eg. Neither Trail Council looked at the Wilderness proposals before they came to the board. We need to look at most appropriate body to look at each issue.
• Blount- should be more pro-active to discover the politics of the issues and agencies in each state
• Szabo- what Draft Management Plans are out there that should be looked at?
• Yost- need to develop awareness in Trail Council members

History Committee- Leinen

• Follow up about History Committee- doesn't want it forgotten
• Need to get going if we are to have something for the 25th Anniversary
• "Pioneer Circle" to recognize participants
• Yost- will follow up with Rich Saur who has said he will chair this

Local Item Of Note

• December board meeting will be the 7th at Lowell, MI

Future Meeting Dates

• December board meeting will be the 7th at Lowell, MI

Interesting Item

• Szabo- Comprehensive Plan for NCT by NPS in 1982- available to look at (authored by Tom Gilbert?)

Blount moved to adjourn, Cornell seconded, adjourned at 6:25 pm