Meeting Notes of the Quincy Library Group
March 26, 1998 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Plumas Unified School District Offices Quincy, California

Attending: QLG: Bob Allen, Susan Baremore, Linda Blum, Dick Castaldini, Bill Coates, Brian Dahle, Mike De Lasaux, Anne Eldred, Paul Harris, Michael Jackson, Mike Kossow, Jackie Mitchell, Ed Murphy, Larry Potts, Gary Pritchard, Harry Reeves, John Sheehan, Frank Stewart, George Terhune, Pat Terhune, Mike Yost,

US Forest Service: Dave Stone, Dave Reider, John Kennedy, Phil Aune

Visitors & Guests: Jane Braxton-Little, Bill Cottini, Hank Eisenman, Jonathan London, Steve Windward

Announcements of Recent & Upcoming Meetings

Anne Eldred announced Truckee River Operating Agreement out for review

3/??/98 George Terhune to present a paper at ____ meeting, Pullman, WA 4/1-4/98 Michael Jackson going to meeting of the "Four Corners Group" in Monterey 4/01/98 Western Biomass Consortium, Sacramento - John Sheehan 4/2-3/98 [biofuels conference], Sacramento - John Sheehan 4/01/98 Sierraville RD public meeting on proposed use of herbicides in the Cottonwood Fire zone, 1:30 p.m. at USFS district office, Sierraville 4/03/98 Southern San Joaquin Chapters, Society of American Foresters, meeting in Kingsburg - Linda Blum to be guest speaker on QLG legislation 4/13-15/98 Timber Counties Schools Coalition - western states educators meeting in Reno to discuss long-term funding solutions. Bill Cottini to attend. 4/20/98 Plumas NF range permittees meeting - Susan Baremore & Ed Murphy will address QLG bill impacts on allotments 4/30/98 National Forest Planning committee of American Forest & Paper Association meeting in Reno - Susan Baremore AND JACKIE MITCHELL will be speaker 5/20/98 Amador El Dorado Forest Forum, Placerville, would like a QLG speaker - Susan Baremore will take this one, too.

Michael Jackson: The California Energy Commission is working on the "Full Cycle Analysis" report, which may be out in two weeks. Phil Aune (PSW-Redding) cautions against being optimistic on significant water yield from vegetation treatments. The Yuba Gap water yield/clearcut study showed water yield could be increased 1-2% but significant yields only if you do drastic treatments in riparian zones. Can delay timing slightly, but not much other effect. Jackson responds that the evapotranspiration must be significant (cites acre-feet estimates). Mike Yost: gets nervous when people start talking of percentage increases in water or timber; don't imply targets or promise outputs.

Forest Reserve Fund Legislation - Bill Cottini Handout: "Forest Receipts Apportionment History" H.R. 2844 is co-sponsored by Congressmen Fazio & Dooley. Congressman Herger has signed on. Bill Cottini lists what local school programs are funded by timber receipts. Group discussion. Motion/second/passed to write a QLG letter of support. Bill Coates asks Susan to draft the letter.

Forest Health Pilot Project Update - Susan Baremore & Dave Stone Susan Baremore reports that Lee Anne Taylor, Plumas NF FOIA officer, is coordinating all 3 NFs' response to QLG Freedom Of Information Act request. No answer on when documents will be provided. Dave Stone: Mark & Kent send their regrets, but they're in Regional Office working on FY99 funding issues. Forests are working hard on lining up information for the 300-day EIS, especially accelerating GIS development. Group discussion of what 300-day EIS is all about: alternatives, standards & guidelines, methods of treating vegetation, etc. George Terhune: He & Frank Stewart met again last week with Lassen NF re: how cost and yield numbers can be tracked in projects. Idea is to establish a framework for analyzing data on projects, especially how to track all pieces of all projects.

Implementation Committee - Mike Yost Has revised and updated the QLG silvicultural white paper. Passed around the new draft for review by QLG.

Funding Matters - John Sheehan & Pat Terhune Handout: grant application tracking report form by Pat Terhune. [At a point later in meeting, we came back to the following funding matter:] Pat and John have discussed having Plumas Corp be the administrator of the Bank of America grant, and perhaps others that may come in. Is that acceptable? If so, what percentage should Plumas Corp charge to administer?

QLG Bill Report There are still holds on the QLG bill in the Senate (Bumpers & Leahy). Feinstein and her staff are working on them. Discussion on strategy. M/S/P: Blum, G.Terhune, & Jackson to draft letter to Feinstein.

Next QLG meeting dates: May 7, June 24.

Tentative dates for the South Sierra/Kings River field trip: June 18 travel to Fresno, June 19 field day to see both group selection and long-term soil productivity studies. Phil Aune to arrange.

Biofuels/Ethanol Update - John Sheehan Assemblywoman Debra Bowen has a bill pending that would remove restrictions on oxygenated fuels (currently only MTBE can be used). John Sheehan is to testify on that bill next Monday in Sacramento. M/S/P: send letter of QLG support on AB 1642.

Megan Smith, American Bioenergy Association, sent QLG suggested language for this year's federal ethanol subsidy ($10 million). Sheehan thinks it should be $13 million, with $3 million earmarked for cost-sharing projects. M/S/P: send support letters.

Natural Fuels Treatment Working Group Discussion of what level of involvement is appropriate for QLG. In some places, NFT being touted as "antidote to QLG." NEED TO CLARIFY ISSUES OF MECHANICAL VERSUS Rx FIRE.

Meeting Minutes Mike De Lasaux received two strong requests to be supplied with meeting minutes in the last month. Do we want to start producing minutes? Group discussion: we don't want verbatim notes taken. QLG isn't legally obligated, but we are somewhat obliged to rest of the public. It's appropriate to note what decisions made, what motions passed. Linda Blum will do this month's notes; John Sheehan will do it next month.

PIER Proposals John Sheehan asks for QLG approval to work on letters of support for several applications for Public Interest Energy Research ("PIER") grants, which will be awarded by the California Energy Commission. Each of the four projects could contribute to the forest biomass utilization issue.

Phil Aune: would appreciate a QLG letter of support for PSW's fire surrogates research proposal. Researchers are trying to turn this into a nationwide study.

PIER proposal for watershed study - Donna Lindquist and Mike De Lasaux have been working with others. Plumas Corp is applicant. M/S/P: QLG letter supporting; De Lasaux to draft.

County Forester Position - Frank Stewart When QLG is passed, it will affect eight counties. Sees this as a way to enhance counties' involvement and actions. Wants to take the QLG 300-day EIS show on the road: 35 communities should be visited and communicated with concerning public participation in the EIS process. Lots of considerations: community outreach, fire districts, ethanol/biomass, small sawlog/economizer, EIS itself, projects that implement, Cal Owl EIS, forest plan revisions.

Suggests a QLG letter of support for creating, among the eight counties, a "counties forester" position and function. A letter should go to each of the boards of supervisors in each of the eight counties. M/S/P: send such a letter. M/S/P: send a follow-up letter that recommends Stewart.

Adjourned: 2:45 pm

 

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