Lower Delaware River Wild and Scenic
Management Committee Meeting
January 21, 2009
Holland Township Municipal Building
Minutes
1. Call to Order:
New Jersey Chair Carol Hoffmann called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm who asked all to rise and salute the flag.
2. Introduction of each Management Committee member was asked for by C Hoffmann. Those in attendance included:
Lower Delaware River Wild and Scenic Management Committee Chairs: Carol Hoffmann, New Jersey and Nancy Janyszeski, Pennsylvania; Mick Drustrup Vice Chair, Pennsylvania Chair; Sandra McNicol, Acting Outreach Coordinator; Mary Shafer, meeting Speaker; Chuck Barscz, National Park Service; Tom Carroll, resident, Annandale; Barbara Daniello, Alexandria Township; Val Stigstedt, Point Pleasant; Norman Torkelson, Stockton Borough; Andrew Thomas, Plumstead Township; Tom Lurz, Plumstead Township; Janice Armstrong, Milford Borough; Dee Keller, Delaware River Experience; Benj Janyszeski, resident, Nockamixon Township, Carol Lipincott, resident, Holland Township; Bob Lipincott, resident, Holland Township; Richard McNutt, Tideway Gatewaters Partnership; Sharon Smith, Pohatcong Township; Cap Kisselbach, resident, Holland Township; Howard Klein, Martins-Jacoby Watershed Association; Judy Henckel, Upper Mount Bethel Township; John Mauser, Lower Mount Bethel Township; Peter Banter; Musconetcong Watershed Association; Ron Sworen, Hunterdon County Freeholder and Frenchtown Borough; Ken Bogan, Hunterdon County Planning Board; Bob Stanfield, Bridgeton-Nockamixon-Tinicum Groundwater Committee; Martie Kyde, Delaware River Greenway Partnership; Edythe Victor, Tinicum Township.
3. MINUTES:
Carol Hoffmann requested approval of the minutes from the September 22, 2009 meeting. Mick Drustrup moved to accept the minutes and Nancy Janyszeski seconded. The minutes were approved.
4. PRESENTATION:
Mary Shafer, Speaker. Mary provided a presentation on the 1955 Delaware River flood based on her book “Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955. A discussion period followed.
5. REORGANIZATION DRGP/LDRWS Management Committee:
C Hoffmann discussed the recent reorganization recommendations. The essence of which was that the LDRWS has separated from DRGP and establishing a new paid position
of Outreach Coordinator
M Drustrup spoke to explain that both groups felt it was better to separate. He talked about the options of the DRGP and LDRWS and the possibility of creating our own 501(c)3. There was significant discussion.
M Drustrup suggested a subcommittee be formed to look at the positive and negative of reorganization forming our own 501(c)3. Work would need to be done quickly.
VStigstedt maked a motion to form the subcommittee.
C Hoffmann stated there was a motion on the floor for volunteers for a subcommittee to look at creating a 501(c)3 for the LDRWS Management Committee. VStigstedt, BDaniello, M Drustrup, TLurz all volunteered. TLurz seconded the motion: the motion was passed.
6. REPORTS
Grant Status report was given by CHoffman on the “old money” grants that are in the process of being completed and final payment will be made to municipalities and non-profits.
Paunacussing Creek Restoration Project, Solebury Township grant is coming out of “old money” asking for $25,000.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation requested a grant for $10,000 by letter to prepare a Management Plan for the Wickecheeokee Creek in Hunterdon County, NJ. The Executive Committee will review this request and make recommendations to the MC at our next meeting.
Water Quality Testing – At the September 22, 2008 LDRWS Management Committee meeting the Committee approved spending $25,000 of old money on the water sampling project in advance of the gas drilling in Nockamixon Township. M Drustrup stated the reasons for concerns include overuse of water, contamination of water and the environmental impacts in the process and explains the progress and reason for the RFP and that water sampling is step one. Primary concerns are surface water and ground water. Bob Stanfield and TLurz, are on the committee to provide technical assistance. The RFP has been approved by DRGP and reviewed by lawyer Jordan Jaeger. The plan is to submit the proposal to a minimum of 3 companies and give committee several weeks to review it. The RFP states criteria such as 1. how long will sampling take and 2. how many samples will be given. A 6-month follow up would be a plus. At the last subcommittee meeting, training issues were brought up about taking samples and on briefing the public on what is being doing.
N Janyszeski stated that Cabot Industry Gas visited 3 farms not zoned for drilling and that there are difficulties on the farms including one with bog turtles and wetlands. She continued to explain about the well pad progress. Cabot Industry Gas has sued Nockamixon Township regarding zoning. She is also concerned about first responders in that they are not trained to handle emergencies surrounding the fracking fluids and do not possess specialty wear to protect them from fracking fluid accidents. . A copy of RFP was available for review.
C Barscz added that we have received another grant request from Bob Tudor, Director of Delaware River Basin Commission that is related to Special Protection Waters. He explains that there are 90 points where DRBC has water quality monitoring sites along the Lower Delaware River and they have a discharge model that they would like to fund. DRBC is looking for $53,000. N Janyszeski asked if LDRWS could give a portion of money. CBarscz agrees that partnering is an option. C Hoffmann states copy of proposal letter will be on website.
Grant Guidelines:
C Hoffmann stated the grant guidelines are in flux but have been moving forward. In the future, the Executive Committee will be looking for a grant subcommittee to set up goals and evaluate grants as they come in for review. She asked for volunteers to form grant committee. No response.
M Drustrup stated the Executive Committee will have to evaluate grants if a subcommittee cannot be formed. CBarscz discussed the grant guidelines and how they may not be necessary. Grants are coming in without a formal structure and a process has to be created to determine which will be funded. We should be looking for larger grants and not many small grants. Grants for less than $5000 take a lot of time to process and were not handled properly in the past. M Drustrup stated we are trying to start a process that gives the NPS information on how grant assessment will proceed and explained what the process will look like.
Finance Committee
2008 Budget report by Barbara Daniello. All members of subcommittee were recognized including Mick Drustrup, Sandra McNicol, Barbara Daniello and Judy Henckel. She reported on the activities of the committee.
VStigstedt had questions on budget with regard to the Delaware River Experience. A discussion about the DRE took place. M Drustrup described the educational program of Dee Keller’s Delaware River Experience program and what it does for students.
7. New Business:
Questionnaire: The Chair handed on questionnaire on member desires and participation. It was noted that the Questionnaire is on website and that we would like opinions from members. Carol asked members to fill out the Questionairs and email back to us.
Website: Carol reported that the Website is up and we would like to get more information and members involved on the site. Address is Lowerdelawareriver.org. If members would like to contribute an article send a PDF or word document to Nancy. Carol said we would like members to be involved and contribute items that pertain to the river and calendar items.
8. Old Business:
Curtis Paper Mill – no new information to report at this time.
9.NEXT MEETING DATE:
Next Lower Delaware River Wild and Scenic Management Committee Meeting Wednesday, April 1, 2009 in Pennsylvania. Location to be determined.
10. Public Comment:
Judy Henckel would like to thank the committee for having the meeting closer to Upper Mount Bethel. Speaker was good. Given all the business we have to do, may not need to have speaker at every meeting. She said she feels that she cannot get involved with all the issues that are going on within LDRWS. M Drustrup talked about starting a subchapter with people in her area. N Janyszeski suggests using website as a source of connecting.
RMcNutt stated he is happy that we are holding the torch and moving forward. He then told of an event in Doylestown in April, 2009 to get children outside. Information will be on our website. He was asked about the Delaware River Sojourn and sated it begins starts June 21, 2009.
With no additional comments from the public, the meeting was adjourned.