Board of Directors Meeting Minutes - June 28, 2022

Approved July 26, 2022

Meeting held in person with a virtual option via WebEx Conference Service. Mr. Peters called the meeting to order at 9:52 am.  The meeting start was delayed because of technical issues.  Once those issues were resolved, those attending in person and virtually (*) were:

 

NVSWCD Directors and Associate Directors

• John Peterson, Chairman*
• Jerry Peters, Director-Vice Chairman
• Chris Koerner, Director-Treasurer
• Adria Bordas, Director-Extension
• Scott Cameron, Associate Director*
• Johna Gagnon, Associate Director*
• Harry Glasgow, Associate Director*
• Diane Hoffman, Associate Director*

 

Cooperating Agency Representatives

• Debbie Cross, Virginia DCR*
• Jim McGlone, Virginia DOF*

 

NVSWCD Staff Members

• Willie Woode, Acting Executive Director
• Scott Baron, Urban Conservation Specialist
• Meghan Cunha, Urban Conservation Specialist
• Judy Fraser, Urban Conservation Specialist*
• Don Lacquement, Urban Conservation Engineer*
• Ashley Palmer, Conservation Education Specialist
• Dan Schwartz, Soil Scientist
• Heather Shackley, Office Manager

 

Guests

• Elizabeth Lonoff *

 

Welcome and Introductions

Mr. Peters welcomed all to the meeting. He noted that there is an in-person quorum for today’s meeting, with three members of the board present together in one location. He asked each board member to state his or her name for the record and to acknowledge that they could hear one another. Mr. Peterson requested permission from the board to participate in the meeting remotely as he was unable to participate in person because of family obligations.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to allow Mr. Peterson to participate remotely was passed by voice vote.

 

New Staff Member Scott Baron

Mr. Peters asked Mr. Woode to introduce Scott Baron, the district’s new Urban Conservation Specialist.  Mr. Woode provided brief information about Mr. Baron.  The board welcomed Mr. Baron to the district.

 

Minutes May 24, 2022

Ms. Billger noted that she had reviewed the minutes of the May 24, 2022, meeting of the NVSWCD Board of Directors and found them acceptable. Following a motion (Koerner-Bordas), the minutes of the May 24, 2022 meeting were approved by voice vote.

 

Treasurer’s Report – May 2022

Mr. Koerner introduced the Treasurer’s Report for May 2022 which was accepted by consensus to be filed for audit.  

 

Technical Review Committee

Ms. Bordas reported that the Technical Review Committee (TRC) met on June 21, 2022 to review four Conservation Assistance Program (CAP) and Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) reimbursements, to discuss Program Year 2023 Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share (VACS) program documents, to review proposed changes to Program Year 2023 VCAP and CAP policies and to be briefed on the developments of the Trapa Management Task Force. A summary of that meeting had been included in the board package.  Ms. Bordas expressed her appreciation for everyone’s participation at that meeting.

Program Year 2023 Virginia Agriculture Cost Share Documents and Cost Estimate Guidelines

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) requires that NVSWCD use priority considerations to qualify cost share applications to be considered for funding by the district board.  Any application that does not meet at least one of the priority considerations should not receive funding.  The secondary considerations are based on parameters for the northern Virginia region and would be used by this district in selecting cost share applications. Ms. Bordas reported that the TRC reviewed these considerations, as prepared by Mr. Woode, as well as the guidelines to support the development of cost estimates for agricultural best management practices (BMPs).  These cost estimate guidelines are prepared annually. 

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to approve the PY 2023 VACS Cost Share Documents and PY 2023 BMP Cost Estimate Guidelines as presented for submission to DCR was approved by voice vote.

VCAP Policy Changes

Ms. Bordas reported that at the TRC, Ms. Fraser presented changes to state VCAP policies and procedures for the new fiscal year, which the committee discussed.  Of note was the increase in state funding for VCAP technical assistance from $500 per project to $1,000 per project.

VCAP and CAP Reimbursement Requests

At the TRC, Ms. Fraser reviewed the following VCAP and CAP reimbursement requests:

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to approve reimbursement for the above projects as discussed at the TRC was approved by voice vote. The next meeting of the TRC will be held on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, beginning at 10:00 am.

 

FY 2023 DCR Grant Agreements

Because of the delay in the approval of the state budget, the Fiscal Year 2023 Virginia DCR grant agreements were not yet available.  However, it is now known that the agreements include funding from DCR to the district for Administration and Operations, in the amount of $277,061 for the year.  The total allocation to the district for the VACS program for FY 2023 is $103,670.85, which includes $84,015.85 for agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs), and $19,655 for Technical Assistance.  The NVSWCD appreciates these funds and that these allocations demonstrate the value of the work of the district. As the grant agreements must be signed and returned to DCR prior to the next meeting of the board, it was requested that authority be delegated to Mr. Peterson to sign these agreements when they arrive.

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to authorize Mr. Peterson to sign the FY 2023 DCR grant agreement numbers 503OPS-23-29-GF and 503CSTA-23-29-GF was approved by voice vote.

 

Legislative Committee Report

Mr. Cameron reported that the Legislative Committee met on June 14, 2022.  A summary of that meeting was included in the board package.  The primary purpose of that meeting was to generate suggestions to send to the state association through the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation District’s (VASWCD) Area II legislative process. Mr. Cameron reported that they had received a communication from the National Capital Region Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) that the National Fish and Wildlife Federation will award a grant out of federal funds for the control of invasive water chestnut, Trapa Bispinosa (Trapa). The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources will receive the funds which will primarily benefit northern Virginia. The committee also discussed invasive species legislation, most notably Delegate Bulova’s bill and the bills put forth by Delegate Krizek.  The committee decided to recommend endorsing the notion of additional legislation on the broad topic of invasive control, referencing the bills generally but not specifically. There was a robust discussion at the committee meeting about natural landscaping.  The decision was made by the committee, following that discussion, that it was premature—and perhaps not the right forum—to send this as a priority through the Area II legislative process. 

Finally, the committee discussed photovoltaic facilities or “solar farms” and legislation which streamlined environmental compliance for these farms.  In most cases, establishing these facilities involves conversion of farmland, or clearing of forested areas. Mr. Cameron reported that forestry professionals are getting concerned that Virginia is losing its forests. Mr. Cameron expressed his hope to encourage the General Assembly to amend the Virginia Clear Economy Act to restrict these facilities to “brownfields” and discourage their establishment in farmland and forested areas.   Following discussion at the committee where various points of view were shared, including the importance of taking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into account as most brownfields are already close to low-income areas or minority communities, Mr. Cameron drafted and sent out to the board two proposals supporting invasive plant legislation generally and addressing Virginia Clean Economy Act issues as they relate to the loss of forest and prime agricultural land. 

A motion to (Koerner-Bordas) to approve the Legislative Committee’s proposal to include the two issues, as outlined above, to the VASWCD Legislative Committee as a part of the district’s legislative priorities was approved by voice vote. In response to a question from Mr. Koerner about the funding for Trapa removal, Mr. Cameron reported that the federal money will be available very soon.  Mr. Woode added that, at the district, the plan is to add a limited term position to work on this program.  The Trapa Management Taskforce has released its temporary implementation plan draft for review.  Mr. Woode and Mr. Baron are reviewing the plan and making recommendations to the taskforce.  Mr. Woode expressed his hope that there be more emphasis on the monitoring aspect of the plan.  He reported that harvesting is the primary goal. Mr. Peterson commended the Legislative Committee for its work.

 

Executive-Operations Committee Meeting

Mr. Peters reported that the district’s Executive-Operations Committee met on June 6, 2022 and this morning.  He highlighted the following items from those meetings:

 

Annual Plan of Work

The June 6, 2022 meeting of the Executive-Operations Committee was held with the explicit purpose of reviewing the district’s Annual Plan of Work.  A copy of the Annual Plan of work had been included in the board package.  Mr. Peters briefly reviewed the updates and changes that were made since the plan was last reviewed in 2021.  Mr. Schwartz, who facilitated the discussion on June 6 and made updates to the document, indicated that the changes suggested by staff and board members have been made.

A motion (Koerner-Peterson) to approve the NVSWCD Annual Plan of Work for FY 23 was approved by voice vote.

 

Desktop Procedures for Fiscal Operations

As a part of its deliverables for its DCR Administrative and Operations Grant, the board is required to acknowledge that it has reviewed the Desktop Procedures for Fiscal Operations issued and approved by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board.  The current procedures were reviewed by the district’s Finance Committee at its meeting yesterday and a copy had been included in the board package.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to acknowledge that the NVSWCD board has reviewed the DCR Desktop Procedures for Fiscal Operations was approved by voice vote.

 

Update from John Peterson

Mr. Peterson shared his decision to not seek reappointment to the NVSWCD board once his current term expires on December 31, 2022.  He noted that his is an appointed seat on the board and that the district will need to choose someone to appoint, for service beginning January 1, 2023.  That name will need to be submitted to the state by Friday, September 2, 2022 to be considered by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board at its next meeting.  Mr. Peterson noted that the board may need to hold a special board meeting to discuss and appoint someone to this seat on the board. On behalf of the board, Mr. Peters thanked Mr. Peterson for his presentation and for his many years of service, noting that Mr. Peterson is not resigning as his term does not expire until December 31, 2022.  Mr. Peters suggested the possibility of naming Mr. Peterson Chairman Emeritus of NVSWCD.

 

Appointment of Willie Woode as NVSWCD Executive Director

Mr. Koerner described the efforts of all staff over the last several months to keep the district office open and running following the departure of two key staff members in late winter.  He commended Mr. Woode for his work in leading this effort.  He is impressed with staff and how everyone has worked together to carry on and move forward with district programs.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to name Mr. Woode Executive Director of NVSWCD, effective July 1, 2022, was approved by voice vote.  A round of applause and hearty congratulations from all followed the approval.

Mr. Woode expressed his appreciation for the board’s confidence in him, noting that he is here to serve at the behest of the board and will do his best in that capacity.  He expressed his appreciation for the district’s outstanding staff and committed to them that he will support them in any way he is able and to serve as a conduit between the staff and the board.  He looks forward to the challenges this new position brings. Mr. Peterson reported that he will prepare letters to send to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors announcing Mr. Woode’s appointment.

 

Finance Committee Recommendations

Mr. Koerner reported that the Finance Committee met on June 27, 2022 and that there was a detailed discussion of staff salaries, their relationship to salaries at the Fairfax County Park Authority, and recommendations for changes to specific staff salaries to compensate for additional duties, as well as a proposed Market Rate Adjustment for all staff.  Recommendations from the Finance Committee were shared this morning with the Executive-Operations Committee.  The following motions are a result of those discussions:

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to approve a Market Rate Adjustment of 4.01% effective July 2, 2022 for all staff was approved by voice vote.  Mr. Koerner noted that this percentage was the same as that provided by Fairfax County to its employees.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to authorize Mr. Woode to move forward with the implementation of amended district job descriptions—including updating the Executive Director’s job description, changing the current Office Manager position to Operations Manager, changing the current Conservation Education Specialist to Communications and Conservation Education Specialist, and creating descriptions for new Office Assistant and Urban Agriculture Specialist positions—with the understanding that final versions will be brought to the board at a later meeting for additional review, was approved by voice vote.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to approve salary adjustments for three positions: Executive Director, Operations Manager, and Communications and Education Specialist, to reflect increased duties and in the amounts discussed in the Executive-Operations Committee, was approved by voice vote.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to provide authority to Mr. Woode, in his role as Executive Director, to take preliminary steps to hire for two new positions:  Office Assistant and Urban Agriculture Specialist was approved by voice vote.  At the request of Mr. Koerner, Mr. Woode provided the board with a brief description of the need and his vision for these positions.

 

Pandemic Appreciation Leave

Mr. Peters asked Ms. Bordas to introduce Pandemic Appreciation Leave (PAL).  Ms. Bordas expressed her appreciation to district staff for their work during the length of the pandemic.  She noted that, in appreciation of staff efforts, Fairfax County is granting two weeks of PAL to its employees who meet certain criteria.  She has suggested that the district do the same. 

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to grant Pandemic Appreciation Leave to district staff with criteria that generally follows Fairfax County stipulations but is tailored to the needs of the district, as determined by Mr. Woode, was approved by voice vote.  PAL will need to be used by December 31, 2024 and unused leave will not be compensated upon the departure of a staff member. Mr. Peters thanked Ms. Bordas for suggesting that the district implement PAL.

 

Appointment of NVSWCD FOIA Officer

At Mr. Peters’ request, Mr. Woode noted that the board needs to appoint a district Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) officer.  He noted that Ms. Shackley has agreed to serve in this capacity and has taken the required training provided by the Virginia FOIA Council. 

 

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to appoint Heather Shackley as NVSWCD’s FOIA Officer was approved by voice vote.

 

Green Breakfast

Ms. Palmer reported that the next Green Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, July 9, 2022, but a speaker has not yet been secured.  She is pursuing possible topics and speakers and noted that topics and speaker suggestions are always welcome.  Mr. Glasgow noted that he and Ms. Palmer will be working together on future presentations.

 

Tree Commission

Mr. Peters reported that the Tree Commission held its regular monthly meeting last week.  The Tree Commission is continuing to work on a review and implementation of its new awards program.  As previously reported, the Tree Commission used to have two awards which have now been combined into one “Friends of Trees” award.  Mr. Peters encouraged all to nominate individuals and organizations for the awards.  There are several nomination categories and entries are due by July 31, 2022.  A copy of the nomination form and information about each of the categories is available on the Fairfax County website: fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/tree-commission/friends-trees-awards.

 

Engineering Standards Review Committee

Dr. Rouhi was unable to attend today’s meeting.  Mr. Lacquement reported that the committee did not meet his month and they do not plan to meet in July, although its work and the work of staff continues.

 

Community Energy and Climate Action Plan and Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan Updates

Mr. Lamb was unable to attend today’s meeting.

 

Resilient Fairfax Committee

Mr. Koerner serves as the district’s representative to the Resilient Fairfax Committee. He noted that he did not have anything to report.

 

Other Items—Directors, Associates, Consultants

Mr. Peters called for any other items from district’s directors, associate directors, and consultants.  Hearing none, he asked Mr. Woode to present his Executive Director’s Report.

 

Executive Director’s Report

Mr. Woode highlighted the following items from his report:

The Fairfax 4-H Fair will be held the weekend of August 6-7, 2022 at Frying Pan Farm Park.  The district will host a table at this event and board members, associate directors, and other friends of the district were encouraged to sign up to help staff that table.  Those interested should reach out to Ms. Palmer.

Mr. Woode participated in a recent meeting of the Agricultural and Forestal District Advisory Committee (AFDAC).  At that meeting, there was a discussion about the Rhinehart A & F District in the Difficult Run watershed.  Mr. Woode reported that Andrew Painter has been named as Chair of AFDAC, Jeff Parnes as Assistant Chair, and Hiu Newcomb as Secretary.

Mr. Woode expressed his appreciation to Calvin Dickens, the district’s 2022 Spring Outreach and Education Intern who has recently completed his time with the district. Staff treated Mr. Dickens to lunch last week and thanked him for his service to the organization.

Mr. Woode announced the “soft” release of a new section on the Fairfax County Department of Public Works’ website on invasive plants for which the division is seeking feedback.  The website may be found at: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/invasive-species.  The website includes the new Plant This, Not That brochure as well as information on running bamboo.  Ms. Bordas has been involved in this project over the past year and reported there are still opportunities to make changes and updates to the information.

 

Staff Reports

Staff reports had been included in the board package. 

 

Cooperating Agencies

Fairfax County Department of Public Works, Stormwater Planning Division

Ms. Torgersen was participating in a conference and unable to attend today’s meeting.

Fairfax County Health Department

A representative from the Fairfax County Health Department was unable to participate in the meeting today.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Ms. Cross provided highlights from her report which had been included in the board package.  One item of note is that the VASWCD Annual Meeting is to be in person this year, in early December, in Roanoke, Virginia.

Natural Resources Conservation Service/US Department of Agriculture

Mr. Wooden highlighted items from his report which had been included in the board package. He offered his assistance to district staff and board members if any questions or concerns arise.

Virginia Department of Forestry

Dr. McGlone reported that there is to be an all agency meeting tomorrow so that staff may be briefed by the Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.  In addition, they hope to have information to share about the Virginia Trees for Clean Water grants by the end of the month.

 

Other Business

Ms. Cross inquired about the upcoming meeting of the Potomac Watershed Roundtable.  In response Mr. Woode noted that the meeting would not be held this week as originally scheduled but that information on the next meeting would be sent out shortly.

Mr. Peterson expressed his thanks to Mr. Peters for serving as chairman for today’s meeting.

Ms. Palmer reported that the district is participating in Latino Conservation Week, July 16-24, 2022.   Latino Conservation Week is an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation to promote a love of the outdoors.  The district will be participating in several different events throughout the week and volunteer opportunities are available.

 

Adjournment

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to adjourn the meeting was approved by voice vote.  The meeting adjourned at 11:05 am.

 

Executive-Operations Committee Meeting Minutes - June 28, 2022

Approved July 26, 2022

 

Those attending in person and virtually (*) were:

• John Peterson, NVSWCD Chairman*
• Jerry Peters, NVSWCD Vice-Chairman
• Chris Koerner, NVSWCD Treasurer
• Adria Bordas, NVSWCD Director-Extension
• Willie Woode, Acting Executive Director
• Heather Shackley, Office Manager

 

Call to Order

Mr. Peters called the meeting to order at 8:05 am and noted that there is an in-person quorum. 

 

Approval of Remote Participation

Mr. Peters noted that Mr. Peterson had requested to participate virtually.  A motion (Koerner-Bordas) allowing Mr. Peterson to participate remotely was approved by voice vote.

 

Approval of Minutes

Following a motion (Koerner-Bordas) the minutes of the May 24 and June 6, 2022 meetings of the Executive-Operations Committee were approved by voice vote.

 

Review of Updated Job Descriptions

Mr. Woode introduced the topic of updated district staff position descriptions and briefly outlined position changes he would like to make immediately.  These include updating Executive Director position description, the “Conservation Education Specialist” position to “Communications and Education Specialist” to reflect the additional duties of that position with the Green Breakfast, the Potomac Watershed Roundtable, and other communication and outreach responsibilities.  In addition, he is proposing that the current “Office Manager” position be updated to “Operations Manager,” to reflect additional duties and responsibilities in district operations which he outlined.  In addition, Mr. Woode would like to hire a part time Office Assistant to assist with district operations, board support, the Potomac Watershed Roundtable, and the Green Breakfast, among other duties.  This position would be supervised by the Operations Manager.  Finally, Mr. Woode would like to hire an Urban Agriculture Specialist to expand the reach of that program within the county.

The position descriptions are currently being revised and those that were in rough draft form were shared with the committee.  Mr. Woode asked for permission to continue work on the position descriptions and to move forward with recruiting and hiring for the new positions. He noted that he will bring suggested salary adjustments to the committee during the closed session. 

It was the consensus of the committee to approve Mr. Woode’s position plans in concept, understanding that the updated job descriptions will be provided to the board for review at an upcoming meeting.  Mr. Woode noted that he would like to begin advertising and recruiting for the new and vacant positions as soon as possible.

Mr. Koerner will bring a motion to the board this morning to authorize Mr. Woode to move forward with the implementation of amended district job descriptions—including updating the Executive Director’s job description, changing the current Office Manager position to Operations Manager, changing the current Conservation Education Specialist to Communications and Conservation Education Specialist, and creating descriptions for new Office Assistant and Urban Agriculture Specialist positions—with the understanding that final versions will be brought to the board at a later meeting for additional review.  In addition, he will ask the board to provide authority to Mr. Woode, in his role as Executive Director, to take steps to hire for the two new positions.

 

CLOSED SESSION

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to go into closed session as provided for in the Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3711 (A)(1), to discuss staff salaries, was approved unanimously by voice vote.

 

OPEN SESSION

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to reconvene the Executive-Operations Committee meeting in open session was made, certifying that, during the closed session, only business matters specifically identified in the original motion were discussed.  The motion was approved by voice vote.

Recommendations to the NVSWCD Board of Directors. 

Mr. Peters reported the following recommendations will be brought to the board meeting this morning as a result of the discussions during the closed session:

• A motion to approve a Market Rate Adjustment of 4.01% effective July 2, 2022 for all staff.  This percentage is the same as that provided by Fairfax County to its employees.
• A motion to approve salary adjustments for three positions: Executive Director, Operations Manager, and Communications and Education Specialist, to reflect increased duties and in the amounts discussed in closed session.

 

OTHER BUSINESS

Pandemic Appreciation Leave

Ms. Bordas reported that, in appreciation of staff efforts, Fairfax County is granting two weeks of Pandemic Appreciation Leave (PAL) to its employees who meet certain criteria.  She has suggested that the district do the same to thank those staff who have kept the work of the district going during the pandemic.

After some discussion, it was the consensus of the group that the district should grant PAL to its employees, tailoring the criteria for that leave to meet its unique needs.  Ms. Bordas will bring this suggestion, as discussed, to the board for its approval at today’s meeting.

 

Update from John Peterson

Mr. Peterson shared with the Executive-Operations Committee his decision to not seek reappointment to the NVSWCD board once his current term expires on December 31, 2022.  He noted that his is an appointed seat on the board and that the district will need to choose someone to appoint, for service beginning January 1, 2023.  That name will need to be submitted to the state by Friday, September 2, 2022 to be considered by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board at its next meeting.

There were some questions about the recruitment and selection process.  Additional information on the needed process will be sought from the Department of Conservation and Recreation and others so that the board has the information it needs to move forward.

 

Adjournment

There being no other business, and following a motion (Bordas-Koerner), Mr. Peters adjourned the meeting at 9:22 am.

 

 

Technical Review Committee Meeting - June 21, 2022

Approved July 26, 2022

 

The NVSWCD Technical Review Committee met on Tuesday, June 21st, 2022, in Suite 941 of the Herrity Building to review four Conservation Assistance Program (CAP) and Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) Reimbursements. In addition, the committee discussed Program Year 2023 Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share (VACS) Program documents, reviewed proposed changes to Program Year 2023 VCAP and CAP policies, and were briefed on the developments of the Trapa Management Task Force.

 

VIRGINIA AGRICULTURAL COST-SHARE PROGRAM DOCUMENTS

Mr. Woode brought for discussion two documents for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share Program that will need to be approved by the District Board of Directors prior to submission to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for Program Year 2023:

• BMP Cost Estimate Guide - Mr. Woode proposed that the cost-share rate continue at 30% above the NRCS statewide estimated BMP cost due to higher costs in Fairfax County.
• Secondary Considerations – this document details how the District will prioritize which properties will receive cost-share, such as plans that meet Fairfax County’s Chesapeake Bay Preservation Program requirements, the number of animals per acre, new BMP installations rather than re-installations of practices past their lifespan, and whether they were cooperative with previous installations. Mr. Woode added that NVSWCD will consider the Conservation Efficiency Factor (CEF) as well.

Recommended Action - The committee recommends approval of the Program Year 2023 Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share BMP Cost Estimate Guidelines and Secondary Considerations, as presented.

 

TRAPA TASK FORCE UPDATE

Mr. Woode introduced Scott Baron, the District’s recent hire for the Urban Conservation Specialist II position, who will be representing the District on the Trapa Management Task Force. Mr. Baron provided background on the two-horned water chestnut (Trapa bispinosa) and its presence in Fairfax County. The task force has devised a management plan, for which it is requesting a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant will be used for funding leadership, education, control and management, and communications.

Mr. Koerner noted that it had previously been a goal to be active in the removal of Trapa in July and August of this year, prior to the plant going to seed, and questioned whether that was still the case. Mr. Woode noted that these efforts will rely heavily on volunteers and that last summer, Maria Harwood was involved in several volunteer events to remove Trapa from local waterways.  He saw no indication that volunteer efforts would not be continuing this summer.

Mr. McGlone suggested that the Fairfax Master Naturalists may be interested in removing Trapa as a chapter project.

 

VIRGINIA CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VCAP) AND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CAP) POLICY CHANGES

Ms. Fraser presented proposed changes to the VCAP and CAP policies for the 2023 Program Year. She highlighted some of the most important items but encouraged interested individuals to join in a special meeting for more in-depth discussion. Ms. Fraser noted that the VCAP budget has grown to $4 million for the next two years and CAP funds of $120,000 have been in place since January. Other important items discussed include:

• Hiring a full-time, permanent assistant coordinator
• Expanding the reach of the county CAP
• Integrating the CAP and VCAP processes so they are more similar. Because CAP funds may now go to private property owners, some private homeowners may go through CAP and some HOAs through VCAP. The two programs would appear as one to the public and only be separated internally.
• Expansion of CAP to include mini-grants and hybrid practices
• Develop a CAP purpose statement in coordination with county staff.

Ms. Fraser also shared the biggest changes to the state VCAP program:

• 25% of the funding must go to properties in low-income communities. Mr. Peters asked how these communities will be determined. Ms. Fraser noted that it is still to be determined how to define and approach this task. Mr. McGlone suggested the CDC At-Risk Communities map could be a tool to determine which areas to focus on. Mr. Peters pointed out that it will be important to be active in identifying and reaching out to property owners in these communities rather than waiting for them to come to us. Mr. McGlone noted that Renee Grebe of the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Urban Forestry Management Division have done significant work in low-income communities and could be good partners. Mr. Koerner Asked whether higher cost-share amounts, such as 80% or 90% could be considered for low-income areas. Ms. Fraser responded that it has been under consideration, but nothing is concrete at this time.
• Technical assistance payment will be increased to $1000 per completed project.
• All cost-share caps are to be doubled.
• A new manual with minor updates will be distributed.

 

VIRGINIA CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VCAP) AND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CAP) REIMBURSEMENTS

Ms. Fraser presented 4 applications for CAP and VCAP reimbursement. All project reimbursement applications were discussed briefly. Pictures, total project costs, and reimbursement costs of each completed project were shown to the Committee.

VCAP Reimbursement: Ho Conservation Landscaping

• Near Lake Thoreau in Reston. End unit townhome has a sloped side area that was receiving a large amount of runoff and was experiencing erosion. The slope is now planted with 518 square feet of conservation landscaping.
• Total Cost - $4,680; Cost-Share Requested - $3,500

CAP Reimbursement: Grandic Conservation Landscaping

• The project was intended to slow and spread runoff that flowed from the uphill neighbor’s yard.
• The project includes a mix of native plants totaling 1935 square feet of conservation landscaping.
• Reimbursement will be paid from the new County funding source.
• Total cost - $56,035.77; Cost-Share requested - $3,500.

CAP Reimbursement: Stoneleigh HOA Conservation Landscaping

• The project addresses an area of erosion along a walkway. The existing dry creek bed was extended and the area was planted with conservation landscaping totaling 800 square feet.
• Total Cost - $4,711.93; Reimbursement - $3,500

CAP Reimbursement: Shaw Conservation Landscaping

• The Shaw residence is an end-unit townhome property that backs to a common area which includes forested area and a ravine that eventually leads to a stream. The property had poor vegetation and runoff from the front downspout traveled down the side yard and into the backyard.
• The conservation landscaping project of 487 square feet is densely planted with a variety of native plants that will greatly benefit pollinators.
• Total Cost - $10,175.40; Reimbursement - $3,500

 

June 2022 CAP AND VCAP Reimbursement Requests

Applicant	Program	Location	Supervisor District	Watershed	Type	Size (application)	Cost 1. Total Cost (original est.) 2. Reimb. Amt.
Grandic	CAP-R	Fairfax	Springfield	Popes Head Creek	CL	1935 SF	1. $6,035.77 ($5,725) 2. $3,500
Stoneleigh HOA	CAP	McLean	Dranesville	Pimmit Run	CL	800 SF (1058 SF)	1. $4,711.93 2. $3,500
Ho	VCAP	Reston	Hunter Mill	Difficult Run	CL	518 SF	1. $4,680 2. $3,500
Shaw	CAP-R	Alexandria	Lee	Cameron Run	CL	487 SF	1. $10,175.40 (9,636.79) 2. $3,500

Recommended Action - Ms. Bordas acknowledged consensus among the committee in recommending approval of all reimbursements by the NVSWCD Board of Directors at their meeting on June 28, 2022.

 

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mr. McGlone introduced Jacob Zielinkski, a Bay Watershed Specialist with the Virginia Department of Forestry whose focus is riparian buffer planting. He is based in Warrenton and was invited to attend the District’s Board of Directors monthly meetings.

Mr. Smith announced that the Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Conservation and Recreation will be developing a new stormwater erosion and sediment control handbook to replace the handbook that was written in 1974. This will conform with the VA Stormwater BMP Clearinghouse.

Mr. Smith also reported that in July, there will be new seeding guidelines for all projects on county land and by county contractors. Native plant species will be prioritized. These guidelines will also be recommended for private applications.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Ms. Bordas adjourned the meeting at 10:40 A.M.