The September 2005 meeting called to order at 7:40p on 23 September 2005 at Camp Morrison McCall Idaho. A quorum of the board was present, including:
Keith
Argow, Chairman
Dave Bula,
Western Deputy Chair, Easter Washington Director
Forrest
Clarke, Western Washington Director
Rob
Hoeye, Secretary
George and
Pam Morley, Southern California Director
Jill
Osborne, Southern Idaho Director
David
Qualm, Minnesota Director
Bob
Spear, Historian
Howard Verschoor,
Oregon Director
Gary Weber,
Treasurer, North Idaho-Montana Director
Ray
Grimes
Mark Swift
Iris
Baird
The minutes of the 2003 September western conference board meeting at Truckee were approved as distributed.
The association’s treasury has $21,147. We are on budget. Membership is now 866.
Brochures: it was decided that it is OK to modify existing brochures to reflect the new membership fee. Many directors have been hand modifying the brochures before distribution. Those that arrive with the printed amount will also be honored. If any lifetime applications arrive with the old value the difference will be returned, or a request made for a donation.
The 2005 Eastern Regional Summer Meeting was held in Rhode Island and was a success. Two new Chapters were recognized in Rhode Island and many lookouts visited. Several state groups are organizing lookout hikes to encourage interest and membership.
Several members have “stepped” up to the challenge of persuading local owners of the value of preservation.
There is still a lack of interest in the Southeast to maintain and restore lookouts. We need to strengthen our influence there.
Mills Peak restored and placed back in service this year. Efforts are in progress to save Argentine Lookout.
NHLR certificates will be presented this summer, working through a backlog in certificate production.
We may have some synergy in the Revelstroke BC area and expect a chapter there soon.
Many things are happening. Director Quam discovered a fire lookout that was to be removed to make room for a radio tower. With a lot of community participation, the fire tower was moved the fair grounds where it has become a popular attraction. Eventually $15,000 was raised for the project. MDNR has a website that is now linked.
Work on North Mountain Lookout will be starting soon. Heybrook Lookout restoration is almost done. Green Mountain Lookout restoration continuing. There is need for funds to replace the footings. Three Fingers Lookout is going to get some maintenance work soon. Philchuck Lookout: lots of vandalism, including “tagging”(leaving one's name or sign with a permanent marker). Burly Mountain Lookout grounding will be refurbish by Dick Morrison. Granite Lookout restoration was an Eagle Scout project. It is a wilderness success story. Meebe Pass Lookout [likely in East WA] restoration is important; it is the last standing L5 design in the Northwest.
The San Bernadino National Forest Association is staffing 7 lookouts with 280 volunteers, many of them FFLA members. The Angeles National Forest Association staffs 2 lookouts and is rebuilding South Mount Hawkins Lookout with 80 volunteers.
The groups are painting several lookouts, heeding constraints for wilderness when applicable. Working on both the Los Padres and Cleveland National Forests about organizing lookout preservation and volunteering. People are willing to travel to work volunteer on lookouts. Morton Peak Lookout is now rented by night and staffed by day. South Mount Hawkins is on schedule to have the road repaired so work can start early next year. Some 230 volunteers were able to raise $12K; with $10K from the FS This will purchase the lumber. LA County Fair visitors to the fire lookout display are voicing their disappointment that the lookouts on the mountaintops are not staffed.
The Division will host the 2006 Annual Meeting of National Board of Directors in January at the World Forestry Center’s Magnus Tree Farm. The Oregon Deputy State Forester is very supportive of lookouts. ODF has more active lookouts than any other western state. Work has started on Rancheria Lookout and when done it will be staffed. The location of a number of tree lookouts in the Mt. Hood area has recently been confirmed, and several are still standing.
The Division hosted this conference. The popular Passport in Time program (PIT) will soon become an interagency initiative. The annual project book will no longer be printed but will appear on the web. The web will also be used for registering to participate in PIT projects.
Several projects by private contractors. Monument Peak Lookout PIT restoration project is nearly complete. The National Historic Lookout Register certificate will be presented at an upcoming dedication. Private grants for restorations are in process. Some Lookouts are being removed from rental program due to low use. The National Forests are applying for RAC funding for restorations.
Tunk Mtn Lookout (now owned by FFLA Chairman Argow) was staffed by Forest Service for a month this summer, when Bonaparte Lookout was undergoing repair. Several fires were reported, confirming the importance of the site for detection. There are several new rental lookouts available. Quartz Mountain Lookout, recently moved to its new location by FFLA and staff of the Mt. Spokane State Park, is the most recent. The Colville National Forest has received a $100K grant to repair three lookouts: Salmo, Sullivan and Timber, on the condition they become available for public access (rental).
Members of the new Mt. Adams Chapter, in partnership with Historic Structures Foundation (see report below), recently removed the very historic East Flattop Lookout in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It is stored and will be relocated and restored at a new location, hopefully on a nearby mountaintop.
The Washington Office of the Forest Service has directed field units to now use the nationwide reservation system (which includes an additional 10% listing fee). The fee program gives about 80% back and can use excess (above needed maintenance) on other structures. Concern about booking fee and constraints of the new reservation system, www.reserveusa.com website was expressed.
NHLR Lookout sign has proven to dissuade vandalism, at least in Southwestern Region of the FS (NM and AZ).
It was commented that the newsletter is outstanding and is the primary benefit of membership. Excellent acceptance of the new color format partly funded with the dues increase this year.
We do need new members. A call to action for each attending member was made, “entice a new member to join” by this time next year.
Nominations are due to Rod Fosback, Nominating Committee Chair, by October 1.
Positions open this year are: - Eastern Deputy Chair, - Treasurer, - and Chairman.
None
Does the FFLA want to again be recognized with a logo and short credit section on the reprint of the popular Minnesota Fire Lookout brochure? There will be 35,000 reprinted by the state DNR and partners. The cost is $300, with the Minnesota Division offering $200 of their 2005 budget. A request was made of the balance ($100) to come from National funding. The Minnesota brochure would again include the FFLA logo and the web address.
Since the two summer FFLA meetings are not technically full board meetings (because typically only the regional board members attend) the request properly is referred to the next full national board meeting (Jan. 06). However, in the interim, the Executive Committee is empowered to act for the board between meetings. Since a majority of the ExComm was in attendance, a motion was made to approve the Minnesota request for the addition $100 for the brochure. It was approved unanimously.
Restoration grant increase: The board is asked to consider an increase in the restoration grants. Considering that there is $25K in the fund, we need to consider raising it to $500 at a future. The executive committee members in attendance recommended the board when approving the 2006 FFLA budget in January 06 consider this option.
Historic Structures LLC is a new corporation chartered in 2005 by American Resources, Inc. (a nationwide conservation service organization [CSO] which is also chaired by FFLA chair Keith Argow). It was incorporated to take direct action to help preserve America’s historic structures (i.e. Flattop Mountain Lookout removal and restoration). The organization is in the development phase of preparing and again offering for sale the popular L-4 fire lookout kit. It will likely be a frame only of 14x14 cab, which will accept off the shelf windows and door. Historic Structures LLC was formed in order to limit the liabilities. Availability will be passed on to members of the FFLA and the 25,000 members of the National Woodland Owners Association.
It has been pointed out the FFLA that many restoration efforts are being hampered by the quoted expense of lightening protection upgrades. There are inconsistent guidelines from each region. Costs vary widely. A FS Region 1 technician has been very helpful in providing information about current code standards. FFLA seeks and supports a consistent policy nationwide. The Red book by NFPA is a possible source. Minnesota Director Quam will research the current standards used by the radio industry.
Board members Quam, Hoeye, and Weber were asked by Chairman Argow to make a proposal for the upcoming 2006 meeting of the board in January if possible.
- Dave Bula will soon make a recommendation for next years Western Conference. British Columbia and Colorado/Wyoming are possibilities.
- David Quam will research the logistics of a future Eastern Region summer meeting in Minnesota, possibly a joint session with East and West sometime in the future?
- We are targeting New Mexico in 2007-2009.
The two summer conferences are a big draw to “bag” lookouts. An informal poll of all-present showed that the preference for the western conference is September, with a model of:
Day 1:
Presentation in the morning
Visit local lookout in the afternoon
Business meeting in the evening
Day 2:
Presentation in the morning
Visit local lookouts in the afternoon
Party in the evening
Following Day
All day visits to local lookouts.
This meeting of the FFLA board was adjourned at 10:28p
Rob Hoeye Keith A Argow
_____________________________ __________________________________
Secretary Presiding Officer