Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 05/07/2012

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John Latimer has a popular phenology show in Grand Rapids. He is part of the Minnesota Phenology Network and is in a position to help advertise and promote the project from his very popular phenology radio show in Grand Rapids and surrounding communities. Peter Harris is a naturalist / science coordinator at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. He is also a member of MPN, also has a phenology radio show, and has put together many conferences / training sessions covering a wide variety of topics from climate change to phenology. Peter, John and I developed the phenology software that they use. It would be possible for all of GRE's easement landowners to contribute observations via the web. This email is going out to a small number biologists, naturalists, phenology show hosts, native plant providers, the DNR, and a municipality. The list is not meant to be comprehensive. If you know other people / companies who might be interested, please feel free to forward this note. Questions 1) Do you have special insights on the feasibility of the project? Perhaps you know of another location where it has been tried. 2) Are you interested in participating? If so, are there specific limits to your participation, e.g. the need for remuneration? GRE is being forced to proceed with their cutting at a very rapid rate. Each landowner contacted at this point is a lost opportunity. It would be helpful if feasibility and a tentative list of participants could be determined within a month (Feb 15). It may be possible to get basic action plans into place by the time the blackbirds (Mar 15) return since the activities are mostly just extensions of what we already do. The sooner GRE can start discussing the project with their easement owners, the better. I'm hopeful that the project will provide significant new resources to the biologists with only a minor investment of time, more business to the native plant providers / landscapers, much more habitat for targeted species, and a vastly more interesting easement. Thanks very much for reading such a long introductory letter and for your response.