Albemarle Chowan Watershed Roundtable

November 17, 2016 Meeting

Southampton County Extension Office
21300 Plank Road, Courtland, Virginia
Minutes

Attendance (15)
Mary Jo Albright, Roundtable Coordinator, Albemarle-Chowan watershed Roundtable
Harvey Baker, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Emporia
Yamika Bennett, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Courtland
Dennis Carney, Planner Town of Windsor
Glenn Chappell, James River Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD)
Deborah Davis, Sussex County
Stacey Feker, Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Partnership
Robert Glennon, Virginia Tech, Southeastern Virginia
Rachel Hamm, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Jordan Herring, Virginia Department of Forestry
Cory Hoar, Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District
Coley Hughes, Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Partnership
Sue Morris, Chowan Basin Soil and Water Conservation District
Jerry Skadsky, Prince George County
Chelsea Taylor, Chowan Basin Soil and Water Conservation District

Introductions
Everyone in attendance introduced themselves.

Speaker
Bob Glennon gave a presentation on the technical assistance from the private land biologists to
clients of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the USDA, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) and the financial assistance that is available to help implement the
conservation plans that they develop.

The Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine partnership will make a presentation at the next meeting on
February 16.

Executive Committee
Mary Hammock, Soil Conservationist with the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service in
Courtland, has volunteered to be Chairman.

Chelsea Taylor, Conservation Education Coordinator of the Chowan Basin Soil and Water
Conservation District, has volunteered to be Treasurer.

Livvy Preisser is the Roundtable Council Vice-Chairman; Bob Glennon is the Roundtable Secretary.

Minutes
The minutes of the last meeting had been distributed electronically before the meeting and in hard
copy at the meeting. Dennis Carney made a motion to accept the minutes as distributed. Cory Hoar
seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously as distributed.
Projects
Pet Waste Stations 4 stations were installed.
Soil Sampling - 95 vouchers were submitted between January and August

Coordinator Report
The quarterly report was submitted to DEQ.

The grant application was prepared and submitted to DEQ. The application includes:
Salary and travel expenses for a coordinator.
Website maintenance.
Soil test vouchers.
Well water testing vouchers.
Participation in the Mayors for Monarchs program by providing signage.
A compact educational brochure on the watersheds.

Council Member Updates

Bob Glennon, Virginia Tech Requests for assistance with wildlife habitat development and
management are more dispersed across southeastern Virginia than they have been in past years.

Rachel Hamm, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Rachel introduced herself as the
TMDL Coordinator and Acting 319 Coordinator. She promoted the DEQ web site as a tool for setting
Roundtable priorities.

Harvey Baker, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Emporia The signup for
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program will begin on October 1. The NRCS offices are
supporting the signups for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program. They are also following up
on Conservation Stewardship Program applications. The drought is affecting crop yields.

Yamika Bennett, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Courtland The signup
supporting the signups for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program. They are also following up
on Conservation Stewardship Program applications. The Courtland NRCS staff had an exhibit at the
Childrens Day of the Cheroenhaka Indian Tribes Pow Pow that had 300 students.

Cory Hoar, Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District The cover crop establishment
deadlines are November 10 and November 30. There were a lot of applications for the program this
year. There were 1600 first graders at the Districts Farm Days.

Glenn Chappell, James River Soil and Water Conservation District The cover crop establishment
deadlines are October 25 and November 15. There were a lot of applications for the program this
year. The District is assisting with the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP), an urban
conservation program with 11 priority practices.

Sue Morris, Chowan Basin Soil and Water Conservation District The District received a large
amount of funding for cost sharing practices this year and it has all been obligated.

Chelsea Taylor, Chowan Basin Soil and Water Conservation District The cover crop establishment
deadlines are October 25 and November 15. The Greensville County Farm Day had 230 elementary
school students and 21 preschool students. The District will hold day camps on December 27, 28,
and 30.
Jordan Herring, Virginia Department of Forestry
Brian Lacey is now the pine resource farmer; Mike Aherren is the new forest health liaison. The
Department is collaborating with many agencies and organizations to accomplish its mission.

Stacey Feker, Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Partnership APNEP has the capability to make signs
and brochures. They have groups dedicated to submerged aquatic vegetation and other resource
concerns.

Coley Hughes, Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Partnership - Coley heads the APNEP Fresh water
Habitat and Passage Group and she described what that groups mission is.

Dennis Carney, Planner Town of Windsor The town continues discussion of chickens in the town.
Technically they are not allowed unless the landowner has at least 5 acres of land and the land is
zoned agricultural.

Jerry Skadsky, Prince George County The Friends of the Appomattox River are holding events to
raise the publics awareness of the river.

The meeting adjourned at noon.

The next meeting will be on February 16, 2017 from 10AM until noon at the Cooperative Extension
Service office in Emporia.