Dragon Run Steering Committee
Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
Fall Quarterly Meeting
November 12, 2003
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Final Watershed Management Plan
3. Brown Tract
4. Landfill Update
5. Grant Update
6. Other Business
7. Adjourn
Note: The Education Review Team will
meet briefly after the meeting.
Attendance
Steering Committee: Prue Davis, Dorothy
Miller (Essex); Keith Haden, Russell Williams (King
and Queen); Robert Major, Jack Miller (Middlesex);
Rick Allen, Jerry Horner (Gloucester)
Others: Julie Bixby (VA Coastal Program);
Robert Gibson, Rachel Williams (King and Queen); Lorna
Anderberg, Mike Anderberg, Teta Kain, Mary Ann Krenzke
(Friends of Dragon Run); Willy Reay (CBNERR/VIMS);
Nancy Miller (CBLAD); Pat Tyrrell (Tidewater RC&D);
Anne Ducey-Ortiz, Robert Hudgins (Gloucester); David
Milby (Dept. of Forestry); David Fuss, Lewie Lawrence
(MPPDC)
Welcome
Chair Davis called the meeting to order
and began introductions.
Final Watershed Management Plan
David Fuss presented an overview of
the Dragon Run Watershed Management Plan as recommended
by the Dragon Run SAMP Advisory Group. Discussion
focused on how monitoring would be funded and concern
about recent findings of high mercury levels in fish
tissue in the Dragon Run. Suggestions were made to
split the document into Part I and Part II, to put
tabs between the sections, and to eliminate Appendix
E and F.
A motion was made to approve the Dragon
Run Watershed Management Plan and to recommend it
to the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
and the Counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen,
and Middlesex. Dorothy Miller seconded. The Steering
Committee unanimously approved the motion. It was
noted that the MPPDC would see a presentation about
the plan at their November meeting and would likely
take action on it in January or February. It was suggested
that the counties would be able to best consider it
after the budget sessions, which would likely mean
in July or later.
Brown Tract
Lewie Lawrence provided information
and a handout about the land acquisition at the Brown
Tract in Essex and King and Queen County. The Middle
Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority will
use $365,000 in match-free funds from a grant through
the Virginia Coastal Program to purchase 274 acres
of timberland spanning the Dragon Run near Center
Cross on Rt. 604 (Byrd’s Bridge Rd). Ultimately,
about half of the tract will be deeded to the Dept.
of Forestry for forest management. The tract is currently
owned by John Hancock Life Insurance Co. and is under
contract with The Nature Conservancy. The tract was
described and the purchase timeline and process were
explained. Mr. Lawrence also explained that $37,000
in match-free funding was available for site improvements
(e.g. school bus parking, boardwalk refurbishment)
from the BFI Landfill Dragon Run Protection Fund that
mitigates damage from the development of the landfill
in King and Queen County. A management plan for the
site will be developed by a team of stakeholders following
settlement.
Mr. Lawrence noted that there was considerable
local support for this purchase, since the Public
Access Authority would retain local control. This
tract is the exact parcel that sparked controversy
among Steering Committee members when The Nature Conservancy
planned to retain ownership of the property. The neighbors
could not leverage the funds to purchase the tract,
so local government ownership is the best possible
scenario.
There was discussion of hunting on the
site. The site is currently leased to a hunt club
that is not based locally. Mr. Hudgins indicated that
allowing public hunting on the site is his “worst
nightmare” from a landowner perspective. Concerns
were expressed over how to manage public hunting and
access on the site and fear of government control
of the land was a factor. It was noted that the land
was for sale and would have been sold to someone.
Mr. Haden inquired about how much funding
was originally designated for the BFI Landfill Dragon
Run Protection Fund. Mr. Lawrence indicated that he
would try to find out.
Landfill Update
David Fuss provided a briefing of phone
conversations with various officials concerning odor
and water quality concerns related to the BFI landfill
in King and Queen County raised by Mr. and Mrs. Williams.
David spoke with three staff at the Dept. of Environmental
Quality, one at Three Rivers Health District, and
the King and Queen County Administrator. He also visited
the site with King and Queen County staff to assess
erosion and sediment control problems. There are ongoing
concerns about odor, but this is not related to water
quality. Odor problems are found in King and Queen,
Essex, and Middlesex Counties. David indicated that
King and Queen County has stepped up efforts to address
problems at the landfill after admitting that they
have not done a very good job over the last few years.
Steering Committee members wanted to know what citizens
could do to improve the situation. David suggested
that working with King and Queen County was the best
avenue. Comparisons were drawn between the BFI landfill
in King and Queen County and the Waste Management
landfill in upper Gloucester County.
Grant Update
David provided an update about the current
fiscal year grant funding for the Dragon Run SAMP
from the Virginia Coastal Program. Educational activities
include hiring a contract educator and community watershed
festival planner. A review team of Steering Committee
members has been formed to assist David in choosing
appropriate candidates. The Dept. of Coastal and Ocean
Policy at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science
is performing a study of sustainable economic development
opportunities for resource-based industries within
the watershed. Virginia Commonwealth University’s
Center for Environmental Studies will soon complete
a final report and database of a fish and macroinvertebrate
inventory of the watershed. Finally, the Department
of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of
Natural Heritage has completed the field work for
a natural heritage inventory of Dragon Run headwaters
and is due to complete the final report by early December.
Other Business
David distributed a copy of the press
release for the Dept. of Health’s fish consumption
advisory for the Dragon Run/Piankatank River for mercury
contamination in fish tissue. This advises the general
public to eat no more than two 8-ounce meals of largemouth
bass in a one-month period. It advises pregnant women,
young children, and nursing mothers to eat no largemouth
bass from the Dragon Run or Piankatank River. This
health advisory is based on Dept. of Environmental
Quality fish tissue samples from 1998, 2000, and 2002.
Senators Allen and Warner announced
the availability of $2 million in federal funding
for the Dragon Run under the U.S. Forest Service’s
Forest Legacy Program. The Virginia Dept. of Forestry
will use the funds to purchase fee-simple and conservation
easements on working forestland. The Nature Conservancy
has vowed to provide the 25% match funds.
John Hancock Life Insurance Co. announced
that they are planning to merge with Canadian-based
Manulife Corp. This may have implications for John
Hancock timber holdings in the Middle Peninsula and
Dragon Run watershed. Reportedly, the timber assets
of John Hancock were appealing to Manulife. In related
news, as of December 31, Resource Management Service,
Inc. will no longer manage forest land for John Hancock.
Willy Reay announced that he has secured
funding for water quality monitoring work in the Piankatank
River and Dragon Run. There will be two sites in the
Piankatank and one in the Dragon Run at Rt. 603 that
will be sampled every 15 minutes. Dr. Reay also indicated
that there would be an effort to perform continuous
water quality sampling in some portions of the study
area.
Dates for the Steering Committee’s
2004 schedule were offered based on the 2nd Wednesday
of every third month. The schedule was approved and
will be as follows:
February 11, May 12, August 11, November
10
Meeting times will be at 7:30 PM unless
otherwise noted.
Adjourn
Jack Miller motioned to adjourn. Dorothy
Miller seconded the motion. Motion carried and meeting
adjourned.
EDUCATION REVIEW TEAM
David Fuss convened a meeting of the
Education Review Team. Dorothy Miller (Essex) and
Jerry Horner (Gloucester) were in attendance. David
distributed draft announcements for an education consultant
and an event planner for the watershed festival. He
asked the team to review these drafts and offer comments.
He also asked the team to consider whether they should
be advertised together or separately. He asked the
team what type of qualifications would be desirable,
what type of schedule should be pursued for advertising,
and where should the announcement be advertised. He
also asked the team to consider what days of the week
and times of day would be best for meeting. It was
decided that the announcements should be advertised
in December for 2-3 weeks and the team would meet
1-2 times in January to choose the best candidate.
The best qualifications would be someone who is a
practitioner and has an education background. This
person should be able to inspire his/her audience.
The announcement should be advertised widely in newspapers,
professional journals, organizations, and universities.
Dragon Run Steering Committee
Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
Summer Quarterly Meeting
August 12, 2003
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Picnic at Mr. Robert Major's home
3. Open Discussion - Forest Legacy funding; TNC as landowner
4. Review/Planning Teams - Education Contract; Watershed
Festival
5. Update on Watershed Management Plan and Land Use
Policy Audit
6. Ongoing Research Update
7. Invasive Species Update
8. Adjourn
Picnic and Welcome
Following a picnic
at Robert and Carolyn Major’s home, the Steering Committee
convened its summer quarterly meeting. In attendance
were: Robert Major (Middlesex); Prue Davis, Dorothy
Miller (Essex); Robert Hudgins (Gloucester); and David
Fuss (MPPDC). Chair Davis welcomed everyone and asked
David Fuss to proceed with the agenda.
Open Discussion
David started with an open discussion and
some announcements. First, Frank Herrin emailed to David
that his wife, Elise, has been diagnosed with stage
three non-small cell lung cancer and is seeking treatments.
Frank asked that everyone keep Elise in their prayers.
Next, David distributed a staff activities report for
May-July 2003. This is an excerpt of the Staff Activities
Report to the Planning District Commission that David
thought the Committee might find helpful. It does not
take any extra time to prepare. Finally, David provided
an update that the U.S. House of Representatives has
approved a bill with $3 million in funding for the Dragon
Run through the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy
program. This initiative, proposed through the VA Dept.
of Forestry, has strong support from Virginia’s Senators.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) recently purchased 452
acres that will serve as half of the $1 million pledged
as match by TNC. Other items discussed included: proposed
mobile home development near Upright in Essex County
on Cheaney’s Bridge Rd; possible development following
clear-cutting on Parrish Lumber Co. land near Meggs
Bay in Gloucester County; likely purchase of Brown Tract
in Essex/King and Queen Counties with VA Coastal Program
funding involving VA Dept. of Forestry and the Middle
Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority. The
Nature Conservancy has a contract on the tract now.
David explained the nature of Public Access Authority.
Review/Planning Teams
David reminded the Committee that the new
grant cycle beginning in October will bring the opportunity
to hire a professional educator to educate decision-makers
and community leaders about watershed issues important
to the Committee. He suggested that the Committee form
a team to assist him in reviewing applications in response
to a Request for Qualifications that will be advertised
in the fall. The Committee agreed that seeking one Committee
member from each locality would result in a good review
team to assist David. Suggested team members were: Jerry
Horner (Gloucester), Dorothy Miller (Essex), Davis Wilson
(Middlesex), Frank Herrin (King and Queen), and Kay
Bradley (Executive Director of the Northern Neck-Middle
Peninsula Public Education Consortium).
David
also reminded the Committee that the grant included
funding for planning a watershed festival. The festival
would be community-based and would be modest in size.
Stewardship awards would be given out and displays would
be featured, as well as food and drink. David suggested
that the Committee meet once or twice with a facilitator
to brainstorm about what would be appropriate for such
a festival. Then, the Committee might form a planning
team to assist a professional event planner. Planning
would occur over the winter and into the spring and
the festival could be held in late summer or fall of
2004. The Committee agreed that the Chair would call
a special meeting to brainstorm with a facilitator,
probably in the fall or winter of 2003.
Watershed
Management Plan and Land Use Policy Audit
David
informed the Committee that Paradigm Design has completed
the Land Use Policy Audit and he distributed the final
report for the project. He explained that Paradigm Design
provided the services that were needed and that he,
the Committee, and the SAMP Advisory Group were pleased
with their work. He also explained that much of this
work would be incorporated into the Watershed Management
Plan, which is being finalized. David will try to work
with local hunt clubs to announce the elements of the
watershed management plan at their annual meetings in
September.
Ongoing
Research
David
updated the Committee on research projects currently
underway or soon to begin, including:
1.
Fish communities study by Virginia Commonwealth
University – interim report completed and final report
pending
2.
Benthic macroinvertebrate identification by
Virginia Commonwealth University – currently underway
3.
Natural heritage inventory of headwaters of
watershed by Division of Natural Heritage of VA Dept.
of Conservation and Recreation – currently underway
4.
Sustainable economic development study by Virginia
Institute of Marine Science – to begin in October
Invasive
Species
David
described an ad-hoc group of scientists and resource
managers from state agencies and universities who are
interested in monitoring and controlling invasive species
in the Dragon Run watershed. The group includes: MPPDC;
Dept. of Environmental Quality (VA Coastal Program);
Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Virginia Commonwealth
University; Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries; Marine
Resources Commission; Dept. of Conservation and Recreation;
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and The Nature Conservancy.
Species of major concern are blue catfish and common
reed, or Phragmites. Aerial assessment of Phragmites
is planned and DGIF and VCU have both performed electrofishing
to assess blue catfish. On July 23, ~150 blue catfish
were collected from the lower Dragon Run/upper Piankatank.
On July 24, only a few specimens were collected. The
hope is that the population can be kept at bay so that
blue catfish do not eliminate native fish species or
freshwater mussels from the Dragon Run.
Robert
Major noted that Phragmites was not seen in the Dragon
Run until about 30-40 years ago. He also noted that
the catfish assemblages that he encountered in the Dragon
Run as a child are no longer present. Now, up to 30-pound
catfish are caught in the lower Dragon Run and these
did not appear until about 25 years ago.
Adjourn
Chair
Davis adjourned the meeting.
Dragon Run Steering Committee
Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
Spring Quarterly Meeting
May 14, 2003
1. Welcome
2. Land Use Policy Audit update
3. Dragon Run SAMP update - grants and proposals
4. Planning for Public Informational Meetings
5. Other Business
6. Adjourn