New York Federation of RC&D Councils Annual Meeting – Don Stribick and Robert Remillard attended the New York Federation of RC&D Councils Annual Meeting held March 18-19, 2004, in Saratoga Springs, NY. The 2004 officers are President, Sheelagh Bailey; Secretary, Tom Goodwin; Treasurer, Dick Warner; and Vice President, Ken Bush. Sheelagh and Don presented the recommendations of the Policy & By-Laws Review Committee. After some discussion and modifications, the Federation approved the recommended amendments to the By-laws. A decision was made to develop a NY Federation Website using the services of Hudson Valley Network, Inc. (HV/Net). The website can be found at www.nyrcd.org. The Venison Donation Program was also discussed. Denise Harlow of the New York State Council of Community Services facilitated a discussion of the Federation Mission, Goals and Strategic Plans. After the facilitated session on mission and vision, the following mission statement was created. "The mission of The New York State Federation of Resource Conservation & Development Councils is to coordinate and support local, state, regional and national priorities for resource, conservation and development”. As mentioned above the Lake Plains RC&D continued to support the efforts of the Federation through the volunteer efforts of our members. Tom Goodwin was a member of the Budget and Finance Committee and is currently the Secretary. Don Stribick participated as a member of the Nominating Committee and member of the Policy & By-Laws Review Committee.

2004 Mid-Atlantic RC&D Association Conference The Mid-Atlantic RC&D Association Meeting was held at the Oglebay Resort & Conference Center in Wheeling, WV, from August 31 to September 3, 2004. Tom Goodwin attended, representing the Lake Plains RC&D. Activities included the election of officers and discussions concerning the budget process, financial reporting, travel expenses and accountability. Of special note, the Finger Lakes RC&D Council won an award for Outstanding RC&D Council and Dick Winnett was selected as the Outstanding Coordinator. Congratulations to Dick and the Council for a job well done! The Venison Donation Program was recognized as one of their many important accomplishments. USDA Listening Sessions were held Thursday afternoon to gather comments on the RC&D program. The New York Federation of RC&D Councils held a business meeting on September 2nd. Next year’s conference will be held in New York, at the West Point Thayer Hotel (September 2005). For information about the Mid-Atlantic RC&D association visit their website at www.sjrcd.org/ma/maindex.htm.

National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils (NARC&DC) - The Lake Plains RC&D Council is very honored to have one of our members supporting the efforts of the NARC&DC. In December 2002, James A. Ghent, Jr. was selected to be an At-Large Member of the NARC&DC Board of Directors. In addition to his duties as a member of the Board, he participates as a member of the Underrepresented Task Force, a committee of the Board of Directors. The following is a summary of his activities this year (2004):

F     May 20 and 21 - Presented a training seminar on the organizational structure of RC&D Councils to the Wisconsin Association of RC&D Councils in Rosholt, Wisconsin.

F     June 26 through June 29 - Attended Board meetings and was a panel moderator at the NARC&DC’s Entrepreneurial Development Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.

F     September 22 - Attended a NARC&DC Board meeting in Savannah, Georgia.

F     November 30 through December 2 - Was a discussion leader at the Diversity Task Force Conference in Dallas, Texas. This conference was collaboration between the NARC&DC, National Association of Conservation Districts and several USDA agencies.

F     December 13 through December 17 - Participated in the 12^th Annual Training Conference of The National Organization of professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Services Employees in Sacramento, California.  Jim provided opening remarks at the First General Session, on behalf of Sharon Ruggi, President of the NARC&DC. He also presented a progress report on the “what’s new” activities, or results of the Underrepresented Task Force initiatives at the Fourth General Session.

F     Jim also participated in numerous phone calls, as a member of the Underrepresented Task Force, to discuss and formulate a Native American Tribal survey, sponsored by the Forest Service.

As you can see Jim has been very busy this year.

Lake Plains Web Site – Due to limited funding, there were no significant changes to the web-site this year. We did have technical problems related to the network which limited our ability to update the website during the year, but these technical problems have been corrected. Once again, Sue Reckahn (RC&D Secretary) did an excellent job of keeping the site updated. Our site is being hosted by Genesee Gateway Rochester Free-Net, Inc.; we want to thank them for providing this service. Please visit our web site for meeting announcements, project measure updates, area plan information and links to our many partners.

** www.LakePlainsRCD.org **

Financial Report

The Council continued to operate utilizing membership dues as the sole source of income. The annual dues income last year was $1,500.00 ($300.00 per county). The expenses for 2003 included: State/Regional/National RC&D membership dues, $550.00; General Operating Expenses, $73.10 and travel expenses to attend RC&D Meetings & Conferences, $450.45. Project-related expenses were $250.00 and other receipts were $266.74. We began the Fiscal Year 2004 with a balance of $4,800.71 and ended with a balance of $5,243.99.

Non-Profit 501 (c) (3) – The Lake Plains RC&D Council, Inc. is an independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization directed by local citizens. A 501 (c) (3) is an organization designated by the IRS as a “Charitable Organization”. Donations to Organizations with 501 (c) (3) tax status can be tax deductible.

Council Administrative Issues

Business Management – The Council completed all notifications to State and Federal agencies, including the IRS filing. We completed all required document filings with the State of New York, Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau. We filed and received our Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. Beginning on October 1, 2003 all federal grant applicants had to have a Dun and Bradstreet "DUNS" number to apply for or renew grants, or submit plans under mandatory grant programs. We completed our annual audit review and report, which was approved by the Council.

Area Plan – The Lake Plains Area Plan (Area Plan) was approved on May 22, 2002. This was the first Area Plan prepared by the Lake Plains RC&D Council. It replaced the preliminary plan dated October 16, 1997. The primary purpose of our Area Plan is to guide the Council’s programs during the next five years. The Area Plan will be reviewed periodically as needed and revised to reflect the changing needs of the area. It is also the Council’s intent that this plan be used to communicate the purpose of the organization both internally and externally, as well as outline our goals and objectives. A copy of the Area Plan is available at the RC&D Office and a summary of the plan including Resource Concerns and Goals and Objectives, can be found on our website.

Annual Plan of Work - The Annual Plan of Work, which is the operational and management tool for the Area Plan, identifies what projects the Council will work on during the year. The projects address objectives outlined in the Area Plan. The Plan of Work was presented and approved at last years Annual Meeting (February 2004). The NRCS State Conservationist signed the Plan of Work on February 25, 2004. The Annual Plan of Work also serves as the NRCS acknowledgment that the Council is meeting the requirements under Public Law 107-171.

Council Project Measure Activities in 2004

As mentioned above, each year the Council develops a Plan of Work that identifies projects we hope to develop and implement. The Council usually plays a supporting role in the implementation of projects. During Fiscal Year 2004 we had approximately 14 active project measures and assisted in the development of 14 grant proposals. A listing of our project activities is recorded in USDA Resource Conservation and Development Database system and can be viewed at http://rcd.sc.egov.usda.gov. The following is a summary of 2004 Project Measure activities.

Eden Regional Farm Museum – The Lake Plains RC&D is helping the Town of Eden research the idea of developing a Regional Farm Museum. The first step in the process will be the development of a Farm Museum Feasibility Study. The feasibility study will consider the development of a farm museum that would feature local agricultural history, agricultural diversity, and rural life. The museum located in the Town of Eden, Erie County, would be a regional resource for western New York. The study will provide information on: potential sites for an agriculture museum, potential sources of funding for planning, construction, and operation of an agriculture museum, potential management structures of the museum, and the public mission of the museum.

The feasibility study is currently being developed under the direction of Dr. Diane Kuehn, an Assistant Professor and New York Sea Grant Coastal Tourism Specialist, who teaches a Service Learning course (Tourism Planning) at SUNY College of Environment Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF). Service Learning courses engage students in providing real-life community services. During the fall 2004 semester, 12 students worked on the Farm Museum feasibility study for the Town of Eden.

We look forward to the completion of the study in the Spring 2005 and wish to thank Dr. Kuehn and her students for providing the assistance.

Black Creek Watershed Coalition - An inter-municipal Black Creek Watershed Coalition was formed to work cooperatively in overseeing the development of the Black Creek Watershed Plan. The first phase of the planning process was the development of the State of the Basin Report which was completed in July 2003.  The State of the Basin Report characterized the watershed with regard to its unique features, such as its geographical setting and physical or cultural characteristics; identified resources of value within the watershed; analyzed current water quality and quantity conditions; and identified problems and threats relevant to land use impacts. The State of the Basin Report will be followed by a Black Creek Watershed Plan that will propose methods for improving water quality to ensure its long-term health and the sustainability of its resources. www.blackcreekwatershed.org
The Black Creek Watershed Coalition hosted a Public Meeting on Wednesday, June 23, 2004, at Genesee Community College. The results of the Black Creek Watershed State of the Basin Report were presented by Dr. Whitney Autin with SUNY Brockport. The presentation was followed by group discussions about ways to preserve, protect and restore the watershed. Approximately 30 people attended the meeting.

Oak Orchard Watershed Management Plan - The Lake Plains RC&D is assisting the Orleans County SWCD and Genesee County SWCD with the development of the Oak Orchard Watershed State of the Basin Report. The kick-off of the watershed planning process began with a Public Meeting on June 30, 2004 at the Orleans County Fairgrounds. Approximately 40 people attended the meeting.

Environmental problems do not stop at township, county or state boundaries and that is where the beauty and flexibility of the RC&D program comes into play.

The Lake Plains RC&D Council looks forward to working with and supporting member sponsors, groups, agencies, schools, and individuals to enhance the quality of life and environment for residents and visitors to our region.

Your support, participation, and interest in the Lake Plains RC&D activities will always be appreciated.

How to become involved in RC&D

• Attend a RC&D Committee meeting
• Represent your group, business or agency
• Bring ideas for community improvement or natural resource projects
• Provide your particular expertise to the Council
• Volunteer your time, skill, labor or money