Dear Members,

Once a year Council and Chapter leaders in the Northeast converge to address issues that effect us all as cold water advocates. This year the meeting will be held in Massachusetts and is open to all TU members.  

Date: April 24th 8:30am - 3:30pm
The Doyle Conservation Center
464 Abbott Ave - 
Leominster MA 01453 

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All leaders are encouraged to attend since the topics covered at this meeting will lead to the MA/RI Council's Strategic Plan. Even if you have never served as a volunteer leader, this is a great opportunity for you to get involved.

An agenda and some basic information about the meeting is below. 

Please RSVP if you are planning to attend, we're providing a free lunch for all attendees. A draft of the agenda is below. I hope to see you all there! Feel free to email me with any questions and please circulate this to other chapter members.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XPGYDZG

TU NORTHEASTERN REGIONAL MEETING
APRIL 24, 2010
8:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m.

The Doyle Conservations Center
464 Abbott Ave
Leominster MA 01453

8:30 a.m. Doors open: light breakfast and coffee served

9:00 a.m. Welcome and general introduction (Joe Overlock, Jan Allardt)

9:05 a.m.   Strategic Plans: the key components of a good strategic plan (Bryan Moore, V.P. Volunteer Operations and Watersheds)

9:30 a.m.  The new TU Land Conservancy Fund: building collaborations with land trusts to protect priority cold water habitat (Paul Doscher)  

10:00 a.m.  Break

10:15 a.m.  Water policy & advocacy: filling the gap after Kirt Mayland (Jim Glowienka, Bryan Moore, Jeff Reardon, Permitting and Design Coordinator for the Penobscot River Restoration Project)

Action item: come up with a plan of action that will sustain the huge strides the Northeast has made in advocacy and formulating state policy and determine if a separate “Advocacy 101 Workshop” for the Northeast is something all chapters and councils would like to see in the future  

This is to be an open, working session allowing for Q & A to assess the needs of the individual Northeastern states and the region as a whole in terms of water policy. The key question is: how do the councils position themselves to address legislative action?

Other questions to include: 1) what items are on the docket; 2) what bills should be proposed;  3) what bills should be blocked; 4) FERC & Non FERC permits; and 5) what is the time line for each of these items?

Other items of discussion to include: 1) culverts; 2) Marcellus; 3) fish passage (Identify possible fish passage sites, the involved parties and the necessary costs;) 3) partnerships; 4) Council Advocacy Committee - does the council have one; 5) cost of a lobbyist on a case by case basis; 6) Focused, attainable key water policy items.  

11:00 a.m. Break

11:15 a.m. Hydro Dams: the creeping issue of micro hydro dams (Jeff Reardon)

Action item: determine what is meant by the various hydro 'sizes', e.g. micro, small, large, etc. and establish common language / definition.

Action item: come up with a broad policy that can be adapted at the state level
  
Items for discussion to include:  1) retrofitting 'under the radar;' 2) governing bodies that oversea licensing (FERC, Fish and Wild Life, Army Corp of Engineers, DEP/DEC, etc...;) 3) the dangers and benefits of the lifetime exemptions; understanding the process and how to anticipate and prepare for the next step; how and where can TU national weigh in on a policy?

12:00 p.m. Lunch: delivered by Cosi

1:00 p.m.  Buds, Bugs & Brookie – “TU’s Smartphone App:” (Jerry Schoen, UMass)

1:15 p.m. Youth Camps & TIC  (Franklin Tate, Rick Axt)

1:30 p.m. PR & Marketing: TU staff and volunteers to lay out some key means to maximize community exposure (Rob Keith, Volunteer Operations Coordinator, Joe Overlock)

1:50 p.m. Break

2:00 p.m.  Strategic Planning:  recap on key point (Bryan Moore, Rob Keith, Ron Urban)

Working session with a demonstration of strategic planning and resulting document  

3:00 p.m. Wrap-up and thank you  (Jan Allardt,  Joe Overlock)

TU members may take the opportunity to socialize and exchange contact information.

4:00 p.m. Facility closed

Local Hotel: Four Points by Sheraton Leominster
www.starwoodhotels.com
99 Erdman Way
Leominster, MA 01453
(978) 534-9000

Friday night dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse is informal and local: [www.longhornsteakhouse.com/intro.asp.]  Contact the volunteer meeting organizers, Jan Allardt [jcfa_mayfly@hotmail.com] and/or Joe Overlock [JOverlock@JFGriffin.com] with any questions.

View here for an agenda and updates from the 2008 Regional Meeting.