Wisconsin Walnut Council (WWC) Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting
 
Tuesday, January 3, 2006 at 9:30AM
DNR Service Center
1500 North Johns Street
Dodgeville, WI 53533

The Agenda:
Meeting called to order.
Attendees: Dan Bohlin (board member), Dale Parker (advisor), Bob Weiland (advisor), John Ouellette (board member), Arthur Luttig, Bill Carlson (board member), Ingrid Olson (board member), Alan Rault (board member), Matt Singer (advisor), Odell Anderson (advisor), Jim Widder (board member), Tom Hill

Introduction of new members:        Odell Anderson
1. Ingrid Olson – landowner w/siblings of 80 acres of Managed Forest Law (MFL) in Lafayette County; woodlands with walnut and white pine planting.
2. Alan Rault – landowner of 13 acres in the Kickapoo Valley with walnut plantings.
3. Bill Carlson – DNR forestry team leader for Grant, Iowa and Richland counties; former forester for Lafayette and Iowa counties and Lower Wisconsin Riverway.

Secretary's Report:                      Matt Singer/Jason Sable (not in attendance)
1. Bill will take meeting notes for Jason.
2. October 15, 2005 meeting minutes were reviewed and approved last year. Odell summarized them for attendees.
3. 2005 Annual Meeting information incorporated in 10/15/2005 minutes.

Treasurer's Report:                      John Ouellette
1. The balance is positive at approximately $5000.00.
2. A CPA reviewed the box of records and helped with documentation.
3. John will look into an audit of finances – encouraged by National Walnut Council (NWC); Dan will check on standards at NWC.
4. Dan will contact Liz Jackson to check on their financial support through member dues and other payments to the state council.

Membership Update:                    Dan Bohlin
1. Membership is declining – members and WWC should take advantage of opportunities to recruit: field days, web page, MFL contacts and DNR assistance, WI Woodland Owners Association (WWOA), joint meetings.
2. Matt will update the application revision date to 2006 (both pages).
3. Should consider an advertisement in the WWOA magazine to reach potential new members.
4. Dan will prepare a brief newsletter for mailing to WWC members.
5. Dan will contact the national office to check on membership levels.
6. Alan offered to draft a survey to poll members on their reasons for joining and maintaining membership.
7. Discussion of inheritance tax issues.

Election of New Officers

Jason Sable – Secretary
John Ouellette – Treasurer
Bill Carlson - Vice President
Dan Bohlin - President

Committee Reports

A. Improvement of Trees and Nuts Committee – Chair – Larry Severeid
See Larry’s report filed 12/26/2005 on acrobasis, butternut seed orchard, and the upcoming WWOA annual meeting (9/7-11/2006 Stoney Creek Inn, Onalaska).

B. Website & E-Mail Committee – Chair – Alan Rault
1. Wayne Zimmerman maintains the site (Alain needs contact information).
2. Alain will be central contact for material submission to the web site.
3. John will write up the fall meeting with pictures for the web site.
4. Dan will check with Liz Jackson for an email list of members.

C. Public Relations (PR) Committee
1. John encourages lots of photos be used to enhance the web site.
2. Odell will contact Larry Severeid for a write up of the spring field day (May 2005) at the mill in Trempealeau; John has many pictures; submit materials to Alain.
3. Ingrid and Alain to work future PR issues.

D. Marketing Committee
1. Craig Yaeger saws stumps and crotches; he is a WWC member.
2. Dale will look into marketing opportunities for the web page.

E. Exhibits
1. WWC table top display is stored at Dodgeville DNR office; contact Bill or Jason for arrangements (608-935-3368).
2. Bill will get the display to Matt for use at the Madison Area Woodland Owners Conference (MAWOC), February 18, 2006.
3. Bob will check on displaying the WWC table top at the WWOA conference in Waukesha.

F. WWC Winter Membership Meeting at MAWOC
1. Dan will route proposed agenda to BOD and Advisors. Forty-five minute meeting starts @ 08:00AM prior to beginning of MAWOC, 2/18/2006.
2. Motion approved to donate 3 Walnut Council memberships as door prizes at MAWOC.
3. Matt to check on using MAWOC attendees list to get new WWC members.

Old Business
1. Insurance issue has been resolved; field days covered by NWC policy.

New Business:
1. Spring Field Day – May 20, 2006; DNR Dodgeville office will coordinate a session at Big Springs in western Iowa County.
2. Bill will develop an agenda for the spring field day.
3. Fall Field Day – Jim Widder suggested Al Kelling property in eastern Wisconsin; October will be checked for home UW football dates. [Update: October 7 &14 are home games; October 21 is an away-game.]
4. The group was encouraged to track developments in the new Farm Bill on the USDA website with the idea to encourage continued funding for conservation programs.

Adjournment at 12:00 PM.

Matt Singer arranged a visit to the Cal Gatch tree planting near Platteville. Most in attendance visited the site.

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