Minutes
Gustavus Land Legacy
April 3, 2001
Gustavus Public Library, 4/3/01, 7:10 p.m.
Present: Jeff Pickett (Director of Development, TNC, Anchorage), Nat Drumheller, Chuck Rice, Lewis Sharman, Judy Brakel, Mike Olney, Kathy Streveler, Heidi Robichaud, Carol Dejka, Greg Streveler, Kim Heacox, Dave Lesh, Paul Barnes, Janine Driscoll, Hank Lentfer, Meado Brook, Nathan Borson, Mary Hervin, Melanie Heacox.
New Executive Director Hank Lentfer gave a report on the status of GLL.
We have our own checking account. Motion: that signers on the account be Greg Streveler, Meadow Brook, and Hank Lentfer. Passed by unanimous consent.The checking account now has about $12,000 in it. This has come from local contributions (3 businesses and 21 households), a grant from the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and a grant from the McKenzie River Conservation Foundation. The money will cover printing, Hank's salary, and other expenses.
Future donations will go to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to be held for purchase of the land. TNC will maintain two separate accounts for the Gustavus Land Legacy project - one for GLL contributions and one for funds raised by TNC without our involvement.
TNC has applied for an $18,000 grant from the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines settlement funds to cover Jeff's salary and other project costs.
Color brochures by Andrea Byrnes and Stacy Farley are at the printer's. Will also print some posters. Watch for them in an upcoming electric bill.
There's been a fundamental shift in thinking about where the $4 Million in funds will come from. Jeff says 90% of the money will come from visitors to the Glacier Bay/Icy Strait area. We had thought earlier that TNC would raise 90% of the money but now we understand that local efforts will yield the vast majority of funds. Jeff is confident that we can do it, although it will likely take more than a year. Jeff is here with ideas about how we are going to do that. He had a meeting this morning with local tourism operators.
This project is the largest TNC has going in Alaska now, so it has TNC Alaska Chapter's full attention. It also has the attention of the national organization, which is good because its 1 million members represent considerable financial capacity. We (GLL and TNC) need to
- Identify potential supporters
- Craft a strategy for how best to reach them
Will try to figure out which TNC members have been to Alaska, or Gustavus in particular. Will be explaining the historic opportunity that this project represents, and asking supporters to make a commensurate contribution. TNC is dependent on Gustavus folks to help identify who those potential supporters are.
Status of option to purchase Mental Health Trust lands: Still in negotiation with Trust Lands Office. Draft versions say that the period of the option will be 2 or 3 years, and the price will be set by an appraiser whose identity and instructions are agreed upon by TNC and TLO. In other words, TNC and TLO will sign the option before a price is set for the purchase. If Snyder is interested in selling his land, TNC will seek a similar option from him.
From now on, make checks to "The Nature Conservancy" with "Gustavus Land Legacy" in the memo line. Send to Hank Lentfer, PO Box 62. Donors will receive a letter as a receipt for their tax-deductible contribution. People can charge their contributions to their credit cards and make donations at the TNC web site.
There will be "Charm School" for those interested in representing the Legacy to potential donors: Let Hank know within the next week that you are interested and when you can't attend a training. Jeff will come to do the training before the beginning of the tourism season.
Hank handed out a draft Memorandum of Understanding for administration.
There was some discussion about the last of GLL's obligations under the agreement, section 2. d) "Attempt to develop consensus among Gustavus residents on management issues on the Properties." Hank described how this might be done, and the importance of defusing controversy by being pro-actively involving people who don't usually come to these meetings but who have a stake in the Legacy lands.
Regarding section 3. a), TNC's bottom line: TNC's mission is to conserve bio-diversity. Uses incompatible with that goal wouldn't be allowed, but otherwise management would be a local decision. Jeff noted that this type of agreement is unusual or even unique.
Section 5 requires that both parties have liability insurance. Hank will check to see if GCA's policy is adequate for TNC.
Section 1. a) seems like the acreages are incorrect. Hank will check.
Anyone interested in further reviewing the agreement should contact Hank soon; he hopes to have it signed by the GCA president next week.
The second MOU is for management of the land.
Hank handed out the earlier draft "Management of the Uses of Gustavus Land Legacy lands." There was general agreement that as a group, GLL needs to agree on some basic principles of management so that we don't mislead locals and donors about how the land will be managed. Hank proposed the draft language in the handout, which basically permits uses of the land until there is "sufficient evidence" of wildlife impacts or because of unresolvable user conflict."
Janene: Why wait until the damage is done? We should anticipate unresolvable conflicts and threats to viability of species and plan to prevent them.
Greg: Two approaches to managing land. The latter approach hasn't worked well in his experience on the Board of Game.
- Let the land tell you what uses are inappropriate
- Let the majority of people decide.
Lewis: This group should set a deadline for achieving the goal of establishing what the limits of acceptable change are.
There was considerable discussion about the user conflict part of the statement. It was generally agreed that there is already user conflict. The biggest is vehicle use. It was generally agreed that our mission is to conserve the wildlife and habitat and provide opportunity for continuing traditional uses. There will be a process for dealing with user conflicts. Restrictions would not be placed just because we feel like it, but only as a last resort to protect the wildlife or its habitat or solve unresolved conflicts between users.
Hank will take input from this discussion and refine the above draft language and bring it to the next meeting to serve as the preamble to the second MOU with TNC (the "Management Agreement").
Next meeting
First week in May. Work on the second MOU with TNC, starting with the "preamble." Request sample work plans from TNC to use as templates for our own.