N A TIVE NOTES
Trifolium virginicum
K A TE’SMOUNT A IN CLOVER
BILL GR A FTON – EDITOR
WEST VIRGINI A N A TIVE PL A NT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
Volume 16:2 A UGUST , 2008
2 008 A NNU A L MEETING
The 2008 A nnual Meeting will be held in Chief Logan State Park near Logan , WV on Sept . 20 & 21.
The schedule for the weekend is :
· Meet at the Parking Lot for the Lake at 10:30 am on Saturday and walk the Lake Shore Trail until noon .
· Lunch on your own
· Meet at the trail head of Guyandotte Beauty Trail at 1 pm and walk that trail
· Dinner 5:00 PM
· Business meeting 6:30 pm
· We will pick a trail to explore for Sunday morning at the business meeting .
Lodging or camping : check website www . chiefloganlodge . com or call 304 855-6100
Other choices :
Holiday Inn 304 752-6495 (4 miles away in Logan )
Best Western 304 831-2345 (5 miles away in Chapmanville )
Super 8 304 752-8787 (5 miles away in Logan )
Rodeway Inn 304 855-7182 (8 miles away in Chapmanville )
A partial list of spring plants ( below ) that I observed during the 1970 s and 1980 s will tell you there are lots of rich woods , deep hollows , and dry ridge tops . The plants are more typical of the Cumberland Plateau than the Western Hill of the Ohio River Valley . The 4- lane US Route 119 provides easy access to the State Park and the Conference Center .
Walking Fern A dder’s Mouth Orchid
Ramps Glade Fern
Showy Orchis Cranefly Orchid
Puttyroot Wild Cane
Fire Pink Wild Columbine
Slender Toothwort Celandine Poppy
Green Violet Greek Valerian
Bluebells Blue - eyed Mary
Guyandotte Beauty Crossvine
Pinxter A zalea Buffalonut
Umbrellatree
________________________________________________________________________
DR A FT MINUTES WV N A TIVE PL A NT SOCIETY
JUNE 14, 2008
The WV Native Plant Society Board of Trustees met on June 14, 2008 in the Lake Floyd club house . President Chad Kirschbaum called the meeting to order at 1 :45 pm . Others attending were Donna Ford - Werntz , Bill Grafton , Judi White , Jeff Patton , and Helen Gibbins .
A
pproval
of
the
January
board
meeting’s
minutes
was
deferred
until
the
Board
receives
them
.
TRE A SURER’S REPORT – Donna Ford Werntz reported the following :
I . Checking
February Balance $4,638.37
Income ( Dues , donations , T - shirts sales ) 800.44
Expenses ( Native Notes , chapter dues reimbursements ,
FN A Illustration , board meeting room rent , CDs ) 3 ,666.00
Balance $1,772.81
(Obligated expense – MRTC rail trail sign $100)
II . CDs ( interest ca $25 quarterly )
Life Members ( dues revenue )$3,451.09
EPNPS ( dormant chapter )$2,326.11
WVNPS ( contingency fund )$3,025.52
Note – T - shirt summary : expense ( print / postage $884; income ( sales ) $1,000
WEBSITE
Jeff Patton reported that the WVNPS website had been hacked , but it is fixed now . He suggested the future website include wildflower gardening articles . Following are other suggested additions :
Nursery owners who sell wildflowers ( see last Native Notes ) and links to their websites
Links to useful websites such as the Connecticut Botanical Society
A list of easy - to - grow wildflowers . Judi White and Helen Gibbins will send suggestions
Helen mentioned Peter Heus’ booklet he sends with the plants he sells .
MEMBERSHIP
Steve Mace asked that someone replace him as membership chair . His work schedule precludes him from keeping up with the membership duties . He is willing to stay on the Board as Corresponding Secretary .
Some of the duties of the Membership Chair are to send out dues notices , send dues payments to the Treasurer , send a welcoming letter to new members , keep a list of members and send the list to the board periodically , and prepare labels for the newsletter editor . It was also suggested that the labels include the last date that the members paid their dues .
EVENTS A ND FIELD TRIPS
The Tri - State chapter , guided by Romie Hughart and Dick Thompson , went to East Lynn to check out a special trillium , but it was too early in the season to determine its species . The chapter also went to Carter Caves , KY . Under the guidance of the KY State Nature Preserves Commission the chapter checked out several species the Commission is tracking . Judy Dumke and Chad Kirschbaum will send a report to the Commission .
WV Wildflower Pilgrimage . Julian Martin and Mae Ellen Wilson publicized the WVNPS by wearing placards advertising the WVNPS .
Invasive Plants Conference . A bout 60 people attended this meeting in Pomeroy , Ohio with a good mix between property owners and agency persons . Frank Porter gave a good pitch for the WVNPS .
Wildlife Diversity Day at the Capitol . Frank Porter and Helen Gibbins staffed the table .
FN A PL A NT SPONSORSHIP - The legume volume is scheduled to be published in 2 009 and will include our Kate’s Mountain Clover illustration .
WVNPS FLYERS
Bill Grafton moved , Judi White seconded that if the price seems reasonable , 500 membershipflyers will be printed . They will include the amendments suggested by the Board at the last meeting . The motion passed . Chad will contact Frank Porter about taking care of the project .
WV OUTDOOR HERIT A GE A CT OF 2008
It was agreed that the NPS membership be canvassed through the website and newsletter asking them to list their favorite unique places ( not publicly owned ) they think might be a candidate for the Heritage list . The next newsletter will print again a description of the program . Helen Gibbins agreed to find out more about the A ct and forward the information on to the Board members .
W A IVER OF LI A BILITY
Jeff Patton will access Oregon’s Waiver Of Liability and change Oregon’s name to WV for the WVNPS and its chapters use . We will ask all attendees on our field trips to sign the waiver .
WV WILD Y A RDS PROGR A M
It was suggested that Native Notes and the website publicize this program .
NOMIN A TING COMMITTEE
Helen Gibbins agreed to contact some members asking them to be on the nominating committee of three . She will first talk to Cindy Ellis , Chris Gatens , and Mary Sansom . Officers needed are President , Treasurer , Membership Chair , and Director for three - year term .
ANNU A L MEETING
It was agreed that the WVNPS annual meeting will be in Logan County . Chief Logan State Park has lodge rooms and camping facilities . Bill Grafton will contact the extension office to find out if we can use their office for a meeting . Bill also will investigate places for field trips during the annual meeting .
PRESIDENT’S MESS A GE - Chad Kirschbaum
Greetings ! A s I type this message , the humid Dog - Days of summer are settling - in . These hot - muggy days of late summer get their name from the Romans who believed the dog star , Sirius is part of the constellation Canis major , and during this time of year it rises and falls with the sun . The Roman believed the dog star added extra heat to the summer .
In modern times , the Dog - Days of summer are associated with side - walk sales , complacency and sweltering heat . This however , it not a time for botanical enthusiasts to sit inside and soak - up the A C . Driving around the country - side I have noticed many late - summers bloomers festooning the roadsides . Yellow and purple mosaics of ironweed , joe - pye weed and wingstem signal the botanical Dog - Days of summer .
These three plants while considered by most to be roadside weeds and nuisances to cattle are very important late summer food sources for pollinators and critical habitat for native predatory insects . Ironweed alone has over 15 different species of butterflies that are attracted to its blooms . A recent study at Michigan State University revealed that pollinators and nearly 50 species of native insect predators are attracted most to plants with large inflorescences . In their study , during the late summer period , perfoliate boneset ( Eupatorium perfoliatum ) attracted the most native predatory insects and goldenrods attracted the most bees ( see http :// nativeplants . msu . edu / results . htm for more info ).
Pollinator decline and conservation have been on my mind lately . The U . S . Forest Service has recently launched a new website dedicated to this conservation issue (www . fs . fed . us / wildflowers / pollinators / index . shtml ). This website has information
and links about pollinators and pollinator decline . Did you know that 1 out of every 3 bites of food you eat is thanks to pollinator ? Think about all the foods we enjoy that require pollination ; tomatoes , pumpkins and strawberries are just a few examples . Here are a few more fun facts that I learned from the Forest Service website :
More than half of the world’s diet of fats and oils come from animal - pollinated plants ( oil palm , canola , sunflowe rs , etc .).
More than 150 food crops in the U . S . depend on pollinators , including almost all fruit and grain crops .
The USD A estimated that crops dependent on pollination are worth more than $10 billion per year .
What does this have to do with the West Virginia Native Plant Society and the Dog - Days of summer ? A s native plant enthusiasts we have an opportunity and responsibility to spread the word about the benefits of using native plants for gardening and the benefits of conserving native plants in West Virginia in their native habitats . One overlooked benefit is the value that native plants have in attracting pollinators for crop production and native insect predators for natural biological control of pest species . These essential animals will not only make gardens more interesting places but will also help strengthen our nation’s food supply and ecosystems’ food webs .
In the remaining Dogs Days of summer I encourage you look for and identify these beneficial insects in your gardens , fields and favorite natural areas and think about how you might use the plants that harbor them or how you can re - create their habitat on your property . Because in the Dog Days of summer we see a large number of showy plants with large - inflorescenes blooming , this is the perfect time to photograph and appreciate our native six - legged friends . In September , our annual meeting and field trip will be at Chief Logan State Park ( see details inside ). This event will be a perfect time to get outdoors and hunt for and appreciate the beneficial insects that are our partners in conserving West Virginia’s diversity of native plants . I hope to see you there !
VOLUNT A RY RUR A LOUTDOOR CONSERV A TION A CT
Passed on March 8, 2008 : To be effective June 8, 2008
SB 622 Voluntary Rural Outdoor Heritage Conservation A ct . " The purpose of this bill is to provide for land conservation and stewardship through a newly - created Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund to provide grants to certain state agencies and qualifying 501( c )(3) organizations . A n enhanced fee for the recording of deeds will be divided equally between the existing Farmland Protection Fund and the Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund . The Board of Trustees of the new Fund may direct the Economic Development Fund to issue revenue bonds to be secured by a portion of the recording fee ."
Led by The Nature Conservancy the passage of this bill was supported by a wide variety of recreation and conservation groups and business interests . A ccording to Beth Wheatley , of TNC , " It ' s not just about securing funding for land conservation . It ' s about making land conservation a priority for WV and giving the state and communities the resources to be able to protect land that is important to them ."
1 ) Fund to establish a funding source to conserve unique and important wildlife habitat , natural areas , forests , working lands , lands for hunting , fishing and recreation and other lands important to WV .
Funds will come from a fee on real estate transfers one / half to Conservation Fund and one / half for Farmland Preservation .
For purposes of this article , conservation criteria include :
( 1) Unique or important wildlife habitat as specified in the State Wildlife Conservation A ction Plan ;
( 2) Habitat for rare , threatened or endangered species ;
( 3) A relatively undisturbed or outstanding example of an ecosystem or natural community indigenous to West Virginia ;
( 4) A n important area for public hunting , fishing or other outdoor recreational uses ;
( 5) Important recreation lands or important habitats identified in county comprehensive plans ;
(
6)
Riparian
habitats
,
wetlands
,
water
quality
,
watersheds
of
significant
ecological
value
or
critical
aquifer
recharge
areas
;
( 7) Forest land or working land that has strategic economic significance ;
( 8) A larger area containing conserved lands or as a connection between conserved lands ;
( 9) Land of unique cultural , historical or archaeological significance ;
( 10) Degree of threat to land ; and
( 11) The number of acres of land to be conserved .
2 ) Board of Trustees - DNR and Forestry directors ; 9. others - 1 each from A gricultural Land Protection A uthority , registered forester , person with documented expertise in public health or public recreation , a representative of sportsmen and sportswomen ; 2 are recognized professional experts in biology or ecology , nominated by the WV A cademy of Sciences ; 3 are reps of independent IRC 501 © (3) ( see definition under 4 - charitable corporation )
Some of the duties of the Trustees
Make available money to the DNR for acquiring property or debt service for conservation purposes under the WV Wildlife Conservation A ction Plan or other conservation plans developed by the division .
May issue revenue bonds for financial support for land conservation .
From The Nature Conservancy ' s website
Legislation Launches Investment in West Virginia ' s Rural & Natural Heritage
Governor Manchin signs bill creating Voluntary Rural & Outdoor Heritage Conservation A ct
CH A RLESTON , WV - A pril 3, 2008 - A new state initiative , made official today with the ceremonial signing by Governor Manchin , commits the State of West Virginia to a stronger investment in the future conservation of important wildlife habitat , natural areas , forests , and farmland .
"A n investment in land conservation is important to growing key economic sectors like tourism and to attracting businesses interested in a high quality of life for their employees ," says Governor Manchin , " This legislation is one more step in making West Virginia a destination state ."
" This is a historic piece of legislation ," says Rodney Bartgis , state director of The Nature Conservancy , " We applaud the Legislature and Governor Manchin for their support in conserving West Virginia ' s rural and natural heritage ."
Gov . Manchin ' s signature confirms the West Virginia Legislature ' s March 8 th approval of the Voluntary Rural & Outdoor Heritage Conservation A ct . The legislation makes a state investment in the conservation of important wildlife habitat , natural areas , forestland , and farmland and establishes a statewide land conservation fund , the Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund .
The Voluntary Rural & Outdoor Heritage Conservation A ct makes an investment by dedicating revenue from a $4 flat fee on the recording of deeds and $5 flat fee on the recording of other documents to land conservation . Half of the revenue from these fees will be directed to the new state - level Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund created by the legislation and half will be directed to the state - level Farmland Protection Fund .
"The revenue directed to these two land conservation funds is a first step to enable conservation of lands important to West Virginians ' economic well - being and quality of life ," said Senator McCabe , lead sponsor of the legislation , " This initial state investment will begin to leverage private , federal , and in some cases - local - dollars to enable conservation of West Virginia ' s outstanding natural assets ."
A broad spectrum of interests supported the legislation : land trusts , farmland protection boards , hunting & fishing organizations , wildlife groups , landowners , and business leaders . " The coalition supporting this legislation recognized the economic and quality of life returns that West Virginians will see from investing in the conservation of outstanding natural areas , wildlife habitat , forestland , and farmland - and the value of conserving our natural heritage for our children and grandchildren ," says Rod Graves , retired farmer and active member of two farmland protection boards , " We also recognized the importance of partnering to support both a state investment in land conservation and the development of the Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund ."
"The fact that the bill passed during the first session in which it was introduced speaks to the power of the coalition of interests working together - for the first time - to meet a shared objective ," says Bartgis , " The bill ' s passage also speaks to the enormous public support to conserve West Virginia ' s natural assets and growing recognition that these assets are the state ' s competitive advantage ."
Public support of land conservation is reflected in recent survey results . More than 8 in 10 voters agree that protecting land and water is vital for a strong economy in the State (2007 survey of West Virginia voters conducted by Fairbank , Maslin , Maullin & A ssociates ). Seventy - nine percent