Illinois State Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation

_____________________________________________________ Illinois State Chapter web address: www.illinoisnwtf.org

Super Fund Meeting Minutes—January 14, 2018 MEMBERS PRESENT: Steve McNeil, Greg Shaffer, Marcia Polhamus, Bob Reich & Gerald Lively ALTERNATES: Mike Lowder & Todd Batten NWTF STAFF: John Burk, Cindy Spillman, Jeff Ravenscraft. Jim Garver, Tylor Flynn, Matt Weegman, Matt Fenoff & Jeff Pratt GUESTS: Luke Garver (IDNR) & Ken Polhamus Project Discussions: There were 27 separate Super Fund requests submitted for approval. Of those 27, nine (9) received full approval, six (6) were approved for a lesser amount, Ten (10) were denied noting they were good projects just not enough money and two (2) were denied as they did not meet SF policy or address mission delivery. John Burk began the meeting with a request to adjust the travel line item of the budget to allow State Board members a stipend to attend the National Convention. Steve McNeil commented that in order to be eligible for this stipend, the board member, at a minimum, must attend the awards banquet and may also be asked to attend other educational meetings/seminars if needed. The president would determine prior to the convention what, if any, additional meetings and seminars qualify for this program. All receipts must be received from the board member and approved prior to the stipend being paid. Only actual cost will be eligible for payment which include mileage, food, lodging and convention fees. John commented that the DNR will cover Luke Garver to attend the convention. After discussion a vote was taken and unanimously approved to add up to $3,600 to the travel budget to allow up to 9 board members a stipend of up to $400 each to attend the National Convention with the above stated requirements. After the approval of the line item budget, the committee began discussing which projects to fund with a $70,000 budget to work with. John Burk handed out a spreadsheet with his ranking criteria. He was then asked to address the highest ranked requests and give his input on these projects. Luke Garver was asked for his input of these and also discussed the 2nd ranking projects. He felt the Beaver Dam 335 acres would be deserving if enough dollars. Dr. Reich brought up discussion on chapter involvement for all Super Fund requests. The board asked if Luke and John would put together a more detailed set of ranking criteria that would help with ranking future habitat projects received for consideration during the January meeting. The remaining, approximately $4,000 not allocated to the 27 projects submitted for consideration will be available for shooting sports related chapter projects during the June meeting.

The Super Fund Committee discussed each of the following request/projects individually. These projects were voted on and either approved, approved for less or denied unanimously. Project 1: Purchase burning equipment for Jo Daviess County Conservation Foundation ($10,000). Provide funding assistance to purchase prescribed burning equipment that will be used to impact around 1,000 acres annually in the Driftless Area Focal Landscape. They have 10k in pending match from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. (Jo Daviess Longbeards) Approved for $5,000 Project 2: Support of Sterling Rock Falls Gobblers Youth event ($1,000). Additional funding needed to support large youth event with $3,000 of matching funds secured. Approved Project 3: Support of landscape scale restoration grant ($35,000). Support ongoing efforts in the Shawnee Focal Landscape to restore open woodlands through TSI, invasive species control, and prescribed burning. Estimated impact is 2,000/year for 2 years and has 145k in match. (Shawnee Hills Longbeards) Approved for $10,000 Project 4: Phase II Bush honeysuckle treatment project at Beaver Dam Lake SP ($8,500). 335 acres will be conserved through spraying and burning and has $8,500 in matching funding. (Tri County Strutters) Not approved Project 5: Support of bobcat research project at WIU ($10,800). $111,150 in match. (Western Il University) Not approved Project 6: Convention stipend for college chapters ($1,500). Approved Project 7: Startup money for local high school trap team ($1,500). Funding is for clays and expenses associated with state tournament and $2,000 has been secured as match. (Sterling Rock Falls Gobblers) Approved Project 8: Open woodland restoration at Crawford State Fish and Wildlife Area ($5,000). 283 acres conserved with 10k in match; not in a focal landscape. (Crawford County Longbeards) Approved Project 9: Witkowsky State Wildlife Area access improvement project ($6,000). Funding would be used to build a parking lot on the area and provide cost share assistance to a private landowner for invasive species control. Is in the Driftless Area and has $22,300 in match. (Jo Daviess Longbeards) Not approved Project 10: Open woodland restoration at Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area ($10,000). 490 acres conserved in the Illinois/Kaskaskia Focal Landscape with $22,750 in match. (River Valley Gobblers) Not approved Project 11: Monitoring of honeysuckle control research plots ($10,000). $12,000 in match. Not approved Project 12: Open woodland restoration at Rock Cut State Park ($5,000). 200 acres conserved just east of Driftless Area Focal Landscape with 12k in match. (Northern IL Thundering Toms) Not approved Project 13: Open woodland restoration at Fern Clyffe State Park ($6,140). 236 acres conserved in the Shawnee Hills Focal Landscape with 9.3k in match. (Little Egypt Longbeards) Not approved Project 14: UTV accessories and open woodland restoration at Ramsey Lake State Park ($9,174). 839 acres conserved in Illinois/Kaskaskia Focal Landscape for 7.5k. (Okaw Valley Longbeards) Approved for $7,500 Project 15: Open woodland restoration at Stephen A. Forbes State Park ($9,000). 500 acres conserved just east of Illinois/Kaskaskia Focal Landscape with 20k match. (Forbs Lake Limbhangers) Approved for $4,500 Project 16: Prescribed burning on the Shawnee National Forest ($15,000). Up to 5,800 acres conserved in the Shawnee Focal Landscape. (Shawnee Hills Longbeards) Approved for $11,500

Project 17: Burn equipment for Sam Dale Lake State Park. ($895). Purchase a saw and drip torch with 13.7k for match. (Big Muddy Longbeards) Approved Project 18: Invasives treatment at Iroquois County and Kankakee State Park ($32,000). 510 acres conserved in the Kankakee Focal Landscape with 8k match. (Kankakee River Valley) Not approved Project 19: Funding assistance for trap throwers for ICF shooting programs ($5,000). 15k in match. (Jo Daviess County Longbeards) Approved for $2,400 Project 20: Honeysuckle control at Perre Marquette State Park ($10,000). 556 acres conserved in the Illinois/Kaskaskia Focal Landscape with 20k in match. (Midwest Longbeards) Not approved Project 21: Open woodland restoration at Sam Parr State Park ($5,000). 283 acres conserved not in a focal landscape; 10k match. (Jasper County Wild Turkey) Not approved Project 22: Support State Jakes Hunts at ICF ($2,800). These mentored hunts will occur throughout the Illinois season creating 25 or more new hunters; $8,950 in match. (Illinois State) Approved Project 23: Support Rock River Wheel’n Hunt ($1,500). Funding will support mentored wheel’n youth turkey hunt with 3k in match. (Rock River Turkey) Approved Project 24: Support of local archery team ($1,000). Funding needed for arrows, targets and other equipment for the local archery team; 4.3k in match. (Jo Daviess County Longbeards) Approved Project 25: Support of cost share assistance grant ($10,000). This is part of a 3 year grant that is delivering 1,300 acres annually in the Shawnee Focal Landscape on private lands: 665k in match. (Shawnee Hills Longbeards) Approved Project 26: Purchase an Alaskin chain saw mill for Apple River State Park ($450). This tool would be used to create outdoor furniture for the park from trees that fall on the trail system in the park. (Jo Daviess County Longbeards) Not approved Project 27: Open land restoration project at Kinkaid Lake on the Shawnee National Forest ($10,000). Contract 230 acres of restoration work (mowing and spraying) in the Shawnee Hills Focal Landscape with $2,500 in match. (Shawnee Hills Longbeards) Not approved

The Super Fund meeting was adjourned at 10:45 The next meeting TBD June 9th TYCEC Pecatonica