Minutes
Rembert C. Dennis Building, Room 149
Columbia, SC
Friday, August 16, 2002
9:30 a.m.
The regular meeting of the Board
of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources was held at 9:30 am, on
Friday, August 16, 2002, at the Rembert C. Dennis Building, Columbia, South
Carolina. Notice of the date, time and
place of the meeting was posted and mailed to the news media. Chairman Dr. Joab M. Lesesne presided at the
meeting. Board members present included
Dr. Julius Leary, Danny Ford, Ben Gregg, M. Russell Holliday, Jr., Malloy
McEachin and Dr. Douglas Rucker. Dr.
Paul A. Sandifer and staff members of the Department of Natural Resources were
present at the meeting, as were various guests.
Chairman
Lesesne called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. and welcomed everyone to the
meeting.
Chairman Lesesne asked for a moment of silent
meditation.
Cary Chamblee introduced Angela Viney, SC Wildlife Federation.
Mr. Chamblee introduced Chip Sharpe, a retired DNR
employee, and asked him to address the Board.
Mr. Sharpe’s comments were directed toward the current equipment
inventory of officers, specifically one in Richland County. He expressed concern that officers were not
fully equipped. Mr. Sharpe also
expressed his concern over the new telephone system installed at the Marine
Center and asked that the Board consider being more involved in the day to day
operations of the Department.
Dr. Sandifer recognized the Greenville Saltwater
Sportfishing Club and asked them to make their presentation. The Greenville Saltwater Sportfishing Club
awards a $1,000 scholarship to a child of one Law Enforcement officer,
annually. Col. Wright shared with the
Board some of the information on the application of this year’s recipient,
Rebecca Waller. Ms. Waller is the
daughter of Vandy Waller.
Dr. Sandifer reviewed some positive news coverage the
Department has received recently.
Dr. Sandifer commended the Marine Division’s Dr. George
Sedberry for his outstanding job as Chief Scientist on the first leg of this
year’s Islands in the Stream expedition.
Dr. Sandifer also commended Dr. Sedberry’s enthusiastic and
knowledgeable staff.
VII. Advisory
Committee Reports
Ms.
Holliday stated that the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee
met on August 8, 2002, in Columbia. Ms.
Holliday reported that the advisory committee received comments from Mr. Bryan
McDonald of Rock Hill regarding the loss of public hunting lands. Hope Mizzell provided an update on the
drought in South Carolina. The advisory
committee then discussed the seventh draft of the proposed furbearer hunting
regulations and received comments from interested parties. The information gathered from the advisory
committee meeting will be presented to the DNR Board today for information
only. Staff will consider all
constituent comments and suggestions, redraft the proposed legislation and the
redraft be considered by the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Advisory
Committee at its October 3 meeting.
Ms. Holliday reported that the advisory committee then discussed and
approved the staff recommendation for this year’s waterfowl season.
B. Law
Enforcement
Dr. Leary stated that the Law Enforcement
Advisory Committee and the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee
held a joint meeting on July 24 to discuss fox pens. Dr. Leary mentioned that there were a couple of issues regarding
fox pens. One issue is the stipulation
of 100 contiguous acres and the second is the number of fox or coyotes released
in a pen. Dr. Leary reported that it
appears that fox pen owners and trappers support legislation and registration
of pens and there appears to be a consensus that a certain number of dogs per
acre would be acceptable also, except in field trial situations. Dr. Leary informed the Board that the Law
Enforcement Advisory Committee voted to support the concept of legislation for
regulation with the exception of grandfathering pens and they also voted to
support legal possession of coyotes in the legislation.
C. Governor’s
Cup Billfishing Series
John
Miglarese reported that the Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series Advisory Board
met the end of July to validate the winners for awards to be presented at the
banquet.
D. Heritage
Trust
Mr.
McEachin reported that the Heritage Trust Advisory Board met August 1, in
Columbia. The Advisory Board approved
management plans for Lewis Ocean Bay and Victoria Bluff. The Advisory Board also approved the
management plan for Childsbury Heritage Preserve. Mr. McEachin stated that the Board approved an updated Heritage
Trust budget and a Wadakoe Mountain purchase.
Mr. McEachin informed the group that the Heritage Trust Advisory Board
will meet in Beaufort in November.
A. Morgan
Island
Dr.
Miglarese introduced Dr. Phil Snoy, US FDA.
Dr. Snoy reviewed the briefing paper describing the desires of FDA and
the benefits to science and public of retaining the breeding colony of Rhesus
monkeys on Morgan Island, as provided in the Board meeting package. Dr. Snoy also answered numerous questions
posed by Board members.
Dr. Randy
Elkins, National Institute of Health, explained to the Board the importance of
the vaccine research conducted with the Rhesus monkeys and importance of this
research to public health. Dr. Elkins
then answered numerous questions posed by Board members.
John
Miglarese informed the Board that Dr. Gibson, DHEC, sent his written comments
to the questions posed by Board members at the earlier meeting. Dr. Miglarese then provided these comments
to the Board. Robert Boyles reviewed
the DNR Assessment outlining the pros and cons of maintaining the monkey colony
on Morgan Island. Mr. Boyles provided
this assessment in the Board meeting package.
B. Proposed
Furbearer Legislation
Billy
McTeer informed the Board of the status of the proposed furbearer enclosure
legislation and reported that the most recent draft is #8, as distributed. Mr. McTeer explained the process used to
reach this latest draft. Ms. Holliday
made a motion to submit draft #8 to the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and
Law Enforcement Advisory Committees for their review and final recommendation
to the Board. Mr. Ford seconded the
motion and the motion carried unanimously.
A. Heritage
Trust Property Acquisitions
This item
will be discussed in executive session.
B. Beech Hill
WMA License
This item
will be discussed in executive session.
C. 2002-2003
Late Migratory Bird Season
Tommy
Strange described the system that has been used to set waterfowl seasons since
1995. Mr. Strange reviewed the
recommendations for the 2002-03 waterfowl season for South Carolina. Ms. Holliday made a motion that the Board
approve the 50-day season with a 6 bird bag limit as recommended by staff and
the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee. Mr. Ford seconded the motion and the motion
carried unanimously. (season table attached to original minutes)
D. Emergency
Regulations – WMA and Public Dove Fields
Tim Ivey
reviewed and explained each of the changes proposed in the emergency
regulations for WMA’s. Mr. Ivey then
answered questions posed by Board Members.
Ms. Holliday made a motion that the Board approve the emergency
regulations as proposed. Mr. Gregg
seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Ivey reviewed and explained each of the changes proposed in the emergency regulations for public dove fields. Mr. Ivey then answered questions posed by Board Members. Ms. Holliday made a motion that the Board approve the emergency regulations as proposed. Dr. Leary seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
E. Broad
River Mitigation Fund
Dick
Christie reviewed the two proposals submitted to the Board to utilize portions
of the Broad River Fisheries Mitigation Trust Fund. The first proposal involves the morphological classification of
tributaries to identify candidate streams for protection/restoration
efforts. Also a correlation between
physical degradation and the presence and abundance of certain aquatic
organisms will be made. The proposal is
to approve the expenditure of $39,900 over the next three years to conduct this
work. This money will be used as the
State match needed to access federal CARA Funds. Dr. Rucker made a motion that the Broad River Fisheries
Mitigation Trust Fund proposal be approved as presented. Mr. McEachin seconded the motion and the
motion carried unanimously.
At this
time Mr. Gregg made a motion that the Board hold an Executive Session to
discuss contractual matters.
Dr. Leary
made a motion to allow Heritage Trust to acquire the Ditch Pond property in
Aiken and Barnwell Counties. Mr. Gregg
seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Dr. Leary
made a motion to acquire the Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve Addition as
presented. Mr. Gregg seconded the
motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Dr. Leary
made a motion to approve a license to Mr. Leo Hill on the Beech Hill WMA
property as proposed by Attorney League.
Dr. Rucker seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Shooting
Tree Forest Management Plan
Mark Hall
described the process of the development of this management plan. Mr. Hall then reviewed the Forest Management
Plan for the Shooting Tree Ridge Tract as submitted to the Board in their
meeting package. After Mr. Hall
addressed questions posed by Board Members and brief discussion, Mr. Gregg made
a motion that the Forest Management Plan for the Shooting Tree Ridge Tract be
approved as presented. Mr. Ford
seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Dr.
Sandifer informed the Board that Bethany Narboni has left DNR to take a position
as Internal Auditor at the SC Education Lottery. Angie Williams will carry on the work of DNR’s Internal Audit
Office. Ms. Williams will report
jointly to he and the Board as did Bethany.
Dr.
Sandifer informed the Board that he will be traveling during the next two
weeks.
Dr.
Sandifer referred to an editorial in the August 12, The Island Packet, the
Hilton Head Island Newspaper entitled “Federal government must pay for
security; strapped state agency cannot be spread too thin.”
XIV. Deputy
Directors’ Reports
Col.
Wright informed the Board that the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year luncheon
will be held on October 8, in Edgefield.
No further
report.
No further
report.
E. Wildlife
and Freshwater Fisheries
Billy
McTeer distributed a document outlining staff actions as related to Chronic
Wasting disease.
XV. Executive
Session
At this
time Dr. Leary made a motion that the Board hold an Executive Session to
discuss legal and personnel matters.
The Board returned to regular session
and invited staff and guests to join the meeting.
Dr. Leary
made a motion that the Board present the Meritorious Service Award to an
employee of the Marine Division. Ms.
Holliday seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
XVII. Time and Location of the Next Meeting
Chairman
Lesesne stated that the next meeting of the DNR Board will be held on Friday,
September 13, 2002, in room 335 of the Dennis Building in Columbia, beginning
at 9:30 a.m.
XVIII. Adjournment
There
being no further business to be brought before the DNR Board at this time, the
meeting was adjourned.