Jackson Pathfinders                April Meeting Minutes                    (Approved with additions & corrections)

The monthly meeting was held on Thursday, April 17, 2003  at 8:10 PM at 85 West Veterans Highway, in the main meeting room in town hall, Jackson.   Tom Stevens, Treasurer presided. Members present were Karen Borga, Recording Secretary,  Ronnie Bruchez, Biking Committee Chairman, Leo Kissling, Jr., Vice Chairman & Boy Scout Projects Committee Chairman, and Barbara Usack, Membership Committee Chairman.

The March minutes were circulated and approved with additions.  

Treasurer, Tom Stevens reported no new spending.  However, $150.00 will be requested for lunch for June 7th, National Trails Day Event. Leo Kissling volunteered to get pricing and brand name information from Public Works for weed whacker purchase.  Karen Borga volunteered to research price and availability for a D&R Brush Cutter.  Tom reported that he has been working with Bob Gordon on a design for Pathfinders t-shirt.  The group voted unanimously in favor of purchasing two color cartridges for Tom Stevens' printer.

Mapping, Tom Stevens reported that Karen Walzer GPS mapped some new trails at the Forest Resource Education Center.  Monday, April 14th, Tom Stevens, Karen Walzer, Bill Tuohy, Roger Friend and Karen Borga met with Andy Strauss.  The group followed the existing trail from the Bunker Hill Bogs area through the proposed trail area to Johnson Park.  Tom and Roger GPS mapped the route.  Tom circulated maps during the meeting showing the route the group had followed.  Tom explained that he needs a new map of West Lake Village for the computer.  Pathfinders next step is to place flags in the trees to mark the proposed trail to connect Johnson Park to the existing trail from the Bunker Hill Bogs area.

Biking, Ronnie Bruches reported that Captain Newman was all set for April 26th for the bike rodeo.  With less than two weeks to go Captain Newman postponed the rodeo until May 10th, 1:00 pm.  Ronnie explained to the group that the bike rodeo did not have an age limit.  Jackson Times said they would put the rodeo information in their paper.  Karen B. suggested that Ron contact Dawn for phone numbers for other newspapers that might publicize our event.  Barbara Usack circulated copies of the flyer she had made for the bike rodeo.  Karen B. explained that our tablecloth, waivers, and an information table are stored in the Pathfinders shed at the Forest Resource Education Center.  Shoprite agreed to host a chalk art show during the bike rodeo.

FREC/Bowman Road, Karen Walzer was absent, but submitted the following report:  On April 5, 2003 the Pathfinders participated in the Spring Conservation Day at FREC.  Turnout was lower than usual because of the damp, chilly weather.  Barbara Usack, Jim Doyle, and Bernadette Gill helped  hand out information and maps at the membership table.  Jim also led a hike for scouts on the Project Learning Tree trail.  Tony Santa Maria  demonstrated birdhouse construction and led a hike on the Bluebird trail.  Tom Stevens took photos of the event.  At the end of the day, a ceremony was held at the new interpretive center. 

Boy Scouts/Frank Applegate Road Nature Trail, Leo Kissling, Jr. reported that Frank Peterson completed his trail clearing project.  Leo explained that about 500 feet of trail had been widened and about 300 feet of that same area was covered with woodchips.  Some stumps were removed in the area from the temporary bridge to the fallen tree area during their workday.  Leo wrote a letter to the council.  Anthony Marano is still waiting for bridge permit papers being processed by Lisa MacCollum from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.  Leo talked about being invited by Troop ______ , on Miller Road to come and speak about Pathfinders during a troop meeting.  Ronnie talked about his workday at Frank Applegate Nature Trail with six boy scouts from Troop 411 and several members from his Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints did trail maintenance.  Ronnie's workday accomplished five pickup trucks of woodchips being spread in the wildlife viewing area.  The woodchip pile close to the existing bridge is getting smaller.  Leo explained that the trail has been very wet with the spring rains and also that the boardwalk will be modified with more floating capability.  The next Frank Applegate Road Nature Trail workday is planned for Sunday, May 18th.

Membership, Barbara Usack reported that her large membership list is under review by the active members.

Land Acquisition, Karen Borga reported that Pathfinders next step is to flag the proposed trail from Johnson Park to the Bunker Hill Bogs area before Andy Strauss makes his recommendation to the township committee concerning the acquisition of an additional 89 acres around West Lake Village.  Karen B. circulated the most recent list from the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust.  John Burke from the Forest Resource Education Center has contacted Pathfinders suggesting a parcel of land near the Maple Road Branch close to Patriot's Park for acquisition.  

Scrapbook, Lauren & Alyson Stevens (absent) reported recent photos need to be printed and then they will add them to the scrapbook.  Karen Borga volunteered to look into printing through Wal-Mart.com.

Discussions, LeoKissling reported on the Land Trust Rally.  Leo attended the easements seminar when Lisa MacCollum and a lawyer representing NJCF spoke.  Leo also attended the forest management seminar and explained what 15 year  forestors from NJCF talked about.  These forestors explained that the deer population in New Jersey is so overwhelming that the deer are devastating some forests by overeating the small trees.  These forestors predict that within sixty years there will be no forest in some areas.  Leo explained the white cedar seedlings are not getting enough light to survive in many forests.  Leo related a humorous story about the flying squirrels in one of his birdhouses.  Leo reminded the group to watch "The Race for Open Space" which was  airing after our meeting and again Sunday, 11:30 pm.  The group discussed fencing off an area at the NJCF Frank Applegate Road Nature Trail to plant white cedar seedlings.  If seedlings are available from the Forest Resource Education Center, the group decided to plant them during the next Frank Applegate workday.

Meeting was adjourned at 10:00 pm.

Submitted by Karen Borga, Recording Secretary