Meeting called to order at 8PM by Chairperson, Karen Borga in the employee lounge at Town Hall.

Roll call: Karen Borga Dawn Rakow Madeleine Nist Tom Stevens

Sarah Ralston Nancy Foley Art Rosky Karen Walzer

Jim Doyle Tina Wolek Joy Cole

Also in attendance were Committeemen Michael Kafton and Sean Giblin.

Committeman Michael Kafton swore in the members.

Committee Reports:

Biking; Uriah Albrink..absent, no report

Hiking; Jim Doyle..No hikes this month, however would like to have at least one a month starting with Allaire State Park set for March 3rd. (rain date March 10). Time is 9AM. The goal is to gather information to make our trails as good as any in the state. The trail is 4 miles so older children are welcome. Bring a snack and drink. I would like to recommend we join the NY/NJ Trails Conference if we are not already. They could be a resource to us.

Johnson Park; Sam Wimmer..GPS mapping was done by Sam, Tom Stevens & Karen Borga January 28. On February 5th , town hall, there was a meeting of Pathfinders, Thompson, Nagle, and MeGill. Discussed connecting bogs existing trails by going around the perimeter of retirement community to Johnson Park trails. Immediately it was discovered that block and lots on resolution of the 220 acre acquisition are in error. Being looked into by Megill and Nagle before we move ahead with the trail plan. Next meeting is Monday March, 5th at10:30AM, Thompson’s office. The engineers proposal to refurbish Johnson Park is on the Jackson’s website recreation, bottom page.

Forest ResourceCenter/Bowman Rd.; Karen Walzer On January 27, a group of Pathfinders and family/friends worked on trails on FREC property under the direction of Terry O’Leary and Duffy Barrow, FREC empoyees. We did some light pruning on the already cleared trails,but mainly we transported wood chip mulch by wheelbarrow and spread it on the trails.

Event Terry has requested our help at the Spring Conservation Day on March. 31. A trail just off Don Connor Blvd. needs some touch-up pruning and then needs to be mulched. Terry plans to have this area as a work station for volunteers, including groups such as scouts, and is asking us to supervise the station and demonstrate what to do. We also need Pathfinders to run an information and member sign-up table at this event. Anyone who can volunteer on this day, please let me know. It doesn’t have to be for the whole day....any amount of time would help.

Event: Another request for our assistance at FREC concerns approximately 90 tires collected during a clean up of the property. Terry asked if Pathfinders would transport the tires to the county recycling center on New Hampshire Ave. Lakewood. Sometime in March the county is going to start a program to encourage tire recycling because of the West Nile virus problem. They will accept tires from volunteer groups and waive the normal fee. We need to write a letter to Arthur Burns, the county recycling supervisor, and get permission first The pile of tires is along a dirt road easily accessible from Don Connor Blvd. when we get the OK from the recycling center,we’ll need volunteers with trucks to take the tires over there.

Scrapbook; Debi VanCleave absent no report

Frank Applegate Road Nature Trail; Madeleine Nist The pruning party on February 4th had an enthusiastic crowd of 22 volunteers that cleared out rubbish, cut trees, trimmed brush and cat briars. We started at 10AM and some continued until 4PM. The next session will be on February 25th at 10AM.

Correspondence; Sarah Ralston A letter was sent to CME asking for a meeting to discuss connecting Bogs and Johnson park. A letter was sent to the Township Committee asking for our copier and postal privileges be reinstated. A sympathy card was sent to Dawn Rakow.

Grants; Joy Cole...Bob Ryley said that our package on file at town hall is incomplete. Joy spoke with Larry Miller of Natual Lands Management for NJDEP. The Frank Applegate property is privately owned by NJCF and we do not currently have an easement lease nor green acres open space provision. (it is not deed restricted as such). It is a tax exempt property currently so it will not impact on township taxes to recatalog the property. Larry Miller and Lisa MacCollum of NJCF are working with Pathfinders to resolve the conflict in a timely manner and to resolve it before full grant review. We also need the NJCF and Jackson Environmental Commission to expedite the wetlands permit renewal. Sean Giblin and Mike Kafton will coordinate with property easement matters.

Education.;.Approve tuition for Dawn Rakow, Madeleine Nist and Tom Stevens for class March 31st. Sarah made a motion and second by Jim Doyle.

Land Acquisition; Karen Borga.. Announced at the January 22, township committee meeting the acquisition by Jackson of 220 acres around Cranberry Bogs (East Veterans hwy..block 66.09, various lots) 85 acres off Bismark Road, by Turkey Swamp negotiations by Trust for Public Land tabled at last committee meeting.

Publicity;...Art Rosky Would like to see more advertising.

Membership;..Karen Borga..List with names, and addresses, phone and e-mail is ready.

Mapping: A mapping committee meeting wa held on Tuesday, 2/13/01. In attendance was Tom Stevens, Karen Borga, Jim Doyle, Karen Walzer, Sharon Breil-Molitor, Sarah Ralston and Dan Green. Tom Stevens presentd a township map showing all township, county and state owned land. Participants discussed possible route for a town wide trail using the marked properties. Also discussed was the use of GPS for mapping township land and current trail mapping projects. Dan Green pointed out an existing trail from Butterfly bog toBennetts Mills Road that goes through wetlands. The meeting lasted two hours.

Meeting adjourned at 10 :00PM

Respectfully submitted,

Brenda Gregory, Recording Secretary