The upcoming TWRC Meeting is scheduled for December 7 & 8, 2005. The meeting will be held at the Collierville Town Hall on Poplar View Parkway.

There will be a short film presentation on TWRA Personnel and the Louisiana Relief Efforts. Also, we will recognize the Region 1 Wildlife Officers that went to New Orleans.

The following are brief explanations of agenda items:

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Leased Dove Field Update – Roger Applegate, our new small game coordinator, will provide an update on our leased dove field program for 2005.

Presentation on Pen-Raised Mallards – Sonny Richardson – Overview of regulations pertaining to captive mallards.

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Hatchery Update – Bobby Wilson – A brief presentation on the status of TWRA’s coldwater and warmwater hatcheries followed by a short video on the three new hatchery buildings at Springfield, Humboldt and Morristown hatcheries.

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force – Bobby Wilson – A presentation on some of the aquatic nuisance species causing problems in Tennessee and the efforts of the newly formed Task Force to develop a statewide plan to manage, control, and prevent their spread.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Discussion – Ron Fox – This program is unfunded and contains provisions that currently protect the integrity of TWRA license dollars. Each year this program is a topic of discussion in the Legislature. For the benefit of new Commissioners, we will revisit this issue and provide time for discussion.

The Mississippi River Natural and Recreational Corridor – Gary Myers – We will make the Commission aware of progress to date, provide additional information and discuss potential economic impact.

2006 Legislation – Allen Gebhardt – The Agency does not plan to introduce any legislation this year. It is expected that we will be kept plenty busy with the approximately 80 bills left over from last year (including the various OHV bills and the Hunter Right Amendment to the Constitution) plus an estimated 60 more that will be introduced.

BUDGET, NONGAME & ENDANGERED SPECIES COMMITTEE

John Sevier Hunter Education Center – Bob Nichols – TWRA has been managing the John Sevier Hunter Education Center under a Cooperative Agreement with the Tennessee National Guard. The Guard has approached TWRA to work cooperatively through the US Corps of Engineers to have the facility, including structures, transferred in title to the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Budget Expansion – FY05-06 – Alcoa - $25,000 – Bob Nichols – TAPOCO Recreation Area (4454) - ALCOA, Inc. is providing funds to TWRA to manage shoreline fishing areas along Chilhowee Lake. The Commission previously approved an amendment to the 05/06 budget for $15,000 in ALCOA funds. ALCOA is providing an additional $10,000 for the 05/06 budget year.

Budget Expansion – FY05-06 - Gatlinburg Handicap Fishing Pier (4319) - $20,000 – Bob Nichols. TWRA and the City of Gatlinburg funded a handicap fishing pier in the 99/00 budget year at a 50:50 cost ratio. Due to TWRA budget cuts, this project was deleted. The City of Gatlinburg is proceeding with the building of the $126,000 project. We are requesting that TWRA provide a $20,000 grant to assist in building the pier.

Budget Expansion – Capital Projects – FY06-07 – Boat Storage Building at Boone Lake - $55,000 – Bob Nichols – Region 4 Boat Storage (4931)- Capital Projects has advised TWRA that the funding to build the boat storage building in Region 4 (06/07 budget year) is inadequate due to substantial building material cost increases. We are requesting an additional $55,000 to cover the cost of the building.

Budget Expansion – Capital Projects – FY06-07 – Haynes Bottom Equipment Shed - $40,000 – Steve Patrick – The increase of $40,000 to the Haynes Bottom WMA equipment & shop building is necessary because of projected high prices of building materials. It is the opinion of Capitol Projects that these high prices will continue into next year and that the current budgeted amount is not adequate to build the shop and equipment shed.

Budget Expansion – Lick Creek-Wills Tract Acquisition – FY06-07 – John Gregory – Appraised value of the Wills property on Lick Creek in Greene County has come in higher than estimated. Funding for this acquisition was a mixture of Wetlands Funds and two non-wetlands funding sources. Staff request expansion of the two non-wetlands budgets. First expand Budget 6447 by $57,000 to a total of $263,000. These funds are Federal State Wildlife Grant dollars. Second expansion is to increase Budget 6448 by $7,500 to a total of $57,500. These funds are from the Bluebird License plate revenue. Total price of land and acquisition cost is $969,659.

Budget Expansion – The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) – Brant Miller – Amendment to FY 2005-06 budget by adding project 6401 in the amount of $7,500. Amendment to FY 2006-07 budget by adding project 6401 in the amount of $13,300. A serious insect pest of hemlock is spreading west in Tennessee at around 20 miles per year. It has infested hemlocks on Foothills WMA and is approaching the Sundquist/Royal Blue area. TWRA, along with the Forestry Division and TDEC, is part of the State HWA Task Force which developed a HWA Strategic Plan and Management Plan for State Lands in Tennessee. The Management Plan recommends biological management (predator beetles) as the preferred treatment of HWA on most state lands. Therefore, the State HWA Task Force has recommended the hiring of an additional lab technician by UT Knoxville, to be funded by the Task Force agencies, with the goal of producing enough beetles to initiate control of current HWA infestations on state lands and to prepare for future ones. This position would be filled as of January 1, 2006, for the rest of the fiscal year, and then would become a full-time position under a multi-year contract starting July 1, 2006.

Budget Expansion – Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance - $378,810 – Allen Gebhardt, Greg Wathen – We were approved for a second year of a Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grant for the Northern Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and Kentucky, in the amount of $378,810. In order to accept these federal funds, we need to expand the FY06 and FY07 budgets. The Nature Conservancy is managing this project for us, so we will be contracting with them to implement the second year of work.

The Financial Report and Real Estate Report will also be presented.

Contracts and Grants Review

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
COMMITTEE MEETING
Collierville Town Hall
December 7, 2005

Time Discussion Subject

1:00 p.m.* Wildlife Management Committee
Jeanette Rudy, Chairperson
Thomas Edwards, Vice-Chairman
Gary Kimsey
Boyce Magli
Skip Simonton
Buddy Baird
Johnny Coleman

Roger Applegate 1. Leased Dove Field Update
Small Game Coordinator
Wildlife Division

Sonny Richardson 2. Presentation on Pen-Raised Chief of Law Enforcement Mallards
Chief Mallards
Law Enforcement

Fisheries Management Committee
Boyce Magli, Chairman
Skip Simonton, Vice-Chairman
Buddy Baird
Thomas Edwards
Gary Kimsey
Mike Chase
Mike Hayes

Bobby Wilson 1. TWRA’s Coldwater and Assistant Chief Warmwater Hatchery Update
Assistant Chief Warmwater Hatcheries
Fisheries Division Update

2. Aquatic Nuisance Species
Task Force

Government Relations & Communications Committee
Tom Hensley, Chairman
Buddy Baird, Vice-Chairman
Boyce Magli
Jim Fyke
Johnny Coleman
Skip Simonton
Mike Hayes
Ken Givens

Ron Fox 1. Off-Highway Vehicle
Assistant Director (OHV) Discussion

Gary Myers 2. Mississippi River Corridor
Executive Director Discussion

Budget, Nongame and Endangered Species Committee
Gary Kimsey, Chairman
Boyce Magli, Vice-Chairman
Tom Hensley
Jeanette Rudy
Buddy Baird
Thomas Edwards
Mike Chase

Contract Review

Bob Nichols 2. John Sevier Range Update
Region 4 Manager
3. Budget Expansion FY05-06
Alcoa - $25,000

4. Budget Expansion FY05-06
Gatlinburg Pier - $20,000

5. Budget Expansion FY06-07
Capital Projects – Boat
Storage Building at
Boone Lake - $55,000 $55,000

Steve Patrick 6. Budget Expansion FY06-07
Region 2 Manager Capital Projects – Haynes
Bottom Equipment Shed -
$40,000
John Gregory 7. Budget Expansion FY06-07
Chief Lick Creek-Wills Tract
Real Estate/Forestry Division Acquisition - $57,000

Brant Miller 8. Budget Expansion
Wildlife Forestry Supervisor The Hemlock Woolly
Real Estate/Forestry Division Adelgid (HWA)
FY05-06 - $7,500
FY06-07 – 13,300

Allen Gebhardt 9. Habitat Conservation
Assistant Director Planning Assistance –
FY0607 - $378,810

John Gregory 10. Real Estate Report
Chief
Real Estate/Forestry Division

*Times subject to change
SPECIAL NOTICE: Any individual with a disability who wishes to participate should contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to discuss any auxiliary aids or services needed to facilitate such participation. Such initial contact may be made no less than ten (10) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, to allow time for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to determine how it may reasonably provide such aid or service. Initial contact may be made with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ADA Coordinator, Carolyn Wilson, Room 229, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Building, Ellington Agricultural Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37204 and telephone number (615) 781-6598.
TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
COMMISSION MEETING
Collierville Town Hall
December 8, 2005

Time Discussion Subject

9:00 a.m.* Bill Cox, Chairman 1. Call to Order
Invocation
Pledge
Introductions
Approval of Minutes

TWRA Personnel – Louisiana Relief Efforts – Video
Recognition of Region 1 Wildlife Officers

Budget, Nongame and Endangered Species Committee
Gary Kimsey, Chairman
Boyce Magli, Vice-Chairman
Tom Hensley
Jeanette Rudy
Buddy Baird
Thomas Edwards
Mike Chase

Allen Gebhardt 1. Budget Expansion FY05-06
Assistant Director Alcoa - $25,000

2. Budget Expansion FY05-06
Gatlinburg Pier - $20,000

3. Budget Expansion FY06-07 Region 4 Manager Capital Projects – Boat
Storage Building at
Boone Lake - $55,000 $55,000

4. Budget Expansion FY06-07
Capital Projects – Haynes
Bottom Equipment Shed -
$40,000

5. Budget Expansion FY06-07
Lick Creek-Wills Tract
Acquisition - $57,000

6. Budget Expansion
The Hemlock Woolly
Adelgid (HWA)
FY05-06 - $7,500
FY06-07 – 13,300

7. Habitat Conservation
Planning Assistance –
FY06-07 - $378,810

Ken Tarkington 8. Financial Report
Chief
Administrative Services

Government Relations & Communications Committee
Tom Hensley, Chairman
Buddy Baird, Vice-Chairman
Boyce Magli
Jim Fyke
Johnny Coleman
Skip Simonton
Mike Hayes
Ken Givens

Allen Gebhardt 1. 2006 Legislation
Assistant Director

Adjourn

*Times subject to change
SPECIAL NOTICE: Any individual with a disability who wishes to participate should contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to discuss any auxiliary aids or services needed to facilitate such participation. Such initial contact may be made no less than ten (10) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, to allow time for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to determine how it may reasonably provide such aid or service. Initial contact may be made with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ADA Coordinator, Carolyn Wilson, Room 229, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Building, Ellington Agricultural Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37204 and telephone number (615) 781-6598.