The FOJ Executive Committee elected by the membership of the Group as a whole met in July at Fort Nonsense, Urbanna for our annual Strategy Session and business meeting. We began with last year's model and goals 02-06, celebrated our victories, and brainstormed our current strengths and weaknesses, friends and foes and reviewed our mission for the next year.
We recognized the strides we have taken in the past two years since we moved back to the Science Museum of Virginia in 05. One goal is achieved, there was an increase in our membership now topping 1800 with increased attendance to our excellent Programs provided by Program Chair, John Zeugner. We recognized the efforts to involve our members and reach out in Lazy Environmentalist Night by Membership Chair, Scott Burger. We had a "Meeting Our Membership Picnic", an "Ice Cream and Movie Social", and the "James River Sojourn Social at Roslyn" well attended to provide social opportunities for our members as was our goal. We increased our conservative/outings through visits to the "Biggest Tree", "Dragon Run Excursions" and the James River Parks System with walks by Tamara Smith. We have enlisted our new Outings Chair, Larry Roussell who obtained the prerequisite National Wilderness Training for which he applied to outings to the Cumberland Wilderness Reserve and Pasquile Refuge hikes/canoeing. We also continue to have increased participation in Outings Leader Jim Sturgill's Appalachian/Westmoreland hikes. We have designed and fully packed our current website to the point of redesign for 07. These have met our goals and expectations for the last two years. So we move on.
We ended the session by setting our 07-08 goals and our priorities. Then we did the unusual, we assigned these to our executive committee members with the expectation that each would develop a plan of execution by the end of September 07. To be continued.......hopefully with your help.
Our current goals for 07-08 are to continue to improve attendance to our programs, increase volunteerism, and engage our members. We intend to be active in current political races and have assigned a new Political Chair, Barbara Williamson to this goal. Surveys on how you may become involved appear on this site.
We also set Conservation Goals and priorities for the future.
Breakdown of Group Conservation Priorities with Assignments
Urban Sustainability: Restore the Core (Barbara Williamson, Annebel Lewis ), Transit - (John JZeugner, Diana Parker, Annebel Lewis)
Water Use - (Scott Burger)
Global Warming ⁄ Cool Cities ⁄ Green Buildings & Green Energy: Global Warming - Education & Media Tamara Smith (need one more volunteer),
Cool Cities - Larry Roussell, Barbara Williamson, Green Buildings & Green Energy Scott Burger (need one more volunteer)
Greenways ⁄ Open Space ⁄ Parks: Greenways Inventory - Charles Price, Scott Burger, John J Zeugner, Parks Charles Price, John J Zeugner
1. One goal is assigned to Urban Sustainability with breakouts for Restore the Core⁄Transit-Transportation/ and Water Use.
We intend to revisit the "Restore the Core" Committee from the early 2000 to now. Barbara Williamson has agreed to Chair this revival as past chair of that committee with Annebel Lewis (Prior Chair). This was originally a Chapter initiative for Richmond region begun by current Regional Director, Glen Besa. It included successful "Livable Walkable Communities" surveys within Richmond neighborhoods.
One subcommittee of Restore the Core was The Greenways Committee chaired by Past Chair, Charles Price. Partnering with James River Parks Foundation, Friends of James River Park and others, they successfully obtained Conservation Easements authority for the James River Parks System by the City Council and is working towards permanent conservation easements by the State.
Another was the Light Rail/Transit Committee. This work has continued through efforts of Sierra Club members Mike Testerman and Annebel Lewis, who are also members of Virginia Association of Railway Patrons. A Virginia Light Rail Symposium was held last year in the SMV sponsored by VARP and Restore the Core. John Zeugner, Annebel Lewis and Diana Parker are assigned currently. There is more regional work to be done in Transit/Transportation, to quote Dr. Price. "Transportation - Light Rail/ Bike-Pedestrian/ Trolley/ Reform of VDOT. It is readily evident why this is a major FOJG priority; it is manifested by the promotion of transportation modes that reduce or eliminate the use of vehicles with internal combustion engines that use fossil fuels or other harmful pollutants. A major reform of VDOT would include reducing its emphasis on highway construction and increasing funding for environmentally- friendly alternative modes of transportation."
2. Another priority goal is assigned to Global Warming-Green Solutions. Scott Burger is currently on the Green Building Council and the Sierra Club promotes Cool Cities (Richmond Major Wilder has signed-on) through Green Schools Building. Members Larry Roussell, Barbara Williamson and Charles Price are on this committee. The Virginia Chapter's priority task force will be giving the September program "Virginia's Energy Plan". We intend to be involved in this effort. Annebel Lewis and Diana Parker at the Chapter Level are working on Mountaintop Removal issues, and Annebel is the Chapter Environmental Justice Chair. There is much work still to be done on clean air and clean water as it affects our region. Scott Burger will be looking at Water Use.
To quote Charles Price's prior strategic plan 02-05: "This issue, ranked second, combined a variety of local and regional environmental problems that are both challenges for us and are consonant with current National Sierra Club priorities. Central Virginia and our State's air quality continue to decline because our principal electric utility, Dominion Virginia Power, continues to rely on coal-fired power plants and is rapidly building new gas-fired power plants throughout the state to generate exportable electricity for sale and use in other parts of the country. Both the region's water supply and quality are diminishing because of rapidly growing demands for increased amounts of water and unabated pollution of our streams, rivers, lakes, and the Chesapeake Bay. This problem is further exacerbated by the rapid increase in the state and region's population, and our failure to enact and enforce needed water quality and water use standards. Ever increasing urban sprawl throughout Central Virginia is resulting in the rapid loss of open green space, forests, and wilderness - all essential to maintaining a viable life-sustaining ecosystem and the quality of life of its inhabitants."
3. Greenways/Blueways and Parks protection (Public Lands). Dr. Price will be heading that committee with assistance from Larry Roussell and John Zeugner, and Scott Burger for a Greenways Inventory. John Zeugner and Charles Price worked with City Council to initiate a riverfront ordinance for planning and control of Riverfront development and incursion into viewsheds and access by the public to the public riverfront. Of concern in our last plan: "Of particular local significance is the protection and preservation of the James River and its Park System - particularly along the riverfront as the James flows through Richmond. A few conservation groups and leaders are making much ado over a last-year campaign that resulted in three new City zoning ordinances that purportedly would protect the James and its parkland from environmentally destructive development. Overlooked in this effort was the City Charter provision for the Special Use Zoning Permit. The special use permit trumps all other zoning devices, new and old, because it enables City Council to take exceptional action on any special request for a zoning change. Watch out for more despoiling riverfront development in Richmond that may involve selling off city-owned parkland along the James and on its islands.
The Falls-of-the-James Group's revised 07-08 Strategic Priorities quoting Dr. Price "should provide our membership with adequate challenges and opportunities for active, hands-on involvement as we continue to work for the protection and preservation of a quality natural environment throughout Central Virginia."