Fermata's South Mountain Report

Check out the final report from

Fermata posted above!

What is your favorite logo for the South Mountain Partnership? Click on the link below the images.

Click Here to take survey

HOT OFF THE PRESS! November 2009 Newsletter

Check out the South Mountain Monthly Update, a newsletter that highlights projects of our partners, major success of the CLI, topics of interest, etc…

To download the whole newsletter, click here: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1522127&da=y

If you feel something should be in the next newsletter, please contact Kim Williams at kwilliams@appalachiantrail.org

Save the date!!! November 19th, 2009 partner-wide meeting

Join us at Kings Gap State Park for the Fall meeting of the partnership. Our last meeting was in June at Penn State-Mont Alto, and a lot has happened since then!

To R.S.V.P. register through eventrbrite --> http://www.southmountain2009.eventbrite.com/

AGENDA:
PLEASE RSVP (before November 12th, 2009) FOR THIS EVENT

8:30 am - Doors Open, please sign in and get your name badges. Coffee provided.

9:00 am - Introductions & Local Updates

9:20 am – Presentation of the Mini-Grant Awards

10:00 am – Dennis Risser: Funding a Groundwater Study (15 minute presentation, 5 minute for questions)

Dennis Risser of the U.S. Geological Survey will help lead a discussion and present possibilities for how to phase a project to understand water budgets, groundwater availability, and some possible ideas for funding, and ways the partnership can work towards understanding the water related ecological services the mountain provides us.

10:20 am - Break

10:30 am – Communicating the South Mountain Message

10 min. What is the elevator speech for the South Mountain Partnership?
10 min. Strategic Plan/ Communication Plan of the South Mountain Partnership?
10 min. Final Logo options: Cumberland Valley presents the logos we will vote for

11:00 am – Fermata Results (see www.southmountainclipartners.blogspot.com ) for the reports:
15 min. Presentation of results.
10 min. Pair and share (break into groups of 3-4) What do you find the most compelling and priority for 2010?

11:00 am – Nexus Project Updates
15 min. Asset Inventory: Update by Kim Williams
15 min. The South Mountain Summit: Update by Paul Zeph, Summit Committee Chair
15 min. The Michaux Lectures: Update by Allen Dietrich-Ward
15 min. Balancing Nature in the South Mountain Region: Update by Mike Eschenmann

12:10 pm – 1:00 – Lunch COST IS $10: Sandwich, soup, and salad buffet.

1:00-3:00 pm – Breakout Work Session: Involving local municipal officials and business owners
Groups will break out by county and then by workgroup to discuss who should be targeted for the upcoming events of the Partnership. If you are not in a specific county, go to a group who have assets/ resources that you want to represent. The major goals are to come up with a specific list of attendees and have partners personally contact and invite them to the Summit or the Balancing Nature and Commerce Workshop.

1:00-2:00 County Groups: (Facilitated by a leader appointed before hand)
Cumberland County
Adams County
Franklin County
York County
2:00-3:00 Work Groups (group chooses a scribe and facilitator):
Agriculture
Recreation
Ecology/ Natural resources
Heritage
Tourism/ Business/ Economic Development
Land Planning

Result of the Partnership Survey

*Note: Around 20 people responded to the survey. This is an excerpt from two survey sent.
YOU CAN STILL TAKE THE PARTNERS SURVEY BELOW IN THE POST BELOW.

How do you feel the overall direction of the partnership is going?
Great- We are making great progress 14.8 %
OK- Things seem to be going somewhere 81.5%
Not so great- things are moving very slowly 0%
Poorly- I am loosing interest in being involved 3.7%
One of the comments: “Would like to see some "on the ground" activity to keep motivation level up”

On a scale from one to ten, do you feel the right goals and objectives came out of the work group sessions? (10 being a strong yes and 1 being a strong no)
Average: 7.46

Do you feel your perspective and input is heard and valued?
Yes, very much 77.8%
Somewhat, if I make a loud enough noise. 22.2%
No 0%
One of the comments: “Sometimes I wonder if I'm hurting or helping when I open my mouth.”

Name one thing that needs to happen to make this partnership successful?
Some of the comments:
“Identify our criteria for success and then meet one of them. You may think I'm being a smart-aleck, but has the SMCLI yet identified its criteria for success?”

“We need some concrete projects to work on. ie. identifying gateway communities, nailing down messaging, getting a signature recreation/preservation project under our belt.”

“1) A broadly accepted and supported Action Plan, with specific, quantifiable, time-based Goal(s) and Objectives is in place and shared cross-functionally by all working groups/committees.(2) Encourage and implement 3 dimensional work groups/committees, ie; have ngo, govt, and commercial interests/entities represented and actively involved in every team.”

“Funding”

How would you rank the Nexus Projects on how important they are to the success of the partnership?
#1 Outreach and communication
#2 Asset Inventory
#3 The South Mountain Summit tied with developing partners further
#4 Gateway Communities

I can meet for committees, work group, and/ or partnership meetings...
Quarterly 43%
Every other month 38%
Once a month 38%
Twice a month 38%
Three times a month 4%
Weekly 0%

Are you a partner, or interested in being a partner?

Take a second to fill out this survey that will let us know how you would like to be involved:

Click here --> www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7oP6F6EaPn77lHP_2fodz8Sg_3d_3d

If you would like more information on The Nexus Projects

click here --> http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1242671&da=y

The South Mountain Monthly News

Check out our new South Mountain Monthly Update, a newsletter that highlights projects of our partners, major success of the CLI, topics of interest, etc… If you feel something should be in the next newsletter (occurring in August), please contact Kim Williams at kwilliams@appalachiantrail.org
For the full newsletter click here: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1234432&da=y

Results of the Mont Alto June 22nd Meeting

Click here for the full meeting minutes: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1242477&da=y

Fermata Recommendations Presentations (Ted Eubanks):

Here are some of the links from the presentation of Ted Eubanks of Fermata:

Fermata's blog page: fermatainc.blogspot.com

BirdSpert: www.birdspert.blogspot.com/

Examples of Interactive Interpretive Signage: www.kansaswetlandsandwildlifescenicbyway.com/maps

Examples of downloadable audio guides: www.kansaswetlandsandwildlifescenicbyway.com/tour

Nexus Projects Presentation: Kim Williams (Appalachian Trail Conservancy, External South Mountain CLI Lead) and Kendra Briechle (The Conservation Fund)

The South Mountain Story

Check out the brand new brochure (click pages to left) developed for the partnership. Please take time to review it and suggestions are welcome. Comments can be added here or e-mailed to kwilliams@appalachiantrail.org

June Meeting for the Whole Partnership

Who: The partners of the CLI
What: A series of work session to further our goals
When: June 22nd, 8:30-3:30- additional tours after (see below)
Where: Mont Alto Campus, Penn State University

The next meeting of the South Mountain Partnership will be held Monday June 22 at the Mont Alto Campus of Penn State University. Here is a link for directions to the campus: http://www.ma.psu.edu/Information/directions.htm?cn716

We will working further to develop a strategy to act on the goals we developed in the work group meeting. There will be an integrative session getting everyone up to speed.

Plans for the meeting include an update from Ted Eubanks on Fermata’s South Mountain Plan, presentations from the newly formed work groups, and much more. This will be a full day meeting with doors opening at 8:30 am with light refreshments and agenda items starting at 9:00 am and lunch will be included. We are working on a few on site tours for the afternoon to include the South Mountain Restoration Center http://www.asylumprojects.org/tiki-index.php?page=South+Mountain+Restoration+Center, and the South Mountain Museum. More details will follow.

From Vision to Action

For the life of the partnership a vision and many goals have been set. NOW is the time that we see the goals into action.

Above is a diagram (click on image to see details) explaining how the partnership will get from the big picture and over-arching vision down to the specific actions that meet our goals. Work groups are a critical part of refining and defining goals. Each action should have some measure of success that will be used to demonstrate the value of the partnership.

Goals and actions should tie partners across the board, have adequate resources and funding commited to them. Once they are prioritized they will be set into a schedule for the partnership to follow.

South Mountain Partnership Goals (to be revised)

(From June 7, 2006 Initial Meeting)

Goal #1 - Advance Land Acquisition and Protection in the SM Area
Short-Term Priorities
1. Re-visit DCNR Land Acquisition grant program – clarify public use requirement on easements (strong concern about DCNR’s requirement that there must be public use for all easements) (7V)*
2. Formulate a Regional Vision, consistent map (6V)
3. Focus on quick acquisition projects (this one was pool together resources to focus on the “big 3,000 acre acquisition for a big splash) (6V)
4. Save our Vernal Pools! Toe slopes of Cumberland County (focus on these lands) (5V)
5. Develop clear & compelling message (4V)
6. Develop one targeted acquisition projects in 4 counties (4V)
7. Develop advocacy groups (3V)
8. Engage County Commissioners (1V)
9. Get DCNR commitment for P.R. (1V)
10. TNC to compile GIS layers from others
11. Get Gov. & staff in to SM.

Long-Term Priorities
1. Share DCNR land acquisition (BSP/BOF) list with partners (7V)*
2. All 4 counties do land acquisition bond issues and/or annual funding (6V)
3. Plan projects (ID & prioritize conservation projects) (5V)
4. Modify grant process to insure that habitat or species of special concerns are given highest priority for funding (4V)
5. Cultivate legislative relationships (3V)
6. Wetland banking
7. Public opinion polls, focus groups
8. Hydro-logic study -USGS/DEP/F&B
9. Develop advocates to push for environmental projects
10. Approach regionally on common, united goal - elected officials, DCNR, non-
profits, planners
11. Legislative earmarks
12. H2O Rights Easements
13. Funding stewardship for ecological mgt.

Goal #2 - Improve the Effectiveness of Land Use Planning and Regulation in the SM Area

Short Term Priorities
1. Develop a vision for the South Mountain Area with goals. (7V)*
2. Form an Advisory Committee of specialists to be available to present at municipal planning functions (i.e. county and multi-municipal Comp. Plan Steering Committee meetings) including St. Geologist, Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Forestry and others. (On-going) Convene a conference to develop buy-in. (6V)
3. Finding common priorities among attendees. (5V)
4. Adopt open space plans (update) for all four counties. (3V)
5. Bring together 4 county commissioners - to discuss implementation conservation around the SMA & funding (bonds, penalty $, and all other potential sources). (2V)
6. Elevate historical & cultural aspects in the public planning process. (1V)
7. Determine vision of Commonwealth planning group in relation to South Mountain (State Planning Board).
8. Define the South Mountain Area Boundary - Geologically/Biologically.
9. Encourage & support the creation of local Environmental Advisory Councils (with support by PEC).
10. Develop tool/mechanism to disseminate & educate about county & regional
plans.
11. Enhancing role of regional and county planning.
12. Consistency in language in municipal ordinances/plans that border South
Mountain.

Goal #3 – Enhance Education, Communication and Information Sharing and the Public Recognition, Concern and Interest in Protecting the SM Area

1. Identify critical treasures and places in the SMA (5V)* – Short Term
2. Develop, Communicate and Market the SM Story (5V) – Long Term
3. Education of Municipal Officials (3V)– Short & Long Term
4. Develop a DCNR/DCED grant program targeted to the SMA and identified “Gateway Communities” (3V)– Short Term
5. Compile & Compare maps brought today-develop Top 10 Lists (2V) – Short Term
6. Work with School Districts (2V)– Long Term
7. Develop a South Mountain Cheat Sheet to tailor benefit messages to different audiences – Short Term

*The number in parenthesis represents the number of votes received from breakout group members

Work Groups: A Step Toward Action

What is the purpose of the work group?

Partners have focused on activities in sub-regions and will now re-look at the landscape through a different prism. Specialists in each group category will focus in on the essence of what threatens the resources of South Mountain and where are the opportunities for growth and collaboration. From these work groups the following results may follow:

• Short and long term goals are set
• Actions are defined using the goals as their guideline
• Actions are spliced into a realistic timeline
• Goals are shared with the rest of the group, and the common goals become the "nexus" or the priority for the whole group

This work groups will make sure that their is a vision that encompasses the landscape, once we decide that vision and goals we can choose whatever group configuration works best. More to come on that...

March 12th Partnership Meeting

Here is some of the work done at the partnership meeting:

The Low Hanging Fruit Excercise

Partners used the "sticky dot method" to rate what priorities are the most important and will be the most easy to pursue. The following is the results of this ranking (from most votes to least):

25- Build more capacity w/local officials so that they understand their actions directly affect South Mountain
17- South Mountain “Cradle of Conservation”
16- Land Acquisition
12- Communication – Need fact sheets, harvest celebration, web site, etc.
11- Gateway Communities into South Mountain– Mt. Holly Springs
10- Agricultural sustainability & Ag. heritage tourism
9- Partnerships with local recreation and state agencies
8- Engaging youth at both the local school district and college/university level
6- Need to create identity through marketing and branding
5- Collaborative work with water shed organizations
5- Institutionalize education program targeted at current and incoming/newly elected municipal officials
5- Land Conservation at the heart of the CLI Nexus
4- Interpretation of geologic features
3- Packaging of programs – Bike, Bite & Battle
3- Tourism is also at the heart of the CLI Nexus
2- Help Business
2- Talk to Colleges and Universities – Land Use Planning and Leadership Program for Students
2- University Connection – Student research and recreation opportunities
1- Build amenities w/responsible practices
1- Check out movie called Route 30…Link to Lincoln Highway Heritage Area
1- High Tech – High Income population coming w/Ft. Ritchie project
1- Media Outlet – need to connect with youth through You Tube, FaceBook, Pod Casts, etc.
1- Meet with all Presidents of Colleges and Universities located within South Mountain
1- Need to create opportunities for new local outfitters…bikes, canoes, kayak, etc.
1- Partner w/Public Health Agencies
1- Public transportation issues need to be addressed
1- World renowned fisheries
0- Build Network for small young farmers
0- Michaux – Dark Skies & Big Foot Conference
0- Use of today’s technologies