Issue 6•February 2005 Keeping you informed about the land and water we care about.
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This issue’s content: Headlines kicking off 2005
1. Nancee Waugh’s Dedication to Claytor Lake
2. New FOCL Board Members
3. State Park Funding
4. Ecosystem Restoration Project
5. Hydrilla Update
6. New River Land Trust Meetings
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Headlines kicking off 2005
It’s just the beginning of the year and there’s already a lot going on in the Friends
of Claytor Lake. Here’s a few headlines to keep you posted:
1. Nancee Waugh’s Dedication to Claytor Lake.
We have great news to report about a wonderful lady: Nancee Waugh has
generously given another $5,000 to the FOCL endowment bringing it to $12,300.
Her contribution pushed our endowment above the critical $10,000 mark making
the endowment active--meaning it begins to earn interest. By the way, it was Mrs.
Waugh who gave our endowment a big boost in the beginning of the year with her
first $5,000 contribution, for her total contribution of $10,000!
Mrs. Waugh: we can not thank you enough for your dedication to FOCL, Claytor
Lake, and Southwest Virginia.
Front: Nancee Waugh and Ron Powers.
Back: Jeff Arnold, Laura Walters and Darla Tucker.
2. New FOCL Board Members
We are pleased to announce the seating of 4 new members to the FOCL Board of
Directors at the January FOCL Board Meeting. Congratulations go to Alan Stratton
of Wytheville (and Lakeland), Wayne Alexander of Roanoke (and AEP), David
Collett our Claytor Lake State Park Manager, and Larry Bandolin of Cecil’s Chapel
on joining the Board. We also officially seated Board Members Laura Bullard, into
her new role as Secretary, and Jackson Beamer as Vice President. We thank them
for their dedication to the Friends of Claytor Lake.
Front: Executive Director Darla Tucker; new FOCL Board Members Alan Stratton, Wayne Alexander
(AEP), David Collett (Claytor Lake Park Manager); and newly installed FOCL Secretary Laura Bullard.
Back: Board Members Laura Walters, Mike Spraker, Gary Weddle, Jeff Arnold, President Ron Powers,
Mike Whitmore, Ranny Akers, Dave Stevenson and Cannonball Stafford. Taken at the January FOCL
Board Meeting.
3. State Park Funding
Over the next couple of weeks, Virginia's General Assembly will be in the throes of
making budget decisions. Funding for both Claytor Lake and New River Trail State
Parks is on the docket. Please show your support for these Parks by sending
letters and/or e-mails to your state legislators.
For the Dublin area, contact:
Delegate Dave Nutter
General Assembly Bldg
P.O. Box 406
Richmond, VA 23218
Phone: 804-698-1007
Email: delnutter@house.state.va.us
Senator Phillip Puckett
General Assembly Bldg, Room 318
910 Capitol Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-698-7538
Email: district38@sov.state.va.us
Also send your letters of support to:
John Chichester
10th Floor
General Assembly Bldg.
Richmond, VA 23219
4. Ecosysytem Restoration Project
The Ecosystem Restoration Project developed by the Army Corps of Engineers is
moving forward. Though FOCL will be involved with the Plan, the Claytor Lake
Technical Advisory Committee (a committee which includes members from FOCL,
AEP and Pulaski County) will take the lead role in the project. The essence of the
Project is the management of the sedimentation in the upper part of Claytor Lake.
Some slides from the January 11th Army Corps of Engineers presentation to the
Claytor Lake Technical Advisory Committee.
5. Hydrilla Update
Ron Powers and Skip Weigersma of Aquatic Nuisance Control went on a boat tour
of hydrilla infested areas in the lake to explore the kind of steps that should be
taken to control hydrilla. Questions that need to be resolved include how to get to
the affected areas of the lake (by truck or by boat) and how to coordinate the flow
of the New with the application of the herbicides. Work is tentatively scheduled to
begin in June of this year.
6. New River Land Trust Meetings
The following upcoming meetings will discuss conservation options that allow
landowners to harvest a lump sum of cash from their land without having to sell it
off in lots. Landowners who would like to see their family farms, their forests or
wildlife habitat conserved can learn about numerous conservation options by
attending the following special meetings:
FOR: Wythe and Carroll County Landowners
WHEN: Tuesday, February 15th from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Jackson Memorial Elementary School on U.S. 52. in Austinville
FOR: Dublin area Landowners
WHEN: Tuesday, March 15th from 7-9 p.m.
WHERE: New River Community College in Dublin
For more information, contact Elizabeth Obenshain, Executive Director of the New
River Land Trust at 540-951-1704 or nrlt@newriverlandtrust.org.
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