· 6:30 - 6:40 Welcome & Recent Successes

1. Congratulations to our three newest CT Leadership Graduates - Trish, Adriana & Chelsea

· 6:40 - 6:45 Upcoming Events

1. Upcoming Advertising/Announcements Print Deadlines: 1/10 Deadline for AMC Outdoors March issue to webmaster@ct-amc.org

2. January 3rd meeting & Guest Speaker

3. January 27 - AMC Annual Meeting in Waltham, MA (Youth Training)

4. Feb. 7th - The Dimming Sun & Pot Luck Social @ CFPA

5. February 17 & 18 - 8th Annual Connecticut Audubon Society Eagle Festival will be held in Essex (Russ, Birge, Andrew)

· 6:45 - 8:15 Things to do list

1. January Speaker - Legislative topic (ATV)? Lock in & advertise. Andrew

2. AMC Annual Meeting - Volunteer to table?

3. Plan Feb Social, Pot Luck & The Dimming Sun - Need Volunteers

4. Eagle fest - Volunteers to table? Should we sell Compact F light bulbs?

5. March Speaker: representative from one of the lead organizations on open space preservation? Andrew

6. Plan Spring Picnic: Russ, Adriana & ???

7. Plan Farmington River Clean up for August 2007 - Beth, John & ???

8. Youth Program Leader Training Jan 28th in MA (At AMC annual meeting)? To register for this required leader training or learn more, contact Faith Salter fsalter@outdoors.org or 617/532-0655 ext. 314

9. Guest Speakers for 2007 (after Mach)

a. People's Action for Clean Energy aka PACE (AM)

b. Locally Produced & Organic food CSA (TU)

c. Invasive Species (JC)

d. Green Companies in the Private Sector (TU)

10. Important Legislation in 2007 - Jim & Andrew

a.) Background: Bob Andrews, Jim O'Rourke & Andrew attended last week's Environmental Strategy Meeting hosted by Beth Bryon & the League of Conservation Voters. When it came time to decide what enviro organizations would sponsor or co-sponsor (we do not have a lobbyist so we can only co-sponsor) what environmental initiatives in the coming legislative session here is a list of what we tentatively (pending committee approval) agreed to: b. ATV- Require registration for all ATVs & stronger penalties for illegal use. Connecticut Land Conservation Coalition is sponsoring this, I think CT Forest & Park Association is mainly behind it. We would agree to co-sponsor. Can we incorporate an ATV, mailing & lobby day in 2007? c. Open Space- Several potential Bills: a.) allow towns to abate property taxes upon ownership to save money for land trusts.

b.) real estate conveyance tax. Allow towns to initiate additional real estate conveyance taxes & dedicate money to environmental initiatives.

c.) Encourage water companies to negotiate w. enviros to protect water company lands. d.) Secure adequate funding for open space, farmland, historic preservation & urban redevelopment.

d.) Recycling- Expand Bottle Bill to add water bottles e. Invasive Plants- Fund Staff Position @ DEP to coordinate rapid response & early eradication for invasive plants (Funny misunderstanding how we inadvertently signed-up as co sponsor for this for those that attend Wed's meeting)

11. ENVIRONMENTAL NGO CLEAN ENERGY PROMOTION CAMPAIGN: - Andrew Background: This is the collaborative effort from state enviro groups (AMC, Sierra Club, PACE, Clean Water Action, Audubon Society, Benevolent Order of Water Buffalo etc) to encourage our members to choose clean energy option on their utility bill. For every 100 extra people we can get as a group to sign-up than we will help the Audubon Society get a free solar panel for their education center. Status: We-all the enviro groups- were supposed to have a conference call to finalize roll-out of the program for the new year. Not sure what happened but when I called the number for said conference call @ the appointed hour 11:00am I was on hold for 30 minutes. Agenda: As each group has autonomy how to promote this project, I would like to discuss how AMC wants to do it. Once we agree, hopefully, this meeting. Then I will present the campaign outline to Joy St. & other members of the collaborative. After the kick-off -we might want to discuss our ideas for how this should go-then I suggest that we:

1. put a letter & a PDF sign-up link on our website & then send a CAN announcement to CT AMCers

2. Bring copies of sign-up to all tabling events ,either external to AMC or internal.

3. Request Special project funding for a direct mailing later in the year

12. CLEAN ENERGY COMMUNITIES - Andrew Background: Another way to promote clean energy is to encourage our respective home towns to become Clean Energy towns by agreeing to get 20% of its energy by 2010. (In a rare chance for me to say Hartford & proud in the same sentence-Go Hartford!!!- we are already signed on) website (google Connecticut Clean Energy Communities) Agenda: Coordinating with our friend Bob Wall we may want to target a town & then work to get the town to sign-up for the program (Simsbury?)

· 8:15 - 8:20 2007 Calendar (Questions/Additions)

January 3rd (Wed) Guest Speaker & Meeting (CFPA)

January 27 (Sat) AMC Annual Meeting - Marlborough, MA

February 7th (Wed) Potluck Social & Nova's "Dimming the Sun" @ CFPA

February 17 & 18 Audubon Eagle Festival - Essex, CT

March 7th (Wed) Guest Speaker & Meeting (CFPA)

April 4th (Wed) Meeting (Plan Earth Day Activities)

April 21 & 22 Earth Day Activities & AMC Spring Gathering

May 2nd (Wed) Meeting (final prep for picnic) @ CFPA

May 5th (Sat) Conservation Picnic & Hike - Hubbard Park, Meriden, CT

May 12th (Sat) Give a Day to Trails Day

May 19th (Sat) EMS Still River Clean up - Danbury, CT

June 2nd (Sat) National Trails Day

June 6th (Wed) Guest Speaker & Meeting (Invasive Species Hike)

July 4th (Wed) Morning Conservation Hike (Location TBD)

August 1st (Wed) Meeting (CFPA)

August 4th* (Sat) Farmington River Clean up (Location TBD)

September 5th (Wed) Meeting (2008 Budget & Plan) @ CFPA

October 3rd (Wed) Guest Speaker & Meeting (CFPA)

October 13 & 14 Fall Gathering

October 20th* (Sat) Bulls Bridge Clean up - Kent, CT

November 7th (Wed) Meeting (CFPA)

December 1 (Sat) CT Chapter Annual Meeting

December 5th (Wed) Guest Speaker & Meeting (CFPA)

· 8:20 - 8:30 New Business/Round table

· Things we'd like to do…

1. Act as a clearinghouse for recycling information; household chemicals, sneakers, etc. (Link is on Web page)

2. Back the CT Fund for the Environment (Broadwater) Contact is Terri Kinney at 203-787-0646

3. Design & Order AMC Roadside signs - John

4. Letter to FCG - John

5. Committee officers:

a. Outreach - in charge of guest speakers, partnerships

b. Press - in charge of distributing (not necessarily drafting) press releases

c. Activities - point person, not necessarily in charge of all but central for Q & A

d. Secretary - Agenda, Minutes, Facilities, Calendar, maintain e-mail contact list

e. Webmaster - Keith already does this unofficially f. Displays - in charge of keeping our displays current

· Reminders

1. CT Conservation Yahoo Group, is everyone signed up?

2. Keep track of your "Conservation Stewardship" hours in 2007