CT AMC Conservation Committee
** = Action Required
Attendance: John Crist, Jim ORourke, Andrew May, Adriana Gabarron, Tim Linehan (special guest), Keith Santeler, Aimee Santeler,
Beth Byron, Russ Charest, Jamie Lee, Chelsea Creekmore
6:30 6:40 Welcome & Recent Successes
1. Andrew and Chelsea spoke to a group of Goe-cashers, gave out 20 CF light bulbs
2. Handouts: Leadership Training 5/4 5/6; and information on Green Peace Kleercut;
3. NGO Clean Energy Sign up is now online - http://www.ct-amc.org/conservation/clean_energy_form.pdf
1. Update and Reminder
2. Andrew provided handouts of the conference call notes
1. Upcoming Press Conference
1. No date yet
2. AMC rep should be there
3. Check city/state ranking of CLF usage at www.18seconds.org
6:40 7:10 Connecticut's "Recreational Use Statute" - Conn. Gen. Stat. s 52-557f (1992) limits liability of land owners who make their
property available for public recreation at no fee. Initially, the statute was held to protect both public and private land owners.
Then, in 1996, an appeal to the State Supreme Court (Conway vs. Wilton) reversed prior opinion and ruled that public land owners
state and local governments - are not protected by the > statute. The result of this was that most of the cliffs that exist on town land
- primarily New Britain Water Company and Metropolitan District Commission and which had been the locus of climbing activity since
the 1920s - were closed to rock climbing. The Mountaineering committee would like to investigate the possibility of legislative action that
would clarify the Recreational Use Statute and restore liability protection to public land owners. In practice, there has not been an issue
with climbing on State land; access is not restricted. It is the cliffs that are on land owned by local governments that is at issue. The
obvious intent of this effort is to re-open a number of Connecticut cliffs to climbing. Can you and your committee advise us on how this
might be best approached? Tim Linehan
1. Tim Linehan (Co-Chair for Mountaineering Chapter) spoke in detail regarding this statute and was looking for some guidance and assistance to
move this forward as a change. What is the right approach to take? How do we go about getting this statute change to afford the same
protection to not only private, but public land owners as well?
2. Suggestion came from Jim
1. Draft a directive detailing expectation (what changes in the statute are requesting to be changed)
2. Get Organizations and/or Group support (Reach out to DEP for support from recreational perspective)
1. **Obtain contact in DEP for Tim (Jim)
3. AMC could include the directive as part of their displays for events and talk to the people to get additional support
3. Tim Linehan mentioned that Beth Critton was also taking some direction (need to find out more as to what direction Beth is taking).
* 7:10 7:25 Important Legislation in 2007 - Bob Andrews ATV: Jim O'Rourke & Andrew May: Other
1. Andrew handed out material regarding
1. Smart growth legislation
2. The New Bottle Bill
3. Face of Connecticut - Go to www.faceofconnecticut.org
* 7:25 7:35 Environmental NGO Clean Energy Promotion Campaign Andrew
1. Refer to handout provided by Andrew
2. **CAN Announcement (Andrew)
* 7:35 8:00 May 5th Spring Picnic (Russ, Adriana) Where are we w/ planning, what are next steps? Who is avail 5/5 and before to volunteer for specific tasks
1. **Refer to action items on spreadsheet (attached)
* 8:00 8:15 Upcoming Events
1. On Saturday April 7, 2007 The Backpacker Get Out More Tour comes to the Eastern Mountain Sports Danbury Fair Mall store for its third visit
and only stop in Connecticut. In addition to The Backpacker Get Out More Tour program we will also have vendor reps present representing
20 outdoor brands. Setup a table to promote organization/conservation Anyone want to table? Contact John & Beth Critton
2. **April 20 & 21 Earth Day? Does anyone have any Earth Day festivals we should attend Who can contact events we attended last year? EMS
Upgrade your gear event? (Naugatuck event will be on 6/2) 3. **Leadership skills weekend (5/5): Specifics of leadership and exploring the challenge of selecting the right leadership style/strategy for each volunteer
-what's called Situational Leadership We have 1 seat open to the committee. Id like to see someone w/ an interest in a greater leadership role
with the committee in coming years attend.
1. **Let John know if interested (ASAP)
4. **Plan Farmington River Clean up for August 2007 Chelsea, Beth & John. Where are we w/ planning, what are next steps? Who is avail 5/5 and before
to volunteer for specific tasks?
1. Chelsea is continuing to work out the details. Beth offered to assist.
2. **Chelsea will draft write up (deadline 4/10 to get in the AMC Outdoors June issue)
5. Upcoming Advertising/Announcements Print Deadlines: 4/10 Deadline for AMC Outdoors June issue to webmaster@ct-amc.org . What do we have
cooking that needs to be advertised? Next Guest Speaker?
6. Additional Upcoming Events
1. National Step It Up on Saturday 4/14/07 12-4 Hartford Bushnell (Beth)
1. **Print information for display (Beth)
2. Trails Day on Saturday 5/12/07 (Chelsea)
1. **Sign Up
8:15 8:30 New Business/Round table
Things wed like to do
1. Figure out a process for signing up for & sharing An Inconvenient Truth DVD 2. Clean Energy Communities - 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. (Google Connecticut Clean Energy Communities) Coordinating with Bob Wall we may target
a town & then work to sign-up for the program (Simsbury?) 3. Back the CT Fund for the Environment (Broadwater) Contact is Terri Kinney at 203-787-0646 4. Work w/ FCG on Environmental Speaker Series Andrew 5. Committee officers: To learn more or volunteer for one of these roles talk to John
1. Outreach in charge of guest speakers, partnerships - Andrew
2. Press in charge of distributing (not necessarily drafting) press releases Jamie?
3. Activities point person, not necessarily in charge of all but central for Q & A
4. Secretary Agenda, Minutes, Facilities, Calendar, maintain e-mail contact list Jamie/John
5. Webmaster Keith
6. Displays in charge of keeping our displays current Russ
Reminder: Keep track of your volunteer hours