Report and Recommendations

 NORTHEAST MULTISTATE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE MEETING
Mystic Hilton, Mystic, Connecticut

July 11, 2004
3:00-6:00pm

Chair, Bob Seem

Members: Keith Cooper (NJ), Bill Vinson (WV)

  1. Request to approve the re-submission of the proposal, NE_temp621, “Multi-state Evaluation of Winegrape Cultivars and Clones” 10-2004 to 2017. Submitted by R. Seem  (NYG).
    http://www.lgu.umd.edu/showInfo.cfm?trackID=4034

    Action: Recommends approval.  Concerns expressed by MAC at their last meeting have now been incorporated in the rewritten proposal.  

  2. Request to approve the proposal, NE_temp861, “Hydropedology: Genesis, properties, and distribution of hydromorphic soils” 10-2004 to 2009. Submitted by S. Goodwin (MA).
    http://www.lgu.umd.edu/showInfo.cfm?trackID=5494

    Action: Recommends approval.  MAC advises the group to seek ways to leverage multistate funds as they implement this project.  MAC also recommends including an aquatic biologist in its technical committee.

     

  3. Request to approve the re-submission of the proposal, NE_temp901, “Biological and Physical Assessment for the Optimization of Poultry Production Systems (from NE-127)". 10-2004 to 2009. Submitted by W. Vinson (WV).
    http://www.lgu.umd.edu/showInfo.cfm?trackID=5634

    Action:  Recommends approval.  Concerns expressed by MAC at their last meeting have now been incorporated in the rewritten proposal.  

  4. Request to approve the re-submission of the proposal, NE_temp921, “Improving plant food (fruit, vegetable and whole grain) availability and intake in older adults (formerly NE172)". 10-2004 to 2009. Submitted by G. Wyche-Moore (DC).
    http://www.lgu.umd.edu/showInfo.cfm?trackID=5717

    Action:  Recommends approval.  MAC advises the group that partnering with a strong medical health institution will help address the epidemiology component of the project.  As the project progresses, the group should seriously assess its impact to society.  MAC believes that this is an important project that could have positive impacts in elderly nutrition.      

  5. Request to approve the proposal, NE_temp961, “Whole Farm Dairy and Beef Systems to Protect Environmental Quality (formerly NE132)". 10-2004 to 2009. Submitted by P. Wangsness (PA).
    http://www.lgu.umd.edu/showInfo.cfm?trackID=6396

    Action:  Defer action.  MAC recommends a major revision of the proposal to demonstrate interdependence, expand participation, strengthen the outreach plan and describe in detail how this will be accomplished, and explain the integrative process in analyzing validity of the models.  MAC assigned Bill Vinson (WV) to assist the advisor and his committee in revising the proposal.  Chair Seem will confer with the advisor and decide on a course of action to give the technical committee ample time to revise their proposal. 

  6. Request for one-year extension of NE124, "Genetic Manipulation of Sweet Corn Quality and Stress Resistance". This project expires on 9-30-2004. Submitted by M. Pfeffer (NYC).

    Action:  Recommends approval.

  7. Request for one-year extension of NE187, "Best Management Practices for Turf Systems in the East". This project expires on 9-30-2004. Submitted by R. Rhodes III (RI).

    Action:  Recommends approval.

  8. NRSP Review Committee Recommendations for NRSP-1, NRSP-3, NRSP-4, NRSP-5, NRSP-6, NRSP-7 and NRSP-8 (please refer to attached summary):

  9. Nominee for the NRSP Review Committee

    Action: Recommends re-appointing Keith Cooper (NJ) for another term, from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005.

  10. ESCOP Recommendations for NRSPs off-the-top funding for FY2005

    Action: Recommends approving the preliminary recommendation by ESCOP. Please refer to attached letter dated June 15, 2004 to CSREES-Gary Cunningham from Daryl Lund.

  11. Common Nomenclature for Multistate Activities (discuss revised version)

    Action: Recommends approving the proposed changes in nomenclature for multistate activities (please see attached)

  12. Proposed Modification of Appendix B - form for Coordinating Committees and NRSPs

    Action: Recommends approval of the proposed modification to Appendix B to include a section on "Procedures" with the following text.
    Procedures: Briefly summarize the procedures that will be used to address each of the objectives. Enough information should be included to enable the reviewers to evaluate the approach and to discern joint planning and coordination by the activity's participants, in other words, show that this is a collective effort to achieve objectives.

  13. OMB Request for MRF Justification - Tom Fretz will report on the details at the NERA meeting.

  14. Status of Multistate Projects Terminating on September 2004 - no action recommended. All terminating projects have been accounted for. NE-186 which has been incorporated into NRSP-8 is the only project that will terminate. NE-124 and NE-187 will be extended for a year. NE-127, NE-132 and NE-172 are undergoing revision. NE-140 has a new project, NE-1019.

  15. NIMSS Update - Please refer to the pumpkin sheet in the NERA packet. Rubie Mize will give a PowerPoint demonstration of the new version at the NERA meeting.