Report and Recommendations

 NORTHEAST MULTISTATE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE MEETING

Mariott Hotel, Peabody, Massachusetts

July 10, 2005
3:00pm to 5:00pm

Chair, Bill Vinson (WV)

Members: Keith Cooper (NJ), Michael Vayda (VT)

1.      Request to approve the re-submission of the proposal, NE_temp961, "Whole Farm Dairy and Beef Systems to Protect Environmental Quality (from NE132)". 10-2005 to 2010. Submitted by Rachel Unger/Paul Wangsness (PA)
Note: This is the third submission. MAC returned the proposal in March for further clarification. MAC commented that, "The proposal needs a well-defined outreach plan, clear demonstration of interdependency and MAC strongly recommends that an economist participant is identified". The technical committee revised their proposal and also submitted a response to the MAC and peer review comments.

Action:  Recommends approval.  MAC’s concerns have been sufficiently addressed.

  1. Request to approve the proposal for a coordinating committee NE_temp1061, "Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Tree Fruit Cultivars". 10-2005 to 2010. Submitted by Steve Goodwin (MA)

Action:  Recommends approval.

  1. Request to approve the Request to Write a proposal, "Management Strategies for Sustainable Cropping Systems" to replace NE1000. 10-2006 to 2011. Submitted by Scott Angle (MD)

Action:  Recommends approval.

  1. Request to approve the Request to Write a proposal for a coordinating committee, "Use of Residuals in Agriculture in the Northeast" to replace NE1001. 10-2005 to 2010. Submitted by Dan Decker and Ellen Harrison (NYC)

Action:  Recommends approval.

  1. Review of Mid-Term Reports and Recommendations:
    • NEREC1001, "Piloting a Regional Research and Educational Approach to Integrated Deer Damage Management".
      Advisor's recommendation is to terminate the project.
    • NE1005, "Management of Wildlife Damage in Suburban and Rural Landscapes".
      Advisor's recommendation is to integrate NEREC1001 into NE1005.
    • NE1007, "Ovarian and Environmental Influences on Embryonic/Fetal Mortality in Ruminants".
    • NE1012, "Sustaining Local Food Systems in a Globalizing Environment: Forces, Responses, Impacts".

Action:   Recommends approval of advisor’s recommendations for NEREC1001 and NE1005.  Reports for NE1007 and NE1012 were noted.

  1. New advisor assignments:  The Nominations Committee gave their recommendations at the NERA meeting.  They were approved as follows:
    • Scott Angle's projects:
      • NE1000: Improved Weed Control Through Residue Management and Crop Rotation (9/2006)  -  William Vinson (WV)
      • NEC1007: Northeast Coordinating Committee on Soil Testing (9/2008)  -  Richard Rhodes III (RI)
      • NRSP1: Research Planning Using the Current Research Information System (9/2009)  -  Michael Vayda (VT)
    • Dan Decker's projects:
      • NE1001: Application of Sewage Biosolids to Agricultural Soils in the Northeast: Long-term Impacts and Benefit Uses (9/2005) - Keith Cooper (NJ)
      • NE1005: Management of Wildlife Damage in Suburban and Rural Landscapes (9/2006)  -  Ian Hart (CTS)
    • Max Pfeffer's projects:
      • NE1012: Sustaining Local Food Systems in a Globalizing Environment: Forces, Responses, Impacts (9/2007)   -  Margaret Brennan (DE)
      • NECC1008: Improving sweet corn: genetics and management [from NE124] (9/2010)  -  Robert Goodman (NJ)
      • NEC029: Northeastern Corn Improvement Conference (9/2008)  -  Robert Goodman (NJ)
  2. Update on the extension of NE167, "Family Business Viability in Economically Vulnerable Communities", to Sept. 30, 2006.
    The extension to Sept. 2006 was approved by CSREES on June 7, 2005. The official letter is posted in NIMSS at:
    http://lgu.umd.edu/lgu_v2/pages/CSREES/Letters/Extended/18_2006_Extension.pdf

    3.
  3. Report from the NRSP Review Committee - Keith Cooper
    Draft Minutes of NRSP Review Committee meeting May 25, 2005 in Bloomington, MN
    NRSP Project/Budget Reviews
    NRSP-RC Preliminary Budget Recommendations (6-1-05).pdf

Action:  Keith Cooper will share his report at the NERA meeting.  MAC recommends approving the NRSP-RC preliminary budget except NRSP-4.  The ESS Rules of Operation regarding voting and amendments on the floor will also be reviewed.

  1. New leveraging question to be added to the SAES-422 Impacts Section:
    "List any grants, contracts, and/or other resources that were obtained by one or more project members that were a result of, at least in part, the project's activities. Include the recipients, funding source, amount awarded, and term."
  2. ERA Project Proposal Evaluation Form:
    A new review form will be added in NIMSS to be used for evaluating multistate 'Education/Extension and Research Activities' (ERA). For coordinating committees, Appendix J will continue to be used.
    Please see attached form.
  3. NIMSS Update:
    • Nikki Nelson, assistant to the NCRA ED, will conduct a survey as part of her Master's thesis to find out what’s working and what’s not in the new NIMSS system. NIMSS users will be asked to complete the survey online this summer. A preliminary report will be shared at the ESS meeting in September.
      Please see attached survey.
    • NIMSS updates can be found in the minutes of the NIMSS Oversight Committee and regional system administrators' meetings posted in the ESCOP website at:
      http://www.cals.ncsu.edu:8050/escop/committee/subcom00.htm#oversight
       
  4. Other topics discussed:
  • Advisor Matrix – comparison on how advisors are appointed among the 4 regions
  • NRSP Rules of Operation – voting and amendments
  • NE Priorities Committee
  • Grantsmanship Workshop – Sept. 7-8, 2005 in Washington, DC
  • NRI priority setting process
  • Status of projects terminating in 2005 and 2006