NORTHEAST MULTISTATE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE MEETING

Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Board Room

September 21, 2003
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Chair, Bob Seem

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

Report and Recommendations

1. Request to approve the proposal, NE_temp621, “Multi-state Evaluation of Winegrape Cultivars and Clones” 10-2003 to 2017. Submitted by J. Hunter (NYG).
   http://www.lgu.umd.edu/showInfo.cfm?trackID=4034
   

Action: Defer approval pending clarification of issues raised by reviewers and better representation from grape-producing states. Chair Seem will elaborate on these points with the Advisor.

2. Request to write a proposal entitled, “Biophysical Models for Poultry Production Systems (formerly NE-127)” 10-2004-2009. Submitted by W. Vinson (WV).
   http://www.lgu.umd.edu/otherForms/listRequest.cfm?option=all&region=NE

Action: Recommends approval with the additional recommendations that the committee consider a title change to better reflect the activities of the project, and the committee include research dealing with the impact of the potential cessation of routine addition of antibiotics to feed.

3. Submission of terminal reports and annual reports (both accomplished by the AES422) is not timely. These reports are needed to fulfill reporting requirements to CSREES, and serve an important source of information on project impacts. There is no real “club” to force submission. However a mechanism may have to be developed that prevents approval of rewritten projects if annual and termination reports have not been submitted.

4. New advisor assignment recommendations:

• NE187 - Best Management Practices for Turf Systems in the East, ends 9/2004
  Recommends Richard Rhodes III, RI
• NE1007 - Ovarian and Environmental Influences on Embryonic/Fetal Mortality in Ruminants, ends 9/2007
  Recommends William Vinson, WV
• NEC1000 - The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, ends 9/2006
  Recommends Bruce McPheron, PA
• NEREC1000 - Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium, ends 9/2006
  Recommends Bruce McPheron, PA
4. Budget and Advocacy Committee (BAC) request for impact statements for multistate activities. T. Fretz reported on an effort to prepare arguments (impact statements, research needs, etc.) for the five thematic areas of the USDA budget. Specific multistate projects have been identified by the EDs and will be used to support requests in the five thematic areas.
5. Formation of multistate committees for department chairs, e.g., NERA Administrative Advisory Committees (NEAAC), for 14 discipline areas was discussed. While the idea is still viewed favorably, it seems more practical in the NE to collapse the 14 disciplines into major subject areas that reflect current department structures in the NE. T. Fretz will prepare a new list of subject areas and will discuss with the NC ED.
6. NIMSS and NRSP-1 updates were discussed.