PNWNFWMG_June_2021_Minutes
Wednesday June 16, 2021
PNW Native freshwater Mussel Workgroup:
13:00 – 14:15
Chair: Emilie Blevins Xerces Society
Attendees: Kevin Aitkin, William Gerth, David Stagliano, Dorene, Kaegan Scully-Engelmeyer, Cynthia Tait, Ann Gannam, Coutrney Newlon, Rob Plotnikoff, Elizabeth Torrey, Liz Bockstiegl, Aleaxa Main, Stephen Bollen Celeste Mazzacano, Sarah Hoyle, Denise Dammann, Christine O’Brian, Doug Nemeth , Hope Reiden, Michelle Anderson, Craig’s iphone, 360-789-6355, Trevor Griffins, IAmm1477, Miranda Plumb, Maureen Smith Michael Stephenson , Rblackadar, Ron Constable, Asako (Mollalla River Watch), Gsausen, Julie Tyson, Sharon Selvaggio, F Teal Waterstrat*,
1. Kaegan Scully-Engelmeyer on his graduate research @ PSU involving western pearlshell in coastal Oregon streams.
PPT provided and presentation by Dr. Scully-Engelmeyer. Framed in NWFP
Chemicals in forest management primarily for regenerative harvest.
Q&A:
Dorene (Boise) larger mussels below larger catchments? Catchment is defined as a drainage size/area…essentially larger drainages have larger mussels
Were glochidia encountered on host fish? No, we did not survey for glochidia presence. Temperature and distribution…? Linked to reproduction and parasitism of fish and there are a lot more questions to investigate, especially in systems with multiple salmonids with different temperature tolerances/preferences.
R. Plotnikoff: Pools Boulders and ??fish presence??: Is there a correlation between fish presence and physical in the coat debris flows and pulses common and stable substrates are rarer and higher up in system. It may not be that its where they reproduce, but where they are pushed to lower in the streams.
Bolted LWD structures from 1990’s might provide interesting insights into if mussels are moved to stable habitat or if they settled into created stable habitat.
2. Alexa Maine CTUIR mussel master plan.
CTUIR developed a Columbia Basin Freshwater mussel master plan. Studying propagation in Walla Walla. Developing plan for supplementations of Native Freshwater Mussels for selected drainages but finding should be applicable throughout the range/region of native mussels. Several agencies commented on document and it should be finalized by the end of the year. Alexa also presented at an NCTC webinar if you missed it (cultural and regional information).
Q&A: E. Torrey: WDFW: over the course of ~20 years and moving into restoration phase is there anything surprising/interesting to share. Alexa: documented declines and ongoing synthesis should model suitable Habitat. Most populations have declines with several outliners that have increased.
3. FMCS Division development (information attached)
Emily Blevins: Shared relevant documents (attached); FMCS interested in partnering with regional mollusk conservation groups. Looked at other national and international organizations to understand the structure. Best options are similar to AFS structure.
FMCS subdivide into geographic division or expertise. Can vary in number and spread. Currently regional divisions currently in existence. Current western division proposed. Somewhat analogous to Wendall Haag’s Freshwater mussel zones. The workgroup would have national and international recognition and bring in freshwater snails. Some interest and support for inclusion of western terrestrial mollusks. Have a voice in FCMS national and international statements and prioritization, to funding source, travel, meeting hosting, etc.
Allows for 2 levels of engagement as division. 1. FMCS member that pays dues. 2. Opportunity to continue as participatory member on regional listserv (no votes, discounts, meeting perks).
Uncertainly around how annual dues are divided to divisions…likely based on division enrollment.
By Laws for each division are developed/outlined.
Q/A Elizabeth Torrey: Any drawbacks? Emilie: dues limiting membership/engagement, and if the Western Division disagrees with the parent (FMCS) statements.
Rob Plotnikoff: excited about restarting formal meetings and sharing information.
August 15th due date for comments. Will be reviewed a November 2021 FCMS executive meeting. Potential to roll out at 2023 FCMS meeting in Portland as a “division” or chapter.
Close at 14:15
DRAFT FMCS DIVISIONS PROPOSED LANGUAGE
April 13, 2021
Contact: Emilie Blevins: [email protected]
Benefits to Becoming a Division
● As a formally-recognized Division within FMCS, our membership will have the opportunity to directly contribute to FMCS committees and initiatives (such as the National Strategy) that directly support critical research and conservation efforts. We will have voting representation for FMCS matters, and our membership will also benefit from the reputation and profile of this international society.
● Our Division will be supported by top researchers and professionals in the field, providing opportunities for networking, technical assistance, collaboration, and continuing education.
● Our Division will be more inclusive and representative of broader freshwater mollusk conservation efforts by formally adopting a geography and including researchers and advocates of our two most imperilled species groups.
● Division creation and membership will increase funding for Division freshwater mussel and snail conservation efforts. FMCS membership dues and meeting registration fees will go to support Division initiatives, including funding meetings, projects, and travel or membership scholarships as voted on by our members.
● In becoming a Division of an established 501(c)(3), we will gain the ability to accept donations without assuming additional administrative or financial burden.
● Membership is open to those individuals who are members of the Society in good standing (“active membership”) and who are located within the geographical area or request membership in it. At least 6 members of the Division shall be members of the Society. Membership and participation is also open to non-Society members as long as they adhere to the purpose of the Division and Society (“participatory membership”). However, only active members may cast votes or serve in a Division office, including committee leadership within the Division.
FMCS BY-LAWS
Section 5.18: Committees. The Standing Committees shall be: Insert: “Divisions”
FMCS PROCEDURES MANUAL
Section 3.0. Committees Insert: 3.X “Divisions”
Geographical units of FMCS are groups of Society members who are located in the geographic region and/or are interested in the conservation of freshwater mollusks of a given geography, and who conduct activities that serve the objectives of and represent the Society. Activities and procedures of units are considered procedures of the Society, and must follow Society By-laws and Procedures. Geographical units may include Divisions, as well as other subunits adopted by the Society. A geographical unit of the Society may be authorized by the Board if it is considered likely to provide a worthwhile and long-term service to the Society with respect to the purpose of committees. The organizing unit within the Society shall be a Division, which is a geographical unit that applies to broad regions that may represent faunal distributions or political boundaries adopted by the Board.
Division Organization and Board Representation
● The Society’s initial Divisions shall be established by the Board in collaboration with the Division Standing Committee, following Society By-laws and Procedures.
● Society members will automatically be assigned to a Division based on residence within the geographic area but may request membership within a different Division by providing the request in writing to the President.
● New or revised Divisions may be proposed by providing the request in writing to the President and may be adopted following Society By-laws and Procedures.
● A Division may be dissolved should it fail to comply with, or overtly contravene, its own by-laws or the Society’s By-laws and Procedures, or if it otherwise ceases to be an active, effective arm of the Society.
● Divisions shall be represented on the Board of Directors through a Standing Committee Chair. The Division Standing Committee Chair shall be selected by members of the Division Standing Committee.
● Members of the Division Standing Committee shall be those Society members who serve as the Chair for their respective Division and shall operate according to Society By-laws and Procedures, with respect to Standing Committee requirements therein.
● Division members may create smaller organizational subunits to serve its purposes, but these subunits shall not act without Division approval.
Division Operation
● Within a Division, a Division Chair shall serve as the voting member of the Division Standing Committee on behalf of the Division.
● Only active FMCS members may serve as the Division Chair or hold any other unit office. Among its elected offices, each Division must have at least a Division Chair, Past Division Chair (once a Division has achieved this milestone), and a Division Chair-Elect.
● Each Division shall follow established By-Laws, which must be approved by the FMCS Board according to the Society By-laws.
● A Division may hold meetings, sponsor symposia, disseminate information, adopt resolutions, and engage in other activities that advance Society objectives and conform to the Society’s By-laws and Procedures. Actions and resolutions of a Division shall be identified only with that Division unless formally adopted by the Society or another Division.
Division Geographies
The following Divisions shall be adopted:
● European Division: countries of Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
● Western North American Division: U.S. states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Nevada, California, and Arizona and the Canadian province of British Columbia.
● Upper Mississippi River Division:
● Ohio River Valley Division (includes Tennessee-Cumberland; Upper Ohio snail?):
● Chesapeake Bay Division:
● Interior Highlands Division:
● Southern U.S. Division: state of Texas
● Great Plains Division:
● St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Division (includes Ontario):
● Lower Mississippi Division:
● Eastern Gulf Division:
● Mobile Basin Division:
● Southern Atlantic Division:
● Northeastern U.S. Division:
● Other non-North American
Division Dues and Financial Support
A portion of annual dues shall be made available as financial support of activities and services performed by Divisions that directly benefit Society members in their respective geographic regions. These funds shall not exceed 13% of the annual dues paid by Regular members and may be a smaller percentage if the Board deems it financially prudent to allocate a lesser proportion.
● The amount available to an individual Division shall be proportionally based on the number of active Regular members affiliated with that unit.
● The Society shall maintain funds on a biennial basis for Divisions. Funds shall be allocated to a Division for a specific purpose following Society Procedures for Funding of Society or Committee Initiatives.
Division By-laws and Procedures
Division By-laws and Procedures shall be developed by the Division Standing Committee in accordance with Society By-laws and Procedures. Division By-laws and Procedures shall require Board approval within the first year of an established Division.
Draft Division By-laws and Procedures–Example Only
BY-LAWS OF THE FRESHWATER MOLLUSK CONSERVATION
SOCIETY [division name]
INTRODUCTION
The Western North American Division of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS) has been established through the FMCS’ By-laws for the purpose of carrying out the objectives of the Society and its Division Standing Committee, particularly for the purposes of facilitating the implementation of the National Strategy for the Conservation of Native Freshwater Mollusks.
DIVISION GEOGRAPHY AND MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to those individuals who are members of the Society in good standing (“active membership”) and who are located within the geographical area or request membership in it. At least 6 members of the Division shall be members of the Society. Membership and participation is also open to non-Society members as long as they adhere to the purpose of the Division and Society (“participatory membership”). However, only active members may cast votes or serve in an office. Membership in the Western North American Division includes individuals from the geographical areas of the western U.S. states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Nevada, California, and Arizona and Canadian province of British Columbia. Division activities and services shall focus on the freshwater mollusk fauna in this geographical area.
All FMCS members residing in places identified in this geographical area are automatically members of the Division. FMCS members may elect to be a member of another Division following Society Procedures. Only a Society member of the Division, in good standing, may be a voting member, hold office, or chair a committee.
All members, whether active or only participatory, shall adhere to the Society’s Code of Conduct as it applies to attendees of FMCS-sponsored symposia, workshops, meetings, or other FMCS activities (events).
ORGANIZATION
1. Only active FMCS members in good standing for at least two years may serve as the Division Chair or hold any other Division office, including committee leadership within the Division. The Division shall be represented on the Society Board through the Division Standing Committee. A Division shall hold the following offices:
● Division Chair, who shall:
○ Serve as the Society’s voting member on behalf of the Division. The Division Chair may further represent the Division Standing Committee as the Standing Committee’s chair, according to Society By-laws and Procedures.
○ Preside at regular and special meetings of the Division.
○ Represent the Division at meetings of other organizations where official representation of the Division is desirable.
○ Provide leadership for programs and activities for the Division during the term of office.
○ Submit an Annual Report of Division activities to the Society’s Division Standing Committee Chair.
○ Automatically advance to Past Division Chair at the conclusion of the term of office.
● Past Division Chair, who shall:
○ Provide assistance with Division functions as needed.
● Division Chair-Elect, who shall:
○ Succeed to the office of the Chair and carry out those duties if the Chair is unable to do so.
○ Automatically advance to Division Chair at the conclusion of the term of office.
2. Other duties or offices, including those related to keeping minutes of meetings or carrying out financial duties can be established by a nomination and vote by the Division elected offices.
3. The term of elected officers shall be for two years following the Society’s biennium calendar.
4. A nominating committee shall be established for the purposes of voting for officer positions. Other standing committees shall be established by the Division officers for the purpose of addressing specific Division needs or activities, such as a symposium committee, subregional committee addressing specific fauna or goals, etc. For any standing committee, a committee chair shall be appointed, and this individual shall be responsible for reporting their committees’ activities, findings, and recommendations at annual and interim meetings of the Division. Division committees shall work in close coordination with comparable committees of the Society.
OPERATIONS
Governance Procedures and Voting
The Past Division Chair shall oversee a nominations committee consisting of no less than three (3) nor more than (5) Division members. Newly nominated candidates may not serve on the nominations committee. Selection of the committee members shall be completed no later than the first Division meeting of each calendar year and duly recorded. The full final nominations committee must approve the slate of officer candidates.
Candidates for elected officer positions shall be nominated by the nominations committee, including considering requests of members or self-nominations of membership. Officers shall be elected by a majority of ballots cast from the membership.
Elected officers shall be elected by majority vote by Division members in good standing by mail, electronic mail, or a secure internet voting site during a specified time period for the vote to be received by the committee in charge of counting the votes.
Any officer may be removed, with or without cause, by members of the Society Board according to FMCS Procedures. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the FMCS Board, President or the Secretary. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein; and unless
otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. The officer shall be replaced according to Society By-laws and Procedures.
Decisions at a meeting of the Division shall be by a majority of those voting except in the case of amendments to the by-laws or as otherwise specified in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
Meetings
The Division shall meet at least once every two years at a time and place (may be virtual) decided at least six months in advance by the Division officers. Quarterly or special meetings may be held at the discretion of the Division officers. When mutually agreeable, the Division may meet jointly with other organizations or with other units of the Society in accordance with the Society Procedures. A quorum at a meeting of the Division for the transaction of official business shall be at least 6 members in good standing.
Actions and resolutions of a Division shall be identified only with that Division unless formally adopted by the Society or another Division.
Outreach
The Division may maintain independent materials, such as a website, listserv, or other platform to promote Division activities and services within the geographic area and/or among membership. Any such materials shall adhere to the purposes and spirit of the Society as set forth in the Society By-laws.
AMENDMENTS
These By-laws are the defining document for the Division and cannot be suspended and cannot be changed without prior notice to active members as follows. By-laws can be amended at any time throughout the year. An amendment to the By-laws may be proposed in writing to the Officers at least ninety (90) days prior to a scheduled Division meeting. If the proposed amendment is supported by at least one Officer, the proposed amendment will be distributed to all active members sixty (60) days prior to the next annual meeting, and will be open for discussion and voted on at that meeting. The amendment is consummated and ratified when approved by at least two thirds of the voting members, provided the number of voting members at the meeting constitutes a quorum.
INDEMNIFICATION
Each person who is or was an Officer of the Division, including the heirs, executors, administrators, or estate of such person, shall be indemnified by the Division to the full extent permitted or authorized by the laws of the State of Missouri, as now in effect and as hereafter amended, against any liability, judgment, fine, amount paid in settlement, costs and expenses including attorney’s fees, incurred as a result of any claim arising in connection with such person’s conduct in his or her capacity, or in connection with his or her status, as an Officer of the Division. The indemnification provided by this By-law provision shall not be exclusive of any other rights to which he may be entitled under any other By-laws or agreement, vote of disinterested Officers, or otherwise, and shall not limit in any way any
right that the Division may have to make different or further indemnification with respect to the same or different person or classes of persons.
PERSONAL LIABILITY
The members and Officers of the Division shall not be personally liable for any debt, liability or obligation of the Division. All persons, corporations or other entities extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against, the Division, may look only to the funds and property of the Division for the payment of any such contract or claim, or for the payment of any debt, damages, judgment or decree, or of any money that may otherwise become due or payable to them from the Division.