FINAL DRAFT
(08/05/98)
ARTICLES OF PARTNERSHIP
The name of this partnership shall be: Clemson University Experimental Forest Trail System Planning Team, which hereafter will be referred to as the Trail System Planning Team (TSPT).
Whereas, the primary purpose
of the Clemson University Experimental Forest (CUEF) is for education and
research in the ecology, conservation and management of forest resources that
include timber, non-commercial plants, water, soils, wildlife and recreational
opportunities; and
Whereas, a properly designed
trail system can be an educational and research resource of benefit to land
managers and trail users in the state of South Carolina and the Nation; and
Whereas, the demand for
recreational opportunities on all forest lands has been increasing rapidly for
several decades; and
Whereas, the demand for
recreational trail use on the CUEF has undergone a dramatic increase in the
last decade; and
Whereas, the provision of
recreational trails involves significant economic, ecological, and sociological
costs, and
Whereas, partnerships
between citizens, managers and scientists to determine uses of public lands are
expected to become an important mode of management planning in the future,
The purpose of the TSPT
shall be to provide advice to the Director, School of Natural Resources,
College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Clemson University,
Clemson, South Carolina on the application of passive mode adaptive management
to the CUEF Trail System.
Further, said advice shall
be based on the integrated opinions and expertise of representatives of various
citizen CUEF trail user-groups, forest managers and scientists that compose the
TSPT.
Whereas the CUEF is
dedicated to education and research in ecology, conservation and management of
forest resources for the benefit of the citizens of South Carolina and all
other citizens of the United States; and
Whereas, for the last
several decades, citizens’ groups have exerted great influence on natural
resource management and conservation policy on both public and private lands
throughout the Nation; and
Whereas one deed covenant stipulated by the Federal Government when the CUEF was entrusted to Clemson University was that the forest must remain in public use, and
Whereas adaptive management in the passive mode with direct involvement of citizens integrates the perspectives, values and knowledge of citizens, managers and scientists,
The objective of the TSPT
shall be to develop a passive mode adaptive management plan that:
1. Recognizes the dynamic nature
of: a) ecosystems, b) changes in knowledge of ecosystems, c) changes in human
values for ecosystems, and d) changes in knowledge of human values for
ecosystems;
2. Seeks to provide an
additional educational and research resource to the CUEF while improving the
trail recreational opportunities on the CUEF;
3. Seeks to integrate a recreational trail system on the CUEF with all
other uses for which the CUEF exists;
4. Seeks to develop a plan for a
trail system that is ecologically and economically sustainable;
5. Seeks to minimize and mitigate adverse ecological impacts of trail
establishment and use, and
6. Seeks to harmonize trail uses among a wide array of trail users and
other CUEF users.
Citizen User-Group
Representation
Whereas an Adaptive Management Workshop was held on May 23, 1998 at Clemson University for members of the public interested in the CUEF Trail System; and
Whereas at the conclusion of said workshop, 31 persons in attendance voted by majority vote to have user group interests represented by six (6) representatives from the mountain bike interest group, six (6) representatives from the horse trails interest group, and three (3) representatives from other user interests; and
Whereas the said representatives are believed to represent the array of CUEF trail users in approximate proportions to their trail use,
The TSPT user-group representatives shall consist of six (6) persons from the mountain bike interest group, six (6) persons from the horse trails interest group, and three (3) persons from other interest groups.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Representative
As the only major lessee of CUEF lands, the SCDNR will be invited by the Director to have one representative on the TSPT.
Whereas management of the CUEF is the responsibility of the Director of the School of Natural Resources (Director) in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Clemson University, and
Whereas Clemson University considers the CUEF TSPT to be an experimental approach in natural resource management and conservation,
The Director shall appoint or request Clemson University faculty and staff, including CUEF forest managers, scientists, teachers and Extension Service experts, to serve on the TSPT as necessary to support the TSPT with expertise on management and research. Said Clemson University employees may also serve on the TSPT by personal request and approval of the Director.
Further, the Director shall appoint a Clemson University, School of Natural Resources faculty member, preferably with expertise in adaptive management, to coordinate the TSPT.
Further, the Director shall recruit from the Clemson University Extension Service an expert in conflict resolution to serve as a facilitator for the resolution of issues that the TSPT will inevitably face.
Active Participants
Whereas there exists
persons who have an important knowledge of trails and trail users, and a high
level of interest in the work of the TSPT but who are not members of the TSPT;
and
Whereas these persons are
interested in volunteering their efforts to work with the TSPT in an auxiliary
role to enhance the effectiveness and rate of progress of the TSPT,
Such persons will be in a
TSPT auxiliary membership class called Active
Participants.
Citizen User-Group
Representatives
User-group
representatives shall:
1. Vote on all elements of the adaptive management plan;
2. Secure the concurrence of their constituents on the acceptability of
the final plan that will be recommended to the Director;
3. Represent the interests of their constituents;
4. Continuously keep their constituents informed of information developed
during the planning process;
5. Serve on committees appointed to deal with specific issues;
6. Make every reasonable effort to attend all TSPT meetings, and
7. Secure concurrence of their constituents on the Articles of Partnership,
The SCDNR
representative shall keep the TSPT informed of wildlife management practices,
dates of hunting seasons, and SCDNR expectations under the terms of its lease.
The
DNR representative shall function as an advisor to the TSPT.
Coordinator
The TSPT Coordinator
shall:
1. Instruct the TSPT on adaptive management planning procedures;
2. Arrange all meetings for the TSPT;
3. Be responsible for informing all TSPT members of meeting dates, times,
and places;
4. Arrange for minutes of all meetings to be recorded and distributed to
all TSPT members and all others requesting copies of the minutes;
5. Conduct all TSPT meetings except where the facilitator is required to
deal with the decision-making process;
6. Appoint committees to deal with specific issues and plan elements;
7. Be responsible for putting the elements of the plan together as per the
instructions and approval of the TSPT;
8. Keep the Director informed of all TSPT activities and progress, and
9. Where possible, secure funding to support the activities of the TSPT.
The TSPT
Coordinator shall not be a voting member of the TSPT.
The TSPT Facilitator shall be the primary instrument for conflict resolution using techniques that are seen as fair, equitable and efficient by user-groups and the University.
The TSPT
Facilitator shall not be a voting member of the TSPT.
The CUEF managers shall:
1.
Inform the TSPT of the
currently accepted long range plan for the management of the CUEF;
2.
Inform the TSPT of legal
constraints, including leases or other agreements, on the use of the CUEF;
3.
Inform the TSPT of
management constraints resulting from timber management practices;
4.
Make available to the TSPT
all existing maps of CUEF topography, soils, plant cover, roads, trails, sites
that are sensitive because of the existence of rare plants or wildlife or
cultural artifacts, and research sites in need of protection from trail
traffic.
The CUEF
Managers shall not be voting members of the TSPT.
Clemson University
Scientists, Teachers and Extension Service Experts
Clemson University scientists, teachers and Extension Service experts shall act in an advisory role to the voting members of the TSPT.
Clemson University scientists, teachers and Extension Service experts shall not be voting members of the TSPT.
Active Participants
Active
Participants shall:
1. Represent the interests of
their constituents;
2. Continuously keep their constituents informed of information developed
during the planning process;
3. Serve on committees appointed to deal with specific issues; and
4. Make every reasonable effort to attend all TSPT meetings.
Active Participants shall not be voting members of the TSPT.
Meeting Location
All
meetings of the TSPT shall be on the premises of Clemson University, Clemson,
South Carolina.
Meeting Dates and Time
Meetings
of the TSPT shall be held monthly.
Regular monthly meeting dates and times will be scheduled by a
two-thirds majority vote of TSPT voting members present at a scheduled TSPT
meeting and with the concurrence of the Coordinator who shall represent Clemson
University. The Coordinator shall provide for other called meeting dates as
required.
Meeting
dates and times shall be scheduled at least one month in advance.
Public Access to Meetings
Opportunity
for public access shall be provided at each meeting.
The requirement of a quorum
shall be met when at least two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members are present
at any meeting.
Current Roberts Rules of Order shall be followed in the conduct of all meetings.
Absenteeism
Any TSPT member or active participant who is absent for three (3) scheduled meetings during any six (6) consecutive months period will be automatically removed from membership on the TSPT.
TSPT Member Replacement
Replacement of a TSPT member with a new member will be based on the nomination of the new member from the user-group in which a vacancy has occurred, and with a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of TSPT voting members present at a scheduled TSPT meeting.
Member
Resignations
Any TSPT member who finds that he/she is unable to continue on the TSPT because of personal, health, or job-related reasons may resign from the TSPT and nominate his/her replacement who may be selected by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the TSPT voting members.
Definitions
Passive mode adaptive management means an approach to management that summons the best existing science, technology, and personal experience to develop a plan that integrates management practices, monitoring of changes in ecosystems in uses of ecosystems, and research efforts to interpret the causes of change.
Amendments
These Articles of Partnership may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the full TSPT voting membership.
Signatures of Concurrence with the Articles of Partnership
Meredith Barrioz
________________________________________________ ______________
Jim Capaldi
__________________________________________________________ _________________
Dennis Chastain
__________________________________________________________ _________________
Zan Clarkson
__________________________________________________________ __________________
Ian Davidson
__________________________________________________________ _________________
Allen Dunn (for Clemson
University)
__________________________________________________________ _________________
Signatures of Concurrence with the Articles of Partnership
Gloria Holladay
__________________________________________________________ _________________
Aubrey Kay
__________________________________________________________ __________________
Butch Kennedy
__________________________________________________________ __________________
HollyAnn Pernell
__________________________________________________________ __________________
Ben Poss
__________________________________________________________ ____________________
Scott Snape
__________________________________________________________ ____________________
Becky Teixeira
__________________________________________________________ ____________________
Todd Thompson
__________________________________________________________ ____________________
Craig Walters
__________________________________________________________ ____________________
Faren Wolter
__________________________________________________________ ____________________