Hello,

Just a reminder of the meeting on April 23, 6:30 to 8 pm at the Franklin County Extension office, 101 Lakeview Court, Frankfort. It's kind of on the edge of the golf course as you run the shuttle.

There will be a (very) brief overview of the history of the property's acquisition for those unfamiliar with it, to provide context for the current situation.

AW's proposal will be read and discussed, and hopefully lots of good ideas will be floated by people attending. Then those thoughts will be reported back to the various clubs and on this Forum for further discussion. Each club will have to decide whether to accept, reject or amend AW's proposal, and communicate with the other clubs in regard to any amendments.

I will bring large sheets of paper so we can record ideas as they come up. We will be looking for:

1) list of questions about the proposed form of the new regional council -- what details did the proposal leave out?
2) suggestions of improvements to the proposal
3) concerns about the proposal
4) management issues that individuals or clubs are most concerned about

I will ask Mark Singleton to re-post the proposal here so you can review it before tomorrow night.

thanks,

Zina

Text of the letter Zina is referring to is posted below:

March 26, 2008
To: Zina Merkin, President Elkhorn Acres Management Group
RE: Open letter to the Elkhorn Acres Management Group

The Elkhorn is a huge success story for the paddling community. That boaters could come together and in 3 days raise sufficient money to buy the property is a remarkable achievement that should be celebrated. American Whitewater is proud to own the land and collaboratively manage it with the local paddling community.

While maintenance of the Elkhorn takeout has taken place, American Whitewater feels that an evolutionary change is needed in the management structure to be more inclusive of the paddling community and affiliates club interests.

American Whitewater is interested in property management that is consistent with our mission and guidelines, that meets the broad paddling community’s needs, that results in prompt and regular response to management needs, and is a positive experience for the volunteers contributing to site management. To meet those objectives we propose the following process for managing the site.

1. We propose the formation of the Elkhorn Leadership Council to organize management activities and advise AW on management decisions of the Elkhorn take out in accordance with AW's property management guidelines.
2. The ELC will consist of representatives from the Vikings, BWA, Bardstown Boaters, EAMG and Elkhorn Paddlers. Each organization represented in the leadership council would appoint a primary and secondary representative organization in the council who will singularly or together represent the interests of their organization.
3. The ELC will meet at least quarterly via conference call or in person, and in addition will conduct day-to-day management discussion on the AW Forum.
4. The ELC will organize and implement pre-approved activities (grass moving, gravel additions to road, portable toilet rental, etc)
5. The ELC will advise AW on any proposed management action that a) is not pre-approved, b) is not consistent with the AW guidelines, c) requires AW funding, or d) changes AW's liability associated with the site. AW will communicate decisions to the ELC for implementation.
6. Decisions on direct management actions and on management advice are to be made through consensus, when possible. When consensus is not possible, disputes can be resolved by AW based on our management guidelines.

The goal of this process is to be more inclusive and open about how the Elkhorn is managed. AW owns the land and has the legal responsibility for the site. Local recommendations, which include all the interest groups, based on consensus would be a very good outcome.


Mark Singleton Kevin Colburn

American Whitewater’s River Access Area Management Guidelines

The following was originally posted on March 11:

In our ever developing nation, rivers are becoming increasingly important recreational resources. Many communities have recognized this value by designating their rivers as water trails, blue ways, parks, or open space. Accessible rivers offer children and adults alike valuable contact with nature, and the relationship people form with rivers through recreation can lead to public support for river protection.

American Whitewater seeks to protect and enhance public access to our nations in a variety of ways. We advocate for public river access areas at every hydro dam we work on. We support state and federal agencies that work on river access issues. We weigh in on river and land management plans that consider river access. We educate paddlers and landowners on river access laws. We encourage responsible enjoyment of rivers that reduces potential conflicts. We collaborate with land owners and managers on management issues and actions. In rare cases, when no other viable solution exists, we will purchase or accept land and collaboratively manage it as a public river access area with the local paddling community.

American Whitewater Owns:
• Blackwater River property in Hendricks, WV (since 1997).
• Watauga River property in Johnson Co, TN (since 1998).
• Johns Creek property in VA (since 1999)
• Elkhorn River property in KY (since 2000)

American Whitewater Manages:
• Upper Yough River property Sang Run, MD for MD Department of The Environment at $0 per year (since 2001).

American Whitewater Manages & Leases:
• Big Sandy River property, WV from Power Company (since 1992)
• Gauley River Masons Branch property, WV from local landowner (since 1993?)

Site Management

American Whitewater’s mission is focused on river stewardship, and river access areas that we manage should reflect this ethic and be fully consistent with our mission. Specifically, the sites should be environmentally protective, safe and enjoyable to visit, respectful of neighbors, and supported by the paddling community that uses the site. To accomplish these goals we have the following management guidelines for the sites we manage:

Environmental Considerations:

• Sites should be maintained in a manner that severely restricts erosion.
• Sites should be landscaped with non-invasive species.
• Sites should maintain or restore a native riparian vegetation buffer.
• High use sites may require portable toilets to avoid human waste problems.
• Vehicular traffic should be confined to acceptable areas.

Visitor Experience Considerations:

• Camping is prohibited at sites unless arrangements are made with AW.
• Commercial use is prohibited at sites unless arrangements are made with AW.
• Events are prohibited at sites unless arrangements are made with AW.
• Sites should be kept free of litter.
• Areas of grass or gravel should be maintained.
• Vehicles should not be visible from the river if possible.
• Sites should include minimal development that could fall into disrepair.
• Pets need to be leashed and attended to.

Neighborhood Considerations:

• Sites should include changing facilities as needed.
• Sites should include signs listing rules of appropriate behavior.
• Sites should be maintained in aesthetic conditions.

Local Support Considerations:

• Paddlers are expected to coordinate and conduct site maintenance with AW.
• Paddlers are expected to alert AW of any breech of site rules.
• Paddlers are expected to act responsibly when at the site.
• Paddlers are expected to support the site through donations and AW membership.
• Paddlers are expected to keep the site free of litter through regular clean-ups.

American Whitewater is proud to be able to support stream access through site management and ownership when the need arises. Maintenance of our river access areas is made possible only through close and ongoing collaboration with our members and affiliate clubs.

For information on any of our river access areas, please contact Kevin Colburn at: Kevin@amwhitewater.org.