1. Welcome, introductions and minutes - Chairman Howard Johnson called the meeting to order at 0930 and welcomed everyone. Howard asked everyone to introduce themselves and Roger Banner read the minutes of the September 16 meeting. The minutes were approved.

2. Financial Status - Roger Banner reported a balance of $3716.82 in the UACD (NRCS grant) account and $1751.14 in the USU (EQIP grant) account. Mike Ralphs made a report on the medusahead rye problem arising in Northern Utah and in Cache County in particular. He proposed to the committee that GLCI support a demonstration project to be carried out by the Cache County Weed Department, landowners, and other partners. He requested $1,500 to help demonstrate the control of small, scattered infestations before they spread. John Fairchild and Tim Munns expressed concern over medusahead and the committee agreed to do what we could to help. Tim Munns made a motion that we make this a priority project to help fund and Jake Jacobson seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

3.Skip Nelson reported on earmarked funding that NRCS receives for GLCI in Utah. All of the money is dedicated to pay for NRCS personnel which is categorized as technical assistance. Committee members asked questions about other uses of the money and Howard Johnson asked, again, for some support for the Utah GLCI Coalition and for some involvement in determining how the money would be spent. Skip replied that there was no money to help fund the GLCI Coalition.

Skip also spoke of the problems and inefficiencies related to the state-wide range and pasture program within EQIP. He compared the EQIP Geographic Priority Area approach versus the State-Wide Initiative.

4. Articles of Incorporation as a Non-Profit Corporation - Trevin Workman presented the revised document and answered questions. Wayne Urie made a motion that we accept the document for submission to IRS and Jake Jacobson seconded the motion. The motion passed. The application will now be submitted to the IRS for approval. The Committee expressed gratitude to Trevin and the Travis L. Bowen Law Offices for the assistance they provided in applying for non-profit status.

5. Report on Demonstration Projects. Members reported on several projects that were implemented and some where conditions (dry fall) did not allow implementation. The committee decided that more follow-up is needed.

6. National GLCI Meeting - Ardmore Oklahoma
Tim Munns, Utah GLCI Coalition member and Soil & Water Conservation Society representative to the National GLCI Steering Committee, reported on the meeting held in October and hosted by the Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The following topics were discussed:

The National Conference on Grazing Lands
Bob Drake was re-elected Chair
The need for more involvement of the National Dairy Association and the National Farmers' Union
Water Quality and TMDL's (Total Maximum Daily Loads)
Invasive Species
Estate Taxes
USGS assessment of land erroneously reported the destruction of grassland by grazing and cropping
GLCI objection to S&WC Society call for conservation compliance regulations on all grazing lands
Gray Westmoreland will retire at the end of 1999. NRCS is committed to providing a full-time National GLCI Coordinator and will find a replacement to fill Gray's position.
CPGL funding needed
Problems associated with low farm income

7. Orson Boyce discussed the problems of growers providing seed when the market fluctuates so wildly because of fires, drought, programs and so forth. He discussed the idea of creating some system of warehousing to level out the supply and price across years. No good ideas on how to do this, i.e., who would pay for the seed and warehousing, were forthcoming from the group. Although BLM does this to a certain extent, the seed is only available to agencies.

8. Old Business
Invasive Species - Jake Jacobson reported that Steve Dewey has been appointed to the USDI National Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC)
Budget & Finance Committee - Wayne Urie suggested that we send a letter to members requesting contacts for fund-raising
Chuck Gay related information on a SCD in California that developed profitable activities to support their Non-Profit programs.
Jake mentioned management of conservation easements for profit
The Committee recognized that we need to follow up with the legislators we addressed last summer.

9. Next Meeting - 24 February 2000 @ 0930 @ Utah Farm Bureau Center, 9865 South State Street, Sandy, UT

10. Thanks were expressed to Deseret Land & Livestock and Bill Hopkin for providing a working lunch.

11. Howard Johnson adjourned the meeting at 1330.