Goals Committee Recommendations

Monhegan Associates Goals Committee Recommendations

August 21, 2015

On Monhegan Island, the community and the Wild Lands are interdependent, and perpetuating the sustainability of both is central to our mission. Consistent with this focus, we submit the following recommendations to the MAI Trustees for discussion and approval, which we believe can positively address our needs in a manner consistent with the MAI By-Laws and Certificate of Organization, as well as Ted Edison’s notes of 1976 and the 2005 Vision Committee report.

Stewardship of the Wild Lands

Trails

~ maintain access to the headlands, forests and meadows for residents and visitors.

~ coordinate Plantation and MAI Fire & Safety plan to allow for the timely passage of fire and rescue personnel

Ecology

~ develop a Forest Stewardship Plan that maps existing flora to record changes over time; outlines best practices for addressing destructive invasive plants; and addresses targeted invasive plants where they are located near the trails, in small pockets in the north end of the island, and along the coast in the undeveloped areas. As resources permit, tackle larger areas of targeted invasive plants at the center and southern end of the Island. The Forest Stewardship Plan should take into account the advice and practices of organizations like the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy

Resources

~ hire a full time Forest & Trails Steward (see job description). Target start; June, 2016

~ maintain the seasonal Monhegan Trails Crew, under the direction of the Steward

~ subject to further Trustee approval, consider applying for an Island Institute Fellow for the future.

~ continue to seek and encourage volunteers to assist the Trails Chairman, adopt-a-trail, participate in service projects, serve as members of the Ecology Committee

~ empower an Oversight Committee to recruit, hire and manage stewardship resources

Vitality of the Monhegan Community

~ provide an application for alternate land use of MAI land (such as removal of brush and invasives, expansion of the Farm Project) that abut private property.

~ working with other appropriate Monhegan organizations, support the rehabilitation of the ball field for community uses such as recreation, Life Flight landing and outdoor school activities. As part of the rehabilitation, support the relocation of the refuse containers

Outreach

~ rebrand MAI to enhance mission identity and message.

~ enhance website content to; (a) communicate MAI research, education, and stewardship initiatives to the membership, the community, visitors, and partner organizations; (b) to improve access to MAI news, history, and resources

~ create short video (s) which highlights our mission/needs. Use links to make broadly accessible.

~ establish at least one new organizational alliance per year (such as Island Institute, Nature Conservancy)