1 00:00:06,230 --> 00:00:09,360 - Good morning everyone and I hope you can see me okay. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:10,864 We're just still getting set up here 3 00:00:10,864 --> 00:00:14,450 but welcome to the 2021 Annual Conference 4 00:00:14,450 --> 00:00:16,890 of the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative. 5 00:00:16,890 --> 00:00:19,570 My name is Nancy Matthews and I'm the Dean 6 00:00:19,570 --> 00:00:21,140 of the Rubenstein School of Environment 7 00:00:21,140 --> 00:00:22,673 and Natural Resources and the chair 8 00:00:22,673 --> 00:00:25,076 of the FEMC Steering Committee. 9 00:00:25,076 --> 00:00:26,641 We are hosting today's conference 10 00:00:26,641 --> 00:00:29,260 from the University of Vermont in Burlington 11 00:00:29,260 --> 00:00:30,935 and we are located on the land that has served 12 00:00:30,935 --> 00:00:33,232 as a site of meeting and exchange 13 00:00:33,232 --> 00:00:35,240 among indigenous peoples 14 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,670 for thousands of years and is the home 15 00:00:37,670 --> 00:00:39,760 of the Western Abenaki people, 16 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,310 we honor, recognize and respect these people 17 00:00:42,310 --> 00:00:44,760 as the traditional stewards of the lands 18 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,440 and waters on which we gather today. 19 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,750 I want to also start off 20 00:00:49,750 --> 00:00:51,570 by acknowledging our remote meeting 21 00:00:51,570 --> 00:00:53,613 and a special thanks and effort 22 00:00:53,613 --> 00:00:56,090 to the whole team for making it happen. 23 00:00:56,090 --> 00:00:58,880 Our annual FEMC Conferences are personally one 24 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:00,483 of the highlights I have every year 25 00:01:00,483 --> 00:01:03,040 and it's a wonderful opportunity 26 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,508 to share stories, make connections, meet new people 27 00:01:05,508 --> 00:01:09,620 but I sure hope that during the next couple hours here 28 00:01:09,620 --> 00:01:12,530 and tomorrow that through your mini breakout sessions, 29 00:01:12,530 --> 00:01:15,274 you're able to actually have some of those conversations 30 00:01:15,274 --> 00:01:18,090 and make those connections and with a little 31 00:01:18,090 --> 00:01:18,923 or maybe a lot of luck, 32 00:01:18,923 --> 00:01:21,920 we'll be back in person again next year. 33 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,320 So it's my pleasure to be kicking off the conference today 34 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:26,720 with a theme of, Facing Change, 35 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,270 Reimagining Forested Communities in a Time of Disruption 36 00:01:30,270 --> 00:01:33,540 and what better theme and time to tackle this. 37 00:01:33,540 --> 00:01:36,780 We've all faced rapid change these past two years, 38 00:01:36,780 --> 00:01:38,192 personally, professionally, 39 00:01:38,192 --> 00:01:41,770 in our communities, locally and globally 40 00:01:41,770 --> 00:01:43,708 and while these changes have been disruptive 41 00:01:43,708 --> 00:01:46,360 and in many cases, destructive, 42 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,464 I personally have observed resiliency 43 00:01:48,464 --> 00:01:51,860 beyond anything I could have imagined. 44 00:01:51,860 --> 00:01:53,351 I'm hopeful that the resiliency 45 00:01:53,351 --> 00:01:55,740 that I have witnessed and perhaps you 46 00:01:55,740 --> 00:01:58,900 as well inspires us to see new opportunities 47 00:01:58,900 --> 00:02:01,180 in our professional lives and I'm hopeful 48 00:02:01,180 --> 00:02:04,880 that it empowers us to engage in collaborative solutions 49 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,069 to think more creatively than ever before, 50 00:02:07,069 --> 00:02:10,053 to be more entrepreneurial than ever before. 51 00:02:10,053 --> 00:02:14,215 I believe that our times necessitate this and much more. 52 00:02:14,215 --> 00:02:15,747 So today and tomorrow, I invite you 53 00:02:15,747 --> 00:02:18,027 to reflect on how change has sparked you 54 00:02:18,027 --> 00:02:20,530 to re-imagine your communities, 55 00:02:20,530 --> 00:02:23,326 both human and natural and how we might increase 56 00:02:23,326 --> 00:02:26,330 our connectedness through our multiple modalities. 57 00:02:26,330 --> 00:02:29,128 How might we increase our time spaciousness 58 00:02:29,128 --> 00:02:32,560 and indeed our resiliency. 59 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,450 As I look at the future of FEMC, 60 00:02:34,450 --> 00:02:37,290 I see both growth and resiliency. 61 00:02:37,290 --> 00:02:41,371 On a local level, not only has FMC solidified its staff 62 00:02:41,371 --> 00:02:43,003 but the program has expanded 63 00:02:43,003 --> 00:02:45,740 to fund state cooperator positions embedded 64 00:02:45,740 --> 00:02:47,766 in agencies across the region, 65 00:02:47,766 --> 00:02:50,160 with the help of our new state coordinators, 66 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,150 I have seen a steady and exciting growth 67 00:02:52,150 --> 00:02:53,700 that really speaks to our drive 68 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:56,417 to succeed and become even more impactful. 69 00:02:56,417 --> 00:02:58,449 So I wanted to extend a special thanks 70 00:02:58,449 --> 00:03:00,900 to some of our state partners, 71 00:03:00,900 --> 00:03:04,420 a big welcome to Maine State Forester, Patty Cormier 72 00:03:04,420 --> 00:03:06,001 who has joined the Steering Committee, 73 00:03:06,001 --> 00:03:09,130 Patty and the Maine Forest Service staff 74 00:03:09,130 --> 00:03:10,230 are convening the first 75 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:12,509 state partnership committee meeting next month. 76 00:03:12,509 --> 00:03:14,260 Our colleagues in New Hampshire 77 00:03:14,260 --> 00:03:15,270 and Connecticut have set 78 00:03:15,270 --> 00:03:17,340 up a new state partnership committees, 79 00:03:17,340 --> 00:03:19,666 while Rhode Island and Massachusetts have reorganized 80 00:03:19,666 --> 00:03:22,810 and expanded theirs and both in Vermont 81 00:03:22,810 --> 00:03:26,190 and New York our committees are going steady and strong. 82 00:03:26,190 --> 00:03:29,570 The participation in FEMC's projects and efforts continues 83 00:03:29,570 --> 00:03:32,900 to expand with new participants from many state, 84 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:35,145 federal and academic institutions serving 85 00:03:35,145 --> 00:03:37,380 on the numerous advisory committees 86 00:03:37,380 --> 00:03:38,846 for the specific projects. 87 00:03:38,846 --> 00:03:41,310 So again, a huge thank you for these efforts 88 00:03:41,310 --> 00:03:43,950 to join together, to build partnerships 89 00:03:43,950 --> 00:03:46,845 and leverage time and talent and resources 90 00:03:46,845 --> 00:03:50,722 with an eye on resiliency during our times of change. 91 00:03:50,722 --> 00:03:53,520 A special thanks to the US Forest Service 92 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,664 for enhancing your financial support for FEMC. 93 00:03:56,664 --> 00:03:59,067 You are really what is making us thrive 94 00:03:59,067 --> 00:04:00,926 and grow and last 95 00:04:00,926 --> 00:04:04,180 with Senator Leahy's pending retirement from office, 96 00:04:04,180 --> 00:04:07,110 I wanna to take this moment to extend a special thanks 97 00:04:07,110 --> 00:04:11,730 to him and his staff for the tireless advocacy 98 00:04:11,730 --> 00:04:13,633 for longterm environmental monitoring, 99 00:04:13,633 --> 00:04:16,550 through his support for the FEMC we have grown 100 00:04:16,550 --> 00:04:19,020 and we are thriving and as recently 101 00:04:19,020 --> 00:04:20,030 as this past summer 102 00:04:20,030 --> 00:04:22,900 through the congressional and forest service support, 103 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:26,840 FEMC was able to leverage over $300,000 104 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:28,610 in additional funds for monitoring 105 00:04:28,610 --> 00:04:31,490 and assessment that directly serves our local, 106 00:04:31,490 --> 00:04:34,700 state and regional forest ecosystems. 107 00:04:34,700 --> 00:04:37,720 So Senator Leahy and by extension Tom Berry, 108 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,801 thank you so much for your support over this entire time. 109 00:04:41,801 --> 00:04:46,801 Looking ahead, I believe that the future of FEMC is bright. 110 00:04:47,460 --> 00:04:49,100 We're focusing on our work, 111 00:04:49,100 --> 00:04:50,400 building creative new ways 112 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,685 of staying connected during time of change. 113 00:04:52,685 --> 00:04:56,622 We are building in this idea of time spaciousness, 114 00:04:56,622 --> 00:04:58,739 while not losing sight 115 00:04:58,739 --> 00:05:01,556 of the looming drivers of climate change. 116 00:05:01,556 --> 00:05:03,350 So please take advantage 117 00:05:03,350 --> 00:05:05,102 of the next two days to ask questions, 118 00:05:05,102 --> 00:05:07,660 stay curious, build your networks 119 00:05:07,660 --> 00:05:09,223 and thank you all for being here today 120 00:05:09,223 --> 00:05:10,699 and tomorrow and with that, 121 00:05:10,699 --> 00:05:13,950 I'm happy to turn this over to Jim Duncan, 122 00:05:13,950 --> 00:05:16,840 the director of the FEMC, thank you. 123 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:18,640 - Thank you, Nancy and thank you 124 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,137 for your leadership of the FEMC over the last year. 125 00:05:22,137 --> 00:05:24,630 I wanna start off by thanking everyone who is here. 126 00:05:24,630 --> 00:05:26,550 We have over 260 people who've registered 127 00:05:26,550 --> 00:05:28,511 for this conference and despite the screen fatigue, 128 00:05:28,511 --> 00:05:30,570 that exceeds our numbers from last year. 129 00:05:30,570 --> 00:05:31,771 So thank you for being here. 130 00:05:31,771 --> 00:05:34,610 And I'm so thrilled that we are able 131 00:05:34,610 --> 00:05:37,010 to be together in this virtual space 132 00:05:37,010 --> 00:05:38,650 and that we continue to thrive in creating 133 00:05:38,650 --> 00:05:40,771 and finding community despite these obstacles, 134 00:05:40,771 --> 00:05:41,996 I wish we could all be together 135 00:05:41,996 --> 00:05:44,670 and I know we will be again soon and I'm honored 136 00:05:44,670 --> 00:05:46,251 to have the chance to share a few quick words 137 00:05:46,251 --> 00:05:49,031 about the status of the FEMC. 138 00:05:49,031 --> 00:05:51,753 But before I dive in, I absolutely have 139 00:05:51,753 --> 00:05:54,540 to acknowledge and thank the amazing group 140 00:05:54,540 --> 00:05:55,760 of staff based at FEMC 141 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,930 that made all this year's accomplishments a reality. 142 00:05:57,930 --> 00:05:59,470 I'm so thrilled to work with each 143 00:05:59,470 --> 00:06:01,070 and every one of you and I thank you 144 00:06:01,070 --> 00:06:02,920 for all that you do for this conference, 145 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:04,584 for the work and for our region 146 00:06:04,584 --> 00:06:05,900 and I'd also like 147 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:07,750 to thank our conference planning committee, 148 00:06:07,750 --> 00:06:09,951 Amanda Mahaffey of the Forest Stewards Guild, 149 00:06:09,951 --> 00:06:11,200 (indistinct) Valley 150 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,724 of the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, 151 00:06:13,724 --> 00:06:16,760 (indistinct) and John Horton 152 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,090 of the New Hampshire Division of Forest 153 00:06:18,090 --> 00:06:19,040 and Lands and finally, 154 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,468 Tim Howard of the New York Natural Heritage Program. 155 00:06:21,468 --> 00:06:22,560 I thank you so much 156 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:24,136 for your excellent work and developing the theme 157 00:06:24,136 --> 00:06:26,190 and agenda for this year's conference. 158 00:06:26,190 --> 00:06:27,501 It was a real pleasure to work with you 159 00:06:27,501 --> 00:06:31,377 and also we couldn't do this without our partners. 160 00:06:31,377 --> 00:06:33,650 Dozens of scientists and practitioners 161 00:06:33,650 --> 00:06:35,730 have engaged directly in the FEMC work 162 00:06:35,730 --> 00:06:37,278 across the region and that is 163 00:06:37,278 --> 00:06:39,010 why the cooperative is more 164 00:06:39,010 --> 00:06:41,040 than just staff shown here are the partners 165 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:41,873 who do some of the work. 166 00:06:41,873 --> 00:06:43,764 It's truly all of us who are doing this work together. 167 00:06:43,764 --> 00:06:47,744 So looking at the work that we have put forward this year, 168 00:06:47,744 --> 00:06:50,356 some of the key outputs I wanted to share 169 00:06:50,356 --> 00:06:52,190 while we have this time together. 170 00:06:52,190 --> 00:06:56,120 First, we know that despite the disruptions 171 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,010 and the need to figure out new ways of doing things, 172 00:06:58,010 --> 00:06:58,881 climate change has already started 173 00:06:58,881 --> 00:07:00,430 to impact our regions forests 174 00:07:00,430 --> 00:07:03,276 and monitoring those impacts requires collaboration, 175 00:07:03,276 --> 00:07:05,502 data sharing and comparable methods 176 00:07:05,502 --> 00:07:09,050 so that we can have a regional base to stand on. 177 00:07:09,050 --> 00:07:10,770 We have scoured the region for current efforts 178 00:07:10,770 --> 00:07:12,150 and provided overviews and links 179 00:07:12,150 --> 00:07:15,810 to over 350 programs and over 160 protocols 180 00:07:15,810 --> 00:07:16,682 that you can use to easily find, 181 00:07:16,682 --> 00:07:20,905 connect with and extend existing monitoring efforts. 182 00:07:20,905 --> 00:07:23,910 The actual patterns and timings of disturbance, 183 00:07:23,910 --> 00:07:25,500 such as drought, extreme weather 184 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:27,080 and fires can also be sensitive 185 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:28,979 to climate change and we wanna know if disturbance 186 00:07:28,979 --> 00:07:30,550 or (indistinct) are showing any signs 187 00:07:30,550 --> 00:07:32,450 of shifting across the region. 188 00:07:32,450 --> 00:07:33,799 FEMC analyze changes in extent, 189 00:07:33,799 --> 00:07:36,560 timing and severity for several disturbance types 190 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,661 in our region and we're able to deliver a portal 191 00:07:38,661 --> 00:07:42,180 to access data and trends snapshots 192 00:07:42,180 --> 00:07:43,589 alongside more detailed analysis 193 00:07:43,589 --> 00:07:45,698 as well as an inventory of existing monitoring 194 00:07:45,698 --> 00:07:49,463 to support people in the region for assessing these trends. 195 00:07:51,290 --> 00:07:52,430 I'm really excited 196 00:07:52,430 --> 00:07:55,038 that this year working closely with our state coordinators, 197 00:07:55,038 --> 00:07:59,229 FEMC was able to expand the Forest Health Monitoring Network 198 00:07:59,229 --> 00:08:03,540 to 200 plots across the region and data will 199 00:08:03,540 --> 00:08:06,130 be available along with preliminary reports 200 00:08:06,130 --> 00:08:06,963 in the coming weeks 201 00:08:06,963 --> 00:08:08,810 which will represent that first year 202 00:08:08,810 --> 00:08:11,266 of monitoring across the region 203 00:08:11,266 --> 00:08:12,760 for this expanded network 204 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,623 and I'm very excited to see where this goes. 205 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:18,832 We have also seen an expansion 206 00:08:18,832 --> 00:08:21,352 in our partnership efforts and projects. 207 00:08:21,352 --> 00:08:23,057 A few examples include the development 208 00:08:23,057 --> 00:08:25,160 of the Northeast Silviculture Library 209 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,040 which will include case studies 210 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:28,359 of using civil cultural strategies 211 00:08:28,359 --> 00:08:31,547 to address forest health challenges among others. 212 00:08:31,547 --> 00:08:35,939 We also worked on a effort to rescue forest health 213 00:08:35,939 --> 00:08:37,590 and inventory data at risk 214 00:08:37,590 --> 00:08:39,130 in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island 215 00:08:39,130 --> 00:08:40,610 as state directed projects 216 00:08:40,610 --> 00:08:45,610 and we built an online Oak Resiliency Assessment Tool 217 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,290 to support a broader outreach and education effort 218 00:08:48,290 --> 00:08:50,020 in Southern New England being led by a number 219 00:08:50,020 --> 00:08:52,883 of our partners which was a real treat to work on. 220 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,160 Coming up this year or new this year, 221 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:58,356 there are also several new developments 222 00:08:58,356 --> 00:08:59,514 that I wanted to share. 223 00:08:59,514 --> 00:09:01,084 Thanks to our strategic planning committee 224 00:09:01,084 --> 00:09:03,940 we have our first full strategic plan specific 225 00:09:03,940 --> 00:09:05,647 to the FEMC that's gonna guide our work 226 00:09:05,647 --> 00:09:07,208 for the next five years. 227 00:09:07,208 --> 00:09:08,808 We launched a successful first round 228 00:09:08,808 --> 00:09:11,240 of funding through the Ecosystem Monitoring Fund 229 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:12,879 with five funded projects receiving a total 230 00:09:12,879 --> 00:09:16,113 of over a $100,000 for work across the region 231 00:09:16,113 --> 00:09:18,230 and we welcomed 12 state coordinators 232 00:09:18,230 --> 00:09:19,335 who are now strengthening work 233 00:09:19,335 --> 00:09:21,049 and partnerships in each state. 234 00:09:21,049 --> 00:09:22,965 Looking ahead to 2022, 235 00:09:22,965 --> 00:09:26,120 we will continue our two current regional projects, 236 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,342 one focusing on the Browse Impact Assessment 237 00:09:28,342 --> 00:09:30,205 and the other on how we might monitor connections 238 00:09:30,205 --> 00:09:32,494 between recreation and forest health. 239 00:09:32,494 --> 00:09:34,649 We'll also be releasing a detailed communications 240 00:09:34,649 --> 00:09:35,914 and engagement strategy, 241 00:09:35,914 --> 00:09:37,580 updating our governance structure 242 00:09:37,580 --> 00:09:39,318 to formalize what is working well and continuing 243 00:09:39,318 --> 00:09:42,973 to develop and deliver state specific and regional projects. 244 00:09:43,944 --> 00:09:46,460 As Nancy mentioned, 245 00:09:46,460 --> 00:09:48,040 behind all of this our funders continue 246 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:49,360 to provide an impressive commitment 247 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:50,367 to the effort and this commitment 248 00:09:50,367 --> 00:09:53,019 and is continuing to broaden and I appreciate each 249 00:09:53,019 --> 00:09:55,154 and every one of these funders 250 00:09:55,154 --> 00:09:58,650 for keeping the FEMC going and as mentioned, 251 00:09:58,650 --> 00:10:00,070 we're able to leverage more funding 252 00:10:00,070 --> 00:10:02,606 from additional sources for other projects and efforts. 253 00:10:02,606 --> 00:10:05,660 So thank you for this ongoing support 254 00:10:05,660 --> 00:10:07,097 and I wanna second Nancy's appreciation 255 00:10:07,097 --> 00:10:08,843 of Senator Leahy for his work 256 00:10:08,843 --> 00:10:11,220 to keep the cooperative running. 257 00:10:11,220 --> 00:10:14,470 Now, I feel like I have to do this every conference 258 00:10:14,470 --> 00:10:15,575 but we do have to bid farewell 259 00:10:15,575 --> 00:10:18,306 to some longtime collaborators. 260 00:10:18,306 --> 00:10:20,550 Don Ross helped to establish 261 00:10:20,550 --> 00:10:22,890 and lead the 200 year soil monitoring studies 262 00:10:22,890 --> 00:10:25,220 for the first 20 years joining other founding members, 263 00:10:25,220 --> 00:10:27,463 Sandy Wilma, Tom Villers, Scott Bailey, 264 00:10:27,463 --> 00:10:29,890 Dean Long and Nancy Bert in setting 265 00:10:29,890 --> 00:10:32,091 up an ambitious effort to monitor forest soils 266 00:10:32,091 --> 00:10:33,439 for a long time, 267 00:10:33,439 --> 00:10:36,340 with a near total turnover in the original crew, 268 00:10:36,340 --> 00:10:37,500 I'm looking forward to the fact 269 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:38,595 that we are very much moving on 270 00:10:38,595 --> 00:10:40,280 with our next round of sampling 271 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,760 that begins next summer and I'm excited 272 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:44,560 to keep seeing Don in the field now and again, 273 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:47,220 I hope he won't be able to stay away. 274 00:10:47,220 --> 00:10:49,370 Jim Kellogg will also be retiring 275 00:10:49,370 --> 00:10:50,250 from the Vermont Department 276 00:10:50,250 --> 00:10:52,160 of Environmental Conservation this year 277 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,170 and Jim has served on VMC and FEMC, sorry, 278 00:10:55,170 --> 00:10:56,370 Vermont Monitoring Cooperatives 279 00:10:56,370 --> 00:10:59,230 and FEMC's advisory committees for over a decade. 280 00:10:59,230 --> 00:11:00,180 He has been instrumental 281 00:11:00,180 --> 00:11:02,640 in a wide range of water quality monitoring efforts 282 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,330 in Vermont and documented the impacts 283 00:11:04,330 --> 00:11:07,126 of acidification on high elevation lakes and streams. 284 00:11:07,126 --> 00:11:10,480 He's an ardent advocate for the roles our forests play 285 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,240 in supporting vibrant and healthy waterways 286 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:13,110 and I've personally learned 287 00:11:13,110 --> 00:11:14,779 so much from Jim and I'll miss his enthusiasm, 288 00:11:14,779 --> 00:11:18,403 dedication and fearlessness in tackling challenging issues. 289 00:11:21,180 --> 00:11:22,412 And closer to home, finally, 290 00:11:22,412 --> 00:11:24,077 we have two members of our amazing staff 291 00:11:24,077 --> 00:11:26,550 who will soon be moving on from FEMC, 292 00:11:26,550 --> 00:11:29,240 Pia Ruisi-Besares, our project manager will 293 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,310 be joining (indistinct) as the director 294 00:11:31,310 --> 00:11:32,740 of science climate and stewardship 295 00:11:32,740 --> 00:11:35,430 in January after a stellar year with FEMC, 296 00:11:35,430 --> 00:11:36,600 we were really lucky to be able 297 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:37,928 to steal her away from Hawaii 298 00:11:37,928 --> 00:11:41,310 and she is taken our project work to a new level. 299 00:11:41,310 --> 00:11:43,440 She's engaged with so many of you and shepherded many 300 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,201 of our projects through ups and downs and sadly 301 00:11:45,201 --> 00:11:47,865 because of the pandemic, many of you only ever got 302 00:11:47,865 --> 00:11:50,404 to meet Pia this way but even with these limitations, 303 00:11:50,404 --> 00:11:52,793 she has helped FEMC make huge strides 304 00:11:52,793 --> 00:11:54,777 and engagement in collaborative work. 305 00:11:54,777 --> 00:11:56,780 In addition, John Truong, 306 00:11:56,780 --> 00:11:58,940 our monitoring and services coordinator will 307 00:11:58,940 --> 00:12:00,370 be joining Vermont Fish and Wildlife 308 00:12:00,370 --> 00:12:03,967 as a game warden in April after five strong years with FEMC. 309 00:12:03,967 --> 00:12:04,944 John started out 310 00:12:04,944 --> 00:12:07,080 as a forest health monitoring technician 311 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:08,470 in a scrappy program that was eager 312 00:12:08,470 --> 00:12:10,190 to grow and he's now leaving 313 00:12:10,190 --> 00:12:12,760 behind a professional seven state forest health monitoring 314 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:14,130 network for our region supported 315 00:12:14,130 --> 00:12:16,067 by dozens of partners across the states. 316 00:12:16,067 --> 00:12:17,358 He's also been instrumental 317 00:12:17,358 --> 00:12:19,416 in expanding our fee for service work, 318 00:12:19,416 --> 00:12:22,990 keeping our air quality and meteorological programs running 319 00:12:22,990 --> 00:12:24,813 and he's a veritable expert in running conferences 320 00:12:24,813 --> 00:12:26,720 as many of you now know. 321 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,037 John, Pia, thank you for your dedication, energy, 322 00:12:30,037 --> 00:12:34,420 joy and hard work and best wishes with you as you move ahead 323 00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:38,010 but please don't forget to archive your data. 324 00:12:38,010 --> 00:12:41,010 So, looking at our conference ahead, 325 00:12:41,010 --> 00:12:42,660 we have two days of activities 326 00:12:42,660 --> 00:12:44,810 for you and we're excited to be using Zoom events, 327 00:12:44,810 --> 00:12:46,240 it looks like many of you have figured out 328 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:48,109 how to get in and it seems like a pretty great platform 329 00:12:48,109 --> 00:12:50,123 for being able to navigate a conference 330 00:12:50,123 --> 00:12:51,421 as if you're actually there. 331 00:12:51,421 --> 00:12:53,239 Make sure to browse through the sessions, 332 00:12:53,239 --> 00:12:54,697 set up an itinerary for yourself 333 00:12:54,697 --> 00:12:57,037 and you can find resources for how 334 00:12:57,037 --> 00:13:00,255 to navigate the conference on the FEMC's conference website. 335 00:13:00,255 --> 00:13:05,255 This meeting is approved for seven SAF, CFP credits. 336 00:13:06,010 --> 00:13:07,430 If you would like to receive credits 337 00:13:07,430 --> 00:13:10,370 and haven't filled out the request form, please do so. 338 00:13:10,370 --> 00:13:12,707 We'll drop a link in the chat so you can get it from there. 339 00:13:12,707 --> 00:13:15,010 We'll be tracking attendance by Zoom records. 340 00:13:15,010 --> 00:13:16,410 So if you fill out the form, 341 00:13:16,410 --> 00:13:17,627 you should be all set after that. 342 00:13:17,627 --> 00:13:21,566 All right, that is enough about us. 343 00:13:21,566 --> 00:13:25,193 I'd like to turn it over to our plenary.