Fall 2006 Minutes

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training National Park Service

Snow Lodge, Yellowstone National Park, Wy.

October 16-17, 2006

Minutes

Preservation Technology and Training Board

Preservation Technology and Training Board Members Present: Mr. Robert Silman (chair), Dr. Judith Bense, Mr. Jim Garrison, Mr. Roy Graham, Ms. Suzanne Lewis, Mr. Rob Pahl, Dr. Frank Preusser, Mr. Horace Foxall and Mr. Norman Koonce

Members Absent: Ms. Patricia O’Donnell, Ms. Suzanne Turner, Mr. Norman Weiss

Designated Federal Official: Mr. Jon Smith

Northwestern State University of Louisiana Representative: Dr. Steve Horton

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training Staff: Mr. Kirk Cordell (Executive Director), Mr. Kevin Ammons, Mr. Andy Ferrell, Mr. Jeff Guin (October 17), Dr. David Morgan and Dr. Mary Striegel.

Association for Preservation Technology International Representative: Mr. Michael Schuller

Monday, October 16, 2006

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Silman called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m.

Certification of the meeting: Chair Silman asked Mr. Smith, DFO, to certify the meeting. Mr. Smith informed the board the meeting had been announced in the Federal Register as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (43 CFR Part 102-3.150 (a)). He certified the meeting and said that a quorum was present in compliance with the Board’s by-laws and charter.

Welcome: Chair Silman and Mr. Cordell welcomed the members of the Board and discussed the logistics of the meeting. They proceeded by introducing Dr. Steve Horton, Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and Associate Provost at Northwestern State University; and Mr. Michael Schuller, representing the Association for Preservation Technology International.

Approval of the Minutes: Chair Silman asked for comments on the Spring 2006 PTT Board Meeting Minutes. Mr. Garrison made the motion to approve. Dr. Preusser seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

NPS National Report: Cultural Resource Program Status, Budget Outlook, Policy Trends: Mr. Smith was welcomed to his first PTT board meeting as the designated federal official. He thanked the participants and noted that Chair Silman was to receive 2006 New York Landmark Lion Award. Mr. Smith provided some background information about himself, including his experience as the Indiana State Historic Preservation Officer, before coming to the National Park Service.

Regarding the National Park Service budget, Mr. Smith noted that NCPTT’s budget will not be zeroed out in FY 2007. He cautioned that NCPTT must show fiscal need, efficiency of performance, and deliver solid products now and in the future.

Mr. Smith asked the board to review a report on National Heritage Areas and the Federal Tax Act. He emphasized the importance of partnerships for the Center. He also stressed the need to define work in relation to Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) goals.

Ms. Lewis reported that a new Director of the National Park Service, Ms. Mary Bomar, would be sworn in on October 17, 2006. Ms. Lewis also noted a recent visit by Secretary Kempthorne to Yellowstone National Park. She opined that both Director Bomar and Secretary Kempthorne are hands-on leaders. Both Ms. Lewis and Mr. Smith discussed the upcoming Centennial Challenge for the National Park Service. As the National Park Service nears its 100th anniversary in 2016, the Federal Government will increase funding to support NPS activities. This support would be service-wide and include cultural resources as well as natural resources. They urged NCPTT to consider developing research and training ideas for the centennial challenge.

Action Item: Consider inviting Secretary Kempthorne, to NCPTT or NCPTT-sponsored function such as the Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop scheduled at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Pensacola, FL.

State of the Center: Mr. Cordell presented the state of the center to the board. He indicated that the center was thriving and had many accomplishments over the last six months. He noted several events.

NCPTT hosted a visit by Louisiana Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Tourism Angele Davis in May. The Center will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with her department and all NPS units in the state to offer mutual cooperation. Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Division includes departments of The Arts, State Parks, SHPO, Archeology, etc.

Mr. Cordell attended the American Institution for Conservation-Getty Conservation Institute Directors’ Retreat on Conservation Education in Austin, Texas, May 22-26, 2006, to discuss ways conservation organizations could improve delivery of services and keep up with technology. NCPTT will work on a clearinghouse of conservation literature with several other organizations.

NCPTT is participating in the national Preserve America summit Oct. 18-20, 2006, to mark the 40th anniversary of the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act. Chair Silman, Mr. Foxall, Mr. Ferrell, and Mr. Cordell are representing NCPTT and the Board. The summit will conclude work done through a series of focus panels that have been exchanging ideas since Spring.

The 2006 NCPTT Summer Institute had the most ambitious training schedule yet. The Archeology and Collections program presented “Prospection in Depth,” a 3-week course. The Architecture and Engineering program focused their 2-week course on building pathology. The Materials Research Program hosted an advanced workshop in cemetery monument preservation.

Continuing NCPTT’s educational efforts, the Center hosted eight interns during its annual summer internship program. The interns assisted in a wide range of projects from installing a joint laser facility to collecting oral histories of Creole burial practices. The efforts culminated in the sixth annual Preservation In Your Community public lecture with an audience of over 100.

Mr. Lance Ellis, NCPTT’s Information Technology Administrator, and Mr. Cordell represented NCPTT at the roll-out of the new DOI-Learn management system held at the National Conservation Training Center. This new system will manage all training offered through the Department of the Interior and provide training records for all DOI employees.

NCPTT co-sponsored a colloquium on Disaster Recovery at APTI in Atlanta in September. Mr. Ferrell and Mr. Cordell presented at the colloquium, which was very well attended and received. Dr. Tye Botting and Ms. Sarah Jackson also presented papers on NCPTT research during the body of the conference.

Regarding NCPTT’s Budget, Mr. Cordell was pleased to announce that fiscal controls were greatly improved this year, and the budget was managed very tightly, largely due to the efforts of Mr. Ammons. Mr. Cordell also acknowledged NCPTT Executive Secretary, Ms. Mary Ellen Servello’s work to keep the bills paid and the receiving reports up-to-date.

NCPTT was pleased with the President’s FY 2007 budget and appreciative of the support that so many have expressed. In particular, NCPTT received a proposed $19,000 cost of living increase in the budget. Ms. Lewis commented that central offices don’t tend to get cost of living increases and this indicated positive support by the agency. However, Mr. Cordell noted that essentially flat budgets continue to be a concern, and as NCPTT completes back-filling of vacant positions, funds for research and training efforts will be more limited. Mr. Cordell stated that Mr. Ammons would go over the budget in detail, but he did highlight the purchase of a portable X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer which would be used in multiple research projects.

Progress has been seen in the area of personnel this year. NCPTT has recently hired Chris Thornburg as its new Heritage Education Coordinator. Chris has been a park ranger and interpreter with the NPS, just finished her M.A. in Education, and is a certified teacher in Louisiana. Ms. Sarah Jackson was also hired on permanent staff in the Architecture and Engineering program. She will serve as the Architectural Conservator under Mr. Ferrell.

Filling the Chief positions has been troublesome, but progress was made. Dr. Morgan and Mr. Ferrell are now in Chief positions for their respective programs. After substantial effort, the Chief position in Landscape Architecture was classified and is ready to be advertised. Once this position is filled, NCPTT will be at full force for the first time since Mr. Cordell’s arrival four years ago.

NCPTT has just received the 2005 Annual Report from the printers and is ready to distribute it appropriately. The report will be sent via Jon Smith and Jan Matthews through the Secretary of the Interior to Congress and the President. Once it has cleared appropriate channels, NCPTT is prepared to mail the report to its full mailing list.

NCPTT continues facilities improvements. A new ADA-compliant ramp was completed on the front of the building. This allows for improved security and locking of office space separate from other facilities during events. Of note, progress with the Nelson Hall landscape plan continues and the plan will to go to bid shortly through the state procurement system.

The Knowledge Center and Marketing efforts continue to raise NCPTT’s Visibility in the preservation community. This includes the addition of the TelNPS system – a digital satellite broadcast system for distributing training events. To date, NCPTT’s link to the TelNPS system has enabled over 100 park and center staff to partake in more than 22 classes. NCPTT continues to build on the library, with over 50 books added since the last board meeting. Also, visitors to the NCPTT website grew by 17%. The on-line product catalog and hurricane recovery pages were most visited.

PTT Grants and Heritage Education Grants were awarded in 2006. Nine PTT Grants were awarded totaling $282,700. These grants included organizations like the National Gallery of Art. Heritage Education Grants totaling $40,000 were awarded to 16 teachers in Louisiana.

Mr. Cordell highlighted significant endeavors by each of the programs, including overviews on the Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop held in Virginia City, Nev.; the National Endowment for Humanities Grant awarded to Northwestern State University on behalf of Dr. Morgan; and sessions at the Rethinking Sustainable Construction conference in Florida.

Issues associated with the PTT Board were addressed next. Mr. Cordell reported that NCPTT staff is working to provide shorter, more concise reports to the board electronically prior to the meetings. The shorter reports were placed on-line, with hard copies provided on-site.

Action Item: The board was requested to provide feedback to Mr. Cordell regarding the organization and delivery of the board reports.

Board vacancies and appointments were discussed. Currently the board has one vacancy, the position formerly held by Mr. Lou Gallegos. Several board members are ending their term with the Fall meeting. They include: Chair Robert Silman, Dr. Frank Preusser, Mr. Norman Weiss, and Ms. Patricia O’Donnell.

Action Item: Chair Silman stated that he will contact board members whose terms are expiring and determine if they wish to be reappointed for another term. Board members were asked to suggest nominations for board positions by the spring board meeting. Chair Silman asked that NCPTT staff provide an analysis of the board members indicating the roles and positions they fill as defined by the legislation that created the board.

Partners Reports: Dr. Steve Horton represented Northwestern State University of Louisiana at the meeting. He provided greetings from Dr. Randy Webb, and then presented an overview of the partner activities. He indicated that the partnership with NCPTT was better than it has ever been. He stated that the University was facing major budget issues resulting from the impact of hurricanes on the state. He noted the new Masters of Art in Heritage Resources (MAHR) program had accepted 10 students in 2006 and 10 students for the 2006-2007 academic year. Also, NSU is in the review process to create bachelor’s degree in heritage resources. Lastly, he announced that an interdisciplinary program in Creole studies has been approved that pulls together information from seven academic programs.

Mr. Michael Schuller represented he Association of Preservation Technology International, where he is part of the training and education committee. He reported that APTI is financially sound and thanked NCPTT for their continued support. He announced to the board the development of a new cooperative agreement between NCPTT and APT that will be used to develop new training and education opportunities over the course of the next four years. NCPTT is funding the cooperative agreement for $10,000 with funds for workshops, summer institutes, annual meetings, etc.

Budget Report: Mr. Kevin Ammons spoke about the budget and presented the approved financial plan and actual expenditures for the FY 2006 budget. He noted that utilities for Lee H. Nelson Hall had increased 40 percent, which was an unexpected cost. Also, he highlighted NCPTT’s use of NPS Tel system for both receiving and disseminating training as a cost saving measure. Mr. Smith informed the board that NCPTT helped fund a study to determine the efficiency of Heritage Areas in the amount of $35,000 in FY 2006 funds. Mr. Pahl noted the high travel costs for the meeting and recommended that NCPTT carefully plan board meetings and events to minimize costs.

Action item: Travel issues were discussed, including international travel. It was recommended that Chair Silman write a letter to the NPS, including Steve Morris, to discuss NCPTT travel needs. In order to hold down costs for board or staff travel, it was recommended that non-refundable tickets be purchased whenever possible.

PTT Grants program: Dr. David Morgan reported on the 2006 grants program. A total of 45 completed applications were received and reviewed, with funding requests totaling $1.5 million. The proposals underwent a three-tier review. First, proposals were reviewed in-house by NCPTT staff to insure completeness and relevancy to the PTT Grant program. Second, proposals were assigned to a mini-panel of experts to evaluate and rank similar proposals. Third, high ranking proposals in each of the research priorities and in the other technologies category were selected for panel review. NCPTT awarded 9 grants, for a total of $287,000..

In preparation for the 2007 PTT Grants program, Dr. Morgan announced two major changes – the additional of a new research priority and an increase in the maximum awards offered. The new research priority focuses on “research and training proposals that develop innovative techniques in dating, monitoring, analysis, and remote sensing of archeological sites and artifacts.” NCPTT continues with its original research priorities as well. NCPTT will also increase the maximum grant award from $40,000 to $50,000, the first increase since the establishment of the program in 1994. Dr. Morgan also stated that NCPTT will continue its special initiative which “gives priority to research that develops or advances technologies to preserve storm damaged cultural resources.”

Discussions with the board included issues such as ways to increase applications to the program and whether or not a different review system might be needed. Dr. Bense suggested that we may not want to increase the number of applicants since the amount of grants funding may continue to be limited. She also urged NCPTT to give feedback to applicants, and encourage them to reapply next year. The review process was highlighted and some board members recommended going to a competitive review process with two steps. They suggested the Center consider a pre-proposal phase, requiring a letter of inquiry that would be reviewed by program chiefs prior to accepting an application.

Materials Research Program Report: Dr. Striegel began her presentation by discussing three new projects. She announced the development of a new NCPTT/NSU laser research facility based on equipment originally purchased through a cooperative agreement with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She also mentioned the purchase of a portable X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer to be used for a variety of field and laboratory projects. Striegel then described a new project looking at granite deterioration found in western cemeteries. She was pleased to announce the completion of several research projects including:

1. the study of the durability of traditional and modified limewashes, and
2. the evaluation of vitrification for historic terrazzo floors.

She described training successes as part of the National Cemetery Preservation Initiative. NCPTT hosted its first offering through the Summer Institute in Natchitoches, with Advanced Techniques in Cemetery Preservation (July 10-14, 2006). The fourth annual Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop was held in Virginia City, Nev. (Sept. 26-28, 2006). Both workshops were well received as evidenced by the participant evaluations. Dr. Striegel announced that NCPTT received the Association of Gravestone Studies’ 2006 Harriette Merrifield Forbes Award for its efforts in cemetery preservation.

Archeology & Collections Program Report: Dr. Morgan provided an overview of activities within the Archeology & Collections program. He noted his current work under the National Endowment for Humanities grant focusing on the process of Creolization through material culture. The excavation efforts funded by the grant were interwoven with the first archeological component of the Summer Institute program, Prospection in Depth. This event brought in instructors and staged workshops over three weeks focusing on Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), geo-prospecting, and ground truthing. The data was maintained on a NCPTT website which allowed students to continue to contribute to the project after the workshops. Other activities highlighted included:

1. a consultation with Cane River National Heritage Area and local Preservation Group regarding Yucca House contours and drainage issues;
2. research to evaluate the age of earthworks based on particle size of soils; and
3. the development of an Archeological Preservation and Technology Consortium with the Society of American Archeologists (SAA).

Architecture & Engineering Program Report: Mr. Ferrell announced the addition of Ms. Sarah Jackson to the Architecture & Engineering program. Sarah holds a Master of Arts in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her undergraduate degree in Environmental Design is from Texas A&M. Sarah previously worked with the Materials Research program as an intern and a contractor.

As part of the 2006 Summer Institute, Architecture and Engineering offered Historic Materials and Building Pathology (June 6-10) and Diagnostics Methodology & Treatment Strategies (June 12-16). Also, the Architecture & Engineering program is overseeing the work of interns J.C. Rivers and Rebecca Zarling, graduate students in the Master of Arts in Heritage Resources (MAHR) program at NSU. Rivers and Zarling are using global positioning technology to prepare an architectural survey to collect data related to the development of the City of Natchitoches for the Cane River GIS, a Geographic Information System developed by the Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA). Other activities highlighted by Mr. Ferrell included:

1. hosting a colloquium on Disaster Response and Preparedness sponsored by NCPTT at the APTI meeting;
2. offering a session on sustainable preservation at the 2006 Rethinking Sustainable Construction: Next Generation Green Buildings International Conference in Sarasota, Fla.; and
3. participating in a panel formed to discuss Dealing with the Unexpected at the Preserve America Summit in New Orleans, Oct. 19-20.

Ms. Lewis asked if NCPTT was involved or provided input into the NPS asset management program. She suggested there were opportunities for NCPTT to influence the care and maintenance of older historic structures within NPS through this program. Mr. Foxall indicated that much of what NCPTT does could influence maintenance within the NPS. He sited for example Mission 66 projects.

NCPTT Institute — A Vision for Training: Mr. Cordell led a discussion of NCPTT’s training activities with the Board. He summarized recent observations about training events. Natchitoches has proven to be a viable training location despite suggestions to the contrary. Nelson Hall is a versatile training facility as demonstrated this year with course offering by three programs. Students are satisfied with highly complex training. However, the summer is not the best time for field sessions due to the high temperatures and humidity for this location. NCPTT will look to spreading out training throughout the year. Mr. Cordell stated that the Center wishes to brand training as the NCPTT Institute with courses year-round, both in Natchitoches and elsewhere. NCPTT will consider an annual calendar of training events that can be circulated early in the calendar year.

Determining appropriate pricing for the workshops poses a problem for NCPTT. The NCPTT business plan required full cost recovery for training events. Cemetery workshops have been successful at this but others, such as archeology professionals are unwilling to pay these costs. Mr. Cordell believes that we need to drop tuition costs for some events, and asks for advice from the board regarding price points for our training efforts.

Ms. Lewis suggested that we carefully consider the name under which we brand the training activities. She believed that the NCPTT Institute would be better used by a 501(c)3 organization affiliated with the Center. Mr. Koonce pointed to the professional development needs of the American Institute for Architects, an organization that had 25,000 participants at its annual meeting. Mr. Koonce and Mr. Pahl stressed the need to tie NCPTT training to continuing education credits. Mr. Ferrell noted that the Architecture & Engineering summer institute program does offer AIA credits. Regarding price points, Mr. Graham suggested that $500 per week was in the ball park.

Chair Silman expressed concern and disappointment in the number of participants and in the course level of the Historic Materials and Building Pathology and Diagnostics Methodology & Treatment Strategies courses. He felt the information was much too basic and did not generate the kind of appeal needed.

Recommendations: NCPTT may wish to target Federal Preservation Officers as a possible target audience for NCPTT training products. NCPTT should strive to be closely allied with the NPS and teach in areas of specialty. There was a consensus that NCPTT needed to consider repackaging its successful workshops for different audiences in order to maximize impact. Also, these training activities could have different price points depending on the targeted audience.

The board was willing to offer further discussions of NCPTT’s training activities through the on-line board forum and a questionnaire to be developed by the Center.

NCPTT Friends Group Formation: Mr. Koonce led a discussion of the board regarding the need for and development of a non-profit cooperating association and a subsequent capital campaign. The board felt NCPTT had compelling needs for an association based on the fact the government funding wasn’t adequate for many of the National Center’s activities. For example, it is becoming more difficult to maintain the building facilities, much less complete the track level of Nelson Hall. Additional funding is needed to increase program activities, offer scholarship opportunities, support heritage education, and provide research for a broad spectrum of new preservation technologies. Also, NCPTT has immediate needs to facilitate training events, create publications, fund research, and distribute its products.

Ms Lewis provided information about the Yellowstone Association, a cooperative association that provides assistance to Yellowstone National Park. She indicated that 15 percent of the proceeds of the Yellowstone Association come back to the park. They also assist in the printing, marketing and distribution of publications, among other activities.

Recommendations: Through a discussion of non-profit 501(c)3 organizations, the board recommended consideration of the establishment of a NCPTT Association. This membership-based cooperating association can help meet many of NCPTT’s current needs including handling training events, publications, acceptance of funds for research, etc.

Mr. Cordell and Mr. Smith will need to research the background information into cooperating associations. They need to review Director’s Order 21 and Director’s Order 32 which will help define and shape such an organization.

Motion: by Dr. Bense and seconded by Dr. Preusser, “Recommend that the staff moves forward to begin researching and establishing a 501(c)3 cooperative association.” The motion passed unanimously.

END OF DAY ONE

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Wingspread Conference: Chair Silman led this working session in order to refine and shape concepts for a Wingspread conference on sustainability in preservation. He began with a recap of activities associated with the Board’s efforts to organize and fund a Wingspread Conference. Wingspread conferences are hosted and facilitated by the Johnson Foundation. However, funding these conferences does not come from the Johnson Foundation. Of note, the Wingspread Conference is responsible for the development of National Public Radio.

Activities by others on the topic of sustainability were reviewed. Discussions included work by the Green Building Council which have set the metrics for new buildings, and Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEEDS) which has established “how-to” systems. But to date, Chair Sliman pointed out, the development of the philosophy of sustainability has lagged behind efforts to create sustainable building.

Most discussions on sustainability have focused on the built environment. But the board wanted to expand this dialog to other areas of preservation, including archeology, collections, and landscapes. Dr. Morgan stated that sustainability in archeology is being handled on an ad-hoc basis. Excavation sites now need management plans. Dr. Preusser stated that sustainability in museum collections is a random decision based on requirements of the curators and others. Also, he noted that sustainable collections and sustainable buildings are related. Mr. Foxall pointed out that landscape sustainability depends upon type of landscape – rural, urban, etc. and includes issues such as walkways, vegetation, and lighting, among others.

Issues that were discussed by the board included intended goals for, appropriate length of, the organization of, and recommended participants for the conference. The goals for the conference would be to lay the groundwork for the philosophical guidelines needed for sustainable issues in preservation. One outcome would be a document –, perhaps associated with the Secretary of Interior Standards – clearly stating this philosophical guidance. The meeting should be about three days in length with 1-2 page position papers prepared prior to the conference. The conference would be facilitated and include a keynote speaker as well as breakout sessions dedicated to the topics of archeology, the built environment, collections, and landscapes. Participants would include board members (12), NCPTT staff (5), Invited experts from each field (12) and the facilitator (1), for a total of 31 participants.

In order to implement this project, three committees were identified:

1. The participants committee was tasked with identifying key experts and included Mr. Foxall, Ms. Turner, Dr. Bense, and Dr. Preusser (facilitator).
2. The budget/fund-raising committee was tasked with determining an appropriate budget and identifying fund-raising strategies and efforts. This committee included Ms. Lewis, Mr. Silman, and Mr. Graham.
3. The briefing paper committee was tasked with shaping the concept into a brief for federal officials and included Mr. Cordell and Mr. Smith.

Recommendations: The outcome of the Wingspread conference should be a series of philosophical concepts on sustainability as it relates to all areas of preservation which could be added to the Secretary of Interior Standards.

The board and staff need to work together to define the criteria for selection of participants to the conference. Names need to be suggested within the next six weeks.

A briefing paper on the conference needs to be prepared by the board and presented by Mr. Smith and Mr. Cordell to the new NPS Director, Ms. Mary Bomar, and the Associate Director for Cultural Resources, Dr. Jan Matthews.

2:00 PM TOUR OF OLD FAITHFUL INN

The board took a break from the proceedings of the meeting to participate in a tour of the Old Faithful Inn, which was currently undergoing rehabilitation. Ms. Lewis provided a guided tour of this historic structure.

Board Administration

Board Vacancies: Chair Silman indicated that three of four board members have agreed to serve a second term on the board. The reappointments include Frank Preusser, Norman Weiss, and Robert Silman. Patricia O’Donnell has declined a reappointment. Nominations for the board were sought. The board requested a matrix of positions, fields, and organizations represented so that they could see gaps and help make nominations to the board. Possible names of these appointments may include Jay Johnson (archeologist) and Art Foster (Landscape Architect).

Board Elections: Chair Silman stated that the PTT Board traditionally advances vice-chair to the chair, but Ms. Lewis cannot accept the chair position. Thus, the board needs to determine a chair and vice-chair.

Mr. Preusser nominated Mr. Jim Garrison for the position of vice-chair. Mr. Foxall seconded the nomination. Nominations for vice-chair were closed. Mr. Garrison was elected unanimously to the position of vice-chair of the PTT Board.

Mr. Graham nominated Dr. Judith Bense to the position of chair. Dr. Preusser seconded the nomination. Nominations for chair were closed. Dr. Bense was elected unanimously to the position of chair of the PTT Board.

Board Reports: The board in general liked the electronic board report, but would like to see it ten days to two weeks prior to the meeting. They would also like to receive a hardcopy of the report at the meeting.

Spring 2007 Board Meeting: The Spring 2007 board meeting will be April 1 through 3, 2007 in Natchitoches, LA. April 1 will be a travel day. The meeting will be April 2 and part of April 3. The program chiefs will not give formal presentations, but will present important activities through written reports.

Fall 2007 Board Meeting: The Fall 2007 board meeting will be held in conjunction with the APT meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The dates of the meeting will be November 1-3, 2007. The El Convento may be a good conference hotel for the meeting. Meeting space can be held at the National Park.

Board Representative to the PTT Grants Review: Jim Garrison volunteered to be the Board representative to the PTT Grants national panel. He asked that the meeting be held on March 2, 2007.

Centennial Challenge: The board initiated a discussion on possible funding for NCPTT activities through the upcoming National Park Service Centennial Challenge. Broad brush ideas for Centennial Challenge projects were considered including:

1. developing NCPTT efforts could improve training for park service employees;
2. creating an initiative on sustainability and developing scholarships or research positions with a named position to do research in sustainability; and
3. developing a more international influence. Mr. Smith indicated that the administration is looking for big impact items.

Mr. Foxall suggested that recommendations may come out of the Preserve America Summit. Thus NCPTT should look for specific items that can be fulfilled by the Center.

Recommendations: NCPTT should propose projects for the Centennial Challenge, but may need to wait and see if there is a true commitment based on the Federal Budget.

Lee Nelson Prize: Chair Silman provided a history of the activities to date for the Lee Nelson Prize. Mr. Weiss and Mr. Graham were asked by the board to look at awards given by other groups. They reported their findings at the spring 2005 board meeting in Santa Fe. They found that most of these awards carried no monetary value with few exceptions. In Santa Fe, the board decided to establish an award from NCPTT with a plaque and a title in honor of Lee Nelson. During that time, the board discussed presenting the award at the APT meeting or the National Trust meeting in order to garner higher visibility. Chair Silman asked the board if they wished to move forward with this concept.

Some issues to be addressed included

1. the question of whether or not the award should carry a cash prize; and
2. if the prize should be awarded within or outside the National Park Service.

Chair Silman suggests that a committee is needed to determine these and other questions about the award.

Based on discussions, it was determined that Chair Silman will write Pat Tiller to see if he will chair the award and assist in fund raising. Other suggestions for projects included the creation of a NCPTT prize within the Cultural Resources Division of NPS. This Prize would include a monetary award to the NPS employee who demonstrates excellence in preservation technology through park projects.

MEETING ENDED