Just wanted to remind everyone who hasn't already registered that we have an excellent Spring meeting planned for April 9. Please send in your registration ASAP if you haven't done so already. The pre-registration deadline is April 2. Our Spring Meeting will take place on Saturday, April 9 in Chase Hall at Bates College in Lewiston. The theme for the meeting is "The Future of Plant Conservation in Maine" and a number of people have been working hard on the planning: Hank Tyler, Christopher Campbell, Arthur Haines, Alison Dibble, and Don Cameron. I'll paste in the draft agenda below. The meeting will begin at 9am and is scheduled to end at 3pm. The pre-registration cost is $12 (includes lunch at the Bates College cafeteria). Please make out a check payable to 'Rick Speer' and mail it by Saturday, April 2 to me at the address below. (Registration at the door will be $15.) For directions to Bates, look on their website at: http://www.bates.edu/directions.xml Rick Speer 566 N. Auburn Road Auburn ME 04210 (207) 783-8463 Draft Agenda Spring JBS Meeting Saturday, April 9th "The Future of Plant Conservation in Maine" Christopher Campbell, Moderator, Professor of Plant Systematics, UMaine 8:30 Registration 9:00 Welcoming by Christopher Campbell 9:05 Why It Is Important to Conserve Rare Plants - Dr. Alison Dibble, Plant Conservation Biologist, Brooklin, Maine 9:30 Conservation Status of Maine's Rarest Plants - Don Cameron, Department of Conservation, Natural Areas Program 10:00 Break 10:30 Future Conservation Issues in Maine - Karin Tilberg, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Conservation 11:00 Special Plant Habitats - Arthur Haines, consulting botanist 11:30 Plant Monitoring and Landowner Contact Program - Bill Brumback, New England Wild Flower Society 12:00 Lunch 1:15 Panel Discussion: Getting Involved in Future Plant Conservation Issues Hank Tyler, Moderator Panel members: Rep. Elaine Makas, Lewiston representative to Maine State Legislature Karen Tilberg, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Conservation Bonnie Loundsbury, past president, Androscoggin Land Trust Theresa Kerchner, stewardship and education director, Kennebec Land Trust Andy Cutko, Maine Natural Areas Program Josh Royte, The Nature Conservancy Paula Thompson, State Planning Office, Senior Planner