ASA Board of Directors:

The following items were passed:

1. Separate the Tri-Societies management and services from the ASA programs.

2. Reduce the size of the ASA Board to 15 members by removal of CSSA and SSSA
representation such that the ASA consists of the 9 ASA division representatives, Executive
Committee (Present-elect, -past, and -current), ICCA representative, Editor-in-Chief, and Budget
and Finance Committee Chair.

3. Create a new Tri-Society management entity Executive Board that will consist of the 9
members of the Executive Committees of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA (President-elect, -past, and -
current), ICCA representative, and the ASF representative.

These changes will require a by-laws change and a majority vote in a mail out ballot of the
membership.

4. It was decided that the conference program book will be provided to members within the US
wanting a program in advance of the meetings. Each society will be allowed to have its own
unique cover on the program book.

5. The budget was approved with no change in dues for 2005.

The SSSA Board of Directors:

1. The SSSA Strategic Plan for 2005-2010, available on the SSSA website
(http://www.soils.org/), was approved.

2. The SSSA Board of Directors will be restructured to a reduced size of 15 voting members
consisting of the 11 divisional representatives, the SSSA Executive Committee (President-elect, -
past, and -current), and a representative of the certified professional soil scientists.

This change will require a by-laws change and a majority vote in a mail out ballot of the
membership.

3. Divisions supported the SSSA Executive Committee suggestions to provide financial support
to state professional soil science licensing efforts.

4. Divisions supported the SSSA Executive Committee suggestions to provide financial support
to the Smithsonian Exhibit initiative.

5. The SSSA Budget and Finance committee expressed concern over the financial status of the
Vadose Zone Journal (VZJ) but recommended that it be continued. However, it was stressed to
the SSSA Board that VZJ is in a critical year for becoming financially independent as free
subscriptions to libraries end this year. Members are strongly encouraged to contact their libraries
to request they subscribe to the VZJ. There is a subscription request form provided on the VZJ
website at http://vzj.scijournals.org/.