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Governance
Committee / Land
Committee / Water
Management Committee / Water
Action Plan Committee
Technical Committee
Meeting
Thank you to Alan Jenkins and UNK for hosting the Technical Committee.
Dale Strickland made opening remarks regarding the milestones for the Technical Committee and progress to date. The peer-review process has been completed, leaving protocols for monitoring and research as the major task of the committee. The monitoring and research (M&R) protocols being developed as a part of the Proposed Program and are primarily for the first increment of the program. The protocols may also be needed to guide any M&R necessary during the CA or to serve as guidelines for M&R by the Districts, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), or others.
The agenda was reviewed. Mark Czaplewski suggested adding a brief discussion regarding FWS baseline proposal. Bob McCue then briefed the committee and answered questions. An item to set up a charter committee was added to the agenda, should time allow at the end of the meeting.
The subcommittees then reviewed the work products completed since the October 1st workshop. Presenting were:
|
Pallid Sturgeon |
Gene Zuerlein |
|
Future Listings |
Jeff Lucas |
|
Terns/Plovers |
Mark Peyton |
|
Whooping Crane |
Jane Austin |
Small groups were assigned to rework objectives and M&R needs based upon the morning discussions. The small groups reported their work back to the committee and work products were discussed and revised. Dale will have staff at West conform, format, edit and distribute the work product drafts.
There was general discussion of the work products and goals for writing the objectives. Dave Carlson expressed the concern that the objectives did not appear to relate to measuring the impacts of ôimplementing the Cooperative Agreementö or how the M&R information would be used in the adaptive management process.
After further discussion, it was agreed that the committee had reached consensus on the objectives and research needs but, management objectives would need to be identified in the future and a method developed to use the M&R information in developing, adapting, and revising management goals.
The issue regarding the "testing" of the FWS target flows or other hypothesis upon which the current management goals of the Cooperative Agreement and proposed program are based was discussed in depth. It appeared to be the general (but not absolute) consensus that the "tests" of flows and the assessment of flow modification impacts upon the target species and their habitats would be integral to all the M&R conducted under the Cooperative Agreement and program.
The group agreed to work together to define what is meant by a "Protocol" and what levels of details and information are needed to satisfy our obligation in the milestones to develop them. Mark Czaplewski and Jeff Lucas volunteered to assist Dale in developing a definition of M&R protocols. Dale will take this definition and develop a draft/model protocol to use as the starting point for developing a standard form and scope. He will attempt to use ongoing monitoring and research in his example. The example will be completed by December 1, 1998, depending on the availability of information on existing study plans.
WRAP-UP: Sub-group chairs will gather informal review of the objectives and M&R needs developed today. That information should be passed on to Dale and Jay. Additional comments received will be discussed and/or incorporated by the Sub-groups. Sub-groups are also to prioritize their objectives and M&R needs by the 23rd. The revised and prioritized objectives will be forwarded to Dale and Jay for distribution to the Technical Committee for review by November 23. The group will work together on developing the first drafts of protocols by January 15, 1999. We will then convene another Technical Meeting, tentatively set for January 27 and 28, 1999. Once protocols are developed, the committee will seek more formal outside review of the objectives, M&R needs and their associated protocols.
The next meeting is scheduled for 1 PM December 10th through 12 Noon on the 11th in Kearney, Nebraska. We will only meet for both days if necessary.
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