Meeting Information May 2016

AGENDA

May 3-4, 2016

Eco-Discovery Center

Key West, Florida

MEETING MINUTES - MAY 3-4, 2016

The Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council) convened a two day in person meeting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Eco Discovery Center in Key West Florida on May 3-4, 2016.  In accordance with the provisions of Public Law 92-463, the meeting was open to the public throughout its duration.

Council Members in Attendance:  Scott Kovarovics (Chair), Betty Huskins (Vice Chair), John Arway, Thom Dammrich, Chris Edmonston, Gene Gilliland, Fred Harris, Gary Kania, Mac McKeever, Mike Nussman,  John Sprague,  James Zorn

SFBPC Members Unable to Attend:  James Adams, John Adey, Doug Boyd, Alvin Taylor

Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the Council:  Brian Bohnsack, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Other Attendees:  Keith Boulais, Allan Brown, Tom Champeau, Russ Dunn, Beth Dieveney, James Erskine, Shannon Estenoz,  Peter Frezza,  Steve Guertin, Jim Kalvin, David Miko, Cheri Morgan, Amber Nabors,  Phil Seng

The meeting was called to order by Council Chair, Scott Kovarovic. Council members and guests provided brief introductions.  The Designated Federal Officer identified that a quorum of Council members were in attendance and the official meeting began.

Beth Dieveney, Deputy Superintendent, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, gave a general briefing on the history, operations and current status of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.  The sanctuary was authorized by Congress in 1990 with the passage of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Act.  The sanctuary’s first management plan, zoning schemes and regulations were implemented in 1997.  Ms. Dieveney also discussed how the sanctuary uses marine zoning and advisory councils to try to limit user conflicts on the sanctuary while allowing as much public use and access as practical.  The sanctuary is currently in a regulatory review process that is scheduled to be completed in 2017.  The review process is getting stakeholder comments throughout this process.  Ms. Dieveney responded to questions and comments on her presentation from Council members Thom Dammrich, Gary Kania, Mac McKeever, Mike Nussman and John Sprague.   Specifically, Council members inquired about the status of dredging in Key West for cruise ships (McKeever), overall sanctuary relationships with anglers and boaters (Dammrich, Kania and Nussman), and status of economics associated with boating on the sanctuary (Sprague).  Mr. Sprague also asked if the Sanctuary had an official position on the Florida Reefs initiative. Ms. Dieveney indicated that the Sanctuary /NOAA did not have an official position on the initiative.   

Allan Brown, Assistant Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service- Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program, updated the Council on fisheries activities in the southeast region.  Mr. Brown highlighted the Fish and Wildlife Service’s hatchery program work in the region and focused in particular on that portion that is funded from the approximately $5 million in reimbursable funding from the Corps of Engineers.  Mr. Brown stated that much of the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program’s focus in the region is on restoration activities, including striped bass, paddlefish, and American shad.  Other high priority conservation activities include mussel and darter research and resource management work. Mr. Brown also discussed the regional staff’s activities with fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage projects.  Council members Gene Gilliland and John Sprague asked about the region’s overall budget.  Council member John Arway asked about performance metrics for the regional program and also about how the program identifies its priority efforts.  Mr. Brown indicated he would provide that information later.  Council member Gary Kania asked about the status of the program and how it works within the Landscape Conservation Cooperative.  Mr. Brown responded that the regional staff works well within the framework of the Cooperatives.

Russ Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, gave an update on current coastal recreational fisheries issues.  Specifically, Mr. Dunn updated the Council on the status of NOAA’s implementation of its saltwater recreational fisheries policy.  As part of the policy implementation, NOAA committed to 69 different actions/projects and activities at the national level that benefit recreational fishing over a four year time-frame.  Mr. Dunn reported that 24 projects had been completed, 14 had been initiated with either some or moderate progress being completed and 1 project had a substantive change.  In addition, Mr. Dunn informed the Council about NOAA’s efforts to implement the recreational fisheries policy at the regional level.  Mr. Dunn stated that each of NOAA’s 5 Regions and the Highly Migratory Species Management Division are working on efforts to implement different aspects of the policy.  Some of the activities that NOAA’s regions have undertaken include continuing to support state efforts with improving the collection of recreational fisheries data in the northeast and southeast regions, increasing education and outreach efforts, and advancing large scale fish passage and restoration projects on the Kenai peninsula in Alaska

Mr. Dunn also informed the Council about upcoming workshops on alternative management options being held by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the American Sportfishing Association in mid May 2016.  He also informed the Council about an artificial reef workshop being hosted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and NOAA Fisheries in early June 2016.  Mr. Dunn discussed the continued research on barotrauma and the advances being made in this area.  Mr. Dunn informed the Council about the benefits of some of the release devices that are now available commercially and how this is in turn benefitting both the recreational angler and also the overall fisheries.  James Zorn and Mike Nussman had follow up questions on aspects of barotrauma.  Mr. Nussman recommended that recreational anglers get credit for raising attention of the issue of barotrauma.  John Sprague asked about economics associated with recreational anglers.  John Arway inquired about how the reduced mortality of fish that is being achieved by recreational anglers is being accounted for in harvest models, stock assessments and other regulatory actions.  Mr. Dunn answered all of the Council members’ questions.

David Miko, Chief, Division of Fish and Aquatic Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, updated the Council on major activities of the division in recent months.  Specifically, Mr. Miko discussed the program’s efforts to implement the strategic plan that was finalized in 2015.  Mr. Miko highlighted that the division’s efforts to develop annual work plans at the program level that tie back to strategic plan’s stated goals.  The division is doing this nationwide and at the local project level.  The work plans provide the basis for improved planning and will allow the division to develop deliverables and create a record for planned and completed accomplishments.  The division will use these as a measurement tool to monitor programmatic successes and they will continue to be refined and honed in future years.  A total of 616 work plans were developed for fiscal year 2016 by Fish and Aquatic Conservation division staff and they are being compiled and summarized.  The division is using these plans to help define our program better and also align funding and staffing.  Continued staff education for work plan development is needed and is being given as needed.  The result of these efforts will likely result in a reduction in the number of work plans submitted in future fiscal years and also an improvement in the conciseness of future plans.  Mr. Miko also informed the Council of the development of a work plan module in the Fisheries Information System (FIS) that the division uses for accomplishment tracking and other purposes.  The work plan module will uniformly capture expectations and accomplishments and will also provide a national, division-wide summation of the various activities.  Thom Dammrich asked about the overall percentage that salary accounts for in the program’s budget and requested to receive additional information on the program’s overall budget in the future.  Specifically, Mr. Dammrich would like to see a breakdown of the budget by overall category (e.g., salary, non-salary, etc). Council members asked about how the program will be integrating the work plans and working with partners to develop the work plans.   Allan Brown also provided additional clarifying statements to the Council on how his region is developing annual work plans.  Specifically, Mr. Brown mentioned that regional staffs are getting input from state stakeholders during various coordination meetings, stocking meetings, and other meetings.  Mr. Miko also discussed that the headquarters’ program relies on our regions to reach out to partners.  John Arway stated that the planning efforts sound like they are making good progress within the program.  Mr. Arway inquired about how the program’s planning efforts are connected with other FWS program plans and planning efforts.  Mr. Arway expressed concern that the Fish and Aquatic Conservation program’s planning efforts may not be linked in to an overall Fish and Wildlife Service plan.  Mr. Arway stated there are 4 different Landscape Conservation Cooperative plans being implemented in his state and hopes that the Fish and Aquatic Conservation program’s planning efforts are connected.  David Miko responded that the Fish and Aquatic Conservation program is trying to reach out to different Fish and Wildlife Service programs and to be inclusive in their planning efforts.  Gary Kania expressed concern that the different Service programs may not be coordinating well between themselves with planning efforts.  Gary asked that the Council consider an action item for monitoring the implementation of the work plans.  Mr. Kania raised the question of the Council’s role with monitoring work plans and overall planning efforts and reminded everyone of the concerted effort that the Council placed in developing the Council’s strategic vision for the program.  David Miko suggested that the Council does have a role with implementing the program’s strat plan.  Mike Nussman expressed concerns about the overall Fish and Wildlife Service’s and the Fish and Aquatic Conservation program’s attention to recreationists.  Mr. Nussman would like a more detailed briefing on how the program is implementing its strategic plan goals associated with recreation.  Scott Kovarovics mentioned he is interested in monitoring the continued progress of the program with moving forward.

Gary Kania briefly raised the question of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s possible role with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its ruling on replacing culverts.  FEMA is determining eligibility and issuing guidance on culverts that are being repaired or replaced as a result of storm events.  The Council discussed whether this was a statutory or regulatory issue with FEMA and took no further action.

Keith Boulais, Chief Executive Officer, Premier Materials Technology, informed the Council about his company’s work to develop an ecologically friendly toxicant for quagga and zebra mussels.  Mr. Boulais’ company has developed a product called EcoSoar that can be used for invasive mussel control.  Mr. Boulais stated that his company had partnered with the Corps of Engineers to test the effectiveness of the product.  The company’s testing found mussel veligers suffered 91% mortality within 10 minutes and 100% mortality in 30 minutes after being exposed to the product.  Mr. Boulais informed the Council about the potential advantages of his product over the conventional and current mussel decontamination techniques such as hot water washdowns.  Mr. Boulais expressed a desire to test the product in an open water environment.  None of this testing has been completed to date.  Mr. Boulais is in communication with members of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force and hopes to raise awareness within the Task Force about the EcoSoar product and its potential uses.  John Arway asked about the product and in particular asked about whether water treatment plants will accept waste water that contains the product.  Chris Edmonston asked about whether the product can be recycled/reused.  James Zorn asked about the commercial availability of the product.  Mr. Boulais indicated the product is commercially available now.

Mike Nussman updated the Council on the status of the Blue Ribbon Panel.  Specifically, Mr. Nussman gave an update on the history of the Panel and its current status.  The panel is proposing $1.3 billion of funding dedicated from the revenue received from royalties generated from drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and other areas.  The funding would be used for activities identified primarily in State Wildlife Plans.  Mr. Nussman indicated Representative Don Young (Alaska) may sponsor the bill, as well as potentially Senator Dingell.  The proposed bill has lots of supporters.  Council members indicated that Senate support may be lacking.  John Arway pointed out that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is currently looking for a national coordinator for the Panel and that the individual would seek help get the legislation coordinated and passed.  The Council briefly discussed whether to prepare a letter of support to the Secretary for the proposed legislation and overall effort, but determined it was not necessary at this point.

Steve Guertin, Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, updated the Council on the status of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2017 budget request and other initiatives.  Mr. Guertin reported that the Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget request includes a request for an additional 235 FTE’s and increased funding for pollinators. Mr. Guertin informed the Council that the current staffing level is down about 800 individuals from fiscal year 2010.  In addition, Mr. Guertin indicated that the Fish and Wildlife Service plans to increase its urban refuges program and seek long-term Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships that seek to engage urban youth in fishing, canoeing, archery and other outdoor activities and also contribute to urban youth education in STEM fields.  Mr. Guertin discussed 5 new urban refuges that the Service has started in recent years.  The 2017 budget request also proposes additional funding for the maintenance backlog.  Specifically, the Fish and Wildlife Service has requested $3 million for hatchery maintenance projects, $2.6 million for the National Conservation and Training Center and an additional $500,000 for refuge maintenance.  Mr. Guertin briefly discussed the status of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and that the Service has stood up 22 of these in recent fiscal years.  John Arway shared a concern about the lack of coordination with the LCCs.  Mr. Guertin responded there is now a LCC Council and that Tom Champeau had attended a recent meeting of the LCC Council.  Mr. Guertin informed the Council that Assistant Director Hannibal Bolton was taking a new assignment to help lead the Fish and Wildlife Service’s diversity and engagement effort.  Thom Dammrich asked about the number of staff members assigned to headquarters.  Mr. Guertin responded there are approximately 600 individuals assigned to headquarters, though some of these are not physically located in Falls Church.  For example, he mentioned approximately 100 individuals that are assigned to the business center in Denver and 100 international affairs staff that are not located in Virginia.  John Sprague thanked Mr. Guertin for additional money and focused attention on permitting staff in Ecological Services. 

Mr. Guertin continued his presentation and discussed that the leadership of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) was being rotated this year to the Fish and Wildlife Service.  Mr. Guertin stated he hopes to bring in more traditional stakeholders to the FICOR group and meetings while the Fish and Wildlife Service is in charge of it. 

The Council’s afternoon session featured a panel discussion on the Everglades. Panel members included Shannon Estenoz, Director, Everglades Restoration Initiative, U.S. Department of the Interior, James Erskine, Everglades Coordinator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Peter Frezza, Research Manager, Everglades Region, Audobon of Florida, who each gave presentations to the Council. 

Ms. Estenoz gave an overarching presentation on the Everglades.  Ms. Estenoz’s presentation included a discussion on historic activities to alter and regulate the flow of water in the Everglades that began in the late 1800s and early 1900s and continued on for decades.  Some of the specifics about the Everglades include that it receives more than 60 inches of water per year and covers approximately 18,000 miles (approximately 2x the size of New Jersey).  The presentation discussed how the water management developments of the 20th century are now creating resource issues in the 21st century.  The projects have resulted in degraded water quality, disrupted water quantities, disrupted timing of flows, and uneven water distribution.  As a result, the ecosystem has little resilience and there are more than 70 threatened and endangered species found within the Everglades.  Ms. Estenoz informed the Council about the current initiative (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, aka CERP), which is working to undo much of the engineered water control projects that were completed previously.  These efforts will improve the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of water in the Everglades and ultimately benefit the ecosystem.  The current initiatives are projected to require a 30 year time frame before their completion given current funding trends and plans.  Ms. Estenoz discussed further some of the different water quality issues that are occurring throughout the system such as the discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the Gulf and Atlantic river drainages.  Ms. Estenoz also discussed some of the natural performance metrics that are being monitored to evaluate the success of the CERP as it is being implemented.  In concluding, Ms. Estenoz gave several recommendations as to how stakeholders and the public can help this effort right now.

Peter Frezza continued with the discussions and presentations on the Everglades.  Mr. Frezza discussed the some of the major restoration projects that are being completed.  He discussed how he and his organization are helping to monitor the results of the projects.  Mr. Frezza explained some of the performance metrics that are being used to document the impacts of the various projects.  For example, he discussed how wading birds can be used as a performance metric to monitor the success of a project.  He further discussed how wading birds can serve as surrogate metric to document the effects on fish species.

James Erkskine continued the panel presentations and discussed some of the state’s roles with the overall CERP project.  Mr. Erskine discussed the state’s role with acquiring water rights and also some of the projects being undertaken by the Corps of Engineers.  Mr. Erskine stated that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is working closely with the Corps of Engineers on many projects and the overall management.

At the conclusion of all of the presentations, the panel members then participated in a question and answer period.  John Sprague asked about the timeline for the CERP.  Ms. Estenoze responded it will be about 10 years before the various projects will likely be able to effectively influence water being distributed to the southern Everglades.  John Arway asked about the algae blooms.  The panel indicated that the state of Florida has a $880 million plan to help clean up the water.  Mr. Arway inquired further about whether the state had considered the practice of “nutrient trading” could be a management option.  Jim Zorn inquired about the status of tribes.  James Erkskine responded that at least two tribes are actively involved in the Everglades restoration effort.  Specifically, the Seminole and Mikasuki tribes are actively engaged in the restoration processes.  Ms. Estenoz added the Tribes are proponents for traditional uses of the Everglades resources.  Mike Nussman asked about whether there was bi-partisan support for the Everglades restoration activities.  The panelist responded there has been bi-partisan support.  Thom Dammrich asked about what the Council could do to support the Everglades restoration effort.  The panel responded to simply support the established plans (CERP) and Everglades Commission.  The panel indicated it would be important to keep the incoming administration informed about the Everglades and the importance of continued support for the overall projects.

There were additional questions on the timing of the Everglades Restoration project’s completion.  The panel indicated at the current rate of funding that the project could extend until 2050.  Gary Kania, Thom Dammrich and Mike Nussman had a discussion about the funding levels and whether the Council or others should advocate for additional funding from the Water Resources Development Act program.  Betty Huskins asked if there is a Congressional champion of the restoration project.  The panel responded that all of the Florida Congressional delegation had been supportive of the project to date.

Tom Champeau, Director, Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, updated the Council on major saltwater and freshwater recreational fisheries issues affecting the state of Florida.  Specifically on coastal and saltwater issues, Mr. Champeau discussed the status of 1) red snapper management in coastal waters in Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic waters, 2) the status of the General Management Plan for Key Biscayne National Park and legislation that has been introduced regarding the park, 3) lionfish management in Florida waters, 4) the status of the projects and funding associated with the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, 5) water quality management issues associated with Lake Okeechobee’s unseasonal high water and accompanying discharges, and 6) algal blooms in the Indian River lagoon.  Mr. Champeau updated the Council on several initiatives associated with freshwater recreational fisheries issues and general fishing promotion. Specifically, Mr. Champeau discussed the cooperative project between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation to assess/improve anglers’ experiences with the fishing license purchase process.  He also discussed the Florida agency’s efforts to expand high school fishing teams with the assistance of the FLW Foundation, the Bass Federation, and the expansion of fishing and boating camps in south Florida.  Mr. Champeau updated the Council on the status of Florida’s Trophy Catch program and his agency’s use to further corporate partnerships and promote fishing participation.  He also touted the state’s new and simplified regulations for black bass that become effective in July 2016.  These are the first major changes to Florida’s bass regulations in about 25 years. Finally, Mr. Champeau also updated the Council on a pilot project for boat moorings and the status of the state’s Boating Infrastructure Grant program.  The state will produce an assessment report on the project for planned distribution to the state legislature in January 2017.  

The meeting adjourned for the day.

May 4, 2016

Council Members in Attendance:  Scott Kovarovics (Chair), Betty Huskins (Vice Chair), John Arway, Thom Dammrich, Chris Edmonston, Gene Gilliland, Fred Harris, Gary Kania, Mac McKeever, Mike Nussman,  John Sprague,  James Zorn.  Council member Doug Boyd participated in part of the meeting by teleconference. 

SFBPC Members Unable to Attend:  James Adams, John Adey, Alvin Taylor

Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the Council:  Brian Bohnsack, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Other Attendees:  Allan Brown, Tom Champeau, Russ Dunn, Beth Dieveney, James Erskine, Steve Guertin, Ken Hammond, Meaghan Johnson, Jim Kalvin, David Miko, Cheri Morgan, Amber Nabors,  Ryan Olson, Frank Peterson, Phil Seng, Nicole Uibel, Robert Spotsworth

The meeting was called to order by Council Chair, Scott Kovarovics.  The Designated Federal Officer identified that a quorum of Council members were in attendance and the official meeting began.

Robert Spottswood, Commissioner, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissioner gave a brief opening statement and welcome to the Council.  Mr. Spottswood is actively involved with conservation in the state via his appointment as a Commissioner.

Because the Council meeting had ran long on the previous day, no public comments were sought or given.  Therefore, the Council allowed Mr. Kalvin to provide comments at the start of day 2.  Mr.  Kalvin of Standing Watch discussed several items of concern.  He spoke to the Council about the U.S. Coast Guard’s consideration of switching to only electronic navigational aids rather than the current system that features buoys.  He also expressed concerns about proposed area closures of some federal areas in Florida and expressed concerns about the Florida Reefs initiative.  Mr. Kalvin indicated that he had participated in an issue with Shell Island State Parks in Florida.  As a result of the Shell Island management issue, Florida state parks are now having meetings to discuss potential changes to management plans that could result in closures of additional areas to boating.  Mr. Kalvin indicated that his organization had got its start many years ago when issues with manatees were initially at the forefront.  Mr. Kalvin indicated that he and the Standing Watch organization remain active in manatee regulatory issues with federal and state agencies.  Mr. Kalvin shared concerns that the local Audobon chapters had posted access limitation signs on some Florida state parks and now seems to be pursuing expanding these efforts to other state parks.  Scott Kovarovics asked about the issue of the Coast Guard’s navigational buoy issue.  Thom Dammrich, Gene Gilliland and Chris Edmonston responded to Mr. Kovarovics question.  Mr. Dammrich indicated he would share a presentation given by the Coast Guard on this issue.  John Arway expressed appreciation to Mr. Kalvin for his comments and expressed concern about growing issue of reduced resource access that is occurring at federal and state agency levels.

Gary Kania requested permission to give the Council an update on the potential listing of marine monuments.  Mr. Kania indicated that the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council had been briefed on this issue and the need to remind the Secretary of the Interior and also the Secretary of Commerce about ensuring boating and fishing access with future marine monument designations.  Mike Nussman and Thom Dammrich expressed support for the Council to write a letter to the Secretaries on this topic.  Jim Zorn asked that Tribal interests and access also be included in the letter.  The Council reviewed a draft letter prepared on this topic and made minor editorial changes.  The Council voted and agreed to send a letter to the Secretaries. 

Betty Huskins, Council Vice Chair, and Phil Seng, Vice President, D.J. Case and Associates, updated the Council on the final draft report of the Council’s Outreach Committees assessment and evaluation of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation for fiscal year’s 2013-2015.  This assessment was completed with the assistance of a Council sub-committee working group that was comprised primarily of individuals that had also completed an assessment for fiscal years 2010-2012.  Ms. Hoskins and Mr. Seng led a discussion and presentation on this.  The Council was provided a draft copy of the assessment before the meeting in order to allow their review of the findings and recommendations.  Betty Huskins discussed the Assessment Team’s detailed consideration of whether RBFF should focus more attention to conservation education activities and messaging versus promoting participation.  Ms. Huskins stated that the Council’s Assessment Team had eventually come to the conclusion that RBFF should continue to focus primarily on messaging and efforts that seek to increase participation.  John Sprague raised concerns about RBFF’s existing performance metric of increased license sales.  He was concerned that this metric could or should be revised to better reflect activities that RBFF can influence and more effectively track.  John Arway commented similarly.  Thom Dammrich questioned Ms. Huskins and Mr. Seng about whether any differences in the findings and recommendations existed between this report and the completed for fiscal years 2010-2012.  Mr. Seng and Ms. Huskins stated there were many similarities in the findings and recommendations.  Mr. Dammrich also stated that there could or should be recommendations for relevant stakeholders to assist with the overall goal of RBFF to increase participation (ie, RBFF cannot complete the task without support and commitment from stakeholders).  There was discussion about whether the original 5 questions and objectives raised in the Council’s original strategic plan for the National Outreach and Communications Program are still relevant.  There were some additional questions and comments between the Council members regarding RBFF’s role and ability to meet the NOCP goals without participation from its stakeholders. In response to the relevancy of the Council’s strategic plans identification of 5 overall goals, Phil Seng recommended that this be a priority consideration for the Council in the future.  Ms. Huskins pointed out that the current funding level for the National Outreach and Communication Program is less than that of the town of Asheville, North Carolina for its tourism promotion efforts, whereas RBFF and the Program are seeking to be relevant at the national level.  Mike Nussman and Betty Huskins commented about the role of state fish and wildlife agencies in increasing their efforts to market and promote recreational fishing and boating.  Specifically, Mr. Nussman expressed concerns regarding the inability of RBFF or others to influence the amount of funding and resources state fish and wildlife agencies devote to fishing and boating promotion efforts.  Mr. Nussman praised RBFF for the increasing role of providing consulting type services and advice to state fish and wildlife agencies when requested.  Betty Huskins also reiterated the need for natural resource agencies to build capacity for marketing.  Steve Guertin responded to some of John Sprague’s earlier comments regarding the performance metric of license sales and how this number is reported by state fish and wildlife agencies to the Fish and Wildlife Service.  Mr. Guertin also stated that this number is routinely looked at by auditors since it is used in the annual apportionment process by the Fish and Wildlife Service for grant funding purposes.  This is why the time frame can be slow since the reported numbers must be firmly established.  John Arway also agreed with Mr. Guertin’s comments and provided examples from the state of Pennsylvania.  Brian Bohnsack provided a rationale as to why this measure was recommended and chosen by the parties as a performance metric after a previously completed Council assessment.  Frank Peterson provided insights on license sales and ways the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation is working with state fish and wildlife agencies to improve the license purchase experience.  John Sprague asked about what factors cause people to stop fishing. 

Betty Huskins recommended that a marketing specialist be brought in to update the Council routinely at future meetings on trends affecting participation in outdoor recreation.  Ken Hammond commented that the golf industry has a $56 million budget for marketing and promoting participation in golf. 

The Council then returned to specific review and comments on the draft assessment.  Thom Dammrich raised questions and recommended taking out Table 5 in the draft report and made other editorial recommendations.  Council members provided some additional feedback on editorial changes. The Council then discussed some additional minor editorial changes.  Jim Zorn motioned for the Council to approve the report in principle with the understanding additional editorial changes would be needed.  Mike Nussman seconded the motion. The motion passed.

Betty Huskins recommended that the Council and Fish and Wildlife Service immediately begin the process of establishing a review team for the next assessment of RBFF and also to begin the process of hiring a contractor to assist with the review.  Ms. Huskins based these recommendations on the Council’s experience with experiencing delays with the 2010-2012 assessment in which various delays occurred (including delays with the contracting process, Federal government and other factors).  Ms Huskins proposed this as a motion.  Fred Harris seconded the motion.  The motion passed.

Frank Peterson, President, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, gave a presentation on the status of the Foundation’s activities and initiatives.  Mr. Peterson noted that the brand awareness for TakeMeFishing had leveled off some since increasing significantly from 2010 and that stakeholder satisfaction rates were improving.  In addition, Mr. Peterson presented results from the Foundation’s fiscal year 2016 performance measures.  Of the performance measures discussed, 6 had increased from 2015, while 2 had decreased.  In addition, Mr. Peterson discussed the status of their #FirstCatch campaign, Vamos a Pescar, AREA R3 model, the revised TakeMeFishing web site, and the George H.W. Bush Vamos a Pescar Education grants.  Mr. Peterson also updated the Council on fishing participation trends.  RBFF’s research continues to highlight that more individuals are leaving fishing each year than new participants.  Thus, the need to implement R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) strategies with groups.  Mr. Peterson discussed various factors affecting angling participation and some strategies to overcome these.  Mr. Peterson concluded his presentation with a discussion on the Foundation’s new “60 in 60” initiative which will try to increase the number of anglers to 60 million in 60 months.  This goal and initiative was discussed and developed during a recent board of Director’s meeting for the Foundation.

Gary Jennings, manager of American Sportfishing Association’s Keep Florida Fishing Initiative, participated via a teleconference to update the Council on the status of the “Our Florida Reefs” initiative.  Mr. Jennings initially gave a brief background on the Keep Florida Fishing program.  Mr. Jennings then provided an update on the history of the “Our Florida Reefs” initiative.  This initiative began in 2004 and was originally sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  The initiative has continued over time and is co-managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  The initiative has continued over the years.  Mr. Jennings stated that the initiative is being guided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection rather than the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  The group has developed a list of recommended management actions for much of southern Florida’s reefs and some of these recommended actions include the designation of No-Take zones.  Mr. Jennings and members of the Council expressed concerns over the process by which the initiative has developed these proposed management actions.  Mr. Jennings stated that the Our Florida Reefs initiative has determined that coral reefs are negatively affected by recreational fishing and thus have developed the proposed management actions that include the No Take zone designation.  Mike Nussman clarified that some of the proposed management actions would make 20-30% of the state waters No Take zones in southern Florida and thus reduces recreational fishing access.  John Sprague gave additional insight into the origins and current focus of the Our Florida Reefs initiative.  Mr. Sprague stated that the initiative has received grant funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  He also stated that the initiative’s next meeting is scheduled for June 1-2.  Mr. Sprague has become involved in the initiative in recent months and has heard complaints from boating and fishing stakeholders about the initiative’s processes and that some stakeholders have concerns about being able to provide effective public input on their management actions.  Mr. Nussman summarized Mr. Jennings’ presentation and stated that they wanted to raise this issue to the Council’s attention at this time.  Because the initiative’s most controversial management actions are proposed for state waters, there was no action recommended or taken by the Council at this time.

Tom Champeau, Chair of the National Fish Habitat Partnership and Director, Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, updated the Council on the status of National Fish Habitat Partnership.  The Partnership celebrated its 10 year anniversary in April and has several events being planned or proposed.  Specifically, the Partnership is identifying opportunities to highlight its accomplishments at the upcoming American Fisheries Society, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and American Sportfishing Association’s Sportfishing Summit meetings in the fall.  In addition, a briefing on Capitol Hill is being considered. The Partnership currently supports 19 regional grassroots partner organizations and is focused on improving fish habitat throughout the country.  Mr. Champeau discussed the status of the National Fish Habitat Conservation through Partnerships Act, which has been included in a broader bill (Senate Bill 2012- Energy Policy Modernization Act) with several other conservation bills that were previously introduced into Congress.  Mr. Champeau also discussed Beyond the Pond, the new 501 c(3) foundation associated with the National Fish Habitat Partnership.  This foundation has been formally established and began efforts to raise funding for the Partnership.  Gene Gilliland asked about how funds raised by Beyond the Pond would be distributed.  Mr. Champeau responded that funds that are raised by the Foundation for specific partnerships would in turn be distributed to that specific effort. Mr. Champeau also clarified that the Foundation does not currently have a fund raiser hired.  The Foundation is currently staffed by the Board members.  John Sprague inquired about why the current NFHP map and partnerships do not include marine or coastal area.  Mr.Champeau responded that research is evolving on coastal partnerships and that there will likely be some in the future.  John Arway questioned about how NFHP can help Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and also asked about whether the Service has a master plan that incorporates NFHP partnerships with LCCs and other conservation initiatives.  Mr. Champeau indicated make sure that Science and Data committees are communicating and that cooperation is occurring.  John Arway suggested that FHPs may be a delivery mechanism for Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.  Council member Doug Boyd, a Council representative on the Partnership’s board, phoned in to the meeting to inform the Council about recent Partnership board meetings and activities.  In particular, Mr. Boyd discussed the issue of the allocations of funding to the different Fish and Wildlife Service regions for Partnership efforts.  Mr. Boyd indicated that he had recommended that the Fish and Wildlife Service consider using a panel of representatives similar to what is used with the Boating Infrastructure Grant program to rank and review funding proposals.  Mr. Boyd thought that this approach leads to greater understanding and support of the program and efforts by external stakeholders, as experienced with the joint review team of Fish and Wildlife Service staff and the Council’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program Tier II ranking subcommittee.  Mr. Boyd expressed concern that this recommendation was not being considered by the Fish and Wildlife Service to his knowledge.  Mr. Boyd reiterated his opinion that this idea would likely benefit the Partnership and its stakeholders.  Mr. Boyd indicated that a draft letter expressing concerns about this issue has been prepared to be sent to the Fish and Wildlife Service.  Mr. Champeau indicated that the NFHP board is aware of this issue and that the board’s frustration has decreased some since a previous meeting but that there does remain some concern about the lack of cooperation between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the NFHP board.  Jim Zorn reminded the Council and others about the NFHP charters and the need to ensure Tribal interests are considered as well.  Gene Gilliland reiterated the importance of the NFHP partnership funds, especially for the Reservoir Partnership.

Dan Clark, Refuge Manager, Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex, gave an update on the refuge complex.  Mr. Clark stated The Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a very popular recreation destination and has a wide range of resource management issues.  Mr. Clark indicated that the complex has experienced budget and staff declines in recent years.  He indicated that the complex currently has a staff of 10 but in previous years had as many as 20.  John Sprague asked some general questions regarding the refuge’s management.  Mr. Clark offered to provide a tour of the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge after the meeting to any interested Council members or members of the public attending the meeting.  However, he cautioned that it could be a brief tour due to pending inclement weather.

Brian Bohnsack, Designated Federal Officer, gave an update on Council appointments.  All current Council members’ appointments expire in June or July 2016.  The Fish and Wildlife Service received nominations and applications for the 2016-2018 Council term and is processing them for review by the Secretary of the Interior.  All of the current Council members or their respective organizations have requested to be reappointed.  In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Service received nominations from several other individuals.  The Fish and Wildlife Service is also processing the Council’s charter for renewal.  It expires in the early summer and will also need renewed by the Secretary of the Interior.  Mr. Bohnsack responded to Council members questions on both issues.

The Council meeting began wrap up discussions.  The Council suggested that an August meeting may be a possibility if the Council appointments are finalized.  The Council recommended that Brian Bohnsack complete a Doodle poll to determine availability for some selected dates in August.  The Council members suggested that the next meeting be held at an urban refuge.  Mike Nussman commented that he would like to have fewer updates on the agenda for future meetings and instead have a more focused discussion on selected issues.

John Arway motioned for the meeting to adjourn.  John Sprague seconded the motion.  The meeting was adjourned.