Videoconference Minutes - March 23-24, 2022
On March 23 and 24, 2022, the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council) held a two-day meeting by videoconference.
Attendance
Council Members
Janine Belleque, States Organization for Boating Access
Douglass Boyd, Coastal Conservation Association
David Bulthuis, Pure Fishing
Christopher Edmonston, Boat U.S. Foundation
Daniel Ferris, Midwest Outdoors Ltd.
Barb Gigar, Aquatic Resources Education Association, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Christopher Horton, Congressional Sportsmen Foundation
Glenn Hughes, American Sportfishing Association
Scott Kovarovics, Izaak Walton League of America
John Sprague, Marine Industries Association of Florida
Ex-officio Members
Stephen Guertin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Tony Wasley, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Alternate Members
Ron Regan, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Michael Wichrowski, State Organization for Boating Access
Other Attendees
Bob Curry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Russell Dunn, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Eric MacMillan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Thomas McCann, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Designated Federal Officer
Gwen Bausmith, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Dave Chanda, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
Craig Martin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
David Miko, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Council Decisions and Action Items
Council Actions:
•The Council will consult with staff to determine when and how they can meet before the expiration of the current charter, in order to prepare for the transition to the inter-department charter between the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Commerce (DOC).
Council Decisions:
•The Council approved the August 2021 meeting minutes.
•The Council approved the draft updates to the National Outreach and Communications Program Assessment statement of work and evaluation criteria as final recommendations for the Service.
•The Council appointed Carly Hysell, Louis Chemi, and Wade Middleton to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation Board.
Committee Business:
•The Council will work with the Designated Federal Officer to schedule subcommittee meetings, continuing their work on non-motorized vehicles and access issues leading up to the re-chartering at the beginning of 2023.
Meeting Summary
March 23, 2022 – Day 1
Convene Meeting, Introductions, and Confirm Quorum
Thomas McCann welcomed members of the Council and all others present and briefly reviewed the protocol for the virtual meeting. Mr. McCann called the role and determined that a quorum was present. A motion to accept of the minutes of the previous meeting was made by David Bulthuis, was seconded by Douglass Boyd, and was approved by a unanimous voice vote.
National Outreach and Communications Program (NOCP) Assessment Updates on the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
Scott Kovarovics reviewed the NOCP assessment, noting that the pandemic has delayed the project, and presented the proposed edits to the scope of work to solicit bids from contractors. Mr. Kovarovics reported that the RBFF performance assessment metrics were last updated in 2017 and he reviewed the work done at that time to expand the metrics, to include outcome measures in addition to output measures. Mr. Kovarovics shared the NOCP Assessment Committee’s recommendation that the Council vote to approve the proposed edits as final recommendations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). Glenn Hughes remarked that the proposed scope of work is a good starting point for restarting the NOCP review process and applauded the Assessment Committee’s deliverables over the last three years, despite challenges posed by the pandemic. Barb Gigar remarked on the expanded communications and marketing aspects of the proposed scope of work and discussed the importance of establishing an adaptive process that, for the sake of expediency, does not rely on the Council so directly. Mr. McCann reviewed the work done alongside contracting authorities to prepare for the bidding process, how the bid has been adapted to solicit the contractors best able to perform to the assessment’s needs, and how contractors may be alerted to the bid’s publication. David Miko noted that all applicants will be reviewed by the contracting office. A motion to approve the proposed scope of work as a final recommendation to the Service for the NOCP assessment was made by Mr. Kovarovics, was seconded by Ms. Gigar, and was approved by a unanimous voice vote.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Updates
Stephen Guertin provided updates to the Council on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Administration
Martha Williams was recently sworn in as the Director of the Service and Mr. Guertin briefly reviewed Ms. William’s professional background.
Budget
Mr. Guertin reported that the omnibus appropriation bill that was recently signed into law by the President included a $70 million increase to the Service’s budget for FY22, which will cover fixed costs and congressional earmarks. Mr. Guertin reported that the Service additionally received approximately $500 million in project funding as part of the (BIL), which will be used to support restorations at Klamath, Lake Tahoe, Sage Steppe, and the Delaware River. Mr. Guertin reported that the first tranche of projects, in coordination with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), will begin in the near future and he discussed some of the other collaborative projects that were funded by the BIL that the Service will be involved in. Additionally, the Service has received approximately $100 million per year through the to support refuge backlog maintenance projects.
Climate Change
Mr. Guertin reviewed the America the Beautiful Initiative to create more parks and safe outdoor opportunities, support Tribal-led conservation and restoration projects, expand collaborative conservation of fish and wildlife habitats and corridors, increase access to outdoor recreation, and incentivize voluntary conservation of fisheries, ranches, farms, and forests. The Service, Mr. Guertin reported, will be involved in the habitat, restoration, and access-related projects to support sustaining wildlife populations. Mr. Guertin reported on the Biden Administration’s expansion of the Trump Administration’s work to provide increased access by sportsmen to the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). Mr. Guertin reported that the BIL has required the reestablishment of the Council under a new charter under both the Department of the Interior and Department of Commerce; Mr. Guertin discussed the work being done to prepare the new charter well in advance of the statutory deadline.
Committee Discussion
Mr. Hughes discussed the need for the Council to meet more frequently in the future and a proposal to extend Council membership on a temporary/emeritus basis in order to provide onboarding support for new members during the upcoming transition period. Mr. Edmonston noted that subcommittees are allowed to include former members in their meetings, but that same dynamic is not allowed at the Council level; Mr. Guertin and Mr. Miko confirmed the statutory framework for the Council but agreed to explore ways to facilitate subcommittee meetings during the transition period. Christopher Horton inquired as to whether the re-chartering of the Council will mirror that of the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, which was similarly re-chartered under both the DOI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mr. McCann confirmed that charter would be one of the models that the staff will consult in preparation for the re-chartering process. Mr. Miko noted that the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force is another joint-department advisory committee whose charter will be consulted. Ms. Gigar, Mr. Edmonston, and Mr. Guertin discussed possible ways the Council could facilitate additional meetings before the conclusion of the current charter and during the bridge period to the next charter, including the use of subcommittee meetings.
Mr. Ferris asked for more detail on the budget increases associated with hunting and fishing access on the NWRS. Mr. Guertin detailed the yearly analysis of the NWRS portfolio to confirm that access is granted in accordance with the purposes of the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act. The analysis works with local managers to identify compatible uses of refuge units. Mr. Edmonston requested an accounting of revenues generated from extractive leases that were approved by Secretary Zinke in order to fund, among other things, backlog maintenance projects in the NWRS. Mr. Guertin outlined the various DOI initiatives that the royalties from oil and gas drilling leases support and agreed to provide an update from the asset management team to detail NWRS maintenance priorities and timelines. Responding a question from John Sprague, Mr. Guertin agreed to provide updates to Council members during the charter transition period.
Mr. Guertin assured the Council that the staff are diligently front-loading work to ensure a smooth transition during the re-chartering period and remarked that current members are encouraged to reapply to the Council under its next charter. Responding to a question from Christopher Horton, Mr. Miko reported that nominations to the next iteration of the Council cannot be submitted before the new charter is published, but stated that the staff would conduct preparatory work to ensure that nomination requests would announce shortly after charter approval in an attempt to facilitate quick composition of the new Council. Mr. Miko, following up on components of the BIL, reported on funding designated for a study on the impact of derelict vessels and potential solutions, as well as a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the increased use of non-motorized vessels and the impact on access and user conflicts. Mr. Edmonston remarked on the Council’s responsibility not only to restart subcommittee work on those topics, but also to provide solid footing for the next iteration of the Council.
Fisheries Issues Subcommittee Updates
Mr. Bulthuis provided updates to the Council on behalf of the Fisheries Issues Subcommittee. The Subcommittee unanimously agreed that access should remain the primary focus, and that the next Council should reorganize its subcommittees to tackle individual issues related to access. Mr. Edmonston proposed a schematic by which the next Council would provide advice on sportfish management at DOI and DOC, particularly to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and requested input from the Council on how the next Council should be organized, given the intersecting and overlapping jurisdictions between DOI and DOC. Mr. Bulthuis and Mr. Horton discussed the intersection of recreational and commercial fishing when it comes to access, as well as increases in participation and issues. Mr. Hughes remarked on the relative lack of oversight over certain projects and the role that the next Council can play in assessing issues like access that cross not only department lines, but also the subject areas assigned to the Council. Mr. Sprague discussed the time and personnel constraints that have prevented deeper study on access issues in specific locations. He also remarked on the value of unifying the permit oversight processes of DOI and DOC under the new Council charter to meet the robust demand for public access to boating and fishing areas. Mr. Bulthuis outlined the process by which the Council may identify access issues, conduct a study to provide quantitative data on locations and roadblocks, and formulate potential solutions that target hotspots. Mr. Edmonston and Mr. Bulthuis discussed the conflicts that have arisen among boaters of all types because of access issues, which makes it a prime topic for study by the next Council. Janine Belleque remarked on the importance of including non-motorized craft and the types of water bodies being utilized in the Council’s assessments and oversight, given that non-motorized boating is a rapidly expanding activity, which has also resulted in conflicts at access points. Mr. Edmonston noted that non-motorized craft do not pay motorboat fuel taxes or register their craft and discussed the safety implications of the latter, which may warrant further study by the Council. Mr. Miko discussed the allocation of funds across agencies and departments for fish passage projects, which provide another opportunity to address access issues.
Boating Issues Subcommittee Updates
Mr. Edmonston reviewed the issue of derelict vessels, which municipalities and states have worked to curtail through regulations and programs. Current statutes prevent state agencies from charging fees for anything other than the cost of registering boats and Mr. Edmonston noted that one solution to derelict vessels may be allowing the levying of fees for abandoned watercraft. Rhode Island Marine Trades and other organizations in coastal states have begun shredding fiberglass derelict vessels and selling the shreds to cement manufacturers to fund derelict vessel cleanup. Mr. Sprague outlined various Florida programs that have attempted not only to clean up derelict vessels, but also to transform the fiberglass into useful material; various Florida municipalities have also established tests to determine the seaworthiness of craft in order to eliminate unnecessary watercraft. Mr. Sprague described the logistical challenges associated with such programs.
Outreach and Communications Subcommittee Updates
Mr. Kovarovics provided updates to the Council on behalf of the Outreach and Communications Subcommittee, who reviewed the initiation of the RBFF assessment process and described the significant overlap among the various subcommittees’ topic areas via access and motorized-versus-non issues, among others. Ms. Gigar remarked on the importance of collaborating with other groups, given the diversity of needs among boating and fishing enthusiasts. The Council discussed the logistics around restarting the subcommittees, including member assignments, and Mr. Miko remarked on the potential value of including former Council members in subcommittee meetings to jump-start their work. Mr. McCann discussed the possibility of utilizing related experts in that same fashion.
Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) Updates
David Chanda, President of the RBFF, provided foundation and program updates to the Council. Mr. Chanda reported that the next round of work on the foundation’s three-year strategic plan will be at the center of the June 2022 foundation board meeting in Alexandria, Virginia. The foundation has hired a consultant to assist them in that process and Mr. Chanda discussed bringing in federal partners to add value to the planning sessions. Mr. Chanda reviewed the foundation’s mission: to develop a national strategy to grow fishing and boating participation while driving awareness and appreciation for conservation and recreation work and ensuring that the water is open to everyone.
Mr. Chanda reported that participation numbers received a bump during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but noted that fishing participation has trended upward for many prior years. Mr. Chanda credited both robust partnerships and extensive outreach efforts for these trends; youth participation, Hispanic participation, and Black participation have all increased in recent years with overall participation trending younger and more urban. Mr. Chanda reported on the efforts taken in conjunction with state partners to reactivate anglers and onboard new anglers, as well as the internal assessments being done to determine how the foundation can better assist its industry and state partners.
The foundation’s four business objectives are consumer, state, industry, and federal engagement. Mr. Chanda noted that consumer engagement is the foundation’s primary focus, with other areas of engagement focusing largely on helping partners improve their own consumer engagement efforts. COVID-19 presented the foundation with an opportunity to retool its campaigns, which have resulted in more impressions than any previous engagement campaign; Mr. Chanda outlined the marketplace data and described the foundation’s targeted platforming to reach diverse audiences through diverse media. Mr. Chanda reported some engagement events, including Women Making Waves at ICAST, and remarked on the overall increase in the foundation’s new and returning internet traffic that occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and has sustained since then. He credited this to efforts to keep the foundation’s digital content up-to-date and relevant. Mr. Chanda discussed how the foundation has worked to use its digital content to coalesce information and education in its social media engagement.
Mr. Chanda briefly reviewed the Angler R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation) Scorecard, which is a foundation initiative that is designed to gauge fishing and boating authorities on their fishing education, boating education, and outreach efforts. The initiative was unanimously approved by all 50 U.S. state fish and wildlife agency directors and required that state agencies develop plans to measure recruitment, and to allocate funds, personnel, customer service systems, and databases to R3. The initiative is what the foundation uses to track states and understand where they can provide additional assistance; all 50 states and the District of Columbia continue to voluntarily participate in the program. Mr. Chanda outlined how the scorecard has streamlined plan creation and implementation for all participants and discussed the ongoing workshops and meetings the foundation utilizes to provide continuous assistance in all aspects of R3, which has led to increased expertise and capabilities among state partners overall. Mr. Chanda discussed grants and programming that have been formed among state and industry partners to support urban and minority boaters and anglers; these include in-person outreach programs and mail campaigns to keep vessels registered.
Mr. Chanda briefly reviewed several industry partnerships the foundation has engaged that, like state partnerships, leverage expertise and abilities to best serve existing and potential boaters and/or anglers. Mr. Chanda additionally outlined the research efforts that will continue to inform the foundation’s outreach and engagement work. Mr. Chanda next described the foundation’s federal outreach and partnership work, particularly with the Forest Service and Park Service on access and information programs, which align with the overall foundation goals of increasing boating and fishing engagement and access for all.
Mr. Edmonston remarked on the value return on the foundation’s work and Mr. Hughes remarked on the tremendous work being done by the states and the equally tremendous growth potential that remains. Mr. Ferris requested additional information on work to collect churn rate data, as well as efforts to increase retention and reactivation rates. Mr. Chanda described the initiatives and funding furnished to states in support of those endeavors, as well as the need to increase efforts to expand diversity and inclusion.
Council Vote to Fill Vacant RBFF Board Seats
Mr. Edmonston reported that two seats on the RBFF board are currently vacant, with one additional spot requiring a one-year temporary appointment due to an early departure. Mr. Edmonston and Mr. Hughes reviewed the current candidates and their professional experiences/qualifications; they include Louis Chemi, Wade Middleton, and Carly Hysell. The Council discussed the importance of fostering diversity of opinions and backgrounds as the Council evolves. Mr. Hughes moved that the Council postpone the vote to the next meeting day so that the members may propose additional candidates as well as confirm the number of seats currently vacant. Mr. Edmonston accepted the motion.
Public Comments & Adjourn
There being no public comments or other business, Mr. Edmonston adjourned the meeting at 3:59 p.m.
March 24, 2022 – Day 2
Convene Meeting, Introductions, and Confirm Quorum
Mr. McCann welcomed members of the Council and all others present and briefly reviewed the protocol for the virtual meeting. Mr. McCann called the roll and determined that a quorum was present.
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) Updates
Bob Curry provided updates to the Council on the WSFR Program. Mr. Curry reviewed receivables between 2019, 2020, and 2021, which were down for the last three quarters of 2021 and were down overall compared to 2020. $399.7 million in sport fish restoration apportionments was distributed to the states in 2022, which was a 3.5% decrease from 2021, and was matched with $133 million in state contributions. Gas taxes have represented approximately 68% of trust fund receipts over the last ten years; of all receipts in 2021, gas taxes were 61.5%, excise taxes and duties were 34.2%, and interest was 4%. Mr. Curry additionally provided preliminary information on Q1 2022 receipts, but noted that final numbers would be published as they become available from the IRS. Mr. Curry reported that motorboat registrations, whose information is used to calculate gas taxes and thereby support the Sport Fish Boating Trust Fund, were down in 2020 from 2019 by 0.034%; 95% of registrations are for vessels less than 26 feet in length. Mr. Curry reported on the success of the Boating Access Grant Program run by the McIntosh Rod and Gun Club in Darien, Georgia in coordination with state and local agencies. Regarding the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program, which was created to help construct and renovate berthing facilities for transient, non-trailable, and recreational vessels, Mr. Curry report that in Fiscal Year (FY) 22 there were 23 applications for Tier I funding, and 22 applications for Tier II funding. Mr. Curry reported that the Clean Vessel Act (CVA), which was created to help construct, renovate, and run vessel sewage pump-out stations, received 37 applications in FY 22.
Mr. Curry discussed the commencement of the CVA rulemaking process, as well as the newly-launched experienced worker hiring program in the Service, which will onboard individuals that can exclusively support CVA programming on a temporary basis. Mr. Curry discussed the progress of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2021, which is currently in markup in the U.S. House of Representatives, and aims to provide $1.3 billion annually to support the needs of approximately 12,000 species of greatest conservation needs as identified by state environmental and wildlife action plans; there are additional allocations for flora in the amount of $55 million and for tribal governments in the amount of $97 million. Mr. Curry outlined the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions, which are geared towards encouraging new innovative technologies to resolve mission-centric issues, and reviewed the historical value of such competitions to foster ideas and innovation. The prize categories include preventing poaching and trafficking, promoting wildlife conservation, managing invasive species, protecting endangered species, managing non-lethal human-wildlife conflict, and reducing human-predator conflict; each category can award up prizes up to $100,000.
Mr. Curry noted, responding to a question from Mr. Chanda, that BIG and CVA funds are not fully awarded each year and that unused funds are rolled over to the next year. The Council requested additional information on historical excise tax and fuel tax receipts.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Recreational Fisheries Updates
Russell Dunn provided updates to the Council on behalf of NOAA. Mr. Dunn reported on preparations for the annual recreational fishing summit, including work with the steering committee to define the summit’s focal points, including: climate resilient fisheries, climate concerns and priorities of anglers, balancing ocean uses, data collection and management, reviewing the roles of various federal and state partners in ocean management, and optimum yield and management flexibility. Mr. Dunn remarked on increased participation from Northeast states in the upcoming meeting and detailed the photo-entry contest in partnership with Bonnier Corporation.
Mr. Dunn next discussed partnerships with anglers in habitat preservation and restoration activities, which focused on smaller-scale community-based projects that yield tangible habitat gains. Projects funded in 2021 included: mangrove replanting via a partnership between charter boat captains and high school students in Louisiana; reef ball construction and educational material development in Maryland; reflooding a tidal estuary in the Puget Sound to restore a salmon habitat; and documenting trout distribution in Alaska to file registered public data that leads to statutory protections.
Mr. Dunn discussed the recent reallocation of funding to his branch and the efforts to restart programming, as well as the shift towards addressing the needs of underserved communities similar to the RBFF’s engagement work. Mr. Dunn described workshops held throughout the country with fishers and anglers; participants in Maryland and Virginia voiced significant support for increased restoration and outreach activities at the community level, while participants in Puget Sound noted their enthusiasm for large-scale watershed-level restoration projects. Mr. Dunn discussed a report published by the National Academies of Science that provided recommendations on fisheries with annual catch limits and the responses due to Congress pursuant to the Modern Fish Act that requires an action plan to address those recommendations. In February 2020, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee established an electronic reporting taskforce to draft a report on data standards, angler recruitment and retention, mandatory and voluntary data collection, and probability and non-probability sampling, which should be finalized in May 2022.
Fish and Aquatic Conservation (FAC) Program Updates
Lessons from the 2021 Invasive Zebra Mussel Contamination of Moss Balls
Craig Martin provided updates to the Council on the zebra mussel invasive species situation as an example of lessons-learned in invasive species management. Mr. Martin reviewed the increased rates of species transit via global commerce routes and the resultant invasive species issues that have far-reaching environmental, commercial, and recreational impacts. Mr. Martin reviewed state and federal regulations that mandate behavior aimed at reducing the spread of invasive species. Mr. Martin reviewed the invasion management process that defines invasive species circumstances and provides best practices for addressing the situation at different threat levels. Such approaches call for prevention, monitoring, collaborative efforts to curtail species spread, and managing invasive species populations to achieve remediation objectives; Mr. Martin noted that costs to remediate increase rapidly as invasive species take hold in an ecosystem. Insufficient proactive management of invasive species has been shown to result in approximately $1.2 trillion in costs. The United States currently recognizes 307 invasive species, as defined pursuant to the Lacey Act. Mr. Martin reviewed technological advances that have enabled improved early detection of invasive species, as well as policies that have established rapid response protocols when detections occur and public-private partnerships that have attempted to foster unified approaches to minimizing invasive species spread, particularly around watercraft design. Mr. Martin outlined the remediation efforts that simultaneously reduced sea lamprey populations in Lake Champlain while restoring Atlantic salmon populations in the same environment from which they had previously been driven. Mr. Martin summarized his remarks by noting the importance of a comprehensive approach to invasive species prevention and risk management through collaborative public-private efforts at all levels of the market.
Mr. Horton requested additional information on the distribution of funds to the states to combat invasive species and Mr. Martin detailed how the Aquatic Nuisance Species Taskforce works to distribute funds where they are needed. Mr. Martin, responding to a question from Mr. Ferris, detailed the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database as a resource to identify all of the recorded locations of invasive species throughout the United States.
Fish Passage: Monitoring and Identifying Conservation Gaps
Eric MacMillan provided updates to the Council on fish passage initiatives, particularly focusing on conservation gaps and opportunities presented by the BIL. The FAC Program has multiple goals, including: preserving and restoring fish and aquatic resources through the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), as well as habitat conservation and research alongside assessment and monitoring of invasive species through close population monitoring in partnership will all levels of government. Mr. MacMillan reviewed some of the tools used in fisheries management and conservation, noting that the FAC can manage or advise on efforts depending on local needs and resources. The National Fish Passage Program was designed to reduce fragmentation in water bodies so that fish and aquatic species may utilize previously inaccessible habitats through barrier bypass or removal; Mr. MacMillan noted that aquatic connectivity standard takes the concept further by working to restore the natural processes of water bodies by removing all barriers from water bodies. Mr. MacMillan noted that the fish passage program is entirely voluntary and flexible in where, how, and to what degree it engages in restoration projects in order to strategically “plug-in” where it is most needed. Mr. MacMillan outlined some of the program’s successes, including the restoration of over 60,000 miles of fish passage habitat since its creation in the 1990s. The BIL provides $200 million over five years to the fish passage project and Mr. MacMillan reviewed the state, local, and tribal governments, as well as non-governmental organizations, that are involved in these projects and stressed the program’s dedication to collaborating on these issues. Mr. MacMillan noted that the BIL provided over $2 billion to fish passage projects in other government agencies and departments.
Turning to data collection, Mr. MacMillan reviewed how the FAC uses field data to inform its work and described the need to step up these efforts to ensure sound policies and programs’ efforts. Mr. MacMillan discussed the role the FAC plays in helping diverse partners and stakeholders not only develop strategic plans, but also collaborate with each other on fish passage and population issues. Mr. MacMillan presented on Lahontan cutthroat trout as a case study in aquatic conservation. Mr. MacMillan described the continuous review of present factors, species restoration/preservation goals, and investigation into potential gaps in the methodology over long periods of time both within the DOI and among partners and stakeholders to improve the program’s elements. There are 14 ecosystems that contain the program’s highest priority species. Mr. MacMillan described the conservation gap studies being conducted, which have found capacity issues to be the most common and consistent cause of conservation effort gaps.
Mr. Edmonston requested additional information on how the Council could contribute to the described fish passage and habitat restoration work, and Mr. MacMillan remarked that participating in the gap analysis work, as well as conducting outreach and awareness work, are the most important factors in the program’s success. Responding to a question from Mr. Horton on how the program targets projects, Mr. MacMillan noted that the program works to be strategic in its engagement while also taking on as many opportunities for habitat and passage restoration as possible.
Council Business
Mr. McCann reviewed the previous day’s conversation on the Council’s upcoming re-chartering and the discussion around filling vacant seats on the RBFF board. Mr. McCann first discussed the GAO study on non-motorized vessels and access issues and asked that the subcommittees continue their work on those topics while preparing for the work on derelict vessels that will be taken up following the re-chartering at the beginning of 2023. Mr. McCann described the value of including experts in those subcommittee meetings, discussed the ease with which subcommittee meetings can be organized, and discussed the logistics involved in organizing a meeting of the full Council. Mr. McCann confirmed that work performed under the current charter may be continued under the new charter and the Council briefly discussed the logistics of maintaining a quorum leading up to the re-chartering so that the Council does not lose momentum on its work.
The Council continued the previous day’s conversation regarding appointments to the RBFF board, confirming that Ed Mahoney will remain on the board for the remainder of his term, before voting on candidates to fill the currently vacant seats. Ms. Belleque moved that the Council appoint Carly Hysell, Louis Chemi, and Wade Middleton to the RBFF Board; the motion was seconded by Mr. Bulthuis and was approved by a unanimous voice vote following a brief discussion.
Public Comments & Adjourn
There being no public comments or other business, Mr. Edmonston adjourned the meeting at 3:00 p.m. following a motion to do so by Mr. Ferris, which was seconded by Mr. Bulthuis and approved by a unanimous voice vote.
