Regional Ecosystem Office
333 SW 1st P.O. Box 3623
Portland, Oregon 97208-3623
Website: www.reo.gov E-Mail: REOmail@or.blm.gov
Phone: 503-808-2165 FAX: 503-808-2163

Memorandum

Date:

October 19, 2004

To:

Regional Interagency Executive Committee (see attached distribution list)

From:

/s/Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Subject:

REGIONAL INTERAGENCY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA & PREWORK – November 2, 2004

Dave Allen, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Terry Rabot, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Alt)
Elaine M. Brong, Bureau of Land Management
Mike Mottice, Bureau of Land Management (Alt)
Jon Jarvis, National Park Service
Rory Westberg, National Park Service (Alt)
Linda Goodman, Forest Service
Jim Golden, Forest Service (Alt)
Bob Graham, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Dianne Guidry, Natural Resources Conserv. Service (Alt)
Col. Richard W. Hobernicht, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Curt Loop, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Alt)
Anne Kinsinger, U.S. Geological Survey Western Region
Carol Schuler, U.S. Geological Survey W. Region (Alt)
Robert Lohn, NOAA Fisheries
Mike Crouse, NOAA Fisheries (Alt)
Tom Fontaine, Western Ecology Division, EPA
Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, West. Ecology Division, EPA (Alt)
Dave Powers, Environmental Protection Agency
Socorro Rodriguez, Environ. Protection Agency (Alt) 

Regional Interagency Executive Committee
November 2, 2004 Agenda
Oregon Conference Room, DoubleTree at Lloyd Center Hotel, Portland, Oregon

Time

Topics

Purpose

Presenter

8:00 a.m.

§ Introductions
§ Agenda Review
§ Present Plaque to Jay Watson

House- keeping

Linda Goodman
Facilitator

8:15

§ Recap of August 26 meeting
§ Status and Trend Reports
§ Synthesis Report
§ Management Implications
§ IAC Involvement
§ Next Steps

Discussion/ Updates

Tom Quigley
Jon Martin
Richard Haynes
Nancy Molina

10:00

Break

10:15

Northern Spotted Owl Consultation Workgroup Report

Update

Lisa Norris

10:30

Analytical Process for Endangered Species Act Consultations on Aquatic Species

Update

Mike Tehan

10:45

Communications Team Report

Update

Al Mateko

11:15

§ Topics and processes for the November 3 Meeting

Preview

Anne Badgley

11:30

§ Status Review Updates – Marbled Murrelet/Spotted Owl
§ Science/Resource Manager Meetings Update
§ Other late breaking news

Update

Barry Mulder
Tom Quigley

11:50

§ Future meeting dates & topics – changes requested in July (conference calls, field trip, and other changes)
§ Assignments review

Feedback

Facilitator

12:00

Adjourn

Topic: 10-YEAR MONITORING REPORT UPDATE

Presenter/Sponsor: Tom Quigley, PNW; Richard Haynes, PNW; Nancy Molina, BLM; Jon Martin, Interagency Monitoring Program

REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue: Tom Quigley will recap the August 26 RIEC meeting, focusing on key executive messages, and provide some insights from subsequent discussions. Finally, Tom will provide an update on the April conference regarding new science and monitoring results after a decade of implementing the NWFP.

Richard Haynes, lead technical editor of the 10-year synthesis report, will provide an overview of the developing outline and key topics in the report. This will be an extension of the discussion we had with Richard and other scientists on August 26, with an eye towards making sure that the primary management interests are addressed.

Nancy Molina will review a proposed process for developing management implications from the status and trend and synthesis report findings. Feedback will be solicited.

Finally, Jon Martin will provide a brief progress report; including summarizing future executive team involvement in the developing results.

§ Recap August 26 RIEC meeting on 10-yr report.
§ Review 10-year synthesis report outline and proposed process for developing management implications.
§ Provide progress report and discuss next steps.

Background: The NWFP 1994 Record of Decision required a monitoring plan but did not describe how to monitor. Implementation monitoring began under a draft monitoring plan in 1996. In 1999, with the help of many experts, a strategy and design for the overall effectiveness monitoring program was published (GTR-437, 1999). At about the same time, NSO, Marbled Murrelets, and Late-Successional Old-Growth monitoring plans were approved by the RIEC. The Watershed module (AREMP or Aquatic/ Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program) was approved in 2001, and the Tribal module was approved in 2002. The Socio-economic module is being tested, and the Biodiversity monitoring plan has not been developed.

The goal of the monitoring program is to evaluate the success of the NWFP in achieving the objectives on Federal lands of conserving late-successional habitat and related species, improving watershed condition, and providing resource production and assistance to rural economies and communities.

Analysis and Options: The 10-year monitoring report on the effectiveness of the NWFP is the first comprehensive analysis of monitoring data and research results since 1994. This periodic evaluation was recommended in the monitoring strategy and design. The RIEC approved the 10-year monitoring report schedule in September 2001.

Key 10-year Monitoring Report Dates

First draft status & trend reports for internal review

Sep. 2004 

First draft synthesis report for internal technical review

Dec. 2004

· PNW Publications

§ Status and Trend of the Northern Spotted on Federal Lands under the NWFP (Lint, Forsman, Davis, Reid, Mowdy)
§ Status and Trend of the Marbled Murrelets on Federal Lands under the NWFP (Huff, Baldwin, Falxa, Miller, Nelson, Ralph, Raphael, Strong, Thompson)
§ Status and Trends of Late-Successional - Old-Growth Forest under the NWFP (Moeur, Spies, Hemstrom)
§ Status and Trends of Watershed Condition under the NWFP (Gallo, Lanigan, Eldred, Gordon, Moyer)
§ Status and Trends in Socio-Economic Conditions under the NWFP (Charnley, Donoghue, Buttolph, Dillingham, Kay, McLain, Moseley, Phillips, Stuart, Sutton, Tobe)
§ Synthesis Report (Bormann, Barbour, Busch, Greenspoon, Haynes, Kiester, Lee, Marcot, Martin, Molina Raphael, Reeves, Spies)
§ Executive Summary Report

· BLM-FS Publications:

§ Tribal (Crespin, Tamez, McConnell)
§ Compliance & Implementation (Baker, Ferguson, Hsin, Palmer, Tolle, Winkler)
§ Information Management (Palmer, Bingham, Morganti)

Follow Up Items Needing Further Discussion: As we move closer to completion of the reports, the RIEC may want to increase their involvement – particularly as it relates to management implications.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: INTERAGENCY NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL COORDINATION UPDATE

Presenter: Lisa Norris, Interagency Coordinator

REO Contact: Shawne Mohoric (FS-R6 Rep)

Issue: This segment will provide an activity update from the Interagency Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) Task Teams since the release of two NSO scientific reports on Sep. 24, 2004 ("Status and Trends in Demography of Northern Spotted Owls, 1985-2003" [R.G. Anthony, et.al 2004] and "Scientific Evaluation of the Status of the Northern Spotted Owl" [S.P. Courtney, et. al 2004]).

Background: In August 2004, the REIC approved an interagency strategy to coordinate agency interactions and considerations of the various NSO research reports that will be released publicly over the next 6 to 8 months. NSO task teams include members from: USFS (Region 5 & 6), BLM (OR/WA), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Managers’ Team provides oversight and leadership. Members of the Managers’ Team include Regional and State Office managers from the three agencies above, plus the PNW Research Station.

The Managers’ Team role (and the subsequent purpose of the interagency strategy) is to ensure a cohesive interagency response to emerging NSO information and litigation, and to guide the actions of technical, legal, monitoring, and communication teams to provide timely advice to executives, information to the public, and coordinated guidance to field units. This strategy includes an Interagency Coordinator (Lisa Norris) to assist the managers and all other task teams in meeting these objectives. The Interagency NSO Coordinator also has contacts within the National Park Service to be included in coordination efforts as applicable.

Update Highlights:

· The Interagency Technical Team has reviewed the content of the recent reports and considered the findings, threats, and uncertainties. They will be assisting the Managers’ Team, as applicable, in discussions of potential management implications.
· The Managers’ Team has been gaining biological understanding and implications from the Technical Team, reviewing project-level vegetation management data collected from field units, and is discussing the complexities and uncertainties involved in determining management implications across the range of the NSO.
· Conference calls are being held with field units to provide an update of strategic actions, and to discuss potential implications of vegetation management projects.

Next Steps: The Technical Team will assist managers in developing a broad, strategic framework based on the released reports that will assist managers to focus potential management implications geographically. Potential implications of other agency management activities need to be reviewed once management implications are better understood for vegetation management activities.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: ANALYTICAL PROCESS FOR ESA CONSULTATION ON FEDERAL ACTIONS AFFECTING ESA-LISTED FISH SPECIES WITHIN THE NWFP AREA

Presenter/Sponsor: Mike Tehan, NOAA-Fisheries

REO Contact: Steve Morris (NOAA-Fisheries Rep)

Issue: Update and status report on efforts to complete the subject Analytical Process and initiate implementation and further pilot testing by FS/BLM field units.

Background: The new Analytical Process was developed by an interagency team at the direction of the Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) Aquatic Consultation Subcommittee (regional executives of the Forest Service, BLM, NOAA-Fisheries, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The process was developed to facilitate and expedite project-level ' 7 consultations in the NWFP area in a manner responsive to issues raised in Federal court rulings in the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman=s Association (PCFFA) et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service and Cascadia Wildlands Project (Cascadia) et al v. US Fish and Wildlife Service cases.

Analysis and Options: The Intermediate Managers Issue Resolution Group (IMIRG) has developed a letter to be signed by the regional executives transmitting the Analytical Process to field units within the NWFP area providing direction for its use. This letter should go out shortly. For consultations on timber sale actions within the NWFP area, the Analytical Process replaces/supercedes the Matrix of Pathways and Indicators or other similar effect determination methods currently in use by Level 1 Teams. Until further notice, use of the Analytical Process is mandatory for any NWFP timber sale action, with the exception of actions developed under the Healthy Forest Initiative and consulted upon using the Alternative Consultation Agreement.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: COMMUNICATIONS TEAM REPORT

Presenter/Sponsor: Al Mateko, Team Lead (FS)

REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue: Al will bring managers up to date on the plan for future significant events that impact the implementation of the NWFP. The team has broadened their focus to include not only the 10-year monitoring reports but also to address the issues of the overall plan. Al will share an updated timeline for several upcoming events and answer questions the committee may have.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: PREVIEW OF IAC MEETING

Presenter/Sponsor/REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue: There is an IAC meeting scheduled for November 3, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland Oregon.

Overview: The morning portion of the meeting will focus largely on the 10-Year NWFP Monitoring Report. Consideration will be given to how the IAC can be involved in this effort as it moves toward finalization. Directly before lunch, a group photo will be taken of the IAC (Federal and Non-Federal members). This photo will be published on the REO website, and may be used in other NWFP-related products and publications. The afternoon will be devoted to a series of topics, including an update on BLM Resource Management Plan Revisions, the NRCS Conservation Security Program, and the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership. As in previous IAC meetings, the last portion of the meeting will be devoted to a round table discussion.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: ESA STATUS REVIEW ON THE NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL (NSO) AND MARBLED MURRELET

REO Contact: Kristi Young (USFWS Rep)

Issue: FWS has completed its formal 5-year status review of the Marbled Murrelet, concluding that the murrelet populations in California, Oregon, and Washington do not satisfy the criteria for designation as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) under the Service’s 1996 DPS Policy. The final 5-year status review recommendation for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) is in the process of being finalized.

Background: The FWS agreed to conduct status reviews for the NSO and Marbled Murrelet following the settlement of two lawsuits in April, 2003.

Marbled Murrelet: The FWS’s analysis concluded there are no marked separations of physical, physiological, ecological, or behavioral differences at the U.S. and Canadian border, and no significant evidence of genetic or morphological discontinuity between populations at the border. The results also show that there are no differences in control, exploitation, management of habitat, conservation status, or regulatory mechanisms across the international border that are significant. While the California, Oregon, and Washington population does not qualify as a DPS, the question of whether the three-state population constitutes a significant portion of the range of the species, or whether the species as a whole is at risk of extinction, still needs to be addressed before any change in the listing status occurs. Delisting or reclassifying the murrelet under the Endangered Species Act will require a separate rulemaking, involving public notice and comment.

Northern Spotted Owl: A final recommendation for the NSO has not yet been made. Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) completed its report: 'Scientific evaluation of the status of the Northern Spotted Owl' on Sep. 24, 2004. A link to this report is available on the REO website. This report represents only the biological information to be used by the FWS in making a decision on the owl's listing status. The FWS has conducted a panel meeting where managers reviewed the SEI report, Demographic Study, regulatory issues, and other sources of information as they assessed the current status of the owl. The final 5-year review recommendation and associated documentation is in the process of being finalized and is due November 15, 2004.