Regional Interagency Executive Committee
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:

February 1, 2007

To:

Regional Interagency Executive Committee (see attached distribution list)

From:

/s/Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Subject:

REGIONAL INTERAGENCY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA & PREWORK FOR FEBRUARY 7, 2007

Regional Interagency Executive Committee
DRAFT February 7, 2007 Meeting Agenda
National Marine Fisheries Service 10^th Floor Conference Room

Time

Topics

Purpose

Presenter

9 a.m.

House-keeping

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE

9:10

Opening Remarks

Opening

Linda Goodman, Chair

9:15

Update and decision

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE
Shawne Mohoric, FS
Kristi Young, FWS

10:00

Update and decision

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE
Anne Badgley, REO

10:15

Update and decision

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE
Shawne Mohoric, FS

10:30

Break

10:45

Update and decision

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE
Anne Badgley, REO

11:00

Update and decision

12:00

LUNCH

1:00

Future NW Forum (Continued)

Update and decision

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE

2:30

House-keeping

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE

2:45

Closing Remarks

House-keeping

Linda Goodman, Chair

2:50

Closing Reminders

keeping

Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE

3:00

Adjourn

Topic: REGIONAL INTERAGENCY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – Restate Agreements

Presenter: Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue Statement: This meeting segment includes three presentations: restating agreements made at the December RIEC meeting; revisiting the RIEC and REO review and coordination requirements, and evaluating the Senior Managers Group Organizational Concepts. Separate summaries have been prepared for each of these topics. Following these presentations there will be an opportunity to discuss next steps based on agreements made at the December RIEC meeting.

Background: Agreements made at the December RIEC meeting regarding the future of the RIEC include:

1. Schedule one annual all-RIEC meeting with an agenda driven by RIEC members and a process led by chair agency.
2. No other regularly scheduled RIEC meetings.
3. Additional RIEC meetings may be requested by: SMG, RIEC agencies, and other subgroups with delegated responsibility through a request to RIEC Chair.
4. Communicate decisions regarding the expanded role of the Senior Managers’ Group (SMG).
5. Rework interagency MOU to reflect these decisions.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: RIEC and REO Review and Coordination Requirements

Presenter/REO Contact: Shawne Mohoric, Forest Service Representative

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

Issue Statement: The purposes of this presentation are to clarify Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) and Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) review and coordination responsibilities and to determine whether further delegation is desired.

Background: Both the 1994 Record of Decision (ROD) and Standards and Guidelines (S&Gs) for the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) and the 2001 Survey and Manage (S&M) ROD and S&Gs specified RIEC and REO review and coordination requirements. Some RIEC and REO requirements have been completed, e.g., review of research projects within 180 days of the signing of the NWFP ROD (S&Gs, p. C-4). No action is needed with respect to the completed requirements. Other RIEC and REO responsibilities are ongoing and must be fulfilled until plan amendments or revisions eliminate the requirements. The RIEC has delegated some of these responsibilities to other groups, as indicated in the following tables.

The purpose of this topic is to review the ongoing requirements and determine whether the RIEC wants to delegate additional responsibilities.

The REO reviewed current responsibilities and delegations and recommends that no changes be made in the following responsibilities at this time:

• LSR reviews
• Interpretation of NWFP S&Gs
• Review and coordination on plan revisions

The REO does recommend changes with respect to review and coordination on plan amendments involving changes to the S&Gs and/or land allocations. The current delegation provides for a multi-step process that is not conducive to timely reviews. Specifically, the REO recommends that the current delegation be rescinded and that the following process be adopted:

1) Forest Supervisor or District Manager submits electronic information to the RIEC Chair as follows:

• Request for RIEC review of proposed plan amendment.
• Description of proposed action and need for plan amendment.
• Consistency determination indicating whether the proposed amendment is consistent with the objectives of relevant standards and guidelines, including a description of which standards and guidelines were considered relevant, and the rationale for the determination.

2) RIEC circulates review package to RIEC members, allowing 30 days for comment.

3) RIEC executives provide comments to the RIEC Chair within the 30 day timeframe. RIEC comments are optional. Some proposals may generate interest in RIEC discussion, and individual executives are encouraged to arrange conference calls as needed to facilitate discussion among available RIEC members. All executives are encouraged to review proposals early in the review process, to ensure all comments are provided timely to the RIEC Chair. Comments received after the 30-day timeframe may not be considered.

4) RIEC Chair forwards RIEC comments (in their original form) to the Forest Supervisor or District Manager, via RIEC transmittal memo, with copies to all RIEC members.

5) Forest Supervisor or District Manager addresses RIEC comments via memo to RIEC Chair.

6) RIEC chair transmits Forest Supervisor or District Manager response to comments to RIEC members, concluding RIEC review/coordination process.

The REO discussed options for changing specific delegations, and recommends that such changes be delegated to the RIEC subcommittee for consideration and approval. The recommendation has two parts:

• Delegate authority to the S&M RIEC subcommittee to fulfill all S&M RIEC requirements that the RIEC has not yet delegated.
• Give the S&M RIEC subcommittee the authority to change all S&M delegations as needed in the future.

Action Required:

[X ] Information [ X] Decision

Topic: REGIONAL INTERAGENCY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – Senior Managers Group Organization Concepts

Presenter: Kristi Young, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Representative

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue Statement: The Westside Senior Managers Group (SMG) provides interagency coordination on key Federal natural resource issues in the Pacific Northwest. The SMG focuses on issues that are generally regional in scope, with a particular focus on the west side of the Cascades, including issues related to implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan. The SMG has agreed upon a vision and draft set of organizational concepts to guide future SMG actions.

Background: At the December 1, 2006, meeting, the RIEC asked the SMG to take on more responsibility of the day-to-day management of the NWFP. In order to do this, the SMG will need to organize more formally. The SMG met on January 5, 2007, and discussed their vision of the purpose and operations of this group in light of the RIEC’s decision.

Analysis and Options: The REO has drafted a set of SMG organizational concepts for the RIEC to review. Per the discussion at the RIEC meeting, the SMG will not have a formal charter. The RIEC may wish to delegate additional responsibilities to the SMG. The following SMG Organizational Concepts captured so far include:

• The SMG includes representatives from all RIEC agencies at the senior management level. Each agency may choose its own level of participation in the monthly meetings.

• Each agency will identify a Point of Contact (POC) for inclusion on a master mailing list. The POC shall be a senior manager. It is expected that the POC will be the primary representative attending meetings, but agencies may choose to send other managers or senior staff, as appropriate. There will be no formally designated primary or alternate members.
• A Meeting Coordinator will provide logistical support for the meetings.

• Any POC (or senior manager identified in advance to the Meeting Coordinator) may participate in SMG meetings depending on schedules and interest in the agenda topics. There is no obligation to attend.
• No quorum is needed for decisions. Decisions will be by consensus of whoever is at a given meeting. Decisions will be made in a collaborative manner, where the group will strive for consensus to the greatest degree possible.
• Staff other than those identified on the master mailing list may attend SMG meetings, as appropriate.
• Meetings may be closed to other staff at the discretion of the senior managers.

• The Meeting Coordinator will prepare and circulate an agenda and any prework to all POCs prior to each meeting.
• Any senior manager may request an agenda item by contacting the Meeting Coordinator. Requests for agenda topics shall be forwarded through a senior manager and not come directly from staff.
• Senior managers will notify the Meeting Coordinator if the agenda item will require additional staff to be present at the meeting (e.g., to give a presentation).
• Every effort will be made to identify agenda topics in advance, but meetings will not necessarily be limited to just those agenda items identified prior to the meeting. Agenda topics that may require some staff work to prepare for the discussion should be identified in advance.

• Meetings will held the first Wednesday of every month, 9 a.m. – 12 noon.
• Location will vary.
• Meetings can be rescheduled if key participants are unable to attend (key being defined in relation to the agenda topics for that particular meeting).

• The Meeting Coordinator will provide notes on key decisions and action items.
• Notes will be sent out to the POC list within one week of the meeting. It will be the responsibility of the POC to distribute the notes to their internal audiences.
• For decisions or action items related to responsibilities delegated by the RIEC, the appropriate SMG member will provide the meeting notes to the RIEC chair.

• The SMG will forward issues to the RIEC, as needed (e.g., decisions with policy implications or decisions involving multi-year financial commitments)
• SMG will host "all RIEC agency" meetings of senior managers as necessary to prepare for the annual RIEC meeting

• Action items will be documented in the meeting notes, but it is the responsibility of the appropriate senior manager(s) to assign the task to their staff and track progress.
• The SMG may assign tasks to the Interagency Coordinating Subgroup (ICS) on streamlining consultation issues and to the Intermediate Managers Issue Resolution Group (IMIRG) on Aquatic Conservation Strategy consultation issues.
• The SMG may request the formation of other staff teams, as appropriate.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ x ] Decision

Topic: INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE - Restate Agreements

Presenter: Deb Nudelman, Resolve

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue Statement: This meeting segment includes three presentations beginning with a restatement of the agreements made by the RIEC in December regarding the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC), a report on the calls to the IAC non-Federal members, and a review of the proposed IAC meeting agenda for March 20, 2007. Separate summaries have been created for each of these topics. Following these presentations there will be an opportunity to discuss next steps based on agreements made at the December RIEC meeting.

Background: Agreements made at the December RIEC meeting related to the future of the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC) include:

• Do not renew IAC charter in 2007. However, do develop options for future non-Federal involvement on Northwest Forest Plan issues.
• Discuss options with IAC members in advance of and at next IAC meeting.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE – Report on Calls to the IAC non-Federal Members

Presenter/REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Regional Ecosystem Office

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

Issue Statement: In late December, the RIEC chair, with the support of the REO Executive Director made calls to the non-Federal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee members. The call included information related to the cancellation of February 7 IAC meeting and rescheduling for March/April timeframe, and the rationale for sunsetting the IAC. The Chair and Executive Director will highlight some of the comments and responses they received.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ ] Decision

Topic: INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE – Review Proposed IAC Meeting Agenda

Presenter/REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

Issue Statement: The RIEC asked that a proposed Interorganizational Advisory Committee meeting agenda be presented for discussion. The meeting is currently scheduled for March 20, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center (Lloyd Center), Portland, Oregon.

Background: Options for agenda topics

Awards presentations

BLM Western Oregon Plan Revisions

Survey and Manage EIS Update

Monitoring (including Tribal Monitoring)

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ x ] Decision

Topic: PROVINCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Presenter/REO Contact: Shawne Mohoric, Forest Service Representative

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

Issue Statement: The RIEC is evaluating the continued need for re-chartering the 12 Provincial Advisory Committees (PAC) for Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) implementation.

Background: After 12 years of NWFP implementation and monitoring, Federal executives are evaluating plan components to determine if changes are needed. Included in this evaluation are regional and provincial committees chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) by the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). With 31 charters, the Pacific Northwest Region has substantially more FACA committees than other region nationwide.

Concurrent with evaluating the need for a regional level advisory committee, the Federal Executives inquired about the continued need for provincial level advisory committees. In December of 2006, a memo and evaluation form was transmitted to the 12 provinces to obtain information from line officers, Designated Federal Officials (DFOs) and Provincial Interagency Executive Committee (PIEC) members on the effectiveness of these groups in Federal decision making (see page 2-1: Provincial Advisory Evaluation Form). A background paper on Provincial Advisory Committees is provided in pages 2-2 and 2-3.

All provinces responded. As expected, some PACs are more active than others, while some have not met in the past two or more years. Key points include:

• The majority of PACs that meet regularly, do so on a quarterly basis.
• Most provinces responded that the PAC forum is largely information sharing.
• A large variety of natural resource issues are addressed including fire and watershed restoration, noxious weeds, travel management, vegetation management, recreation uses, stewardship contracting, monitoring, and plan revisions.
• There was a mix of opinion about effectiveness in advising Federal decisions. Some provinces reported high interest and involvement, while others struggle with attendance.
• Attendance at meetings ranges from 40 to 90 percent. Most provinces reported that Federal participation is greater than non-Federal participation.
• Some provinces reported that filling memberships has been difficult and that both Federal and non-Federal participation in meetings has declined.
• A majority of provinces cited other venues for stakeholder involvement such as Resource Advisory Committees (RACs), watershed councils, local partnerships and participation in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes.
• A majority of provinces expressed an interest in re-chartering and gave examples of resource issues anticipated for PAC involvement in the next two years.
• Due to a variety of reasons including lack of participation and interest in meetings, skewed fed to non-fed participation, information sharing instead of advisory, etc., several provinces indicated a preference for not being re-chartered.

RIEC Options for Consideration:

It should be noted that if a PAC is not rechartered this time, it can be reconsidered for re-chartering in two years.

Note: Thank you NRCS for providing some examples of non-FACA groups established under the Farm Bill.

Action Required:

[ ] Information [ X] Decision

Topic: REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM OFFICE

Presenter/REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

Issue Statement: The RIEC asked that a transition plan be developed for the Regional Ecosystem Office. Anne Badgley will present an overview of this plan and discuss potential next steps with RIEC members.

Background: Throughout the remainder of FY2007, the REO will be transitioning to a new structure in FY2008 to fulfill its existing responsibilities under the Record of Decision (ROD) and Standards and Guidelines (S&G). By the end of the fiscal year, the REO interagency-funded staff will move back to their host agencies and the office space will no longer be rented through interagency funds. A virtual REO staff framework will remain in place consisting of REO representatives generally located with their agencies and an REO coordinator provided by BLM (through June 2008).

A snapshot of the changes completed by October 1, 2007 include:

• Space: No "official" REO office space; all current REO employees will return to their host agencies. (Note: There is a possibility that several agencies may continue to rent directly from FS.) All records will be moved (to archives or another space identified by the FS).
• Funding: No interagency budget or "pool" of interagency funds; no interagency agreements other than what are already in place.
• REO Staff: No interagency funded REO staff. FS/BLM REO representatives will support the work of the Chair. Their time for RIEC support work will be allocated as directed by their supervisors. FWS, NOAA Fisheries, EPA, USGS, NPS will commit up to 10 percent of a person’s time to REO tasks such as annual meeting preparation and staff work on RIEC issues. (Note: In addition, each agency may have additional NWFP-related responsibilities for their REO representative tailored to their agency needs.)

RIEC/REO tasks: Page 2-4 lists the tasks have been identified as ongoing work after September 30, 2007.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ x ] Decision

Topic: FUTURE NORTHWEST FORUM

Presenter: Deb Nudelman, RESOLVE

Sponsor: Linda Goodman, Chair

REO Contact: Anne Badgley, Executive Director

Issue Statement: At the December 1, 2006 RIEC meeting, the RIEC was provided with some background information on two natural resource forums operating in other parts of the country. Some RIEC members requested additional information about these and other forums (see page 2-5 and 2-6 for a description of two Federal-only groups and two intergovernmental groups)

Background: The RIEC asked that a plan for a potential Northwest Forum be developed that would provide agency executives with an opportunity to maintain executive level relationships, and/or interact with broader set of stakeholders.

Analysis and Options: Time has been allotted on the agenda to discuss specifics regarding a potential Forum. Some of these themes were touched on during the survey and the December meeting. Following is "strawman" proposal for a meeting in 2007 based upon the RIEC input to Deb Nudelman during the interviews last Fall. Deb will lead the RIEC members through a discussion to refine or change this proposal:

• Attendance: Meeting will be Federal natural resource executives only. The group will consist of RIEC members and the executives from additional Federal agencies such as the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of Reclamation. (RIEC members may have suggestions for additional participants).
• Agenda: The meeting will be one day (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) in Portland. It will be scheduled the day after the RIEC meeting. In the morning, each executive will spend approximately 10 to 15 minutes discussing with their colleagues the top few issues facing them in the upcoming year. After lunch, one or two agencies will host discussions on one particular topic/problem facing that agency.
• Meeting preparation: One or more agencies must offer to host and organize the meeting.
• Future meetings: This proposal is for a one-day event. Should the group decide that it wants to meet more regularly and formalize its activities, the attendees may decide to consider one of the models described in page 2-5 and 2-6.

REO Staff Proposal: By the end of the meeting our goal is to have a fairly clear picture and high level of agreement on the kind of meeting desired, which agency or agencies might sponsor the meeting, and other details mentioned above.

Action Required:

[ x ] Information [ x ] Decision

What

Description/Steps

Recommendation

REO Representative Responsibilities

RIEC Reviews

- 1 page process

Coordinated through RIEC Chair

Staff work

- Revisions (case-by-case basis)

Reps/Agency

Staff work

Annual RIEC Meeting

- Logistics/planning, contact list, agenda, prework, notes, distribution, posting on the web, facilitation

RIEC Chair

Staff work

Correspondence

- Note need to make sure records get to correct place

Coordinated through RIEC Chair

Review/coordination of correspondence

LSR Workgroup

- Final reviews

Coordinated through RIEC Chair

Lead by the FS Rep

Records

- Filing, shipping, researching through, etc.

Through FS staff (agency of record)

Website

- Hardware/Software maintenance support

Historically this has been BLM; should move to the FS (agency of record) as data moves.

- Content active subwebs (Monitoring, S&M, etc.)

Should move to FS systems to simplify updates and security issues

PAC

Rechartering process

Shaundra Terry, FS

Assistance

FOIA

- FOIA Officer position (BLM FOIA officer has retired and is contracting back temporarily)

Currently with BLM; should move to FS (agency of record)

- FOIA Support (finding records)

Should move to FS (agency of record)

IRICC/RGIC

- Determine what words will be used in the MOU; currently chartered under the IAC

Staff work

*SMG Staffing

- Logistics, agenda, facilitation, action items, decisions

Staff Work