WRP Executive Committee Meeting
Members Present: Tina Proctor, Blaine Parker, Jim Athearn, Susan Ellis, Scott Smith, Nate Dechoretz, Ted Grosholz, Mark Systma
Members Absent: Mike Stone, John Chapman
Next call: Thursday, March 14, 2002, 9:00 Pacific Time
1. Discussion of Screening Workshop and Annual Meeting
We saved our important decisions until the end. Try doing business closer to the front of the meeting next time. Time it when the most people will be there.
Should we continue to do the visioning process? Let each person commit to tackling something for their own state or organization. One suggestion was that everyone might need a mid-year reminder. We also want to include WRP members who didn=t attend the annual meeting. Next meeting we could have a progress report.
Jim read letter from Randy Brown who had suggestions regarding the meeting.
Jim suggested we continue to pursue feedback from the membership at every opportunity.
Screening Workshop - the draft of the Proceedings will be available in two or three weeks. After the Proceedings have been approved, we can follow up on list of recommendations. We may also want to pursue questions that haven=t yet been flushed out. We will do as much by e-mail as possible. We may want to deal with more on this topic at the next annual meeting.
2. Procedure for new members - letter to ANS Task Force
A letter was sent to the ANS Task Force to recommend that they invite new members to the WRP. New organization members will be The Nature Conservancy, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Dr. Bob McMahon will be asked to fill the AInland-Research@ slot and Marshall Meyers will be asked to fill the AInland- Industry@ slot. McMahon is a professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who heads the Center for Biological Macrofouling Research. Meyers is the executive vice president and general counsel of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. The Task Force will vote on the request at their next meeting on February 28.
3. International ANS meeting, February 25-March1, 2002, Alexandria, VA
Scott will be doing the presentation about the WRP during the February 28th panel which includes the ANS Task Force Panel Chairs. They will look for common themes among the panels. The Executive Committee who are attending the International agreed to meet to discuss what should be presented. People attending are Scott, Ted, Paul, Jim, Mark and Tina.
4. 2002 Work Plan
The Committee discussed the FY2002 Work Plan that Tina distributed to the attendees of the WRP meeting in Las Vegas. Committee agreed that more information was needed about certain items. Listed below are the items that need a paragraph description and a time line along with the people who will be the lead for the project:
Coordination via e-mail reflector and bi-monthly calls - Ted
The two committees will be asked to submit a more detailed work plan for their budget requests.
Tina will send out the Work Plan to the WRP reflector as soon as it is completed. She and Scott will write a letter to the ANS Task Force with the Work Plan attached to request FY 2002 funds.
Jim Athearn is updating the financial report that went out with the minutes from the WRP meeting so there is an accurate accounting of what was spent in 2001. For the new work plans, he will set up a spread sheet for easier tracking.
5. Ballast Water Project with Mexico
John worked with Tina to write a letter to Yuri Olkoldkov at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City regarding funds available through the WRP for scientists to travel to a meeting regarding trilateral ballast water projects. Committee members discussed whether this was actually the intent of the $10,000 for the item in the work plan to facilitate coordination between Mexico, the US and Canada for ballast water projects. Scott explained that $10,000 for travel is a first step to get scientists to meet. Other projects can be budgeted in years to come. Tina agreed to ask John Chapman for a paragraph describing that item in the work plan.
6. Ballast Water Funding through NOAA
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission will be developing a west coast ballast management research list. NOAA has funding available for ballast research and will be comparing proposals to see if they fit the needs that are listed.
7. Other items
Susan Ellis mentioned that the California Coastal Commission wants to send Threats to the West brochures with their California Boating Clean and Green Campaign, so they need 5,000 brochures. The Committee discussed printing more brochures and perhaps charging for large orders. Tina will call Marcia Brockbank and discuss alternatives.
Committee discussed the North American Lake Management Society meeting. Scott and Mark attended and suggested that we keep our relationship with this organization active. Tina will call WRP representative, Tom Conry and see if he is able to attend WRP meetings and make sure that we get updates from NALMS for our newsletters and annual reports.
February 14, 2002
West Coast ballast management - S. Phillips
Facilitate international coordination along the West Coast between Mexico, the US and Canada - John
Green crab and mitten crab program coordination - Ted
Inventory of ANS surveys and databases - H. Lee
Continued support of Screening process policy development - Scott
ANS training/guidance for watershed groups - Paul
Compilation of ANS state legislation - support IAFWA effort - Scott