Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Meeting Minutes

July 12-13, 1994      Detroit, Michigan

DEVELOPMENT OF GOALS:

The Team began by developing four goals (no priority indicated by numbers):

1. Healthy aquatic and terrestrial communities and associated habitats.
2. Populations of native fish, wildlife and plants above levels necessary for their natural survival.
3. Optimal wetland habitats and associated functions.
4. Informed publics that understand and value fish and wildlife resources.

The Team associated "Resource Issues" developed at the first meeting with each of the goals:

1. Healthy aquatic and terrestrial communities and associated habitats.

• Water quality
• Contamination
• HAZMAT spills
• Non-point source run-off
• Pesticides
• Fish health concerns for wild and stocked fish
• Terrestrial and aquatic bioindicators
• Non-indigenous aquatic species
• Wilderness areas and unique habitats
• North American Waterfowl Management Plan Focus Areas
• National Wildlife Refuges
• Habitat fragmentation
• Impaired fish habitat
• Hydropower re-licensing
• Neotropical migrant species
• Migratory birds not in established categories
• Maintenance of biotic integrity
• Rehabilitation of native biodiversity
• Internal collaboration
• Interstate and international law enforcement issues

2. Populations of native fish, wildlife and plants above levels necessary for their natural survival.

• Internal collaboration
• Need for new technologies
• Research/knowledge gaps
• Standardization of data
• Fish health, quality of stocked and wild fish
• Terrestrial and aquatic bioindicators
• Maintenance of biotic integrity
• Endangered species and candidates
• Restoring native fishes
• Habitat fragmentation
• Colonial bird nesting habitat
• Coastal dune habitats
• North American Waterfowl Management Plan Focus Areas
• National Wildlife Refuges
• Inland wetlands
• Lake level management
• Interjurisdictional fisheries management
• Harvest and/or consumptive use
• Hydropower re-licensing
• Interstate and international law enforcement issues

3. Optimal wetland habitats and associated functions.

• Coastal dune habitats
• Coastal wetlands
• Waterfowl staging and wintering areas
• National Wildlife Refuges
• Maintenance of biotic integrity
• Terrestrial and aquatic bioindicators
• Soil erosion and run-off
• Threats due to urbanization
• Private land partnerships
• Internal collaboration
• Interstate and international law enforcement issues

4. Informed publics that understand and value fish and wildlife resources.

• Interstate and international law enforcement issues
• Internal collaboration
• Public education
• National Wildlife Refuges
• Interagency collaboration
• Current partner focus areas
• Federal trust responsibilities to Native American tribes
• Terrestrial and aquatic bioindicators

After considerable discussion the Team decided: to combine goals I-II into Ecosystem Goal I; establish goal III as a Resource Goal under Ecosystem Goal I; and maintain goal IV as Ecosystem Goal II.

Ecosystem Goals to be achieved by the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team:

1. Healthy aquatic and terrestrial communities and associated habitats.
2. Informed publics that understand and value fish and wildlife resources. 

The Team brainstormed Great Lakes Basin strengths and opportunities associated with Ecosystem Goal I:

• water quality and quantity (20% of the world's freshwater)
• 9,000 miles of shoreline
• over 5,000 U.S. tributary rivers
• landlocked lakes (fingerlakes, etc.)
• freshwater estuaries
• dune communities
• boreal and temperate plant communities
• coastal and island communities
• fish community diversity
• increasing native fish and wildlife populations
• endangered species habitat
• offshore fish refuges
• inland wetlands
• waterfowl staging areas
• colonial nesting water bird habitat
• stopover habitat for migrating neotropical birds
• St. Lawrence valley habitats
• northern Ministate habitats
• Designated Wilderness Areas
• National Wildlife Refuges
• Wild & Scenic Rivers
• State and National Forests and Lakeshores
• State Wildlife Management Areas
• National and State Parks
• proposed National Marine Sanctuary
• National Natural Landmarks
• Coastal Barrier Units
• tribal and military lands
• economic and cultural base
• international significance
• maritime industry
• recreational boating and fishing
• State and National fish hatcheries

The Team elected not to brainstorm strengths and opportunities associated with Ecosystem Goal II due to the perception that there would not be sufficient time to address other required tasks. Strengths and opportunities will be used in narrative portions of the Team report. 

The Team brainstormed Great Lakes Basin weakness and threats associated with Ecosystem Goal I (for use in developing Problem Statements):

• high levels of industrial activity
• contaminants
• atmospheric contamination
• faulty sewage treatment
• pollution
• international Areas of Concern
• contaminated food chains
• non-reproducing species
• fish health concerns of wild and stocked fish
• decline in food resources for migratory birds
• public health issues
• fish consumption advisories
• introduced species
• largest sea lamprey problem in the world
• unwanted exotic introductions
• lost native species
• species imbalances
• diminished genetic diversity
• habitat fragmentation
• wetland loss
• urbanization
• agricultural development
• soil erosion and run-off
• hydrological impairments
• hydropower dams
• channelization
• flood control
• dredging
• bulkheading (diking)
• deforestation
• destruction/loss of spawning, rearing and nesting habitat
• ineffective habitat mitigation
• conflicting resource uses
• interjurisdictional disputes (harvest regulations, seasons, etc.)
• excess harvest
• illegal harvest
• fragmented regulatory environment
• inadequate information
• inaccurate information
• recreational intrusions (boating, harvest, etc.)
• maritime industry (commercial shipping)
• unfunded statutory programs
• inadequate funding
• State/Federal/International law enforcement concerns

The Team brainstormed Great Lakes Basin weakness and threats associated with Ecosystem Goal II (for use in developing Problem Statements):

• lack of understanding of customers, partners and demographics
• lack of cooperative and coordinated state and federal outreach programs
• lack of comprehensive Service message
• failure to consider pecking orders within the educational community
• don't work with state Departments of Education enough
• lack of marketing strategies
• lack of staff and insufficiently trained staff for outreach
• insufficient time programmed for outreach efforts
• lack of adequate funding for outreach
• underfunded environmental education programs
• "would be nice" issue when compared to other priorities considering limited funds
• lack of understanding by resource managers that outreach is a resource management tool
• failure to encourage uses compatible with management objectives
• conflict-centered media
• value conflicts of user groups
• uninformed and misinformed special and commercial interest groups
• focused local issue affinities of groups and individuals
• lack of cultural sensitivity (e.g. Native American issues)
• lack of commitment to environmental justice
• unwillingness of resource managers to deal with urban wildlife management issues
• lack of National Estuary recognition

After considerable deliberation and attempts to interpret the June 13, 1994 "Ecosystem Approach to Fish and Wildlife Conservation National Implementation Guidance", the Team elected to clarify its mission and to pursue the following structural approach:

• Ecosystem Goal(s)
• Resource Goal(s)
• Problem Statements
• Objectives
• Action Strategies 

Based upon an absolute need for clear, understandable and uniform guidance, the Team unless otherwise notified, will progress according to the above outline and establishes the following definitions:

Ecosystem Goal: A broad conceptual statement of desired future condition within the ecosystem.

Resource Goal: A more focused conceptual statement of desired future condition directly relating to an Ecosystem Goals expressing desired end results. Resource Goals can reflect priority species or groups of species, habitat types of significance to trust resources, geographic focus areas within the ecosystem, or other similar goals. These Resource Goals will be better defined by Problem Statements

Problem Statement: Can be cast in broad, general terms or narrow, specific terms and will illuminate challenges to be faced in attainment of respective Resource Goals.

Objective: More specific and limited than the general ideas stated in Resource Goals. Must be clearly and specifically define what a solution should produce to contribute towards achievement of the Resource Goal. The qualities of a well-defined objective:

1. are stated in specific, quantified terms;

2. contain specifics of when the objective will be achieved;

3. identify a measurable field response; and

4. document the rationale for the objective's contribution to reaching the Resource Goal.

Action Strategy: Specific plan for achieving each Objective. Contains how, who, what, where, when and why information. Identifies staffing, funding and other necessary needs. Includes phasing information, if needed. Places steps in required order of completion.

Resource Priorities: Objectives, placed in priority order with such order being the result of group analytical processes.

Based upon these definitions, the Team delegated responsibility for refinement of Resource Priorities, Goals, Objectives and some rough cut Action Strategies to a Focus Team that met in Newark, NJ on 19 & 20 July, 1994. The Focus Team produced a draft product, submitted the product for rapid Team review and a product was submitted to the Region 3 Director on 29 July, 1994.

The next meeting of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team will be held on 25 & 26 August, 1994, in Ann Arbor, at the National Biological Survey's Great Lakes Center, in the conference room.

The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m., on 25 August and end at 4:30 p.m., on 26 August. Team members are responsible for lodging and travel arrangements. A block of rooms has been set aside at the North Campus Holiday Inn (313-769-9800). A separate meeting announcement and agenda will be distributed during the week of 08 August.

Primary purposes of the meeting will be to: make any needed adjustments to Objectives; develop Action Strategies; and begin work on the 3-year budget plan.

(* = participation in this meeting, ~ = represented by staff)