Meeting Information January 2020

AGENDA

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Teleconference, 2:00 PM EST – 4:00 PM EST or until complete

5275 Leesburg Pike

Falls Church, Virginia

TELECONFERENCE MINUTES - JANUARY 28, 2020

Council members in attendance

Jeff Angers, Center for Sportfishing Policy

Janine Belleque, States Organization for Boating Access

Douglass Boyd, Coastal Conservation Association

David Bulthuis, Costa Sunglasses

Christopher Edmonston, BoatUS Foundation

Barb Gigar, Aquatic Resources Education Association

Gene Gilliland, B.A.S.S., LLC

Christopher Horton, Congressional Sportsmen Organization

Glenn Hughes, American Sportfishing Association

Betty Huskins, Southeast Tourism Policy Council

Scott Kovarovics, Izaak Walton League of America 

John Sprague, Marine Industries Association of Florida

J.D. Strong, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Eric Sutton, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Nicole Vasilaros, National Marine Manufacturers Association

Ron Regan, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Other meeting participants:

David Hoskins, Assistant Director of USFWS, Fish and Aquatic Conservation (FAC)

Linda Friar, USFWS Designated Federal Officer (DFO)

Gina Jones, USFWS

Joe Starinchak, Outreach Coordinator, USFWS

Bob Curry, USFWS

Kristy Vignusson

Clay Crabtree

Brad Gunn

Adam Cole, Washington State

SFBPC January 28 Conference Call Meeting Agenda and Notes

• 2:00 – 2:10 PM Convene Meeting and Introductions (Confirm Quorum) Chris Edmonston, Council Chairman, Roll call occurred and quorum was established
• 2:04 - Chris Edmonston (Chair) called meeting to order
• 2:10 - 2:30 - General Council Business
  • Approved agenda and any additions/Reviewed and approved Council minutes
    • Review and approve Council minutes from October 16-17, 2019.
    • Review Council Minutes, Motion to approve Council minutes, Scott Kovarovics, Second, Doug Boyd
    • Motion to approve agenda –Jeff Angers, Second, Nicole Vasilaros
• Chris led discussion that summarized progress or work needed on action items from October meeting and provided an updated status.
  • AIS - Council would like to develop recommendations to Sec. Interior in dealing with AIS, and particularly the ANSTF.
    • Discussion and key points
      • (Gene G) ASA working on strategic plan for getting industry more involved w/AIS
      • (Nicole) ANSTF needs to include trade associations.  Who has authority to make meaningful changes?  Nicole will work with the Fisheries Issue Committee to review the ANSTF charter
      • (Chris E) Assigned to Fisheries Committee and would like the Council to receive an official list of ANSTF members
      • (David H) To make changes, the Council needs to focus on statute, not the charter.  The statute defines the organizations that are currently involved.
• Expanded access on Refuge Lands - Refuges are initiating a second round of expanded access, need letter of support from the Council.
  • Discussion and key points
    • (J.D.) More progress is being made on hunting, rather than fishing
    • (Gene G) There are inconsistencies across refuges and across the country relating to expanded fishing access  
    • (Chris E) Invite Refuges to March meeting to provide update and summary about first and second rounds of expanded access
    • (Linda F) Have opportunity to look at summary before meeting.
    • (Linda F) Will send a list of refuges and hatcheries with fishing and boating access to Council members
    • (Linda F) Will prepare draft letter for Council about concerns over fishing access
    • (Linda F) Suggested inviting Refuges to March meeting
    • (David H) Explained that 15 hatcheries have been opened for fishing access.  A new memo came out in June 2019 that referenced improving fishing access.
• Council needs to develop framework for assessing different Sport Fish Restoration programs on a regular basis (needs to include scope and schedule of assessments, reporting requirements, and the need to communicate with DOI).
  • Discussion and key points
    • (Chris E) Have Committees work together to develop framework for assessing different SF Restoration programs
    • (Bob C.) WSFR has done many reviews/assessments and is willing to work with partners to move forward
      • WSFR is currently implementing its Vision
      • Created an Administrative Funding Analysis, audits program every two years
    • (Nicole) Make sure assessments are being done for other programs
    • (Ron R.) What do the sideboards & playing fields look like?
    • (Chris E.) Would like Linda to coordinate with WSFR to get appropriate reports about the various programs and send them to Council members.
• Council will prepare a letter to support finalization of CVA. Need to coordinate with WSFR to acquire CVA & BIG reports
  • Discussion and key points
    • (Janine) Council to develop letter for the FWS Director to focus on CVA finalization.
    • (Chris E) Boating Committee needs to work on this, and it will be sent to the FWS Director and will support finalizing CVA
    • (Janine) Will make changes to the letter
    • (Chris E) Finishing CVA needs to become a WSFR priority, needs to be published in FR by end of calendar year
• Outreach Committee needs to work on by-laws and charter
  • Discussion and key points
    • (Betty H) Sent out draft document about how funding levels are not in compliance with bylaws and charter
    • (Chris E) Currently waiting on feedback from Council Members
    • (Chris E) Charter and statute don’t agree – staffing and funding levels have issues. DOI reduced staffing and funding levels
    • (Chris E.) Charter needs to reflect statute to allow Council to do other things.
      • Council needs to make recommendations to DOI about discrepancies between charter and statute
      • Motion to make recommendations to DOI – J.D., Second – Eric
• National Outreach and Communications Plan Review Committee
  • Discussion and key points
    • (Barb, Betty and Scott) Have revised the RFP, but it has yet to be posted
    • (Chris E) Make sure RFP goes to broader audience
    • (Linda F) Currently, the Council is waiting on FWS contracting
• 2:30 – 2:50 PM: SFBPC discussion about Boating Infrastructure Grant program Tier II ranking and scoring recommendations
  • Discussion led by Janine Belleque, Boating Issues Comm. Chair and Vice Chair, John Sprague. Janine referenced a letter, “Draft Boating Issues BIG Committee Recommendations” to the FWS Director and would like to edit it to remove and not single out proposals that score less than 16 points
  • (Janine) Scoring Recommendations
    • (Chris E.) Requested update on ranking process from Janine
    • Discussion and key points
      • (Janine) Keep process generic, and collaborate with Service on NOFO with boating issues
      • (Janine) Received feedback from Committee, John first, Glenn second
      • Questions/Concerns with draft letter, Janine will make some changes,
      • (Brad G.) Keep within timeline
      • (Chris E.) Difficult to remain neutral, a lot of subjectivity
      • (John S.) Questioned whether scoring is competitive
      • (Chris E.) Recommendations had $ to disburse, determined that proposals weren’t good investments
      • (Bob C.) Helpful to receive specific recommendations for letter
• 2:50 – 3:30 PM: Other Council Business
  • Review nominations and vote for three RBFF Council Representatives
    • (Chris E and Linda F) Led discussion. Provided updates about Tom Dammrich, Libby Yranski, Ed Mahoney (reappointment), Mac McKeever (resigned), Lou Sandoval (reappointment)
    • (Chris E, Janine and Glenn) Provided updates about people they nominated – Nancy Stewart, SOBA; Kathy Fennel, FLW; Ed Mahoney, college professor; Lou Sandoval, Brunswick
    • Council voted for Kathy Fennel, Lou Sandoval and Ed Mahoney
    • Motion: Janine, Second: Betty H.
  • Committee Report Outs
    • Executive Committee - No issues to report
    • Boating Issues Committee
      • BIG Process
      • Paddle craft assessment, need scope of work
      • (Chris E.) Need to do paddle craft assessment, engage NASBLA, need to educate paddlers and keep them safe, work in complementary fashion
      • (Betty) Wants to be part of subcommittee
      • (J.D.) How much are paddle sports contributing to SF Restoration? Buying licenses?
    • Fishing Issues Committee - No issues to report
    • Outreach and Communications Committee,
      • Reviewed bylaws and are waiting to address issues with charter
    • NOCP review Committee,
      • RFP has been redone and currently, the Council is waiting on FWS contracting
  • Agenda items, notes and invitees for next meeting March 19 – 20, 2020.
    • (Chris E) ANSTF – addressed through Fisheries Issues Committee recommendations
    • (Chris E) WSFR – Need to learn more about TRAX, What type of presentation would the Council like for the March meeting?
    • (Chris E) Would like Linda to coordinate with WSFR to get Trust Fund reports to Council members
    • (J.D.) Make TRAX meaningful and measureable (need to serve several different audiences)
    • (Janine) Will prepare CVA letter
    • (Janine) What does TRAX look like?
      • (Bob C.) TRAX undergoing significant changes. TRAX will have 2 hour presentation at North American. Dan Hogan (chief programmer) can help. The planned rollout will be in June 2020.
      • (Chris E.) How do we pull data out of TRAX?
      • (Nicole) How do we get big numbers for different variables? Habitat restored? Boater Education participants? How can we can use TRAX to market the program?
      • (Glenn H.) How can use TRAX to get what we need in the future? Can’t really look back. What are existing parameters that we can use to help to define the future?
      • (John S.) Are we increasing water access or are we maintaining it? When answering this, please include projects greater than $25K or more
      • (Christy V.) WSFR has heard the interests of SFBPC, and from others in the boating community, who are interested in a fine level of detail for boating projects
      • (John S.) Rigs to Reefs (NOAA) – Identify bottom land instead of selling old rigs.
      • (John S.) Prior to meeting, review agenda with staff to determine who can do what?
      • (Glenn H.) Is it possible to create an environment for alternates? Glenn asked about alternates and how the Service can work with the Council to make this happen.
  • Wrap up and Summary of Action Items.
    • Council needs to request outreach to state fish & wildlife agencies about the second round of expanding access on refuges
    • Fisheries committee has been assigned ways to address challenges with AIS, the lack of an industry presence and not being part of the ANSTF
    • The Council needs to coordinate with WSFR to acquire different programmatic assessments for the Trust Fund elements
    • (Janine) will finalize CVA and BIG letters to FWS Director
    • Next meeting: Having a presentation on TRAX is important and needs to be on the agenda
    • Next meeting: How are new rules and information on improved boating and fishing access being addressed?
    • Next meeting: The Council will need to work with NASBLA for the paddle craft assessment
    • Next meeting: BIG subcommittee needs to meet in conjunction with March Meeting
    • Passed bylaws, look at charter down the road
    • (Glenn & Jeff) Motion to adjourn & second
• 3:30 – 3:45 PM: Public Comment and Adjourn
  • Meeting was adjourned
  • No public comments were submitted

Meeting Summary

January 28, 2020

14 of 15 Council members participated in the conference call held from 2pm – 4pm on January 28, 2020. The Council approved the agenda and meeting minutes from October 16-17, 2019. The Chair reviewed Action Items listed in the October meeting minutes and led a discussion on next steps to implement each of these action items. The Council reviewed and voted on nominations for the 3 vacant Council seats on the Board of Directors of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), standing committee chairs provided updates and the agenda for their in person meeting planned for March 19-20, 2020 in Washington D.C.

The Boating Issues Committee’s Boating Infrastructure Grant sub-committee reported out on their review of these Tier II grants submitted to WSFR from a number of states and their rankings and recommendations for Council approval.  There was discussion that some of these grant applications were of poor quality and shouldn’t be funded.  Robert Curry and Brad Gunn of WSFR provided feedback on some of the Council’s questions related to this process.  Council voted to accept the sub-committee’s recommendations and finalize a letter with this information to the Secretary of Interior.

The Outreach and Communications Committee reported out on their by-laws update process and the Council voted to approve the by-laws as amended.

The National Outreach Communication Plan (NOCP) implementation Committee coordinated with the DFO who submitted a revised proposal to FWS contracting to review the progress of the Cooperative Agreement recipient (RBFF) to implement the NOCP.  The contract officer will advertise the call for proposals to assess the RBFF work over the past 3 years.

The Executive and Fishing Issues Committees reported not activity since the last Council meeting.

Recommendations: The Council voted to review the existing charter and make recommendations to the DOI on changes they would like to see in that documents renewal in June 2020.

Council voted to develop a letter for the FWS Director to support finalizing CVA in time for the Federal Register notification at the end of the calendar year.

Council will have standing committees work on developing a framework for assessing different Sport Fish Restoration programs on a regular basis (needs to include scope and schedule of assessments, reporting requirements, and the need to communicate with DOI).

Fisheries committee has been assigned ways to address challenges with AIS, the lack of an industry presence and not being part of the ANSTF. 

Council discussed their agenda for an in person meeting scheduled for March 19-20, 2020.  They decided they’d like an update from WSFR on TRAX.  They’d like a briefing from FWS on the new rules and information on improved boating and fishing access is being implemented.  The Boating Issues Committee will hold a meeting in conjunction with the March Council meeting.

Decisions: The Council voted to support the recommendations of the BIG review sub-committee and finalize correspondence to the Director of the USFWS with that information.

Council voted to appoint Kathy Fennel of Fishing League Worldwide to the RBFF Board of Directors and to reappoint Ed Mahoney Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University and Lou Sandoval of Brunswick to the RBFF Board of Directors.

Council voted to approve amended by-laws as presented.  Generally the changes incorporated the new staggered terms and fixed some grammar and content errors.

Comments: There were no public comments made during the public comment period.

Secretarial Priorities: The Council continues to identify strategies to support increased fishing and boating participation.