AGENDA
February 25, 2014
Department of the Interior
Room 5160
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C
February 25, 2014 |
08:30 A.M. | CONVENE
Welcome & Introductions
- Thom Dammrich, SFBPC Chair |
08:45 A.M. | Welcome and comments of Department of the Interior and Fish & Wildlife Service leadership - Rachel Jacobson - Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks (invited)
- Dan Ashe, Director - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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09:45 A.M. | Panel Discussion: NGO perspective on strategies for framing a national Outdoor Recreation Policy Panelists will discuss the need for a more targeted federal outdoor recreation policy and ideas for how the DOI can provide a leadership role in engaging leaders of the broader outdoor recreation community in creating a targeted set of priority issues. Derrick Crandall, President - American Recreation Coalition
Kirk Bailey, Vice President - Government Affairs, Outdoor Industry Association |
10:30 A.M. | BREAK |
10:45 A.M. | Update on the activities of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR)
- Joe Meade, Director of Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources and Chair of the FICOR Working Group, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture |
11:00 A.M. | Update on the activities of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) - Frank Peterson, President, RBFF |
11:15 A.M. | Outreach and Communications Committee - Scott Kovarovics, Committee Chair ACTION: Approve SFBPC appointments to the RBFF Board of Directors Update on status of SFBPC assessment of the activities of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. |
11:45 A.M. | Refuge Vision Implementation Plan update - Marcia Pradines, Chief, Division of Visitor Services & Communications, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
12:00 P.M. | Lunch (at Bison Bistro in DOI basement) |
01:00 P.M. | Update on the Implementation of the National Ocean Policy - S. Bradley Moran, Ph.D.; Acting Director, National Ocean Council; Executive Office of the President |
01:30 P.M. | Boating Issues Committee - John Sprague, Committee Chair Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration program Update
- Tom Busiahn, Chief, Division of Policy and Programs, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3 Briefing on draft final report: National Boating Access Assessment
- James Adams, SFBPC member & SOBA Past President Consider recommendations for funding project proposals submitted for the fiscal year 2014 Boating Infrastructure Grant Tier 2 Program funding cycle.
- Ryck Lydecker, BIG Review Team Chair |
02:00 P.M. | Fisheries Issues Committee
- Mike Nussman, Committee Chair Update on the activities of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (10 minutes)
- Ron Regan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Update on NOAA Fisheries activities & issues (15 minutes)
- Russell Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries Stakeholder/partner views on FWS National Fish Hatchery System Work Force Planning report (30 minutes)
- Chris Cantrell, Chief of Fisheries, Arizona Game and Fish Department
- Ed Carter, Executive Director, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency FWS update on status of Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program
- David Hoskins, Assistant Director, Fish and Aquatic Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Status update on consideration and implementation of SFBPC Fish & Aquatic Resource Conservation Strategic Vision
- Update on status of the National Fish Hatchery System
- Update on transition of SFBPC
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03:15 P.M. | Review of SFBPC 2012-2014 strategic issues list
- Doug Hobbs, SFBPC Coordinator |
04:00 P.M. | ADJOURN |
MEETING MINUTES - FEBRUARY 25, 2014
Location: Department of Interior, 1849 C Street, Washington, DC
Welcome and Introductions: Council chair Thom Dammrich and Designated Federal Officer Doug Hobbs called the meeting to order.
National Outdoor Recreation Policy- A panel discussion was led on the need for an overall federal agency policy on outdoor recreation. Derrick Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition, led the discussion on the need and potential benefits of the Department of Interior and other Federal land management agencies developing a national policy. Council members have met with Interior officials on other occasions expressing the need for a comprehensive recreation policy.
Update on the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR)- Joe Meade, Chair of the FICOR Working Group, gave an update to the Council on FICOR’s activities. Council members were very interested in the presentation and expressed their interest in working more closely with FICOR on several topics, including looking for ways to leverage recreation fees on federal properties and environmental permitting.
Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation Update- Frank Peterson, President, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, gave an update on the activities and programs of RBFF. Mr. Peterson reported on RBFF’s progress with meeting the jointly agreed upon performance measures for RBFF, as well as updates on initiatives with direct mail marketing programs with state agencies, a new initiative with Walt Disney World, and the pilot efforts to promote angling and boating within the Hispanic communities.
Council Outreach and Communications Committee Update- Council vice chair Scott Kovarovics gave an update on the Council’s on-going assessment of the National Outreach and Communication Program/ Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. This is the 3rd assessment of the Program/RBFF completed by the Council. The Council committee expects the assessment to be completed in the late summer of 2014. In addition, the Council approved the nomination of representatives to the RBFF Board of Directors.
Update on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs- Tom Busiahn, Chief, Division of Policy and Programs, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gave an update to the Council on various program activities, including the status of pending regulations for grant programs administered by the Program.
National Fish Habitat Action Partnership Update- Ron Regan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, gave an update on the activities and efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Partnership. The Council has a representative on this partnership and was instrumental in its development and authorization. The Partnership is currently planning on a joint meeting with a national estuaries group in November in the earl November.
Update on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program- David Hoskins, Assistant Director- Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gave an update on several issues of key importance to the Council. Mr. Hoskins updated the Council on the status of the Service’s activities with the National Fish Hatchery System, development of a new strategic plan and transitioning of the Council’s designated Federal Officer role and responsibility to the Fish and Aquatic Conservation program.
Status of the National Wildlife Refuge System’s Vision Implementation- Marcia Pradines, Chief, Division of Visitor Services and Communications, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gave an update to the Council on the status of the System’s implementation of their strategic vision. In particular, the update focused on how the System is including traditional users (anglers, boaters and hunters) within the planning processes for current and future uses of the refuge properties. The Council expressed support for the efforts of the Refuge System to date for being responsive to the concerns and positions of the Council in regards to these important traditional stakeholder groups. The Council expressed their interest and willingness to assist the Refuge system with their on-going implementation efforts.
Review of SFBPC Strategic Issues List- Designated Federal Officer Doug Hobbs led a discussion and review of the status of the Council with their list of strategic focus issues identified previously. The Council made significant progress with many of the strategic issues. A new list of priority focus areas will be developed with the new Council once it is rechartered and members are reappointed. The Council’s charter is set to expire in June. Member nominations were solicited previously and forwarded on for consideration.
Action Items:
- The Council’s Outreach and Communications Team will continue on with its assessment of the National Outreach and Communications Program/ Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.
- The Council offered to assist the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program with the development and outreach of its new strategic plan and plan development process. The Council will closely follow this issue and monitor the Program’s implementation of the Council’s recommendations from the Strategic Vision document. The Council also intends to closely monitor the Service’s actions with the national fish hatcheries system.
- The Council will continue to offer its assistance to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System and their implantation of their strategic plan and associated implementation teams.
- Designated Federal Officer will continue working with the Department of Interior to get the Council’s charter renewed and Council member appointments completed.
- The Council plans to re-assess and evaluate new focus areas for the 2014-2016 time frame assuming the Council’s charter is reapproved and members are reappointed. A June meeting of the Council in Washington DC is planned.
