AGENDA

October 28-29, 2013

Omni Royal Orleans

621 St. Louis Street

New Orleans, LA

October 28, 2013

08:30 A.M.

CONVENE



Welcome & Introductions

     - Thom Dammrich, SFBPC Chair

08:35 A.M.

Welcome from the Department of the Interior and the Office of Governor Bobby Jindal

  • Rachel Jacobson - Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Department of the Interior
  • Garret Graves - Chair of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana and Executive Assistant to Governor Bobby Jindal for Coastal Activities

09:05 A.M.

Welcome to Louisiana & New Orleans

  • Overview of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries activities and recreational fishing and boating in Louisiana
    • Randy Pausina, Assistant Secretary, Office of Fisheries, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
  • Bayou Sauvage & Big Branch Marsh: Overview of National Wildlife Refuges in the New Orleans area
    • Kenneth Litzenberger, Refuge Complex Manager

09:05 A.M.

BREAK

10:00 A.M.

Federal  / State fisheries management in Louisiana and the Gulf Region

- Randy Pausina, Assistant Secretary, Office of Fisheries, LDWF

- Doug Boyd, Chair, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

- Jeff Angers, Center for Coastal Conservation

11:00 A.M.

Gulf Restoration / RESTORE Act update

- Rachel Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary, DOI

- Garret Graves, Executive Assistant to Governor Jindal for Coastal Activities

- Chris Macaluso, Director, Center for Marine Fisheries, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

12:00 P.M.

LUNCH (Lunch is on your own.  There are many restaurants within walking distance.  Please back prior to 1:15 so that we can stay on schedule.)

01:15 P.M.

National Ocean Policy implementation Update

- Deerin Babb-Brott, Director, National Ocean Council

- Garrett Graves, Executive Assistant to Governor Jindal for Coastal Activities

- Laura Bowie, Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Alliance

02:00 P.M.

Update on the Implementation of the DOI Idle Iron policy and the Rigs to Reefs Program

- Herb Leedy, Chief, Environmental Review Unit, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Department of the Interior

- Douglas Peter, Artificial Reef Coordinator, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Department of the Interior

- Mike McDonough, Rigs to Reefs Program manager, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

02:30 P.M.

Implications of Federal shutdown on boating, hunting, and angling

- John Arway, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission & SFBPC member

02:45 P.M.

Refuge Vision Implementation Plan update

- Anna Harris, Division of Visitor Services & Communications, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

03:00 P.M.

BREAK

03:15 P.M.

Outreach and Communications Committee

- Scott Kovarovics, Chair

  • RBFF assessment: Update and project scoping

    - Scott Kovarovics

    - Doug Hobbs, SFBPC Coordinator

    - Phil Seng, D.J. Case and Associates

04:30 P.M.

ADJOURN   (Dinner plans TBD)

October 29, 2013

08:30 A.M.

CONVENE – Thom Dammrich, SFBPC Chair

      - Welcome and introductions

08:35 A.M.

Outreach and Communications Committee

      - Scott Kovarovics, Chair

  • Update on the activities of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF)

    - Frank Peterson, President, RBFF
  • Discuss follow-up to Council letter to Secretary Jewell regarding issue priorities

    - Scott Kovarovics,

    - Doug Hobbs, SFBPC Coordinator

09:05 A.M.

Fisheries Issues Committee

         - Mike Nussman, Committee Chair

  • FWS update on status of Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program (15 minutes)

    -  David Hoskins, Assistant Director, Fish and Aquatic Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • SFBPC Fish & Aquatic Resource Conservation Strategic Vision and Needs Assessment: Status update and report back from FWS (45 minutes)

    - Hoskins, Nussman, Hobbs
  • Update on the activities of the National Fish Habitat Partnership (10 minutes)

    - Ron Regan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
  • Update on Susquehanna River smallmouth bass disease (10 minutes)

    - John Arway, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission & SFBPC member      
  • Mass marking of salmonids in the Great Lakes and reauthorization of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (15 minutes)

    - John Arway, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission & SFBPC member

    - James Dexter, Fisheries Division Chief, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

    - Leroy Young, Jr., Director, Bureau of Fisheries, PA Fish and Boat Commission
  • Update on NOAA Fisheries activities & issues (10 minutes)

    - Russell Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries

11:00 A.M.

Boating Issues Committee

- John Sprague, Committee Chair

  • Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration program Update (15 minutes)

    - Lisa Van Alstyne, Acting Chief, Division of Policy and Programs, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Trust Fund reauthorization update (10 minutes)

    - Lisa Van Alstyne, FWS

    - Ron Regan, AFWA

    - SFBPC members
  • E-15 and the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (15 minutes)

    - Ron Regan, Thom Dammrich, John Arway
  • Update of the National Boating Access Assessment being conducted by the States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA) (10 minutes)

    - James Adams, SFBPC member & SOBA President
  • Update on Ad Hoc team to options for increasing participation in both the Boating Infrastructure and Clean Vessel Act Grant Programs (10 minutes)

    - Ryck Lydecker, Ad Hoc Team Chair

12:15 P.M.

Public comment / new business

12:30 P.M.

ADJOURN

MEETING MINUTES - OCTOBER 28-29, 2013

Location: Omni Royal Orleans, 621 St. Louis Street, New Orleans, LA

Welcome and Introductions- Council chair Thom Dammrich and Designated Federal Officer Doug Hobbs called the meeting to order. Rachel Jacobsen, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Garret graves, Chair of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana gave welcoming remarks on behalf of the Secretary of Interior and also Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.

State and Federal Natural Resources in New Orleans and Surrounding Areas- Randy Pausina, Assistant Secretary, Office of Fisheries, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Kenneth Litzenberger, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge Manager, gave opening presentations on the diverse fish and wildlife natural resources within the New Orleans and adjacent areas. The presentations were well received and attendees were impressed with the diversity of resources available within the immediate area.

RESTORE Act Update and National Ocean Policy Implementation- Rachel Jacobsen, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Garret graves, Chair of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana and others speakers gave updates on the RESTORE Act and National Ocean Policy. The presentations resulted in effective discussions between presenters and attendees. The Council is keenly interested in these issues because of the ramifications to area recreational anglers.

Department of Interior Idle Iron Policy and Rigs to Reef Program Update- Department of Interior and state agency representatives gave an update to the Council on the Department’s idle iron policy as a follow up to a previous Council meeting focused on this topic. Speakers presented the current status of the Department’s actions and policy implementation changes that resulted from the Council’s focused meeting on this issue previously in Corpus Christi, Texas. Council members were appreciative of the update and also of the Department’s actions on this issue that is critically important to providing off-shore habitat for anglers and also providing an economically and environmentally feasible option for oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

Assessment of the National Outreach and Communication Program- Council vice chair Scott Kovarovics lead a discussion on the Council’s efforts with assessing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Outreach and Communication Program. The Council has begun its initial activities of this assessment that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2014. The program received approximately $12 million annually from the Sport Fish and Boating Restoration Trust Fund. The current assessment will be the third time the Council has completed of this high visibility program.

Update on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program Activities- David Hoskins, Assistant Director- Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, gave updates on several activities of the Service’s program. Mr. Hoskins answered a wide range of questions regarding the Service’s national fish hatchery program and a progress report on the Program’s development of a new strategic plan.

Update on Reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund- Ron Regan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, gave an update on the reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. This trust fund is critical to the nation’s aquatic conservation and recreation programs and is the primary source of federal funding for several important grant programs. A prolonged reauthorization process is anticipated due to on-going activities with Congress and the Highway Bill reauthorization.

Action Items: Several action items resulted from the meeting including:

1) Council monitoring and advice on National Oceans Policy- The Council will continue to monitor the National Ocean Policy and seek ways to effectively represent America’s boaters and anglers throughout on-going policy discussions of federal agencies and stakeholders

involved in this program.

2) Rigs to Reefs- The Council requested to remain updated and involved in the Department of Interior’s policy processes associated with the Rigs to Reefs efforts as they relate to recreational angling.

3) National Wildlife Refuge Vision Implementation- The Council lauds the efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System and their willingness to include the Council in the strategic visioning process and strategic plan implementation efforts. The

Council requested to participate in work teams and other efforts of these on-going implementation activities.

4) National Outreach and Communication Program Assessment- The Council will continue on and expand its current assessment efforts of the National Outreach and Communications Program. The Council expects the assessment, which is being completed by the Council’s Outreach and Communications Committee, to be completed in the summer of 2014.