NFHP Science and Data Committee Report Gary E. Whelan and Andrea C. Ostroff NFHP Science and Data Committee Co- Chairs November 2014
NFHP Science and Data Committee Report
Gary E. Whelanand
Andrea C. OstroffNFHP Science and Data Committee Co-Chairs
November 2014
2015 Board PrioritiesScience and Data Committee
Responsibilities
• Action Plan Objective 1 – Priority Task D
• Action Plan Objective 4 – Priority Tasks I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P
Action Plan Objective 1 - Priority Task D
Continue development of standard effectiveness measures for conservation actions used to address nationwide fish habitat focus areas
• Status– Pilot effort conducted with Committee subgroup and
Foundations of Success– Data compilation demonstration effort in the Pacific
Northwest to increase awareness of existing monitoring programs
Action Plan Objective 1 - Priority Task D
Continue development of standard effectiveness measures for conservation actions used to address nationwide fish habitat focus areas• Challenges
– Not enough results from SWG effectiveness measures – Difficulty with conceptual approach– Shifting approaches of NFHP performance measures
caused confusion– S&D committee wants to provide actual data to aid
decision-making
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task I
Examine and review National Assessment products produced by Marine and Inland Assessment Teams along with activities underway by the FHP and LCCs• Status
– Review of assessment teams’ progress via Science & Data Committee meeting monthly calls
• Challenges – Priority on 2015 assessment creates time constraints to
engage with LCC activities• Needed resources
– $20K for Science and Data Committee Meeting in April/May
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task J
Develop coordinated delivery of 2015 assessment including new online capabilities to help partners and stakeholders understand and best use the new national assessment data and products
• Status– USGS working in coordination with Science & Data
Committee and assessment team leads to conduct usability study and develop approaches for new data delivery via NFHP Data System
– Develop writing team by January 2015
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task J
Develop coordinated delivery of 2015 assessment including new online capabilities to help partners and stakeholders understand and best use the new national assessment data and products
• Challenges and Questions– Large coordination effort between report generation and
data delivery components. – Does the Board desire to have a hard copy printed
report?– Need to define roles and responsibilities in other
committees.• Resources Needed
– Writing team time– Funds for printed copies, if desired
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task KContinue to catalog science data products and assessments
completed and underway within each of the established FHPs and national assessment team via the NFHP Data System
• Status – Data SOPs are complete– Actively working with FHPs that have datasets ready to
release – While conversations have been initiated with multiple
FHPs, Only 3 FHP datasets from the 72 datasets identified through the FHP inventory have been documented in the NFHP Data System
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task KContinue to catalog science data products and assessments
completed and underway within each of the established FHPs and national assessment team via the NFHP Data System• Challenges
– Committee focus on 2015 Report, limiting time for FHP data
– FHP time resources to invest in data documentation– Existing FHP data delivery mechanisms provided by
other entities and NFHP Data System viewed as duplicative.
– Effective communication and coordination with 19 FHPs• Resources Needed
– $12K for Committee Chair Travel (same request in another Task)
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task LInland Assessment Refinements – Incorporate fisheries,
aquatic nuisance and invasive species, dam inventory, land conservation status, and water quality status information as data become available.• Status:
– Freshwater fish data doubled for 2015 assessment including AK and HI resulting in new fish metrics and analysis approach
– Greatly revised and improved dam inventory data with increased number of dams included
– TNC land conservation database attributed– NPDES permits, nutrients and information from EPA lists– Coal and Uranium mines
Challenges– Resource constraints to collect and prepare data for
analyses• Resources Needed
– Continued USFWS support
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task M
Inland Assessment - Improve river fragmentation analyses and national calculation of fragmentation metrics and develop lakesheds and lake assessments• Status
– New fragmentation analysis is complete and incorporated into assessment
– Lake incorporation planning will be underway in early 2015
• Challenges– Insufficient resources to complete incorporation of lakes
into assessment• Resource Needed
– As stated previously
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task N
Inland Assessment - Evaluate approaches to improve hydrology and temperature incorporation and to refine the marine-inland linkages between the inland and marine assessments.• Status
– Water withdrawal data layer attributed to inland assessment
– Improved spatial framework for SE AK and new framework for Great Lakes (GLBFHP and GLFT)
– Marine-inland linkages in development for Great Lakes (GLBFHP and GLFT) and Pacific Coast (PMEP)
• Challenges– Marine assessment being updated in two regions
constrains development of broader inland-marine linkages to be developed nationally.
– Temperature data scattered– Hydrology data being developed
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task O
Marine Assessment - Complete full assessment of estuaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico; continue data collection, processing, and initial analysis for West Coast estuaries.• Status
– Full assessment for Gulf of Mexico in progress and will be complete
– Multiple West Coast assessments will be complete in early 2015 by PMEP and significant progress with Great Lakes assessment
• Challenges– Insufficient resources to complete full marine
assessment• No progress with Atlantic and AK Coasts• Some progress with HI by MSU and HI FHP
– Integrating products into report• Resources Needed
– NOAA support for total assessment
Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task P
Conduct Science and Data Outreach to FHPs, LCCs, Board, and other key audiences.• Status
– Communication with individual FHPs has occurred via FHP invitation
• Example – Met with all AK FHPs in October with a focus on coordinating science and data efforts
– Preliminary discussions initiated with LCC national coordinator
• Challenges– Time resources to meet with all 19 FHPs
• Resources needed– $12K for Committee Co-Chair travel support (shared)
Thank You!
Visit www.fishhabitat.org for more information
Gary E. Whelan
Michigan DNR
517-373-6948
Andrea C. Ostroff
USGS
703-648-4070