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

Demonstration - NFHP Projects and Monitoring Locations in Northwest

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

whelang@michigan.gov

517-373-6948

Andrea C. Ostroff

USGS

aostroff@usgs.gov

703-648-4070