Federal Agencies Work Group Meeting Minutes, March 27, 2007

LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM
FEDERAL AGENCIES WORK GROUP

MARCH 27, 2007, MEETING MINUTES

LOCATION:
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 356 Mountain View Drive, Colchester, Vermont

ATTENDEES:

• Marilyn Stephenson, NRCS
• Kip Potter, NRCS (Chair)
• Erik Beck, EPA (Phone)
• Mario Paula, EPA (Phone)
• Tom Berry, Sen. Sanders
• Jason Shea, USACOE (Phone)
• Jim Wood, NRCS
• Dave Tilton, NRCS
• Keith Robinson, USGS
• Jeff Deacon, USGS

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

• Minutes of the previous meeting were approved without corrections.

AGENCY UPDATES:

EPA

• New edition of Federal Actions and Opportunities for Lake Champlain is moving into production.
• Discussion of how to roll out the document once the printing was complete ensued, with the potential to coordinate release with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, subject to further discussion with the Program.
• Discussion of an edition of Federal Actions and Opportunities to commemorate the 400 th anniversary of Champlain's arrival took place.
• Brief update on the status of the FY2007 EPA budget for Lake Champlain was provided; Lake Champlain funding is $1,434,000, down from about $2,700,000.

USACOE

• Update provided on the status of the draft revised Lake Champlain General Management Plan.
• Status update on the projects currently funded under the existing General Management Plan for Lake Champlain was given.
• Update on potential changes to the authorizing statute for this work, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) was given.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Senator Sander's Office

• Further update on the WRDA amendments and reauthorization proceeding through Congress was given.
• Update on the reauthorization of the Lake Champlain Special Designation Act (Section 120 of the Clean Water Act) was given.
• Mention was made that non-federal players would like to attend these meetings.
• Update on the National Park Service heritage area status for Lake Champlain was given.

USDA NRCS-VT

• An update on the just received final FY2007 budget was given. The highlights are as follows:
• Earmarks discontinued, with the exception of grazing land conservation program;
• Some programs are seeing some funding reductions; others are about level funded;
• New watershed operations are being phased out, but a commitment to complete existing work is a priority;
• An update on a reorganization plan for NRCS was given.

USDA NRCS-NY

• An update on a reorganization plan for NRCS was given. NY will try to realign more on 8 digit HUC watershed boundaries.
• An update on plans for a symposium on tile drainage of farm fields was given. Currently, this event is planned for the first week in August.
• The availability of a USGS report on tile drainage in the Midwest was discussed¹.

¹ Note: USGS work on tile drainage in North Carolina is was found during a Google Search on 8 May, 2007 at the following URL: http://nc.water.usgs.gov/projects/tile_drains/index.html

USFWS

• An update on efforts to hire a wildlife inspector at Rouse's Point was given.
• An update on budget shortfalls at several refuges and hatcheries was given.
• A reminder regarding the upcoming Sea Lamprey Summit on April 11 was given.
• An update on funding for the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission was given.
• An update on the National Invasive Species Act draft bills was given.

USGS

• An update on the Service's budget for 2007 was given.
• A discussion on the status of several USGS projects was provided, including:
• Burlington BMP effectiveness study;
• Emerging contaminants study;
• Stevens Brook;
• Discussion regarding the USGS' involvement in the March 2007 Montpelier potential flood occurred.

Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit (USGS)

• An update on the unit's current budget outlook (level funded) was given.
• An update on the status of several projects was given, including:
• Smelt recruitment study;
• Mudpuppy population;
• Alewife distribution;

GENERAL DISCUSSION:

• Stream Assessment: The group had a general discussion about the upcoming field season and the need to put folks into the field to help find and delineate fish passage impairments in the NY portion of the Lake Champlain Basin . Tim Mihuc, the PI on the grant, will be invited to the next meeting to discuss the particulars.
• Collaboration—Quadracentennial: A discussion was held on how to best collaborate in establishing a Federal agency presence during the Champlain 400 th anniversary celebration.
• Periodic Science Staff Meeting: A discussion was held on the need to get together scientific staff professionals from the various agencies working in Lake Champlain periodically, perhaps once a year or once every other year. Some of the goals of such a meeting would be to include:
• Technology transfer;
• Information transfer;
• Establish a staff-level dialog;
• Invite field staff and other working scientific professionals from the agencies;
• Perhaps adopt a particular environmental theme for the meeting;
• MOU Update: The Federal Partners for Lake Champlain MOU has expired. The group had a discussion on how to proceed on renewing the MOU and expanding it to include more Federal agencies as partners.

• Kip Potter—Send out draft revised Federal Partners MOU for discussion;
• Dave Tilton—Speak with Jim Brangan about future Quadracentennial speakers;

NEXT MEETING:

• June 27, 2007 1-4 PM in Colchester, VT.