Federal Agencies Work Group Meeting Minutes, November 6, 2007

LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM
FEDERAL AGENCIES WORK GROUP

NOVEMBER 6, 2007, MEETING MINUTES

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

Attendees:

• Kip Potter, NRCS (Chair)
• Erik Beck, EPA
• Mario Paula, EPA
• Keith Robinson, USGS
• Dave Tilton, USFWS
• Marilyn Stephenson, NRCS
• Judy Doerner, NRCS
• Jim Brangan, LCBP
• Bob Paquin, Senator Leahy’s Office
• Lin Neifert, USGS
• Ethan Ready, Senator Sander’s Office

I. Minutes approved from July 24, 2007 meeting with one change.

II. Updates

Ethan Ready, Senator Sander's Office:
Still determining staff responsibilities and who will provide what services.

Marilyn Stephenson, NRCS-NY:
NY NRCS is moving to a new business structure. Watershed Team approach, boundaries of watersheds are adjusted to county boundaries.

For NY portion of Basin NRCS has received $661,314 of EQIP FA for livestock facilities and $41, 332 for cropland, $123,966 for grazing. This should be 80% of the funding to be received in 2008.

The Steering Committee meeting is Wednesday with 2 breakout sessions to start the process of updating Opportunities for Action.

Judy Doerner, NRCS-VT:
VT NRCS has received approximately 80% of its 2008 EQIP FA and TA, the total FA for the State is approximately $3,000,000.

Will also receive a small amount of AMA funding, probably less than $200,000.

The State Technical committee meeting is next week.

We have been focusing on implementation of past year contracts and we are making good progress.

Bob Paquin, Senator Leahy's Office:
The dollar amounts reported in the last minutes are still accurate.

The Farmbill is being debated in the Senate; a Presidential veto is possible due to the Commodity Program payments.

The payment cap for Farmbill Programs is being discussed, not sure how it will work out at this time.

There is a chance the Farmbill could be voted on in the Senate in the next couple of weeks, out by Thanksgiving and possibly finished by Christmas.

Appropriations are very strange this year, they are moving ahead slowly, there may be a Continuing Resolution, and we might lose all Earmarks. There could be an Omnibus Bill for the year, which would include Earmarks.

The IJC 2007 Earmark for the Missisquoi Bay project may be lost, currently there is no agreement. Looking at a direct re-assignment of $300,000 to EPA.

The Water Resources Bill includes dollars for the Corps to investigate a barrier on the Champlain Canal. It has passed both sides of Congress with a majority.

There is a REAP zone identified in the Farmbill, it includes a special designation for the N.E. Kingdom.

Energy is going to be a big, well funded issue in the new Farmbill.

Dave Tilton, USFWS:
Sea Lamprey:

• New permit issued by USFWS, will allow application to go forward tomorrow in the Poultney River.
• Hoping to be able to treat the Missisquoi River next year, which may affect Quebec waters. So there will be active coordination with Quebec officials.
• The Morphin Stream on the Pike River has over 100,000 sea lamprey. It may be possible to construct a barrier on this steam using Great Lake Fisheries funds.
• Several successful treatments occurred in NY last year.

Fish Passage:

• Salmon access to tributaries is important. We had 70 - 80 salmon pass through the Winooski One dam last spring.
• Removing a barrier in Eden for Brook Trout
• Tim Mihouc is prioritizing barriers in NY watershed, will locate all culverts on a map.

Lin Neifert, USGS:
NAPP 2008 photos will be flown in Vermont . $20,000 more could also CIR photography. VCGI will provide $20,000, still about $75,000 short; NRCS may be able to pick up some of the cost. Lin will provide information to Reed Simms to develop an NRCS letter of support by 11/30. Eric Beck indicated that EPA could possibly have some funds to help pay for some of the photography. Could also increase the resolution if additional funds were available.

Eric Beck, EPA Region I:
Approximately 10 to 12 percent of the funds are in place for LC Grants in 2008.

There was an EPA supported survey of mussels around Sandbar State Park in September. A large number of native mussels were found.

Eric will be serving as Chief of the Non-point Source Unit for the next year.

Mario Paula, EPA Region II:
LC grant will be finalized by end of year.

$900,000 grant to CWICNY for Lake Champlain Phosphorus reduction. Dave Wick will lead the effort.

Keith Robinson, USGS:
Installing ice monitoring gauges on the Winooski in Montpelier.

Report completed on water quality monitoring on the Otter Creek and Englesby Brook. There is a problem with bank sloughing on the Englesby.

Jamie will talk about 2008 work at the TAC meeting.

Additional work will occur on emerging contaminants such as hormones in surface waters.

There may be some additional work on mercury.

Jim Brangan - Quadricentennial Celebration
Currently working with people in Harpers Ferry on the Celebration they had there.

The VT committee is focusing on Lake Champlain, the NY committee on the Hudson River and the Quebec committee on the Richelieu.

A Vermont pamphlet will be published in both English and French. Several books are currently in the process being written. Champlain as a naturalist is going to be emphasized. Documentaries are being developed.

Chair of Committee is agreement that it would be good to have a traveling exhibit by Federal Partners focused on natural resource issues.

USDA HQ will be helping to develop materials for the exhibit.

III. Discussion - Steering Committee Responsibilities

The Federal Partners Committee has responsibilities to the LCB Steering Committee. These include:

• Written reports to the Steering Committee
• Quarterly updates
• Chair has provided verbal updates to Steering Comm. in the past
• Now should provide written updates to the Comm.

Next meeting of the Steering Comm. is 12/3. We should provide a one page summary to Bill or Kathy prior to the meeting so it can be distributed. We should identify important items for the Steering Comm. Should consider a featured oral report at a future Steering Comm. meeting highlighting the accomplishments and scope of work of the Federal Partners. Marilyn will draft a summary for review and finalize for the 12/3 meeting.

Need to send Kathy the Federal Partner list.

Federal Partners Webpage - Keith Robinson

Should send Laura Hayes meeting minutes and other update materials for the webpage.

Will check to see if it is linked to the LCBP webpage.

Should also include a periodic highlight from one agency to post on webpage.

May need to change the domain name.

MOU - discussion

Review and update statutory references to LCBP. Need to update agencies included.
Need to contact NPS and FS about involvement.

IV. Next Meeting: March 4, 2008