Federal Agencies Work Group Meeting Minutes, September 8, 2003

LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM
FEDERAL AGENCIES WORK GROUP

SEPTEMBER 8, 2003, MEETING SUMMARY

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

ATTENDEES :

Erik Beck, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (by phone)
Ivy Francis, Department of Homeland Security (by phone)
Jurij Homziak, Sea Grant, University of Vermont
Bill Howland, Lake Champlain Basin Program
Pauline Pare, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Brian Mrazik, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division (by phone)
Dave Tilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Gail Woolley, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mark Pawlowski, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (by phone)
Theresa Faber, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (by phone)
Ward Freeman, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division (by phone)
Jason Shea, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (by phone)
Robert Paquin, Office of Senator Patrick Leahy
Thomas Berry, Office of Senator James Jeffords

SUMMARY:

Work Group Structure and Operations

The Work Group decided its Chair and Vice Chair would serve one-year terms starting each May. The Chairs would rotate among agencies who have offices that are local to the Lake Champlain Basin and involved in implementing Opportunities for Action (EPA, Sea Grant, NRCS, USFWS, USGS). Dave Tilton would continue to serve as Chair until May, 2004. Brian Mrazik accepted nomination as Vice Chair and was unanimously approved. The Chair organizes and facilitates the meetings and reports the Work Group's activities to the Lake Champlain Steering Committee. The Vice Chair becomes Chair at the end of each one-year term.

NRCS will host each meeting and make arrangements for the conference calls. Meetings will normally occur at 1:00 pm on the first Tuesdays in May and November. When possible, agency representatives should attend these meetings in person, but conference call participation is O.K. when necessary. In addition to the May and November meetings, conference calls will normally be held at 1:00 pm on the first Tuesdays in August and February. Meeting/conference call dates will be adjusted as needed to accommodate overarching schedule conflicts (e.g., holidays), but it is anticipated that Work Group members will attempt to include the meetings in their planning calendars. Lake Champlain Basin Program staff will prepare draft minutes of the meetings and conference calls, which will be forwarded to the Chair for distribution.

Federal Activities Summary

The Work Group decided to develop a handout and possibly a Powerpoint presentation that provides a short description (i.e., no more than a few sentences) by each agency of their work and any clear discrete funding allocations that contribute to accomplishing each Goal listed in Opportunities for Action . Dave Tilton will provide a listing of the goals (attached) and agencies will send their short descriptions back to him by September 24 th . A compilation will be returned to Work Group members for review by the end of September. It will then be forwarded to Bill Howland for mailing to the Lake Champlain Steering Committee by October 10 th .

Showcase Presentations

The Work Group agreed it would be useful to provide presentations at Lake Champlain Steering Committee meetings, usually at lunchtime or in the evening. The presentations would be aimed at providing more detailed information featuring a specific Federal agency. Dave Tilton agreed to relay this idea to the Steering Committee and report back to the Work Group.

Conference Call on November 6th

The Work Group agreed to convene again by conference call on November 6, 2003, at 1:00 pm. The agenda will include the following:

•  Update on deliberations of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and work of the Lake Champlain Basin Program staff

•  Further refinements or updates, as needed, to the description of Federal activities implementing Opportunities for Action

•  Selection and planning for a featured agency presentation

•  Any other items identified by members of the Work Group.

Respectfully submitted,

David A. Tilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chairman