8020

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8020
• Author: Horak, G. C.
• Title: Proceedings of the Symposium on Mitigating Developmental Impacts on Fish and Wildlife.
• USFW Year: 1979.
• USFW - Doc Type: March 1979.
• Copyright Material: NO

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The bureaucracy created by FWCA and aided by NEPA did not, however,
provide for a systematic monitoring of the coordination and implementation
process on a .regular basis. Therefore, it is essential for FWS and state
fish and game agencies to check on the inclusion and implementation of
their recommendations. Senator William Proxmire asserts (l7) that, "We
know little about the kinds of inputs and program structures which wiJl
yield the outputs we desire and if we ever hope to generate improvements
in programs...., we must have follow-up evaluation."
Ex Post Evaluation
Because governmental decision makers have tended to accept ex ante
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analysis without an adequate inspection of the "track record" of such
analysis, this paper focusses on an ex post evaluation of fish and wild-
life mitigation and the associated recommendations process to preserve
fish and wildlife through fish and wildlife habitat and population improve-
ment measures. Robert H. Haveman has stated (2) that, "Improvement in the
public sector performance will not be achieved unless information on the
input (cost) and output (benefits 1 resul ts of ongoi ng and compl eted govern-
ment undertakings is incorporated into the decision process."
Decision makers in fish and game agencies have not gathered the retro-
spective information so essential to improving fish and wildlife recommendations
and procedures (1). The failure to obtain this information stems from the
constant pressure to give priority to ongoing and new projects (3). There-
fore, ex post analyses are needed to provide fish and wildlife decision makers
with feedback on the consequences of their previous decision. This type of
feedback is readily provided for other outputs of resource development pro-
jects such as hydroelectric power and irrigation. For example, the Bureau of
Reclamation continuously collects and annually publishes detailed statistical
data concerning irrigation such as acreage, yield, production, and grQss value
of crops grown.

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