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who could tell me the story of human habitation on the Plains, starting 12000 years ago; how <br />humans affected the landscape; and what lessons there are that apply to today. The group didn't <br />really relate to what I was saying. <br />When I pointed out that ecosystem management is by definition place -based and that they may <br />have more impact if they coordinated among all the cultural resource disciplines in centers <br />connected to universities or national park regions to focus on specific geographic areas and <br />become the preeminent resource center for those areas, it was clear that wasn't how things were <br />done either. <br />And when they'were discussing public education and outrreacch, I commented that as a non- <br />archaeologist, I probably learned most of what I know about their issues and concerns from Tony <br />Men= novels and suggested they approach him to headline their public education efforts. <br />Again, I doubt duet that will happen. <br />And yet these are important questions for us at this workshop. As we try to recover listed species <br />and head off others from being listed <br />• How do we go beyond our narrow lens of the problem to act based on a composite <br />picture? <br />• How do we knit our separate threads of information into one story that highlights <br />the critical lessons? <br />How do we pull all the needed players into an accessible center of expertise? <br />• And how do we get our story out to those who live on our rivers and hunt and fish <br />there and even more importantly to those who never see the rivers but use their <br />water? <br />Fortunately, we at this workshop are further along the path of experience and understand we need <br />to work together.. <br />We have a rare opportunity to have our recommendations considered. Let me give just one <br />possibility. Two and a half years ago at a WGA meeting, Governor Stephens and Governor <br />Andrus had a heated exchange over changes needed to the Endangered Species Act. As a result a <br />Delphi process was conducted out of our D.C. office which resulted in a WGA resolution that <br />passed unanim ously. That resolution became the basis for Senator Baucas bill to reauthorize <br />the Act. <br />In June, Assistant Secretary George Frampton met with the governors to outline changes that the <br />Department of Interior wants to make in implementation of the Act. To quote, he stated <br />We would like to figure out ways to turn this statute into something that creates a <br />planning process that devolves or decentralizes planning and decision malting from the <br />