Incorporation of Governance Committee Comments on draft IMRC

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Av, Dec 3 1999 Pg 2 specifically, research, needs to then be implemented to determine if the target flows had the theorized effect on the habitat. Ultimately, monitoring and research needs to determine if flows can be managed to provide a desired outcome. In order for adaptive management to work, all land and water management actions need to be evaluated on at least two levels. Did management actions result in the desired outcome and what, if any, measurable benefit to the target species was obtained from that outcome? The IMRC should provide a clear and direct description of how monitoring and research work through adaptive management. The current IMRC has an estimated budget of over $19 million dollars, which does not, in our opinion, include sufficient monitoring and research of land and water management. Any needed additional monitoring and research will most likely increase the overall cost of the IMRC. As discussed at the October Governance Committee meeting, there may not be enough money available to provide for implementing even a $19 million dollar monitoring and research program. The Technical Committee should prioritize monitoring and research needs such that portions of the IMRC most important to determining success could be accomplished with whatever funds are available. In the process of prioritizing the protocols the Technical Committee should identify any existing data or monitoring programs in place, which may serve the Program needs. Once the, needed protocols have been prioritized, the highest priority protocols should be developed and compared against estimated costs. A revised and prioritized monitoring and research budget should then be submitted to the Governance Committee after the initial protocols are written and it is determined how well the actual cost of the protocols matches the costs estimated by the Technical Committee. In addition, as was directed at the August Governance Committee meeting, the pallid sturgeon monitoring and research should be lowest priority. This is based on the premise that the Program is not directly taking actions that will benefit the pallid sturgeon and that other entities are completing monitoring and research on the pallid sturgeon in the lower Platte River. The Downstream Water Users believe it is essential that all actions taken under the auspices of this Program, whether it be land management or water management, be evaluated for obtaining program goals a definable benefit to the target species and it is the IMRC that will define'how that happens. Sincerely, Brian L. Barels Downstream Water Users Representative to the Governance Committee /ks cc: Dale Strickland, Executive Director Governance Committee