1. NFHP Science and Data Committee Report Gary E. Whelan and Andrea C. Ostroff NFHP Science and Data Committee Co-Chairs November 2014

2. 2015 Board Priorities Science and Data Committee Responsibilities Action Plan Objective 1 –Priority Task D Action Plan Objective 4 –Priority Tasks I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P

3. Action Plan Objective 1 - Priority Task D Continue development of standard effectiveness measures for conservation actions used to address nationwide fish habitat focus areas Status –Pilot effort conducted with Committee subgroup and Foundations of Success –Data compilation demonstration effort in the Pacific Northwest to increase awareness of existing monitoring programs

4. Action Plan Objective 1 - Priority Task D Continue development of standard effectiveness measures for conservation actions used to address nationwide fish habitat focus areas Challenges –Not enough results from SWG effectiveness measures –Difficulty with conceptual approach –Shifting approaches of NFHP performance measures caused confusion –S&D committee wants to provide actual data to aid decision- making

5. Demonstration - NFHP Projects and Monitoring Locations in Northwest

6. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task I Examine and review National Assessment products produced by Marine and Inland Assessment Teams along with activities underway by the FHP and LCCs Status –Review of assessment teams’ progress via Science & Data Committee meeting monthly calls Challenges –Priority on 2015 assessment creates time constraints to engage with LCC activities Needed resources –$20K for Science and Data Committee Meeting in April/May

7. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task J Develop coordinated delivery of 2015 assessment including new online capabilities to help partners and stakeholders understand and best use the new national assessment data and products Status –USGS working in coordination with Science & Data Committee and assessment team leads to conduct usability study and develop approaches for new data delivery via NFHP Data System –Develop writing team by January 2015

8. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task J Develop coordinated delivery of 2015 assessment including new online capabilities to help partners and stakeholders understand and best use the new national assessment data and products Challenges and Questions –Large coordination effort between report generation and data delivery components. –Does the Board desire to have a hard copy printed report? –Need to define roles and responsibilities in other committees. Resources Needed –Writing team time –Funds for printed copies, if desired

9. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task K Continue to catalog science data products and assessments completed and underway within each of the established FHPs and national assessment team via the NFHP Data System Status –Data SOPs are complete –Actively working with FHPs that have datasets ready to release –While conversations have been initiated with multiple FHPs, Only 3 FHP datasets from the 72 datasets identified through the FHP inventory have been documented in the NFHP Data System

10. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task K Continue to catalog science data products and assessments completed and underway within each of the established FHPs and national assessment team via the NFHP Data System Challenges –Committee focus on 2015 Report, limiting time for FHP data –FHP time resources to invest in data documentation –Existing FHP data delivery mechanisms provided by other entities and NFHP Data System viewed as duplicative. –Effective communication and coordination with 19 FHPs Resources Needed –$12K for Committee Chair Travel (same request in another Task)

11. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task L Inland Assessment Refinements – Incorporate fisheries, aquatic nuisance and invasive species, dam inventory, land conservation status, and water quality status information as data become available. Status: –Freshwater fish data doubled for 2015 assessment including AK and HI resulting in new fish metrics and analysis approach –Greatly revised and improved dam inventory data with increased number of dams included –TNC land conservation database attributed –NPDES permits, nutrients and information from EPA lists –Coal and Uranium mines Challenges –Resource constraints to collect and prepare data for analyses Resources Needed –Continued USFWS support

12. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task M Inland Assessment - Improve river fragmentation analyses and national calculation of fragmentation metrics and develop lakesheds and lake assessments Status –New fragmentation analysis is complete and incorporated into assessment –Lake incorporation planning will be underway in early 2015 Challenges –Insufficient resources to complete incorporation of lakes into assessment Resource Needed –As stated previously

13. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task N Inland Assessment - Evaluate approaches to improve hydrology and temperature incorporation and to refine the marine-inland linkages between the inland and marine assessments. Status –Water withdrawal data layer attributed to inland assessment –Improved spatial framework for SE AK and new framework for Great Lakes (GLBFHP and GLFT) –Marine-inland linkages in development for Great Lakes (GLBFHP and GLFT) and Pacific Coast (PMEP) Challenges –Marine assessment being updated in two regions constrains development of broader inland-marine linkages to be developed nationally. –Temperature data scattered –Hydrology data being developed

14. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task O Marine Assessment - Complete full assessment of estuaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico; continue data collection, processing, and initial analysis for West Coast estuaries. Status –Full assessment for Gulf of Mexico in progress and will be complete –Multiple West Coast assessments will be complete in early 2015 by PMEP and significant progress with Great Lakes assessment Challenges –Insufficient resources to complete full marine assessment No progress with Atlantic and AK Coasts Some progress with HI by MSU and HI FHP –Integrating products into report Resources Needed –NOAA support for total assessment

15. Action Plan Objective 4 - Priority Task P Conduct Science and Data Outreach to FHPs, LCCs, Board, and other key audiences. Status –Communication with individual FHPs has occurred via FHP invitation Example – Met with all AK FHPs in October with a focus on coordinating science and data efforts –Preliminary discussions initiated with LCC national coordinator Challenges –Time resources to meet with all 19 FHPs Resources needed –$12K for Committee Co-Chair travel support (shared)

16. Thank You! Visit www.fishhabitat.org for more informationwww.fishhabitat.org Gary E. Whelan Michigan DNR whelang@michigan.gov 517-373-6948 Andrea C. Ostroff USGS aostroff@usgs.gov 703-648-4070