Tasks

Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Tasks

Administrative Tasks

Administrative Task 1 - Develop institutional arrangements for conducting HNA
Action: Corps, USFWS
Approach:
1) Arrange internal Corps project management.
2) Make arrangements for joint facilitation of HNA with the USFWS.
3) Conduct initial meeting with agencies and interested organizations to formally initiate the EMP-HNA. Invite participation in the HNA development process by USGS, EPA, States, MN-WI BAC, Native American tribes, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs such as: river trade organizations, agricultural organizations, environmental organizations).
Products:
1) Internal Corps arrangements for project management.
2) Understanding and approval from EMPCC and EMP partners to proceed with the HNA.
3) Steering Committee
4) HNA Technical Committee.
5) HNA Mapping Committee.
6) HNA Public Involvement Committee.

Administrative Task 2 - Prepare HNA Scope of Work, provide to EMPCC for review and endorsement
Action: Corps/USFWS, Technical Committee, Public Involvement Committees
Approach:
1) Review draft HNA Scope of Work, revise and refine as necessary.
2) Come to agreement on final draft HNA Scope of Work, task list, schedule.
3) Prepare draft HNA Scope of Work for distribution to EMP partner agencies and the EMPCC
4) Incorporate any further modifications based on EMPCC, EMP partner agencies.
Products:
1) Draft HNA Scope of Work
2) Agency/organization review, comments
3) EMPCC endorsement
4) Final HNA Scope of Work

Administrative Task 3 - Prepare detailed scopes of work for HNA tasks
Action: Corps, Technical, Mapping, and Public Involvement Committees
Approach:
1) Draft detailed scopes of work will be developed by the Corps for each task (suitable for contracts or interagency agreements).

Administrative Task 4 - Arrange for work, monitor performance of work
Action: Corps
Approach:
1) Procure work using detailed scopes of work, contractual arrangements, interagency agreements, in-house commitments.
2) Monitor conduct of work by others.
3) Review contract products for acceptance.
Products:
1) Contracts, interagency agreements, in-house commitments for work.

Administrative Task 5 - Public information program
Action: Corps, USFWS, Public Involvement Committee, contractor
Approach:
1) Develop public information plan for HNA.
2) Contribute to EMP newsletter, establish HNA Internet home page within EMP Internet site, write press releases, prepare brief video, slide presentations, etc.
Products:
1) HNA public information plan
2) Information-giving products (TBD)

Administrative Task 6 - Prepare HNA draft report
Action: Corps, USFWS, Technical Committee, Mapping Committee, Public Involvement Committee
Approach:
1) Prepare outline of final HNA report (draft outline will be included in draft HNA Scope of Work)
2) EMPCC meets to discuss, endorse HNA Scope of Work (possibly with conditions for further modification).
4) Modify draft outline based on comments received in review of HNA Scope of Work
5) Make writing assignments for HNA report at joint workshop with Technical, Mapping, Public Involvement Committees
6) Committees prepare contributions to draft report
7) Mapping Committee and contractors prepare graphical, digital products for report.
8) Distribute draft HNA report (and other digital products) to Technical, Mapping, and Public Involvement Committees for review
9) Incorporate comments, complete draft report by October 30, 1999.

Administrative Task 7 - Consultations with resource managers
Action: Corps, USFWS, contractor
Approach:
1) Arrange series of meetings (throughout UMRS at locations TBD) to discuss the draft HNA with resource managers. Systematically record recommendations for improving the HNA.
2) Following consultations, HNA Committees revise draft report as needed.
Products:
1) Review comments, recommendations from resource managers
2) Revised HNA draft report

Administrative Task 8 - Draft HNA review
Action: Corps, USFWS, Technical Committee, Mapping Committee, Public Involvement Committee, contractors
Approach:
1) Distribute draft HNA report to EMP participants. Request written review comments.
2) Hold a conference/workshop for HNA participants and interested parties. Make a series of presentations on HNA development; evaluation of existing conditions, future habitat conditions, public/institutional expectations, habitat needs.
3) Conduct facilitated workshop to identify areas of agreement, concern, recommended improvements. Record concerns, recommendations for improvement.
4) Incorporate comments as needed, produce final HNA report in May 2000.
Products:
1) Written comments from EMP participants
2) HNA review conference
3) Final draft HNA report

Administrative Task 9 - Prepare, distribute final HNA report and digital products
Action: Corps, USFWS
Approach:
1) Prepare final HNA report, executive summary, digital products, post on Internet
2) Distribute hard copy report (executive summary) to EMP participants, other interested parties
Products:
1) Final HNA report
2) Digital products (TBD)

Technical Tasks

Subtask 1.1 - Develop habitat patch type classification from existing LC/LU and aquatic areas coverages.
Action: Technical Committee, Mapping Committee
Approach:
1) Compile inventory of pertinent UMRS GIS data. Consider existing habitat and guild classifications. Review GIS data inventory, decide on habitat patch type classification (In concert with guild classification of UMRS organisms, Subtask 1.2 below). Identify suitable habitat patch type resolutions for pool, reach, and system levels based on available spatial data.
2) Determine how UMRS habitat classification can be made compatible with Lower Mississippi River habitat classification (Cobb 1998).
3) Identify habitat modifying processes (climatic, hydrologic, anthropogenic, and biological), major stressors, disturbance types for each habitat patch type. Estimate recurrence frequency of disturbance for each disturbance type and habitat patch type.
4) Determine how current velocity, substrate type, vegetation, floodplain elevation, and bathymetry can be incorporated into classification system and the GIS for aquatic habitat.
5) Develop a list of UMRS habitat types to be reviewed by river managers and biologists.
6) Prepare a narrative with supporting tables and figures describing the habitat patch type classification and other habitat attributes for inclusion in final HNA report
Products:
1) List of UMRS habitat patch types
2) Matrix of habitat patch types, disturbance/habitat forming processes, frequencies of recurrence
3) Narrative with supporting tables and figures for inclusion in final HNA report

Subtask 1.2 - Develop guild classification of UMRS organisms
Action: Technical Committee
Approach: (Done concurrently with Subtask 1.1)
1) Consider existing guild classifications (e.g., Galatowitsch and McAdams 1994).
2) Develop a list of guilds of UMRS organisms.
3) Document information source(s) for guild definitions.
4) Prepare a description of each guild, including representative species, rare/unique/protected species, ecological functions, economic importance, life requisites, differences in habitat requisites by life stage, etc.
Products: 1) List of UMRS species guilds

Subtask 1.3 - Develop habitat/guild associations
Action: Technical Committee, contractors
Approach:
1) Develop a draft matrix of guilds of UMRS organisms and the habitat patch types that they inhabit, using available literature and professional judgement.
2) Document information source(s) used to make habitat patch assignment(s) for each guild.
3) Identify other habitat attributes (patch size, proximity to other habitat patch types, connectivity, seasonal occurrence, temporal persistence, disturbance requirements, etc.) required by each species guild.
4) Examine LTRMP and other (State, USFWS, fish telemetry data, USFWS, USGS waterfowl staging observations, etc.) available spatial information on organism distributions.
5) Identify the certainty associated with habitat/guild associations.
6) Identify the degree to which habitat may be limiting for each guild.
7) Identify communities within the habitat/guild matrix.
8) Develop scopes of work for selected habitat/guild analyses.
9) Conduct selected analyses to confirm and refine habitat patch assignments.
10) Document the degree to which habitat patch type assignments for each guild are confirmed or remain uncertain.
11) Prepare a section for final HNA report summarizing information developed on habitat/guild associations.
Products:
1) Habitat patch type/species guild matrix
2) Narrative with supporting tables and figures for inclusion in final HNA report

Subtask 1.4 - Develop existing habitat conditions GIS database
Action: Mapping Committee, Technical Committee, Contractors
Approach:
1) Assemble needed GIS data (defined by Technical Committee) from LTRMP, Navigation Study, Corps Districts, and other sources.
2) Adjust data formats, scales, resolution, rectification as needed to provide compatible databases.
3) Develop models to generate pool- and river reach-scale habitat descriptor themes for current velocity, substrate type, relative floodplain elevation.
4) Incorporate HREP?s constructed or under construction by April 1999 into existing conditions GIS database (digitize and interpret recent aerial photos for LC/LU within HREP project areas, add into LTRMP 1989 LC/LU database)
5) Develop a series of pool-scale GIS habitat descriptor themes for use in evaluating habitat availability and spatial distribution.
6) Incorporate pool-scale habitat coverages for existing conditions for each species guild into database (from Task 1.5 below).
7) Provide access to the GIS existing conditions habitat databases via the Internet.
Products:
1) Series of pool-scale GIS habitat databases for existing conditions (Atlas of existing habitats)
2) Internet access to GIS habitat databases
3) Narrative with supporting tables, figures, and maps for inclusion in the final report.

Subtask 1.5 - Evaluate existing habitat conditions (GAP analysis)
Action:Technical Committee, Mapping Committee, contractors
Approach:
1) Analyze the areal extent, spatial distribution, and spatial structure, and temporal availability of habitat patch types throughout the UMRS, using the existing conditions habitat GIS.
2) Identify areas already protected in public ownership
3) Identify critical habitats for protected species
4) Identify habitat patch types which are scarce or of limited availability. Conduct the analysis by species guilds and by pool and river reach, making use of the 10 geomorphologically distinct river reaches identified in the Navigation Study cumulative effects assessment.
5) Develop habitat distribution GIS database and maps at the pool scale for each species guild. Incorporate these into the GIS existing habitat conditions database (Task 1.4 above).
6) Prepare a narrative with supporting tables, figures, and maps for inclusion in the final report.
Products:
1) Narrative with tables and figures on existing habitat conditions for inclusion in final report

Subtask 1.6 - Prepare visual products, existing conditions habitats atlas
Action: GIS Committee, Technical Committee, Public Involvement Committee
Approach:
1) Prepare visual products, and a hard copy map atlas illustrating existing habitat conditions for use in consultations with resource managers, organizations, and the general public.
Products:
1) Expanded LTRMP Decision Support System (DSS)
2) Hard copy existing conditions habitat atlas
3) Visual products TBD (e.g., PowerPoint presentations, fly-over video, etc.)

Subtask 2.1 - Review and refine existing forecasts and models of future physical and biological habitat conditions (e.g. Navigation Study, Big River SIM)
Action: Technical Committee, Mapping Committee
Approach:
1) Examine existing forecasts of future conditions.
2) Refine forecasts of physical habitat conditions as necessary to generate database of future habitat conditions descriptors.
3) Develop a floodplain vegetation successional model
4) Develop a simulated database of future floodplain vegetation derived from the LTRMP 1989 land cover/land use database.

Products:
1) Database of future physical (river plan form; e.g., aquatic areas, floodplain areas) habitat conditions
3) Database of future floodplain land cover (simulated with floodplain vegetation succession model)
2) Narrative for inclusion in final HNA report describing refinements to existing forecasts of physical habitat conditions, development of floodplain vegetation succession model

Subtask 2.2 - Develop future habitat conditions database
Action: Mapping Committee, Technical Committee
Approach: (Done concurrently with Subtask 2.1 above)
1) Make use of Subtask 2.1 models to estimates of future plan form areas and biotic conditions. Develop database of future habitat area estimates by species guilds, pools, river reach, and total system.
2) Provide access to the future conditions habitat database via the Internet.
Products:
1) Future habitat conditions database
2) Narrative for inclusion in final HNA report describing development of the database

Subtask 2.3 Evaluate future habitat availability, spatial distribution (GAP analysis)
Action: Technical Committee, Mapping Committee
Approach:
1) Estimate future changes in areal extent, spatial distribution, and spatial structure of habitat patch types throughout the UMRS, using the future conditions habitat database.
2) Identify areas already protected in public ownership, critical habitats for protected species, habitat patch types which are forecasted to be scarce or of limited availability. Conduct the analysis by species guilds and by pool and river reach, making use of the 10 geomorphologically distinct river reaches identified in the Navigation Study cumulative effects assessment.
3) Prepare a narrative with supporting tables, and figures for inclusion in the final report.
Products:
1) Narrative with tables and figures on future habitat conditions for inclusion in final report

Subtask 2.4 - Prepare visual products illustrating forecasted future conditions
Action: Mapping Committee, Technical Committee, Public Involvement Committee
Approach:
1) Prepare visual products illustrating future habitat conditions for use in consultations with resource managers, organizations, and the general public.
Products:
1) Visual products TBD (e.g., PowerPoint presentations, fly-over video, etc.)

Subtask 3.1 - Identify institutional expectations and significant resources
Action: Public Involvement Committee, contractor
Approach:
1) Conduct literature, Internet search to identify governmental agencies, intergovernmental coordinating organizations, agricultural trade organizations, river industry organizations, environmental organizations, native American tribal governments and their mission statements.
2) Contact UMRS regional leaders of each organization for consultation, and formally request their participation to identify any specific institutional objectives and expectations for future habitat conditions on the UMRS.
3) Identify institutionally significant resources (relative to UMRS habitats; e.g. endangered species, migratory waterfowl, economically important sport and commercial fishes, etc.).
4) Document the inquiry process, and summarize the findings in a narrative report for inclusion in the final HNA report.
Products:
1) Narrative report describing process for identification of institutional intent, institutionally significant resources, and expectations for future habitat conditions for inclusion in final HNA report.

Subtask 3.2 - Consultations with resource managers - identify desired future conditions
Action: Technical Committee, Public Involvement Committee, State and Federal UMRS resource managers, contractor
Approach:
1) Arrange consultations with resource managers at locations near each UMRS navigation pool and river reach. Formally invite the resource managers familiar with each pool and river reach to participate. Brief the resource managers on development of the existing and future conditions habitat atlases, and the accompanying evaluations of habitat availability and spatial structure. Review the draft existing and future habitat conditions information at the pool and river reach scales. Review the potential alternative future conditions. Make use of the visualization products in the review. Request the resource managers to consider the draft information on existing and future habitat conditions, identify refinements needed in the draft products, and to identify desired future habitat conditions.
2) Systematically record suggestions for refinement of draft products, and desired future habitat conditions for each pool and river reach.
3) Prepare a narrative with tables and figures identifying future conditions desired by UMRS resource managers for inclusion in the final HNA report.
Products:
1) Recorded comments on draft products
2) Narrative with tables and figures describing consultation process and identifying future

Subtask 3.3 - Consultations with the general public - identify desired future conditions
Action: Technical Committee, Public Involvement Committee, contractor
Approach: (TBD by Public Involvement Committee)
1) A series of workshops/focus groups/special public meetings will be held at locations throughout the UMRS to brief the public on existing and future UMR habitat conditions, potential future habitat conditions, and to elicit from them information on expectations and desired future habitat conditions.
2) The results of the meetings will be systematically recorded.
3) Demographic trends for UMRS river users will be identified.
4) A narrative with tables and figures describing general public expectations for future habitat conditions will be prepared for inclusion in the final HNA report.
Products:
1) Narrative with table and figures for inclusion in final HNA report, documenting the public involvement process, findings, demographic trends, and forecasted public expectations for future habitat conditions.

Subtask 4.1 - Identify desired future condition
Action: Technical, Public Involvement Committees, Corps, USGS, contractor
Approach:
1) Combine GAP assessment of future habitat conditions, and institutional and public expectations.
2) Assess compatibility of public expectations with potential future conditions.
3) Identify and quantify a desired mosaic of habitat patch types by pool and river reach.
4) Develop a desired future habitat conditions database
5) Develop visual products illustrating desired future habitat conditions
6) Prepare a narrative for inclusion in the final HNA report describing the process for identifying desired future habitat conditions.

Products:
1) Desired future habitat conditions database
2) Visual products illustrating desired future conditions
3) Narrative for inclusion in the final HNA report describing desired future habitat conditions.

Subtask 4.2 - Identify habitat needs
Action: Technical, Public Involvement Committees, Corps, USGS, contractor
Approach:
1) Assess and quantify habitat needs by pool and river reach (difference between forecast future and desired future conditions).
2) Generate a database of habitat needs by pool, river reach, and system-wide.
3) Develop visual products illustrating habitat needs.
4) Prepare narrative describing habitat needs for inclusion in the final HNA report.
Products:
1) Habitat needs database
2) Visual products illustrating habitat needs
3) Narrative with supporting tables and figures describing habitat needs for inclusion in the final HNA report

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