2016 National Military Fish & Wildlife Association Annual Meeting and Training Workshop

Transcription

1 2016 National Military Fish & Wildlife Association March 2016 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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3 Program Summary Environmental DNA Workshop Migratory Bird Treaty Act/DoD Migratory Bird Rule Workshop The Wildlife Society-Military Lands Working Group Meeting / 2016 Board of Directors Meeting NMFWA Welcome and DOD Policy Update Annual Members Meeting DoD Service Breakout Sessions Navy EPRWeb/Conservation Website Overview WMI Plenary and Special Sessions Session: Marine Conservation Herpetology Working Group Meeting Pollinators Working Group Meeting...20 Session: DoD-Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (DoD PARC) BASH Working Group Meeting Session: DoD Partners In Flight Conservation Law Enforcement Working Group Meeting Bat Working Group Meeting Session: Conservation on DoD Lands Session: Bat Acoustics Bird Conservation Working Group Meeting Session: Climate Change Invasive Species Working Group Meeting Climate Change Working Group Meeting Fish and Wildlife Recreation Working Group Meeting / 2017 Board of Directors Meeting Show and Tell / Poster Session / Silent Auction Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center Field Trip...32 Wyndham Floor and Room Plan Need a Conference Schedule? WMI Has an App for That! To download, visit the APP STORE. Install the guidebooktm app and then select the Download your first guide tab and search for North American Conference. Once downloaded, the conference guide will step you through the simple process of navigating to schedules, events, directions and other important conference information.

4 National Military Fish and Wildlife Association Annual Training Workshop March 2016 MONDAY, March NMFWA Registration (Ballroom Foyer ) (NMFWA Registration Desk will also be open during the Workshop as Board Members are available to volunteer at the desk) Environmental DNA Workshop - Pre-registration required (Benedum) Migratory Bird Treaty Act/DoD Migratory Bird Rule Workshop (Commonwealth 2) The Wildlife Society-Military Lands Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) /2016 Board of Directors Meeting (Smithfield) (2016/2017 BOD and all members welcome) TUESDAY, March NMFWA Registration Welcome-Coralie Cobb, NMFWA President (Commonwealth 2) DoD Policy Update -L. Peter Boice, Office of Secretary of Defense (Commonwealth 2) Annual Members Meeting [Everyone is welcome - Please come!] (Commonwealth 2) NMFWA Registration DoD Service Break Out Sessions (See page 9 for rooms) Navy/Marine Corps/Air Force/Army DoD Service Break Out Sessions for Marine Corps/Air Force/Army Navy EPRWeb/Conservation Website Overview (Commonwealth 1) Welcome Mixer at Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh (Buses begin leaving Wyndham at 1745 and return at 2100) We gratefully acknowledge the support of our sponsors: Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands EA Engineering, Science, and Technology HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc. Tetra Tech Marstel-Day Student Conservation Association isportsman 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 4

5 WEDNESDAY, March NMFWA Registration st Annual North American Wildlife & Natural Resources Conference Plenary Session (Ballroom 1 & 2) WMI Special Sessions 2020 Vision: Federal Forest Management into the Next Decade (Commonwealth 1) Effects of Climate Change on Inland Fish and Fisheries: Looking Back and Moving Forward (Commonwealth 2) Science-Based Management Strategies for Fish and Wildlife Diseases (Ballroom 3) Wildlife Governance Principles - Guidance for More Effective Wildlife Management (Ballroom 4) NMFWA Registration Session: Marine Conservation (Commonwealth 1) Herpetology Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2 ) Pollinators Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) DoD-Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) (Commonwealth 1) BASH Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction (Boat boarding from at Point State Park across the street. A group will meet in the lobby at 1745 and walk to the loading dock.) THURSDAY, March Session: DoD Partners In Flight (Commonwealth 1) Conservation Law Enforcement Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) Bat Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) Session: Conservation on DoD Lands (Commonwealth 1) Session: Bat Acoustics (Commonwealth 2 ) Bird Conservation Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) Session: Climate Change (Commonwealth 1) Invasive Species Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) Climate Change Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 1) Fish and Wildlife Recreation Working Group Meeting (Commonwealth 2) Board of Directors Meeting [All members welcome] (King s 2) NMFWA Show and Tell, Photography Contest and Silent Auction (Commonwealth 2) 2000 Photography Contest / Silent Auction Winners Announced FRIDAY, MARCH Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center Field Trip (Bus leaves Wyndham at 0815 and returns at 1630) 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 5

6 DAILY SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE: NMFWA Registration Monday, March Environmental DNA Workshop (Pre-registration required) DoD Migratory Bird Conservation, Compliance and Management for Federal Partners The Wildlife Society-Military Lands Working Group Meeting /2016 Board of Directors Meeting (2016/2017 BOD and all members welcome) Environmental DNA Workshop Monitoring Aquatic Biodiversity with Molecular Tools (Pre-registration required) Moderator: Kristy Deiner, Katherine Strickler Recent advances in genetic methods have increased the power and promise of genetic tools for monitoring biodiversity. These advances in technology allow us to describe and detect biodiversity from trace sources of DNA found in the environment, which we call environmental DNA (edna), and rapidly and accurately provide information needed for effective monitoring. Use of edna is becoming integrated in management for invasive species, species of concern and even for monitoring of whole communities, and has been demonstrated at multiple DoD installations. This one-day workshop will introduce participants to edna technology, including collection and interpretation of data. Participants will learn: how data are generated in the field and lab, what an edna data set can look like, and how to interpret results from edna studies. Our goal for workshop participants is that they leave with clear ideas for when and how to use edna tools in monitoring and management. We will accomplish this goal by analyzing in depth two DoD-related case studies that use edna. We will highlight insights gained by using these methods, as well as their limitations, through handson activities, videos and dialogue. We will review how to develop a molecular protocol for the detection of species and communities and we will walk through what you should look for in an environmental DNA laboratory partner. We will have an open discussion about what the methods can and cannot do for routine biodiversity monitoring, with outlooks to the future. Lastly, we will highlight online resources that are available and provide guidelines and advice for how to assess, interpret and implement molecular species detection tools in management. 08:30-09:00 Welcome, introductions of team and participants 09:00-09:20 Introduction to methods for molecular identification of species 09:20-09:40 Case study #1 Endangered/invasive aquatic species detection 09:40-10:00 Case study #2 edna metabarcoding 10:00-10:45 Coffee break 10:45-10:55 Introduction to field collection methods 10:55-12:15 Field trip to demonstrate sampling in field 12:15-13:45 Lunch 13:45-14:15 What happens in the lab and choosing a collaborator 14:15-14:45 Case study #1 data interpretation 14:45-15:15 Case study #2 data interpretation 15:15-16:00 Coffee break 16:00-16:30 Open discussion 16:30-16:45 Closing remarks from team on open discussions 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 6

7 DoD Migratory Bird Conservation, Compliance and Management for Federal Partners Co-Presenters: Richard Fischer, US Army ERDC, and Eric Kershner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, The U.S. Navy (Navy), in cooperation with the DoD Bird Conservation Program (Partners In Flight), is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Headquarters Division of Migratory Bird Management to customize workshops based on the USFWS National Conservation Training Center s Migratory Bird Conservation: A Trust Responsibility course curriculum. This half-day training, which is an abbreviated version of the 3-day training being offered at locations around the country, will focus on DoD issues related to compliance with migratory bird related laws and regulations, impacts assessments for National Environmental Policy Act reviews, and management programs in support of Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans. Focus is placed on migratory birds that occur on DoD lands that have the highest likelihood of impacting mission activities The Wildlife Society-Military Lands Working Group Meeting (Open to all) Co-Chair: Rob Lovich, TWS-MLWG, The Military Lands Working Group (MLWG) of The Wildlife Society (TWS) is intended to provide opportunities for members to exchange information, meet professionals dealing with similar situations, and promote awareness of natural resource conservation requirements on DoD lands. Fire, BASH, invasive species and threatened and endangered species are just a few of our current focus areas. We have sponsored several very successful symposia and a few workshops at National meetings since our unofficial formation in 2009 and expect to do more in the future. We have recently sponsored technical sessions at regional TWS meetings in California and Arizona (and maybe other states? If so, tell us!). Conceptually, MLWG is intended to focus many of our efforts on science and technology, whereas at NMFWA we often tend to place a higher emphasis on policy. We also coordinate with other TWS working groups, including Biodiversity, Human Dimensions, Early Careers and Toxicology, to name just a few. To be a member of the TWS MLWG, one must maintain membership in TWS at the "national" level (and you also have to pay the MLWG $5 per year) /2016 Board of Directors Meeting (2016/2017 BOD and members welcome) The closeout meeting of your outgoing Board. Please feel free to join us and see what wheels are turning in the NMFWA organization. All members are welcome to attend Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 7

8 Tuesday, March 15 DAILY SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE: NMFWA Registration Welcome-Coralie Cobb, NMFWA President DoD Policy Update Annual Members Meeting NMFWA Registration DoD Service Break Out Sessions Navy Marine Corps Air Force Army Break Out Session continued for Marine Corps/Air Force/Army & National Guard Navy EPRWeb/Conservation Website Overview Welcome Mixer at Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh (Buses leave Wyndham starting at 1745 and return at 2100) NMFWA Welcome Coralie Cobb, NMFWA President DoD NR Program Policy Session - L. Peter Boice, Deputy Director, Natural Resources, Office of Secretary of Defense Peter will discuss current initiatives, ongoing challenges and future directions for the DoD Natural Resources Program. He will also complement the just released Spring issue of Natural Selections by offering some personal reflections on some of the Program's most significant accomplishments over the past 25 years Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 8

9 Annual Members Meeting The Members Meeting will bring together NMFWA members to discuss accomplishments over the past year and lay out a path forward for continued success. Highlights will include an introduction of the current and future BoD's in attendance, a wrap-up of the past years motions, and a review of the current budget. Members will be asked to provide their input on the direction that NMFWA is taking and also identify issues that they feel should be addressed DoD Service Break Out Sessions The DoD Break Out Sessions are your chance to hear from and speak to your Service Headquarters representatives, meet and greet your sibling installations, and get information on the upcoming fiscal years from the Washington perspective. We are pleased to have four separate Service Breakout Sessions this year. US Air Force Session This session will spotlight natural resources management on Air Force installations. Representatives from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center will discuss service-wide natural resources program initiatives. Installation presentations will highlight unique and innovative approaches for managing natural resources to sustain mission requirements. All NMFWA members are welcome to attend Opening Remarks Ms. Suzanne Bilbrey, Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), United States Department of the Air Force (USAF) Ms. Suzanne Bilbrey is Director of the Environmental Directorate of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC/CZ). AFCEC/CZ centrally manages Air Force environmental operations worldwide Air Force Natural Resources Program Report - Mr. Kevin Porteck, Air Force Natural Resources Program Subject Matter Expert, AFCEC/CZTQ Mr. Kevin Porteck will provide an overview of the Air Force natural resources program. Topics will include the status of Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans, threatened and endangered species conservation, and other natural resources topics. Significant accomplishments in the last year will be highlighted, and future strategies will be discussed Natural Resources Program at Malmstrom AFB - Dr. Elin Pierce, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana In 2015, Malmstrom Air Force Base was the recipient of the Air Force General Thomas D. White Award for excellence in the management of natural resources. Elin Pierce from the USFWS s Montana Fish and Wildlife Coordination Office will provide an overview of the recent initiatives implemented at the installation that earned them this special recognition. Dr. Pierce, as the Fish and Wildlife Service liaison to Malmstrom AFB, provides natural resources management support to the installation Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 9

10 Tuesday, cont d Air Force Wildland Fire Center Report - Mr. Richard Trevino, Director, Operations Division, AFCEC/CZO Mr. Richard Trevino will provide information on present and future initiatives of the Air Force Wildland Fire Center (AFWFC), and discuss how Air Force natural resources managers can participate and contribute to the AFWFC program objectives. Uncontrolled wildfires can threaten military missions, assets, and personnel, and presents a growing liability to installation commanders who are faced with increased demands for training space on military installations and ranges. Wildland fire management, to include comprehensive wildland fire management planning, is required to sustain an installation landscape for military training while providing habitat for endemic protected species. To meet this need, Air Force Wildland Fire Center was created at the direction of the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a nationwide wildland fire strategy to manage fire risk, sustain missions, and support ecosystem management, with the goal of maximizing the use of shared interagency resources to minimize both the AFWFC footprint and budget impact Community-Based Program of Shoreline Stabilization and Restoration at MacDill Air Force Base - Mr. Jason Kirkpatrick, Natural Resources Manager, MacDill Air Force Base Shoreline erosion at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida has degraded the beach and threatens installation infrastructure. In this presentation, Mr. Jason Kirkpatrick will explain how community based partnering was employed to protect the shoreline while simultaneously enhancing ecosystem functions. MacDill s shoreline stabilization and restoration program is a multi-year project initiated by the Air Force and supported by federal and local partners as well as hundreds of community volunteers. The project was developed as an alternative to the installation of traditional hardened shoreline protection. This dynamic stabilization approach uses marine-friendly materials to create a living system that restores natural shoreline stabilizers Florida Strategic Plan for Sustaining Military Readiness through Conservation Partnerships - Dr. Catherine Phillips, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Panama City Field Office The Florida Strategic Plan for Sustaining Military Readiness through Conservation Partnerships is a regional planning effort that incorporates principles of landscape ecology and geospatial data resources to identify priority areas for the conservation of sensitive species around Air Force installations in Florida. The overall goal is to establish a regional approach to natural resources management that minimizes multiple encroachment threats and alleviates on-installation constraints to military testing and training operations. Dr. Catherine Phillips will provide an overview of the current status of the Plan development, the partnerships involved, and some preliminary findings edash Plans and Permits Tracker Guidance for Natural Resources Requirements - Ms. Angelia Binder, East Region Natural Resources Specialist, AFCEC/CZOE In this presentation, Ms. Angelia Binder will provide instruction for entering data into the Air Force Plans and Permits Tracker database. The purpose is to provide consistent and accurate information on the compliance status of Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 10

11 Navy Break Out Session This Session will address current issues, policies, and priorities of the Navy natural resources management program. Presentations and updates will be provided by representatives from the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the Environment (ODASN(E)), Office of Chief of Naval Operations, Energy and Environmental Readiness Division (OPNAV (N45), Pacific Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Headquarters, NAVFAC Atlantic and NAVFAC Pacific and Region/Facilities Engineering Commands; Fiscal Year 2015 Environmental Management Review (EMR) and Defense Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress (DEPARC) Summary; Budget and Funding Issues; Forestry and Agricultural Outlease; and an Open Forum. Moderator: Tammy Conkle, NAVFAC HQ, US Marine Corps Break Out Session The Marine Corps Breakout Session will provide an open forum discussion relating to current issues affect-ing installations; locally, regionally and nationally. Installation attendees will be provided opportunity to raise topics of discussion for the group on local initiatives, successes or challenges. Marine Corps natural resources managers are encouraged to attend this session as it represents one of the best opportunities to communicate with other USMC personnel on topics directly affecting their installations. Moderator: TBD US Army Break Out Session The Army Breakout Session will provide information to installations and an opportunity for installation natural resources managers to seek information on any topic affecting natural resources management at their installations. Specific topics will include Unique ESA Challenges, Army Species-at-Risk Update, and Budget Predictions for IMCOM. Moderator: TBD 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 11

12 Tuesday, cont d Navy EPR Web/Conservation Website Overview This session is intended for Navy Natural Resources Program Managers. The Navy is in the process of launching a new Conservation Website, an authoritative website for installation natural and cultural resources programs. This session will review the website's natural resources components and functionality in order to get feedback from the Navy's natural resources community. In addition, the session will address EPRWeb tips and tricks. Session Chair: Tom Mayes, NAVFAC HQ, tom.mayes@navy.mil Are you enjoying this years Annual Meeting? Start planning now to join us next year in Spokane, Washington, 4-11 March And for you long-term planners, join us in Norfolk, Virginia, March Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 12

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14 WEDNESDAY, March 16 Daily Schedule at a Glance NMFWA Registration st Annual North American Wildlife & Natural Resources Conference Plenary Session WMI Special Sessions (See page 14 for rooms) 2020 Vision: Federal Forest Management into the Next Decade Effects of Climate Change on Inland Fish and Fisheries: Looking Back and Moving Forward Science-Based Management Strategies for Fish and Wildlife Diseases Wildlife Governance Principles - Guidance for More Effective Wildlife Management NMFWA Registration Session: Marine Conservation Herpetology Working Group Meeting Pollinators Working Group Meeting Session: DoD PARC BASH Working Group Meeting Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction (Boat boarding is from ) st Annual North American Wildlife & Natural Resources Conference Plenary Session Featured Speakers: John Arway, Matt Hough, Steve Williams, Dan Ashe, and Collin O Mara WMI Special Sessions 2020 Vision: Federal Forest Management into the Next Decade Effects of Climate Change on Inland Fish and Fisheries: Looking Back and Moving Forward Science-Based Management Strategies for Fish and Wildlife Diseases Wildlife Governance Principles - Guidance for More Effective Wildlife Management 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 14

15 Session: Marine Conservation The United States stretches from sea to sea and provides a unique security challenge for our military. The oceans is very diverse and also provides a unique challenge to natural resources managers on our coasts and islands. This diverse session will cover many resources found in our oceans from fish and corals to sea birds and manatees. Session Chair Jered Jackson, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, FL Approach to Freshwater Fish Surveys for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Installations: Case-Study at a Maine Facility Brian Dresser 1, Jessica Bassi 2, Ian Trefry 2, Michael Wright 2, Deena Anderson 1 1 Tetra Tech, Inc and 2 Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic Since 2011, Tetra Tech has conducted fish surveys at several Navy Installations in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maine, in support of Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP) baseline assessment goals. While INRMPs are designed to be comprehensive, freshwater fish and aquatic resources are often overlooked, creating a data gap that needs to be addressed for many installations. Rapid Bioassessment Protocols that characterize physical and biological attributes can be used to provide a cost-effective way to obtain baseline data on freshwater resources, customized to an installation s resources and needs. In this case-study, we present how freshwater surveys have been conducted to meet specific INRMP objectives at the Navy s Survival, Evasion, Resistance, & Escape (SERE) School, located in Franklin County, Maine. The involvement of local stakeholders in this process has led to the successful implementation of surveys, as well as the discovery of a unique brown trout (Salmo trutta) population. While holdover and self-sustaining populations of brown trout are known to occur, the situation at the SERE School is unique; resident brown trout are the principal recreational fishery in only one other known location in Maine. Approach to Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Installations: Case-Study at SUBASE New London Brian Dresser 1, Jessica Bassi 2, Ian Trefry 2, Michael Wright 2, Deena Anderson 1, Chris Soucier 1 1 Tetra Tech, Inc and 2 Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic Since 2009, Tetra Tech has conducted seasonal fish surveys at several Navy Installations in California, Virginia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine in support of Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP) baseline assessment goals. While INRMPs are designed to be comprehensive, nearshore marine resources are often not characterized, creating a data gap that needs to be addressed for many installations. Standardized methods adapted from nationwide and regional coastal condition assessment methods can be used to provide a cost-effective way to obtain baseline data on nearshore marine resources, customized to an installation s resources and needs. In this case-study, we present how nearshore marine surveys have been conducted to meet specific INRMP objectives at the Navy s SUBASE New London, located on the Thames River in Connecticut. To characterize the diverse resources in the nearshore environment, sampling included bottom trawls, ichthyoplankton tows, benthic grabs, marine mammal observations, side scan sonar surveys, and intertidal sampling. The integration of these survey methods has allowed for efficiencies in data collection efforts. One of the methods (acoustic telemetry) led to the detection of an ESA-listed Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) at the installation. This was an important finding because Atlantic sturgeon have not been documented in this river since the 1980s Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 15

16 WEDNESDAY, cont d Coral Reefs and the DoD: A Rising Concern and an Opportunity to Adapt Ian Lundgren Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific The DoD's approach toward coral reefs has evolved over time, because in the past two decades managing coral reef issues has become inextricably linked to mission success. What was once only a hazard to navigation has become a costly and cumbersome natural resources management challenge to business as usual. Whereas the DoD used coral atolls for atomic weapon testing in the mid-20th century, today corals are physically moved out of harm's way. Modern environmental laws came online around 1970, but widespread protection for coral reefs waited until the new millennium. The complex ecology of coral reefs and the logistical reality of conducting natural resource management in the marine environment require new strategies for installations, systems commands, and operating forces working in tropical climates. As coral reefs decline worldwide, regulatory protections are increasing, and the DoD mandate to proactively conserve and protect these unique and valuable resources is becoming more critical. New opportunities to find synergy between management tools and operational requirements are being realized, as well as the consideration of new, more holistic, solutions for executing the DoD mission in locations that include the coral reef ecosystem. The Potential Effects to Diving Birds from Underwater Sound Jennifer James, Heather Hopkins U.S. Navy, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport, RI There are approximately 820 bird species that live on or near the water and many of these species dive underwater to capture prey or escape predators. Relatively little information exists regarding the underwater hearing capabilities of diving birds. It is highly likely, when locating prey underwater, diving birds use another sense other than vision, and hearing seems to be the most likely mechanism for prey identification. The introduction of anthropogenic sound (such as pile driving and underwater sonar) can mask communication between birds, displace birds from preferred foraging or breeding habitat, disrupt predator-prey interactions, and cause hearing loss. Utilizing resident populations of diving bird species at a naval test facility will allow scientists to examine observed changes in diving bird populations when exposed to acoustic activities. Sound trials with diving birds will aid in correlating the underwater hearing abilities of diving birds and how underwater sound may disrupt natural behaviors Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 16

17 Survey for the West Indian Manatee at Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba Daniel H. Slone, James P. Reid, Susan M. Butler, Robert K. Bonde, Margaret E. Hunter, W. Judson Kenworthy * U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Sirenia Project * 101 Pivers Island, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA The Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is found in the waters of Naval Station Guantánamo Bay (NS Guantánamo Bay), but little is known about its movements or habitat use patterns. During , 12 manatees were captured and medically evaluated. Eight manatees were fitted with satellite-linked GPS radio tags and tracked for an average of 242 days per individual. All individuals regularly moved between inner-bay resting/feeding areas or nearshore seagrass beds and the upper portion of the Guantánamo River for drinking freshwater. A subset of individuals travelled outside of NS Guantánamo Bay, either east to a nearby bay, west to a river mouth, or into the northern portion of Guantánamo Bay. A concurrent benthic survey showed locations, species composition and abundance of seagrasses, and nonvegetated habitat, hard bottom and coral communities. Four species of seagrass were found in Guantánamo Bay, and telemetry showed the habitat types and seagrass compositions where manatees foraged most frequently. The majority of locations from the tagged manatees were within base waters, suggesting that NS Guantánamo Bay serves as a de-facto sanctuary. This study is the first comprehensive assessment of seagrass habitats and manatee foraging patterns in NS Guantánamo Bay, and provides a framework for comparative studies elsewhere in Cuba or the Antilles. Knowledge of manatee movements and resources at NSGTMO will assist the Navy with the management, enhancement, and protection of natural resources and allow for informed decisions for future infrastructure improvements, new construction projects and in-water operations, and provide insights into manatee movements and habitat use in this region of Cuba Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 17

18 Wednesday, continued Herpetology Working Group Meeting Co-Chair: Valerie Arkell, Natural Resource Manager, Kansas Army National Guard, Topeka, KS, The working group meeting will have four presentations from installations to share their accomplishments in the field of herpetology. There will be time set aside for general discussion and questions as well Brief introduction to the group s mission and goals Wood Turtle Conservation at Pembroke Regional Training Institute, New Hampshire Invasive Species Removal at Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL Diamondback Terrapin Nest Monitoring at Patuxent River Naval Air Station Benefits from Cooperation with the State Herp Atlas (PARS) at a Guard Installation in PA Time set aside for questions and general discussion Wood Turtle Conservation at Pembroke Regional Training Institute, New Hampshire Arin Mills, Conservation Specialist Pembroke Regional Training Institute, New Hampshire The New Hampshire Army National Guard (NHARNG) conducted wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) surveys in cooperation with the NH Fish & Game Department to assess population size and distribution at the Pembroke Regional Training Institute. River surveys were conducted in the spring and fall of 2015 and will continue in the 2016 field season. The NHARNG also conducted telemetry on 4 individual turtles to help further understand wood turtle habitat use on the site. The NHARNG will use the information collected to ensure effective management of the species onsite and allow for protection of the species while supporting the military mission. Although the focus of the study was wood turtle, the methods and analysis could be applied to other species. Invasive Species Removal at Homestead Air Reserve Base, FL Joshua Friers, Wildlife Biologist USDA WS Homestead Air Reserve Base,FL Homestead Air Reserve Base (HARB) is located in southern Miami Dade County and its sub-tropical climate allows for a wide variety of nonnative reptiles to flourish. To date 21 invasive species can be found on Homestead. Management and removal is an important part of our BASH and natural resources program. Smaller invasive lizards are removed when the opportunity presents itself. From a BASH perspective the larger reptiles are top priority. Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilius), Nile Monitors (Varanus niloticus), Black and white tegus (Tupinambis merianae) and Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) have been regularly collected on or near the runways at HARB. This presentation will discuss the methods our best methods of removal of invasive species, how it has impacted the native fauna and knowledge we have gained from my seven years of removing invasive reptiles from the HARB Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 18

19 Diamondback Terrapin Nest Monitoring at Patuxent River Naval Air Station Kyle Rambo, Conservation Director Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland Patuxent River Naval Air Station (PRNAS) is located in southern Maryland, along the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, at its confluence with the Patuxent River. The Patuxent River population of Northern Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) is one of the most studied of its species, with dramatic declines noted here and throughout its entire range. For the past three years, the natural resources staff at Patuxent River has been carrying out a program of nest monitoring, marking of nesting adult female terrapins, installation of predator exclusion devices over nests, and collection of data on hatching rates and hatchling survival. Two of the more interesting aspects of the project are its execution largely with volunteers and the mission compatibility coordination required after discovering that the most popular terrapin nesting dune was also a designated helicopter landing zone. Benefits from Cooperation with the State Herp Atlas (PARS) at a Guard Installation in Pennsylvania Rebecca Piccone 1,,David McNaughton 2, Wildlife Biologists 1 Temple University, 2 PA Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs, Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center, PA In just the second year of the Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS), the statewide atlas citizen science project, Fort Indiantown Gap NGTC (FIG) has broken a decade long drought on new species detection within the installation boundary. While survey efforts have been intensive in the past, refinement of techniques with other individuals assisting in the survey and some better search criteria have coalesced into the addition of three new species to the installation lists since Beyond the new findings, the installation has managed to better communicate with the PA Fish and Boat Commission, the state regulators on herps. This relationship has facilitated some new studies on turtle telemetry and wood turtle habitat occupation that will become very useful in the current USFWS petition review and its aftermath. The project has also pulled in new volunteers, linked us to one new employee, and promoted FIG within the community Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 19

20 Wednesday, continued Pollinators Working Group Meeting Co-Chairs: Albert Owen, NAVFAC SW, and Tammy Conkle, Navy HQ, We will be discussing the potential impacts of recent national and regional federal listings, policies, and guidance. There will be discussion of species and habitat management based on membership needs. We will also discuss funding small projects and share good news stories from installation to installation DoD-Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (DoD PARC) Co-Chairs: Robert Lovich, Chris Petersen, Jen Williams, Dave McNaughton, Janet Johnson, Julie Robbins, Paul Block, Ian Trefry, Valerie Arkell Welcome/Introductions DoD PARC Overview (Organizational Structure, Vision and Mission Statement) Accomplishments (Strategic Plan, INRMP Guidelines, Herpetofauna Library) Discussion of 2016 Projects PARC Overview and Integration with DoD PARC Open Discussion DoD's landscape is home to a significant and diverse array of amphibians and reptiles. These species are important for several reasons: they are a part of America's natural heritage, provide valuable indicators of ecosystem health, have scientific and medicinal value, are cultural icons, and in some cases are highly imperiled and legally protected. This workshop will provide a working opportunity for continued implementation of DoD PARC s goals and the Strategic Plan for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Management on Department of Defense Lands. We will present updates about our group s significant recent accomplishments and will discuss future projects, deliverables, and opportunities. Additionally, a representative from the national PARC group will make a presentation about how DoD PARC and national PARC support and synergize each other. Please join us to learn more about DoD PARC and our path forward for continued support of the military mission and herpetofauna management and conservation on DoD lands Bird/Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Working Group Meeting Co-Chairs: Richard Fischer, US Army ERDC, Richard.A.Fischer@usace.army.mil and Jason Gibbons, AFCEC/Travis Air Force Base, jason.gibbons.1@us.af.mil We will be presenting recent research on vegetation management on airfields, an ongoing effort to identify problematic species for DoD on a regional basis, and opportunities to investigate the need for regional vegetation management recommendations based on strike records and species life-history information. The meeting will provide an open forum for discussion of vegetation management with respect to maintenance of vegetation within the 7-14 height recommendation. Perspectives from representatives of the military services will also be provided. Following this discussion, time will also be allotted for an open discussion of other bird and wildlife strike hazard issues on DoD installations Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 20

21 THURSDAY, March 17 Daily Schedule at a Glance Session: DoD Partners In Flight Conservation Law Enforcement Working Group Bat Working Group Conservation on DoD lands Session: Bat Acoustics Bird Conservation Working Group Meeting Session: Climate Change Invasive Species Working Group Meeting Climate Change Working group Fish and Wildlife Recreation Working Group Board of Directors Meeting NMFWA Show and Tell Session: DoD Partners In Flight (PIF) The DoD Partners in Flight program sustains and enhances the military testing, training, and safety mission through proactive, habitat based management strategies that maintain healthy landscapes and training lands. Session Chair: Richard Fischer, Research Wildlife Biologist and DoD PIF Program Coordinator, US Army ERDC, Vicksburg, MS, Richard.A.Fischer@usace.army.mil Update of the DoD PIF program and summary of recent activities Open forum for discussion of bird conservation, management, and monitoring Integrated Assessment of Breeding Bird Populations and Habitat Needs on DoD Installations Long-term Monitoring on DoD and Other Federal and Private Lands Leads to Key Insights into the Causes of Bird Population Declines Questions The DoD Partners in Flight Program Richard A. Fischer, Ph.D. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS During the past year, the DoD PIF Program was actively involved in addressing migratory bird issues on installations and with the USFWS. Significant progress was made with improving recommendations for including migratory bird information in INRMPs. The DoD PIF Steering Committee met in April 2015 in conjunction with a DoD/USFWS Federal Partners training course on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and is developing a checklist and template for MBTA-related information that will be useful for DoD managers updating or revising INRMPs. DoD PIF also updated its Mission-sensitive Priority Species list, which is used to provide monitoring recommendations for those species that, if listed, would have the highest likelihood of impacting the military mission. DoD PIF was also involved in significant outreach activities on several installations to promote International Migratory Bird Day and Earth Day. The DoD PIF Program Coordinator provides staff support for the Office of Secretary of Defense for all bird-related issues within the DoD. Additional information can be found at dodpif.org Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 21

22 Thursday, continued Integrated Assessment of Breeding Bird Populations and Habitat Needs on DoD Installations Nick J. Van Lanen and Duane B. Pool Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Fort Collins, CO In 2007 the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) monitoring sub-committee developed a report Opportunities for Improving Avian Monitoring (NABCI 2007). This report outlined goals and recommendations to further improve avian monitoring programs including using more rigorous statistical methodology, integrating monitoring programs, and making data and results widely accessible to land managers and the public. The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (formerly Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory) and its numerous partners have developed and implemented an avian monitoring program spanning all or portions of 13 states named Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR). The IMBCR program is well suited to address conservation issues and data needs identified by NABCI in their 2007 report including (1) determining status and trends; (2) informing management and policies to achieve conservation; (3) determining causes of population change; (4) evaluating conservation efforts; (5) setting population objectives and priorities; and (6) informing conservation design. The DoD is currently leveraging IMBCR data by funding monitoring on five military installations in Colorado and Wyoming which is consistent with IMBCR design and methods. The leveraging of IMBCR data will allow for the production of more precise population estimates for a larger number of species than would have been possible by conducting an isolated monitoring program for the five military installations alone. Avian monitoring data, obtained through the Legacy and IMBCR programs, will be used to address the conservation issues outlined by NABCI through developing I nstallation-specific density and occupancy estimates for a wide variety of avian species, assessing the importance of these installations contribution to regional bird populations, comparing installation habitat quality to surrounding landscapes, developing species habitat-relationship models, creating predictive distribution maps for priority species, and comparing the avian communities between active fan zones and non-fan zones within select installations. Long-term Monitoring on DoD and Other Federal and Private Lands Leads to Key Insights into the Causes of Bird Population Declines Steven Albert 1 and Jessie Schillaci 2 1 Assistant Director for Demographic Programs, The Institute for Bird Populations Point Reyes Station, CA, salbert@birdpop.org, 2 Wildlife Biologist and RCW Monitoring Program Coordinator, Fort Bragg, NC, jessie.m.schillaci.civ@mail.mil What factors drive bird population declines? What can we do to reverse declines? What is the relationship between population change and weather, climate, and habitat loss? For over a quarter of a century, the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Program, administered by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) has strived to provide insight into these and other questions. MAPS is the largest and longest-running bird banding and demographic monitoring program in North America, operating in nearly every state and Canadian province. The U.S. Military has been a valued partner in this effort, with more than 150 stations having operated on DoD lands. Data from the MAPS Program, including DoD stations, have been used in several ground-breaking studies on migratory connectivity, West Nile virus, and the impacts of climate change. Recently, IBP launched a new website, that explores the demographic factors that drive population change in 158 species of landbirds. The data for much of this exciting research was culled from DoD MAPS stations as well. Fort Bragg and IBP have teamed to use the MAPS Program to monitor landbird response in habitat that has been restored to benefit the federallyendangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. In this era of rapidly changing habitat, long-term monitoring and high-quality data sets with temporal and spatial depth, are more important than ever Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 22

23 Conservation Law Enforcement Working Group Moderator: Mark Sledge, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Anchorage, AK, We will be holding a business meeting for the working group. We will discuss developments in tools pertaining to conservation law enforcement. We will also offer an update from each of the Services on law enforcement training Bat Working Group Co-Chairs: Seth Berry, NSF Indian Head, seth.m.berry@navy.mil and Trish Cutler, White Sands Missile Range, patricia.l.cutler.civ@mail.mil We will be discussing the listing of the northern long-eared bat and the accompanying 4D rule as well as a summary of the current state of knowledge on White Nose Syndrome (WNS) treatments Session: Conservation on DoD Lands Session Chair: Patrick J. Crist, Ph.D, Director of Conservation Planning NatureServe Increasing Capacity for Species Conservation in a Landscape Context Patrick J. Crist, Ph.D, Director of Conservation Planning NatureServe, Patrick_Crist@natureserve.org Sustaining an installation's mission must address a myriad of current and emerging threats and conflicts that occur internal to an installation and externally in the surrounding landscape, including climate change effects. This introduces immense complexity for installation planners and managers who must be concerned about sustaining training operations, facilities, and natural and cultural resources. Legacy funded pilot projects in Arizona, Florida, and Oregon will be used to illustrate: a) the use of species distribution modeling to reduce uncertainty about the potential presence of rare and imperiled species, and b) the application of a free spatial decision support system to support installation staff in conducting regional-based assessment and planning of resources and land use on and around installation lands - easing the technical burden on staff and facilitating better outcomes. This approach and toolkit provide a highly integrative platform for a broad variety of planning and resource management applications such as INRMP, REPI, JLUS, Sentinel Landscapes, and implementing the climate adaptation roadmap by integrating resource and mission sustainability objectives. Other agency partners may also utilize the decision support system for collaborative landscape planning Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 23

24 Thursday, continued Managing Dall Sheep for Military Training in Interior Alaska Kim Jochum 1,2, John Haddix 2, Calvin Bagley 1, Aleya Brinkman 1, 2, Elizabeth Neipert 1, Darren Bruning 4, Jeremy Dertien 1, 3 and Paul Doherty, Jr. 3 1 Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Fort Collins, CO, 2 DPW Environmental Division, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, AK, 3 Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 4 Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK Dall sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) are a flagship Alaskan species whose range includes the mountains of the Alaska Range in interior Alaska. Molybdenum Ridge in western Donnelly Training Area (DTA) and Black Rapids Training Area (BRTA), both based within Fort Wainwright (FWA), Alaska, are located on the northern edge of the Alaska Range and have been the focus of requests for realistic training over the last several years. Being one of only two US Army installations that support Dall sheep the US Army Garrison Fort Wainwright has identified Dall sheep as a Priority Management Species, necessitating the study of sheep use on military land. The U.S. Army is acquiring a better understanding of (1) the spatiotemporal habitat use of sheep to avoid disturbances to the population and (2) the feasibility of roadside based surveys to monitor long-term population trends. To analyze spatiotemporal habitat use we deployed an array of 54 camera traps in two mountainous areas over a time period of 2 years ( ), taking triggered and hourly timelapse images. To analyze survey methods we conducted comparative aerial and ground-based surveys. Habitat use models suggest that abiotic covariates Why Lawyers Hate the Sikes Act: My Perspective on Intent vs. Interpretation of the Sikes Act Gary Larsen, larsen62489@gmail.com The Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670c 1) serves as the primary legal underpinning for natural resources management of DoD lands. First approved on September 15, 1960, as Public Law , it provided for cooperation by the Departments of Interior and Defense with State agencies in planning, developing, and maintaining fish and wildlife resources on military reservations. Amended a number of times since, the Act has generally broadened its scope from fish and wildlife management to include all of natural resource management. Two sections added to the Act were intended to empower DoD installation commanders and natural resource managers to secure the services of trained professionals when in-house DoD labor is not sufficient to carry out the purposes of the Act: priority for contract actions (SEC. 101(d)(a)(2)) and cooperative agreement authority (SEC. 103a). My premise for this presentation is that fiscal and transactional attorneys hate the Sikes Act because these two sections of the Act appear to grant exceptions to fiscal law by granting installation commanders and natural resource managers (as opposed to warranted contract officers) decision making authority to choose partners (cooperators or contractors) to obtain natural resource services - without the benefit of competition. Based on my experience, fiscal attorneys and auditors work hard to limit the effectiveness of these exceptions by taking advantage of ambiguity in Sikes Act language. This presentation will discuss the language in these two sections and suggest potential changes that I believe would help reduce ambiguity and achieve the original authors intent, strengthening the authority of DoD installation commanders and natural resource managers to carry out the purposes of the Sikes Act Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 24

25 Session: Bat Acoustics In recent years, acoustic sampling has become the main method for summer sampling of listed bats it in the eastern United States. This change in sampling protocol has been possible through proliferation of multiple automated analysis programs for bat ultrasonic data. While improving survey methods for listed species, there are some consideration that need to be understood to correctly interpret survey results. This session will walk through correct interpretation of acoustic analyses as well as highlight issues that should raise a red flag in results interpretation. Session Chair: Eric Britzke, Research Wildlife Biologist, US Army ERDC, Vicksburg, MS, eric.r.britzke@usace.army.mil Bird Conservation Working Group Meeting Co-Chairs: Elizabeth Neipert, US Army, ERDC, Elizabeth.S.Neipert@erdc.dren.mil and David McNaughton, Fort Indiantown Gap NGTC, davmcnaugh@pa.gov We will discuss the upcoming Federal Node venture with the Avian Knowledge Network, Bird-Safe Building Design, and ebirding on installations. Please come prepared to add to the discussion on recent USFWS decisions, take-home messages from Monday s MBTA workshop, and an open discussion of the material presented in the morning s DoD Partners-in-Flight technical session. Chester McConnell of the Friends of the Whooping Crane will join us to discuss simple installation projects that can help migratory cranes. For those who missed the morning session, Rich Fischer can also update the group on recent DoDPIF projects and plans. Finally, we ll open the floor to any questions, comments, or issues you d like to raise from your installation Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 25

26 Thursday, continued Session: Integrating Climate Change into Management on DoD Lands Natural Resource Managers are tasked with incorporating climate change into the Integrated National Resource Management Plans and when analyzing impacts under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This session will build upon past DoD climate change sessions and continue the conversation on how managers can find practical ways to integrate basic principles and concepts into current and future management actions to sustain future military missions in the face of climate change. Session Chair: Janet Johnson, Natural and Cultural Resource Programs Manager, Arizona Army National Guard, Phoenix, AZ, Effectively Incorporating Climate Adaptation into INRMPs Bruce Stein Climate Change Adaptation - What has Worked/Not Worked in the Real World of INRMPs Facilitated Discussion Translational Ecology and Its Utility for Climate Change Adaptation Dawn Lawson Translational Ecology: What s in it for my installation? - Facilitated Discussion Incorporation of Climate Change into NEPA Analysis: Updates and Discussion Charles Baun. Effectively Incorporating Climate Adaptation into INRMPs Bruce Stein, National Wildlife Federation Rapidly accelerating climate change will pose significant challenges for natural resource management efforts on military installations, and DoD s recent Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap calls for the integration of climate considerations across the Department and management of associated risks. Because climate adaptation is an emerging discipline, many installation managers are unsure how to address climate risks in their resource conservation efforts. To address this need, we are expecting to begin a new Legacyfunded project to develop DoD-specific guidance on how to effectively incorporate climate considerations in the INRMP planning process. This effort will draw from the generalized adaptation guidance offered in Climate-Smart Conservation: Putting Adaptation Principles into Practice (developed by an interagency workgroup), and develop a concise guide for DoD managers that specifically focuses on adaptation and INRMPs. To ensure that this guide meets the needs of installation managers, this session will provide an introduction and overview of the project and climate-smart principles as a prelude the following interactive discussion about climate adaptation and INRMPs. Please don t forget to silence your cell phone 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 26

27 Climate Change Adaptation: What has Worked/Not Worked in the Real World of INRMPs Facilitated Discussion Bruce Stein (National Wildlife Federation), Dawn Lawson (U.S. Navy SPAWAR SSC Pacific), Christy Wolf (U.S. Navy NWSSB Detachment Fallbrook), Carolyn Enquist (USGS), Janet Johnson (Arizona Army National Guard), Shannon Shea (NAVFAC Southwest), and Charles Baun (Idaho Army National Guard) The objective for this discussion is to hear from participants about experiences they have had in incorporating climate change/adaptation into INRMPs, or suggestions about good examples of this. In addition we hope to discuss with participants where in the INRMP planning process climate change/ adaptation is most productively addressed. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire as part of the discussion. Translational Ecology and Its Utility for Climate Change Adaptation Dawn Lawson (U.S. Navy SPAWAR SSC Pacific), Christy Wolf (U.S. Navy NWSSB Detachment Fallbrook) and Carolyn Enquist (USGS) Translational ecology has been proposed as a new framework for incorporating scientific developments into conservation management. It includes co-production of knowledge by scientists, land managers and other stakeholders and puts a premium on implementing research outcomes. Its value is in working under high complexity both scientific and socio-political (military training requirements, environmental legal mandates, climate change adaptation, etc). Understanding and adapting to climate change and other environmental stressors in our natural resources management programs is ripe for such an approach. We will present background on what translational ecology is and present case studies demonstrating its utility Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 27

28 Thursday, cont d Translational Ecology: What s in it for my installation? Facilitated Discussion Dawn Lawson (U.S. Navy SPAWAR SSC Pacific), Christy Wolf (U.S. Navy NWSSB Detachment Fallbrook), Carolyn Enquist (USGS), Janet Johnson (Arizona Army National Guard), Shannon Shea (NAVFAC Southwest), and Charles Baun (Idaho Army National Guard) The objective for this interactive discussion is to consider opportunities and barriers to using a translational ecological approach in military land management. The discussion will be structured around a set of questions to get information on existing programs and needs and identify where translational ecology would be useful and where it is not likely to be. Incorporation of Climate Change into NEPA Analysis Updates and Discussion. Charles Baun (Idaho Army National Guard), Dawn Lawson (U.S. Navy SPAWAR SSC Pacific), Janet Johnson (Arizona Army National Guard), Shannon Shea (NAVFAC Southwest) Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and associated Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidelines, all projects with a federal nexus are required to include the effects of climate change in their analysis. However, the incorporation of climate change into the NEPA process has not been well defined and remains nebulous form most agencies and environmental professionals. This session will look at ways to address the NEPA requirements, show some examples of existing NEPA documentation with climate change incorporated, and have a group discuss on how other agencies and bases have addressed the incorporation of climate change into the NEPA analysis process Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 28

29 Invasive Species Working Group Meeting Co-Chairs: Steven Manning, Invasive Plant Control, Inc., and Joel Helm, Biological Scientist, USAF 611 CES/CEIE, During our meeting we will review the new tools developed since the 2015 meeting in Omaha including the weekly NMFWA Invasive Species Working Group Blog and prerecorded webinars on invasive species issues. Co-Chair Joel Helm will offer a presentation specific to invasive insects and animals and Co-Chair Steven Manning will offer a presentation specific to invasive plants. We will also discuss the new year s webinar topics, discuss the plans for a potential invasive species workshop to be held in the year ahead and conduct a brief business meeting Climate Change Working Group Meeting Co-Chair: Janet Johnson, Arizona Army National Guard and Charles Baun, Idaho Army National Guard Agenda 1. Member list and sign in 2. Review Charter and requirements of WG 3. Discuss the future direction of the Working Group a. Newsletter b. Webinars c. Conference Sessions d. Professional Training Fish and Wildlife Recreation Working Group Fish and Wildlife recreation is available on many DoD Lands and can be managed in numerous formats. This session will discuss how Eglin Airforce Base manages their program, as well as an overview presentation of an automated recreational management system called isportsman. Co-Chairs: Shawn Stratton, Supervisory Fish & Wildlife Biologist, Department of Army, Fort Riley, KS, shawn.c.stratton.civ@mail.mil, Chris Johansen, Outdoor Recreation Program Manager/Game Management Biologist, Eglin AFB Natural Resources, Niceville, FL, christophe.johansen@us.af.mil Working Group Meeting, electing a new incoming Co-chair Eglin AFB Fish & Wildlife Program Overview Chris Johansen isportsman, Hunting, Fishing & Outdoor Recreational Management Joe Daigneau Questions/Discussion 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 29

30 Thursday, continued Outdoor Recreation Program/Eglin AFB Chris Johansen Outdoor Recreation Program Manager/Game Management Biologist, Eglin AFB Natural Resources, 107 Hwy 85 N., Niceville, FL 32578; Eglin AFB (Jackson Guard) Outdoor Recreation program is open to military and nonmilitary alike. In FY15, 18,649 permits were sold for a total of $400,000. Discussion will take place of the different recreation opportunities, the fee permit schedule, as well as an overview of the Rules and Regulation Product (new for FY16) at Eglin AFB. Special Opportunity Hunts help connect us with the community and provide a quality experience for active duty, children, Wounded Warriors, and mobility impaired individuals. An overview of Special Opportunity Hunting and Fishing Events on Eglin AFB will be discussed as well as cost analysis and public outreach. Discussion will also take place of the Public Access Map (PAM), Avenza App with GPS and recreational map of Eglin. isportsman - Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Recreational Management Joe Daigneau, GISP Director, isportsman LLC, 209 Business Park Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462; joe@isportsman.net Do you allow individuals (military or public) to recreate on your lands? Do you sell or issue permits or licenses? Do you currently have real-time access to your program s biological and activity/area use data? Do you have limited staff and looking to automate tedious processes to save time and money? Do you know what FedRAMP is? an you make changes to your hunt/fish/recreational program from this conference and your customers will be aware of these changes? Can you close hunting in a training area right now from your phone? Many military hunting/fishing/outdoor recreational programs are already using isportsman and more are lined-up to come onboard in Join this riveting presentation and find out how isportsman is currently being used and the changes coming in the near future. We will demonstrate permits sales, activity check-in/out (sign-in/out), training area control, species harvest and biological reports, and other new features of the isportsman. This presentation is beneficial for new and current isportsman users Board of Directors Meeting The first BOD meeting with your new directors. All members are welcome to attend the meeting and help your BOD with their coming directorship Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 30

31 Poster Session / Silent Auction / Photo Contest Thursday Photography Winners will be announced at 2000 All proceeds from the Silent Auction will go towards the recently established NMFWA scholarship for students involved in natural resources management with a DoD connection. So come out and bid on a variety of items, including the art by Sarah Fischer (spotted salamander, golden-winged warbler, and Northern longeared bat) seen throughout the program. Join us for appetizers and a no host bar in Commonwealth 2 All auction items will need to be picked up by Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 31

32 Friday, March Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 32

33 THANK YOU!!! No meeting can be a success without the efforts of special people who give of their time and talents to putting the meeting together. The NMFWA BOD and its members would like to thank: President Coralie Cobb President Elect Elizabeth Neipert Past President Todd Wills Vice President Eric Britzke 2015 Program Chair Eric Britzke 2015 Show & Tell, Posters Nicole Olmsted 2015 Silent Auction Kirsten Christopherson 2015 Photo Contest Bob Schallmann Technical Session and Meeting Moderators Kristy Deiner Katherine Strickler Richard Fischer Tom Mayes Jered Jackson Patrick Crist Eric Britzke Janet Johnson Rob Lovich Working Group Moderators Valerie Arkell Albert Owen Richard Fischer Seth Berry Elizabeth Neipert Steve Manning Janet Johnson Shawn Stratton Eric Britzke Rob Lovich Mark Sledge David McNaughton Program Layout and Design Local Host Laura Busch David McNaughton Sponsors: Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc Tetra Tech Marstel-Day Student Conservation Association isportsman 2016 Meeting Pittsburgh, PA 33

34 NATIONAL MILITARY FISH AND WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION The National Military Fish and Wildlife Association (NMFWA) was officially chartered in 1983 by a small group of dedicated DoD resource management professionals. These individuals recognized the critical need for enhanced awareness of natural resource conservation requirements in order to provide for both long term sustainability of resource diversity and the successful accomplishment of the military training mission on public lands administered by DoD. NMFWA, which can trace its roots of organized involvement back to 1977, is a non-profit organization consisting of professional resource managers working to protect and manage wildlife and other natural resources on DoD lands. Through publication of a quarterly Newsletter and successful accomplishment of an annual Training Workshop, members and supporters remain actively involved and engaged in issues of national and local importance to the objectives of the association. Currently, membership includes wildlife and fisheries biologists, botanists, ecologists, range conservationists, foresters, cultural resource managers, and wildlife/cultural law enforcement agents. Members may work for the DoD or other federal, state or local agencies, universities, conservation organizations, or private businesses which are directly involved in conservation and management of natural resources on military lands. Because of the individual and collective dedication of the membership, NMFWA has earned national and international recognition from within DoD, the Congressional leadership, State Resource Management Agencies, Professional Resource Management and private Non-governmental Conservation Organizations. For more information, please visit the website at NMFWA Board of Directors: President: Coralie Cobb, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, CA Past President: Todd Wills, Naval Support Activity, Monterey, CA President-Elect: Elizabeth Neipert, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Vice President: Eric Britzke, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Secretary: Nicole Olmsted, NAVFAC Marianas Treasurer: Lauren Wilson, USAF Environmental Center of Excellence, Travis AFB, CA Director At-Large: Janet Johnson, Arizona Army National Guard, Phoenix, AZ Director At-Large: Seth Berry, Naval Support Facility Indian Head, MD Director East: Greg Fleming, Fort Belvoir, VA Director East: James Swift, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD Director Central: Michele Richards, Fort Custer Training Center, MI Director Central: Rick Lance, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS Director West: John Haddix, Fort Wainwright, AK Director West: Jason Gibbons, USAF Environmental Center of Excellence, Travis AFB, CA FAWN Editor: Laura Busch - US Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, VA NMFWA Committee Chairs: Archives: Tom Warren, Tatanka Group, Colorado Springs, CO Awards: Janet Johnson, Arizona National Guard, Phoenix, AZ Government Affairs: Junior Kerns, White Sands Missile Range, NM Membership: Dan Savercool, EA Engineering, Hunt Valley, MD Nominations: Todd Wills, Naval Support Activity Monterey, CA Conference Coordination Committee: David McNaughton, Fort Indiantown Gap, PA Hall of Fame Committee: Junior Kerns, White Sands Missile Range, NM Certification Committee: Dan Savercool, EA Engineering, Hunt Valley, MD NOTE: Titles and affiliations are for informational purposes only and do not present the individuals as spokespersons of the Department of Defense or agency/installation listed.

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36 MONDAY Environmental edna Workshop Benedum Migratory Bird Treaty Act/DoD Migratory Bird Rule Workshop....Commonwealth 2 The Wildlife Society-Military Lands Working Group Meeting Commonwealth /2016 Board of Directors Meeting Smithfield TUESDAY NMFWA Welcome and DOD Policy Update Commonwealth 2 Annual Members Meeting......Commonwealth 2 DOD Service Breakout Sessions Navy.Commonwealth 1 Army.....Board Room Marine Corps Birmingham Air Force Commonwealth 2 Navy EPRWeb/Conservation Website Overview Commonwealth 1 WEDNESDAY WMI Plenary and Special Sessions...Ballroom 1 & Vision: Federal Forest Management into the Next Decade......Commonwealth 1 Effects of Climate Change on Inland Fish and Fisheries......Commonwealth 2 Science-Based Management Strategies for Fish and Wildlife Diseases.....Ballroom 3 Wildlife Governance Principles - Guidance for More Effective Wildlife Management...Ballroom 4 Session: Marine Conservation Commonwealth 1 Herpetology Working Group Meeting Commonwealth 2 Pollinators Working Group Meeting....Commonwealth 2 Session: DoD-Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (DoD PARC).. Commonwealth 1 BASH Working Group Meeting Commonwealth 2 THURSDAY Session: DoD Partners In Flight Commonwealth 1 Conservation Law Enforcement Working Group Meeting...Commonwealth 2 Bat Working Group Meeting.....Commonwealth 2 Session: Conservation on DoD Lands Commonwealth 1 Session: Bat Acoustics Commonwealth 2 Bird Conservation Working Group Meeting Commonwealth 2 Session: Climate Change......Commonwealth 1 Invasive Species Working Group Meeting Commonwealth 2 Climate Change Working Group Meeting......Commonwealth 1 Fish and Wildlife Recreation Working Group Meeting.....Commonwealth Board of Directors Meeting King s 2 Show and Tell...Commonwealth 2

37 NAME: NMFWA BINGO Pittsburgh, March 2016 Rules: Find a person who can sign their name in one box. EACH PERSON MAY SIGN ONLY ONE BOX. You cannot sign your own form (except at the top where it says NAME )! The person with the most filled boxes wins a prize! Ties resolved by random drawing. Find a NMFWA meeting attendee who THEN, start a conversation with them! IS IN PENNSYL- VANIA FOR THEIR FIRST TIME IS PRESENTING A PAPER AT NMFWA IN 2016 HAS MORE THAN 300 BIRD SPECIES ON THEIR LIFE LIST DOES NOT LIKE SUSHI IS ON THE NMF- WA BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS CURRENTLY A MILITARY RESERVIST GRADUATED FROM COL- LEGE IN LAST THREE YEARS (APRIL 2013 or LATER) HAS A PET BIRD (or more than one) HAS BAGGED A 3x3 (or larger) DEER KNOWS WHAT Pd IS IS A CERTIFIED WILDLIFE BIOL- OGIST/ ECOL- OGIST/ FOREST- ER/ RANGE MGR SERVED AS A HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE STUDENT OF- FICER WATCHES GAME OF THRONES IS A FIRST TIME NMFWA AT- TENDEE LIKES LIGHT- HOUSES ATTENDS REG- ULAR BASH MEETINGS HAS SEEN A LIVE MOUN- TAIN LION IN THE WILD SERVED IN THE U.S. NAVY ALSO MANA- GES CULTURAL RESOURCES ON AN INSTALL- ATION HAS BEEN TO 40 OR MORE STATES HAS SIX OR MORE SIBLINGS WAS BORN OCONUS HAS SEEN FOUR OR MORE 2015/16 BEST PICTURE NOM- INEES CAN EXPLAIN THE DIFFER- ENCE BE- TWEEN ESA sections 4(a)(3) and 4(b)(2) IS MARRIED TO SOMEONE THEY MET IN HIGH SCHOOL DOES NOT OWN A SMARTPHONE HAS BEEN TO TEN OR MORE NMFWA MEET- INGS ENJOYS COOK- ING CAN SAY THANK YOU IN FOUR OR MORE LANGUAGES IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF ANY NMFWA WORKING GROUP

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