Executive Summary

Attendees CLC or reps Chairman Rob MacGregor (OMNR), Bill Culligan (NYDEC), Joan Duffy (MDNR), Mark Ebener (COTFMA), Bill Horns (WDNR), Roger Kenyon (PFBC), Bill Mattes (GLIFWC), Dave McLeish (OMNR), Sandra Orsatti (OMNR), Ken Paxton (OHDNR), John Schrouder (MDNR), Steve Scott (MDNR), Gary Towns (MDNR), Tom Trudeau (ILDNR), Jack Wingate (MNDNR),

 Other – Ray Argyle (USFWS), Bob Adair (USFWS), Marg Dochoda (GLFC), Doug Dodge (OMNR), Randy Eshenroder (GLFC), Mark Gaden (GLFC), Vic Gillman (DFO), Cmr. Roy Stein (OSU), Charlie Wooley (USFWS), Rob Young (GLFC)

1. USGS RV Sturgeon

The CLC will write Congressmen Regula and Obey supporting $1M retrofit of the USGS RV Sturgeon, plus restoration of maintenance funds for equipment upkeep.

2. Consultation Procedures for Introductions

The CLC will send comments on the entire procedures and on proposed changes to the introduction definition to Sandra Orsatti and Gary Towns. Before the fall CLC meeting, Towns and Orsatti will circulate a revised document, perhaps with various scenarios.

3. Aquaculture Protocol

Marg Dochoda will secure Anne Kapuscinski’s schedule and poll the CLC for a fall meeting date.

4. Petition for Repeal of NPDES-permit Exemption for Ballast Discharge under Clean Water Act

The CLC will write the CGLFA asking that they address the problem of ballast introductions: Tom Gorenflo will draft the letter.

The CLC asks that the GLFC similarly address the problem of ballast introductions.
 

5. Aquatic Nuisance Species Action Plan

Info item.

6.  Habitat Declaration

The CLC endorses the March 99 draft habitat declaration in principle, subject to Lake Committee and agency comments. (MI provided comments.)

7. Law Enforcement Committee Minutes

Info item.

8. Treaty of Mutual Assistance

The Treaty of Mutual Assistance may allow US Coast Guard assistance in Canadian water for specified enforcement projects of limited duration. The Canadian Coast Guard has offered assistance also. Some suggested that approval of Ontario Intergovernmental Affairs was needed. Canadian principles had included Mike Kilby, Kevin Barber, Bill Lafferty, and DFO’s Dennis Brock. State Dept. and Foreign Affairs had also discussed.

9. Law Enforcement Subcommittees

The CLC Chair and Vice Chair resolved to attend the 2000 law Committee meeting and make point re the need to revitalize lake subcommittees.  LC members need to know counterparts on the Law Enforcement subcommittees and meeting times etc. (Currently, Enforcement Subcommittee meeting notices appear in lake Committee meeting notice.)

10. Restoration Act Application Process for FY 2000

The CLC approved using the GLFC’s address for submitting letters of intent (doesn’t change).

The CLC looked for feedback from the Review Committee at the CLC’s fall meeting.

The CLC thought that distribution of the application procedures to LCs, technical committees, the Great Lakes Fish Health Committee, HAB etc. was adequate considering limited availability of funds at this time.

Application procedures should be posted on the CLC’s web page, with hotlink to the USFWS’s page on Restoration Act.

The Review Committee asked that they be sent the letters of intent ASAP after the due date. It may be useful to request an electronic file as well as paper application in order to distribute as quickly as possible.

11. Restoration Committee Terms of Reference

With input from the Review Committee, the CLC will revisit the Committee's proposed terms of reference at the CLC's fall meeting: $75K plus carryover will be available in 2000.

The CLC recommends that next year and in future years the Review Committee be composed of one person designated by each member agency of the CLC. (The CLC had written in March 1999 the 8 tribes listed in the USFWS's Report to Congress asking each to name a representative.)

The Review Committee should elect its own Chairperson.

Review Committee recommendations should be transmitted to the CLC Chair who will pass them on to the USFWS.

12.  Coordination Activities Program Application Procedures

The GLFC’s Coordination Activities Program is entirely independent of the U.S. Restoration Act, although there will be opportunities to work together to maximize benefits for Great Lakes fish.

13. Serving Committee Reports and Databases on the Internet: Open File Reports

Open file reports might be useful strategy for posting technical committee reports. In many instances these may already be posted on agency Internet sites and available for GLFC hotlink.

A cost recovery approach employed in Ontario means any use of data is detailed in a single end use agreement – which would preclude posting on the Internet. (At a subsequent HAB meeting, Doug Dodge and Chris Goddard agreed to seek a Deputy Minister dispensation for posting of Ontario data as part of the Lake Erie Habitat Supply Analysis, under a clause that allowed use of data in initiatives judged beneficial to Ontario.)

14. Sharing Reports and Databases on the Internet: File Transfer Protocol

Lake Committee members would share FTP info with technical committees.

15. Chat Rooms for Working and Interim Meetings

Tom Trudeau did not have means to access chat room.

16. Communications Strategy

CLC members will send Marc Gaden names of agency communication contacts, and focus on messages at meetings. Basinwide messages can be discussed by CLC

LCs may not have resources to establish communications task groups, e.g., the communications person is attached to the Director’s office. And sometimes agency approval is needed in addition to the Lake Committee’s.

17. CGLFA Terms of Reference Correspondence

Info.

18. Lake Conferences

2000 LMC Ann Arbor, MI
2001 LHC Sault Ste. Marie, ON (if not at IAGLR)
2002 LSC Duluth, MN
2003 LOC ?
2004 LEC ?

19. Meeting Schedule

The LSC and LMC will meet noon to noon 21-23 March 2000 in Ann Arbor, MI.

The LHC, LEC, LOC will meet in Niagara Falls, ON starting Monday noon the week of 27 March 2000. A downtown location was preferred. If LCs are interested in walleye and sturgeon, these presentations should be scheduled together.

The CLC will meet 18 April 1999, followed by a half day Restoration Review Committee meeting. The CLC requested that another Detroit Airport be found.

More structure would be appreciated in Advisor meetings – perhaps helpful to schedule after a LC meets.

Common sessions are useful if not too long.

20. Election

Rob MacGregor was re-elected Chair and Bob Lange Vice Chair.

21. Lake Committee History

Info. Lake Committees celebrated a 35-year anniversary.

22. Other Business

Randy Eshenroder reported progress on SCOL II “Fish Communities in the Millennium – in the Tradition of SCOL”. PIs of the lake case history papers are Phil Ryan for Lake Erie, Ed Mills for Lake Ontario, Chuck Madenjian for Lake Michigan, and Chuck Bronte for Lake Superior. Eshenroder will ask PIs contact LCs re expectations and timelines.  He will e-mail the proposal to CLC members.

The draft Vision will be sent in fall to ~50 people (including CLC).

The Coregonid II symposium is scheduled for August 1999. Details will be on the Website.