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| SARP Newsletter |
Spring 2010 |
With partners, protect, conserve, and restore aquatic resources including habitats throughout
the Southeast, for the continuing benefit, use, and enjoyment of the American people. |
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SARP Partners With NFWF To Conserve Endemic Black Bass Species
Of the nine described species of black bass, six are endemic to the southeast: Guadalupe bass, shoal bass, redeye bass, Florida bass, Alabama bass, and Suwannee bass. However, many undescribed forms also exist and most of these are in need of conservation measures to prevent them from becoming imperiled. Furthermore, of the black bass species with the greatest conservation needs, all are endemic to the southeast and found in relatively small ranges. In an effort to focus and coordinate actions to conserve these species, SARP recently partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to develop the Southeastern US Native Black Bass Keystone Initiative.
Through the initiative, partners will implement a 10-year plan developed in collaboration with more than 20 conservation organizations in the region that focuses on restoring healthy, genetically-secure, self-sustaining populations of endemic black bass species within their native ranges. The plan identifies more than $31M in specific conservation actions that address the following strategies: (1) ameliorate the effects of invasive species; (2) protect and maintain intact, healthy habitats; (3) restore habitat; (4) conduct research to fill critical information gaps; and (5) provide coordination and adaptive management. The initial pilot project supported by the initiative will begin in summer 2010, and will focus on restoration of the State Fish of Texas, the Guadalupe bass.
 | Guadalupe bass photo by Paul Berquist
The Guadalupe bass is native to the rivers and streams of the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. Its numbers have declined in recent decades due to a combination of factors including decreased stream flow, physical habitat degradation, and hybridization with the introduced, non-native smallmouth bass. Efforts by SARP and partners will ensure that future generations of anglers have the opportunity to experience this unique sport fish found only in the heart of Texas.
To learn more about the initiative or to get involved, please contact Tim Birdsong at Timothy.Birdsong@tpwd.state.tx.us or (512) 389-4744. The business plan for the Southeastern U.S. Native Black Bass Keystone Initiative can be downloaded here. |
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NOAA And SARP Renew CRP Partnership
 As a result of a renewed partnership with NOAA, SARP will continue to offer funding for aquatic habitat restoration projects in priority areas of the Southeast. In 2007, NOAA's Community-Based Restoration Program (CRP) and SARP formed a long-term partnership to fund, implement and monitor restoration projects benefitting marine and anadromous fish habitat in the nine southeastern states that border the Gulf of Mexico and the south Atlantic. The renewed partnership (starting in 2010 through 2013), will build on the outcomes of the projects funded in the previous three-year partnership. Projects funded through this partnership should result in improved habitats in terms of benthic quality, riparian areas, natural hydrology and/or reduced problems associated with non-native aquatic nuisance species in estuarine waters along the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines. They could improve access or passage for diadromous species into the freshwater regions of associated watersheds.
SARP will use habitat assessment data being analyzed by its Science and Data Committee using the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan, along with additional assessment information from the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) Science and Data Committee, to identify projects with the best potential for meeting the mission and objectives of the SARP/NOAA partnership.
This partnership funds projects through sub-awards from SARP to local partners who implement the projects. SARP plans to issue the first request for proposals (RFP) under the renewed partnership in fall 2010.
To learn more about the SARP and NOAA CRP Partnership, previously funded projects, and grant opportunities through this program, visit http://southeastaquatics.net/programs/noaa-coastal-restoration-program-noaa-crp or contact Marilyn Barrett-O'Leary, SARP Project Manager, at marilyno@southeastaquatics.net. |
SIFN Develops Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda
SARP is pleased to announce the release of the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda. A product of the Southern Instream Flow Network (SIFN) Second Annual Workshop held in December 2009, the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda is a collaborative effort to strengthen the scientific foundation to support protective instream flow standards and practices in the Southern US. The agenda articulates the priority research topics identified by national and regional aquatic resource managers as the scientific information necessary to inform, develop, and implement protective instream flow standards. The objective of the Agenda is to highlight research needs and coordinate sources of funding and research to address priority research needs. The goal is to ensure that instream flow research is focused on the needs of water resource managers for scientifically-credible, protective state instream flow standards.
The Agenda has already been endorsed by the Instream Flow Council and The Nature Conservancy. According to SIFN's Technical Advisor, Mary Davis, "We're getting good cooperation in the use of the Agenda from key agencies, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as universities, including Auburn University, University of Georgia, and Virginia Commonwealth University." In moving forward, one of the main priorities is facilitating the use of the Agenda to help meet regional instream flow research needs. Davis encourages SARP partners and states to endorse the Agenda. It should be used to highlight the need for instream flow science and direct and implement research on instream flow through their state wildlife action plans. In particular, there is a need to focus on and promote multi-disciplinary research and resources to address these issues.
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SARP Coordinator Receives National Casting Call Award
The National Fish Habitat Board, a group of the nation's leading authorities on aquatic conservation has selected SARP Coordinator, Scott Robinson, as the recipient of the 2010 Jim Range Conservation Vision Award in support of Fish Habitat Conservation. Robinson and other exceptional organizations and individuals who are leaders in aquatic resources conservation will be honored at the Third Annual National Fish Habitat Awards ceremony on April 22, 2010 at the Jim Range National Casting Call www.nationalcastingcall.com, hosted by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. Robinson was selected from a large pool of nominees who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to fish habitat conservation, science and education. The purpose of the award is to honor an individual who sees beyond the limits of one state or region, with a focus on the national need and works accordingly and effectively.
Among his notable accomplishments, Robinson's leadership in development of the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan (SAHP) has resulted in an increase in cooperation and coordination among states in the region on aquatic resource conservation issues. Through his vision he has helped establish SARP as one of the premier Fish Habitat partnerships. His coordination has facilitated the implementation of local fish habitat improvement projects in each of the 14 SARP states. We extend our congratulations to Scott. Thank you for all that you do!
To learn more about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, the Jim Range National Casting Call, and the other National Fish Habitat Board award winners, visit www.fishhabitat.org. |
Gulf of Mexico Foundation Completes Sabine And Red River Basins Project
SARP Partner, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation announced the completion of its Sabine and Red River Basins Project. The project was initiated in 2009 with SARP funding and took a regional watershed approach to identifying habitat and conservation needs in the Sabine and Red River Watersheds, which drain parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. The project engaged a broad range of stakeholders and extracted information from wildlife management plans to reveal the state of conservation efforts. It also identified threats, objectives and impediments that impact aquatic resources in the project area, as well as strategies for success.
 | Lake Fork Water Hyacinth, Sabine River Basin
The final report inventories conservation issues, identifies the affected habitat and species, and recommends targets for restoration and conservation actions. As a SARP pilot habitat assessment project, the final report will also serve as a guide for similar efforts planned for other basins relative to aquatic habitat conservation that are included in the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan, developed by SARP. USGS geospatial assessments for these watersheds will complement the final report and will be available soon.
To learn more about this project or to obtain a copy of the final project report contact Mike Smith, GMF Project Manager, at mike@gulfmex.org. The report will also soon be available on the GMF gulfmex.org and SARP southeastaquatics.net websites. |
| RFHP And SARP Interface To Benefit Fish Habitat And Aquatics
Reservoirs are the primary source of angling activity for 20 million anglers. In October 2009, the National Fish Habitat Board approved the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership (RFHP), a national collaborative partnership established to promote the protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat for fish and other aquatic species and communities in reservoir systems through cooperative and voluntary actions. RFHP is the only Partnership currently recognized by the National Fish Habitat Board that is national in scope. This provides for challenges as well as opportunities. The first major challenge is developing a comprehensive reservoir impairment and classification system that is also national in scope. The RFHP Science And Data Committee is working on this effort. Another challenge is how to weigh funding requests for reservoir habitat restoration projects on a national scale. RFHP will address this challenge through project selection criteria and its governance structure and will use scoring criteria patterned after those established by SARP. Working groups will provide a prioritized list of projects from each region to the RFHP Steering Committee to do a final selection based on funds available and ensuring national coverage in funded projects.
 | Reservoirs provide 20 million anglers annually with recreational opportunity
Given the geographic overlap of the two partnerships, RFHP and SARP are collaborating to ensure that the goals of both organizations are met, to efficiently work with partners, and to minimize competition for funding. The RFHP Coordinator has been directed to establish a clearinghouse for potential proposal authors to match available funding sources with projects types. This will be shared with SARP and other Partnerships.
The landscape-approach to reservoir habitat restoration, embraced by the RFHP, makes partnering with SARP on projects a win-win for both Partnerships and an opportunity to achieve some common goals. A preliminary analysis of RFHP's impairment surveys indicates that sedimentation and pollution are two of the most common of six major reservoir impairment types. Watershed restoration projects will address these impairments and meet both SARP and RFHP objectives. The watershed restoration approach will maximize funding prospects and increase the number and scope of potential joint projects between the two partnerships.
The reservoir system/watershed approach to RFHP restoration strategies is emphasized in the draft RFHP Strategic Plan, accessed at http://www.reservoirpartnership.org.
To read the full-text version of this article and learn more about the positive RFHP/SARP interface click here.
For more information on RFHP contact Jeff Boxrucker, Assistant Chief of Fisheries, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation at jboxrucker@odwc.state.ok.us. |
| Save The Date For SARP's May 11-12th Steering Committee Meeting
Make your reservation today for SARP's upcoming Steering Committee Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. This two (full) day meeting is being hosted by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and will be held at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center (day one) and the Peabody Hotel Little Rock (day two).
Lodging is available at the Peabody Hotel (1-800-732-2639) where a block of rooms is being held for SARP meeting attendees at a special rate of $88.00 per night until Friday, April 16th. Meeting participants will have an opportunity to tour the Nature Center, which overlooks the beautiful Arkansas River.
Please RSVP and direct questions about the meeting to Scott Robinson at 770-361-5639 or scottr@southeastaquatics.net. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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National Fish Habitat Conservation Act Presented To Congress
On March 16th, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and the National Fish Habitat Board presented a seminar on the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (S. 1214, H.R. 2565) on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. This legislation was drafted by federal and state governments, recreational and commercial fishing industries, members of the conservation community, and businesses. It focuses on conservation of U.S. aquatic and fish habitat and ensures science-based approaches to address water quality and fisheries problems associated with habitat loss and degradation. It encourages leverage of existing and new, federal, state, and private funding to strengthen voluntary regional partnerships in support of these efforts. If passed, the bill would formally establish a national fish habitat board to designate fish habitat partnerships and identify priorities, and would provide funding and other resources for fish habitat projects.
The seminar, which was delivered to a crowd of nearly 50 people, emphasized the importance of the proposed legislation to aquatic resources in the United States and encouraged Congressional support of the Act. Speakers included Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), both sponsors of H.R. 2565, AFS President Don Jackson, Jeff Hastings from Trout Unlimited, Gordon Robertson (American Sportfishing Association) and Doug Austen (PA Fish and Boat Commission).
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