IEP Stakeholders News

Greetings IEP Community members,

The Cultured and Supplementation of Smelt (CASS) Steering Committee has released their annual memo to request proposals for the use of cultured Delta Smelt originating from the U.C. Davis Fish Conservation & Culture Laboratory from the 2026 year-class (PDF). Review the memo to learn more about the proposal submittal process.

The deadline to submit fish request proposals to the CASS has been extended to October 10. There will only be one opportunity to submit requests for 2026 brood year fish; 2025 brood-year post-spawn adult fish may also be available. Requests must be submitted to Nora De Cuir (Kearns & West) at ndecuir@kearnswest.com. All requests should follow the template included in the memo and provide all the requested information.

Share this announcement with others who may be interested.

Greetings IEP Community,

The Cal-Neva American Fisheries Society Chapter would like us to share the announcement of their upcoming 2026 Biennial Meeting.

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Cal-Neva AFS Chapter

Cal-Neva Biennial Meeting — 59th Cal-Neva AFS 2026 Conference

When: February 10 – 13, 2026 (Hold the dates!)
Where: Hotel Katerina, Chico, CA
Hold Your (Sea) Horses: More information to come soon, including abstract openings!

Visit the Cal-Neva AFS Biennial Meeting page for more information (when available).

 

Greetings IEP Community members,

The eDNA Collaborative is conducting a (very) brief survey to better understand peoples’ trust in environmental DNA (eDNA) methods and data. They are especially interested in perspectives from scientists and managers, even if they have no experience with eDNA. Please take a moment to complete the survey AND share it with your colleagues, project work team members, and others who may be interested.

The survey only takes 5 minutes (really!).

Survey Link: The eDNA Collaborative -Gauging Trust in Environmental DNA (eDNA) Science (Google Form)

Questions on the survey can be directed to:

Shana Hirsch
Assistant Professor
University of Washington
Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering
phone (206) 384-7350

Susanna Theroux, PhD
Principal Scientist
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
3535 Harbor Blvd, Suite 110
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
susannat@sccwrp.org
www.sccwrp.org

Greetings IEP Community members,

The Culture and Supplementation of Smelt (CASS) Captive Propagation Working Group (CPWG) has released their 2025 fish request solicitation memo "Guidelines and Considerations for Requesting Delta Smelt from the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery (PDF)". This solicitation memo is only for the refuge population of Delta Smelt from the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery. This represents an additional opportunity for requesters to seek Delta Smelt for applied science or research purposes. 

Review the memo to learn more about the request process.

All fish requests should be made by September 15, 2025. Contact information for questions related to the request and environmental compliance and permitting is included in the memo. Approved requests will be communicated by October, with fish expected to become available in late fall (i.e., November).

Share this announcement widely with others who may be interested.

Open Call for Abstract Submissions for the 2026 IEP Annual Workshop!

Abstracts due by October 10!

We are now accepting abstracts for the upcoming March 16-18, 2026 IEP Annual Workshop.

Participants wishing to present an oral presentation, poster, or lightning talk, must submit an abstract (300 words or less) summarizing their contribution. We welcome submissions from all IEP member agencies, affiliates, and stakeholders at all career levels. Preliminary work is welcome! Participants are limited to one abstract as presenting author but may be a contributing author on any number of others. If you are interested in putting a session together based on a series of selected talks make sure to include that information in the submission form. Include the names of all the presenting authors and their talk titles.

• Abstract Submission Form

The deadline for abstract submissions is October 10, 2025 at midnight. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Space to present is limited and selection is not guaranteed. All presenters (both oral and poster) must attend the workshop in person at the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) Headquarters Building in Sacramento. Registration to attend is free of charge. All oral presentations will be live streamed for remote viewers.

Abstracts will be selected based on various criteria such as relevance, originality, collaboration, career stage, and scientific merit.

Please share this announcement widely with colleagues, staff and others who may be interested.

How to Receive Future Workshop Updates

To receive future updates on the workshop make sure you and your colleagues are subscribed to the IEP Workshop listserv. Visit the subscription page on the IEP website to sign up for the annual workshop listserv and other IEP listservs.

Questions?

If you have a question on the abstract submission process, contact the workshop organizers Adam Nanninga (Adam_Nanninga@fws.gov) or Christine Joab (iep@wildlife.ca.gov).

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

DWR's Water Resources Science Symposium: "Science Drives Our Decision-Making"!

Join water resources professionals from across the state for a day of learning, discussion, and collaboration. Explore sessions that address California's most pressing water resource challenges and highlight the innovative solutions shaping California's water future.

Date: September 23, 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium (715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814)
Registration (EventBrite): REGISTER NOW (registration is free, but required as space is limited)
Flyer: Symposium Flyer (PDF)

Agenda Highlights:

Session 1 – Science-Driven Decisions

Real-world examples of how cutting-edge science and modeling have informed major decisions in water operations, flood response, fisheries, and watershed management.

Session 2 – Tools and Partnerships

Lightning talks showcasing innovative tools, data platforms, and monitoring approaches developed with external partners covering topics from climate assessments and machine learning to generic monitoring, aquifer mapping, and science communication.

Session 3 – Emerging Issues

A thought-provoking panel discussion exploring emerging challenges in climate adaptation, ecological resilience, groundwater sustainability, and the evolving role of open data and collaborative science in shaping water resource decision-making.

Contact the WRS.Symposium@water.ca.gov for questions or more information.

The 2026 Annual IEP Workshop will be held March 16-18, 2026 at the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) building (715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814).

An Open Call for Abstracts will be coming soon in mid-August! So, gather your colleagues together and get your ideas flowing for presentations and posters.

The workshop will be a free, hybrid event held in the CNRA Auditorium (~290 in-person attendees). Oral presentations will be livestreamed over Zoom for virtual attendees.

Workshop registration will open in early February 2026.

How to Receive Workshop Updates

This announcement is being shared widely across multiple listservs and contact groups. To receive future announcements about the 2026 Annual IEP Workshop, make sure to subscribe to the IEP Workshop listserv.

Visit the subscription page on the IEP website to sign up for the workshop listserv and any other listservs of interest.

Please share this announcement widely with colleagues, peers, managers, staff, and others who may be interested in presenting or attending the workshop.

More information on the 2026 workshop will be posted soon on the Annual IEP Workshop page.

Questions

Contact workshop organizers Adam Nanninga (Adam_Nanninga@fws.gov) and Christine Joab (iep@wildlife.ca.gov).

Note: This initial email is being sent to multiple IEP listservs and Contact Groups, so apologies for cross postings. Please subscribe to the IEP workshop listserv for future updates.

The Delta Independent Science Board, which provides scientific oversight of programs that support adaptive management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is hosting a two-day symposium at the UC Davis, Putah Creek Lodge on emerging climate science research from September 16-17, 2025. Through presentations, panel discussions, and a breakout group activity, the symposium will explore the current climate projections for the Delta, related uncertainties, and how the current state of climate science is being integrated into decision-making in the Delta. The symposium will help identify information gaps that should be incorporated into existing decision support models and assess how current management approaches align with the latest research in the field.

Attendance is free. Register to attend in person or virtually. Registration is optional, but encouraged to help with planning.

For more about the symposium, please refer to the prospectus (PDF) and save-the-date flyer (PDF).

Questions? Email disb@deltacouncil.ca.gov

Please share this announcement and information with others who may be interested!

The California Department of Water Resources is hosting an inaugural Water Resources Science Symposium on September 23, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the California Natural Resources Agency Auditorium (715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814). The purpose of the symposium is to share knowledge and foster collaboration across the water resources community.

This year's theme, "Science Drives Our Decision-Making", will highlight key decisions informed by scientific research, tools and partnerships, and explore emerging topics and challenges in water management.

The event is free to attend, but registration will be required. Information on how to register and additional session details will be available soon. In the meantime, questions can be directed to WRS.Symposium@water.ca.gov.

Please share this Save the Date flyer (PDF) with others who may be interested.

Greetings IEP Community members,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has asked us to share information on the FY 2025 Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (Section 6) Traditional Conservation Grants. The NOFO is now open.

NOFO Closing Date: States must submit application packages by 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 19, 2025 through GrantSolutions.

Objective

The principal objective of CESCF's Traditional Conservation grants is to support the development and implementation of the State's program to conserve and recovery threatened and endangered species under FWS jurisdiction and that are covered by the State's ESA Cooperative Agreement with the FWS.
Eligible activities include introduction of species within historic range, surveys, propagation, research, habitat restoration, public education and outreach. Proposed activities must be identified as recovery actions in a FWS recovery plan, identified in a FWS 5-year review, or identified in another FWS document.

Monitoring of candidate, certain at-risk, and recently recovered species is also eligible. Candidate, eligible unlisted, or recently recovered species must also be covered by the State's ESA Cooperative Agreement with the FWS.

The NOFO is located on the Grants.Gov website.

The eligible State agencies in Region 8 have already been notified. These agencies are the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Nevada Department of Wildlife, and Nevada Division of Forestry. State agency partners should reach out to appropriate state agency staff in developing eligible projects.

Resources

Various resources were provided to assist applicants in developing their proposal.

• Project Narrative and Guidance template (WORD)
• Budget Narrative and Requirements specific to CESCF (Section 6) grants (PDF)
• NOFO Content (PDF)
• FY 2025 eligible unlisted species list (PDF)

Questions on the NOFO can be directed to:

Karen "Kitti" Jensen (Grant Specialist/Senior)
Fish & Wildlife Biologist
Endangered Species Grants
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-2606
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 404-2947