IEP Stakeholders News

Greetings IEP Stakeholders,

We wanted to share two news announcements with the broader IEP community members.

Call for Experts: National Academies Review of the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have asked us to spread the word! See the announcement below for committee member nominations for their upcoming Review of the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project. Please distribute widely.

Nominate an Expert!

Review of the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project
Submit nominations by: September 22, 2023

Along with the State Water Project, the Central Valley Project consists of coordinated federal-state water operations that annually move millions of acre-feet of water south from Northern California to a wide variety of water users throughout the state, including municipalities, agriculture, industries and wildlife refuges.

The National Academies are building a committee of approximately 16-18 volunteer experts to evaluate the long-term operations of the Central Valley Project. In addition, nominations will also inform the selection of potential speakers, participants, and peer reviewers for any publications resulting from the activity.

Nominations are requested for individuals with expertise in areas and disciplines such as fisheries science, freshwater and stream ecology, habitat restoration, and water resources management. For a more comprehensive list, view the nomination form.

• More Information: Review of the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project
• Nomination Form: About the Activity & the Call for Experts

If you have a question about this study, email Miles Lansing at mlansing@nas.edu.

New IEP Digital Datasheet Best Practices Document from the IEP DUWG

The Data Utilization Work Group's (DUWG) QA Subcommittee has released a new IEP Digital Datasheet Best Practices (PDF) document. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and recommendations on development and use of digital data sheets for staff in the IEP. The scope of the document is limited to the development of developing data sheet templates, general use of digital data sheets, quality control, archiving and data reporting. It is intended for users to take the document’s recommendations that are most applicable for use in their respective program and apply as appropriate. Not all recommendations in the document may be applicable or appropriate to every application. The document, which was developed in the Data Utilization Work Group’s (DUWG) QA Subcommittee and reviewed by the DUWG and Science Management Team (SMT), can be found on the IEP website under the DUWG web page below the Templates and Guidelines section.

Kind regards,
IEP Program Support Unit
iep@wildlife.ca.gov

The Delta Science Program has published two new blogs written in coordination by Interagency Ecological Program Lead Scientist Dr. Steve Culberson and Senior Environmental Scientist Tricia Lee. The blogs focus on a growing problem in the San Francisco Estuary, harmful algal blooms, and the urgent need for tracking and monitoring efforts to protect California’s water and public health.

Dive into “Digitizing Data: Tracking Harmful Algal Blooms” by Steve and “Bloom or Bust: Navigating the Wild Waters of Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring” by Tricia Lee.

Greetings IEP Stakeholders,

The Culture and Supplementation of Smelt (CASS) steering committee has released their annual memo (pdf) to solicit proposals for the use of cultured Delta Smelt originating from the FCCL for the 2024-year class. Please review the annual memo (pdf) to familiarize yourself on the process of how to submit a proposal for CASS review.

Please note the following: there will only be one solicitation for proposals for the 2024 brood year fish. Requests must be submitted to the director of the FCCL, Dr. Tien-Chieh Hung at thung@ucdavis.edu on or before September 30, 2023.

Please share this announcement with others, as appropriate.

Kind regards,
IEP Program Support Unit
iep@wildlife.ca.gov

Greetings IEP Community Members,

The video recordings from the 2023 IEP Annual Workshop are now available for viewing. The recordings are housed on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's YouTube channel under the IEP Workshops 2023 playlist. The playlist contains the following three videos:

• 2023 Interagency Ecological Program - Annual Workshop - Day 1 (video)
• 2023 Interagency Ecological Program - Annual Workshop - Day 2 (video)
• 2023 Interagency Ecological Program - Annual Workshop - Day 3 (video)

Other information pertaining to the 2023 Annual Workshop can be found on the Annual IEP Workshop web page.

2024 IEP Workshop Planning Committee

A kickoff meeting for the Workshop Planning Committee meeting will be held in August. If you are interested in helping to plan the 2024 IEP Annual Workshop, send an email to iep@wildlife.ca.gov to receive more information.

Greetings IEP Stakeholders,

The Delta ISB, with support from the Delta Science Program, has been hosting a seminar series to explore ideas from decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU) and present tools that can help managers and stakeholders evaluate and plan for a range of plausible futures in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Since part of the IEP’s mission is to address management and policy science needs within the ever-changing Delta, this seminar series may be of particular interest.

On June 14 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. during the Delta ISB meeting, the series’ second seminar will feature Robert Lempert, principal researcher at the RAND Corporation and director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition, who will present examples of successful applications of tools for DMDU, and Andrew Schwarz, the State Water Project climate action coordinator for the California DWR, who will present on his department’s use of DMDU. If you were unable to attend the April seminar "Decision Making-under Deep Uncertainty Seminar #1 (Alice Hill)" (Video), you can watch the recording on the Council's YouTube channel.

You can register to attend in person at the CNRA building in Sacramento, or virtually via zoom. We hope to see you there!

Additionally, the Delta ISB is still seeking comments on the Decision-Making Under Deep Uncertainty draft prospectus for its review by 5:00 p.m. on June 26, 2023. They may be emailed to disb@deltacouncil.ca.gov. If you use scenario planning or conduct any type of uncertainty analysis for decision support purposes in the Delta, please provide the information as part of your public comment. Find more information in the draft prospectus Science Supporting Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (PDF).

Greetings IEP Community Members,

The Delta Independent Science Board, which provides scientific oversight of programs that support adaptive management, would like your feedback on draft prospectuses for its two upcoming reviews: (1) food-webs (PDF) and (2) subsidence (PDF). Public comments are due on May 31, 2023 and can be submitted to disb@deltacouncil.ca.gov. You can also submit oral comments by attending the Board’s May 17 meeting.

On May 17 at 10:30 a.m., the Delta ISB will meet to discuss its reviews and activities. Board members will review and hear public comments received on their draft prospectuses for reviews on subsidence and food webs relevant to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Members of the public who wish to present oral comments are encouraged to attend in person or via zoom. Additional meeting details can be found in the meeting notice (PDF).

If you have questions, please contact the Board at disb@deltacouncil.ca.gov or at (916) 902-6571.

Greetings IEP Community Members,

Andrea Jaegge of the USGS California Water Science Center asked us to share the information below for those working on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

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Dear Colleagues,

Please consider submitting an abstract for the HABs session at the upcoming 2023 Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Conference.

27th Biennial CERF Conference
Resilience & Recovery
Portland, Oregon, USA
12 –16 November 2023

CERF 2023 Call for Abstracts
Abstract Deadline: 20 May 2023

CERF 2023 Session:
Advances in harmful algal bloom (HAB) research across the freshwater to marine continuum
Keith Bouma-Gregson, U.S. Geological Survey; Andrea Jaegge, U.S. Geological Survey; Beth Stauffer, University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Hans Paerl, University of North Carolina

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) represent a threat to human and ecosystem health across the freshwater to coastal continuum worldwide. Estuaries are particularly prone to HAB impacts from delivery, or in situ growth, of both freshwater and marine taxa. With continued anthropogenic pressure and climate change, HAB impacts are expected to increase. Resilience and recovery of impacted ecosystems can only occur through better understanding of HAB impacts on: ecosystem function and health; environmental drivers supporting occurrences and toxin production; and successful mitigation and management strategies. This session welcomes novel advances in HAB research and management across the freshwater to marine continuum.

Questions? Contact Andrea Jaegge, PhD (she/her) from the U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center at ajaegge@usgs.gov or 803-760-8521.

Greetings IEP Community Members,

Everyone has been waiting in anticipation for the 2023 IEP Annual Workshop. Registration for in-person attendance and virtual attendance will open February 28, 2023. The registration links will be posted to the Annual IEP Workshop web page and distributed via the IEP Workshop email listserv, and this stakeholder listserv. It would be great to see everyone in person, unfortunately, seating is limited in the auditorium. Tickets for the in-person event will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Once seating capacity for each day is reached, only virtual attendance will be available.

The Workshop Program and Presentation Abstracts Booklet have been posted. For posters, we have 54 to share this year, which will be showcased on the 2nd floor. Make sure to visit the poster authors during the scheduled poster sessions on Tuesday, March 21 and Wednesday, March 22. Poster abstracts and images will be shared later on the IEP online Poster Discussion Forum so remote participants can check them out after the workshop. The presentations in the auditorium will be recorded and made available (later) under the IEP Workshops Playlist on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife YouTube channel. So, if you miss a session, you’ll be able to watch it later at your own convenience!

Registration is now open for the early career luncheon and two IEP training courses. More information on these events has been posted to the Annual IEP Workshop web page. Registration is FREE for all events.

• Early Career Luncheon (Tuesday, March 21) 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Great networking opportunity for students and early career scientists.
• Two IEP Training Courses (Friday, March 24) 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Introduction to GIS with QGIS (beginner class)
  • Introduction to Hierarchical Models in R with Application to Abundance Modeling (advanced class)

Transportation & Parking:
The California Natural Resources Building is in downtown Sacramento. Parking garages and lots are located nearby. The Sacramento Regional Transit has bus and light rail stations nearby.

Food:
The California Natural Resources Building has food vendors located inside the building on the first floor.
There are additional food establishments within walking distance of the building.

Questions? Send them to iep@wildlife.ca.gov

Greetings IEP Community Stakeholders,

Below is an announcement that we were asked to share with our IEP Community members.

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Hello Biological Diversity and Ecological Forecasting/Conservation Community, 

I am pleased to announce the release of the A.40 Earth Science Applications: Ecological Conservation (formerly Ecological Forecasting) solicitation. This program element solicits proposals that would enable:

1. Decision-making to combat the spread of invasive species,
2. Advance the use of ecosystem service assessment for decision-making,
3. Inform management, establishment, or protection of protected areas.

Proposals must outline activities and products that will achieve operational deployment and sustained use in decision-making by the end user(s) (i.e., ARL 9) before the end of the award. To feasibly achieve this objective, all submissions must show a demonstrated maturity in development beyond initial discovery, feasibility, and development (i.e., start at ARL 5 or greater) and an established relationship with an end user. Like past solicitations, proposals must combine three components: Earth observations, in-situ biological observations, and ecological models to develop decision-support tools.

Notices of intent are requested by March 14, 2023, and proposals are due April 14, 2023. A virtual meeting for potential proposers will occur January 13, 2023, from 2-4 pm eastern time. Connect information will be posted under other documents on the NSPIRES page for this program element no later than December 13, 2023.

This release marks the official name change of the Ecological Forecasting Application Area to Ecological Conservation Application Area. After over a year of consultation with our community, we have made this change to better reflect the program’s objectives. Forecasting remains the principle methodological approach for the work we support but achieving sustainable decision support for conservation is the end goal. You will see this change is now reflected on our program websites (Biological Diversity & Ecological Conservation and Earth Science and Applied Sciences).

Sincerely,
Keith Gaddis, Ph.D. (he/him)
Ecological Conservation Application Area
Biological Diversity Program Element
NASA Headquarters, Mary Jackson Bldg.
300 E St., SW
Washington, D.C. 20546
Keith.Gaddis@NASA.gov
202.358.4651
appliedsciences.nasa.gov
cce.nasa.gov/biodiversity/index.html

Greetings IEP Stakeholder Community,

The Delta Science Program is hosting a Delta Harmful Algal Bloom Workshop November 8-9, 2022 and registration is now open.

• Register to attend in-person
• Register to attend virtually
• Flyer on the Delta HABs workshop (PDF)

Attendees will hear presentations from subject matter experts and participate in breakout sessions, In-person attendance will be hosted at the California Natural Resources Headquarters (715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814).

Virtual attendance will be hosted via Zoom. Both in-person and virtual attendance are free with registration.

Questions? Email hello@deltacouncil.ca.gov