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Work Element Summary PDF
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Contract Number:
89094
Contract Title:
2002-077-00 EXP ERTG MEMBERS & FACILTATION
Contract Start Date:
11/1/2021
Contract End Date:
10/31/2022
WE ID:
191. Watershed Coordination
Work Element Usage Report
Title:
D: 191 - 191b Watershed Coordination/ERTG
Description:
Ecosystem restoration in the lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) by the Action Agencies (BPA and Corps), ongoing since at least 2004, is designed to benefit juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin listed under the Endangered Species Act. The main strategy is to restore hydrologic connectivity between floodplain wetlands and mainstem Columbia River in the LCRE (Krueger et al. 2017). The restoration is implemented through a formal, multi-agency program, the CEERP. The CEERP’s adaptive management process (Ebberts et al. 2017) includes the ERTG, an independent, expert panel. The ERTG’s main function is to review proposed ecosystem restoration actions in the LCRE. The ERTG’s work is directed by a Steering Committee composed of representatives from BPA, NMFS, and the Corps.

The Action Agencies established the ERTG in 2009 in response to a mandate in the 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion (BiOp). The group was incorporated in subsequent BiOps, including the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Columbia River System BiOp issued in July 2020. Here, NMFS stated (PDF p.78): “The Action Agencies will continue to use the Expert Regional Technical Group (ERTG) to provide technical information and analysis of issues to the Action Agencies regarding the most effective types of actions to pursue in the estuary (i.e., what actions will result in the greatest benefit), assist the Action Agencies in developing project prioritization criteria, and reviewing completed projects.”

The project described in this statement of work addresses the 2020 BiOp mandate concerning the ERTG. Technical facilitation of the ERTG process by a scientist with extensive experience and knowledge of juvenile salmon and wetland ecology, LCRE hydrology, and ecosystem restoration, as well as BPA and Corps of Engineers management policies and obligations for the CEERP, is essential to fulfill this mandate.

The objective of WE 191b is to continue ERTG work by convening, facilitating, and documenting meetings (in-person and virtual) and conference calls generally concerning assessment of the benefits to juvenile salmon from estuary habitat restoration under the CEERP. In particular, ERTG facilitation will require the ability to facilitate two-way communication between scientists (the ERTG and researchers) and policy-makers (the CEERP managers from BPA, Corps, and NMFS). Facilitating two-way communication for the ERTG process involves helping interpret both restoration science for policy-makers and CEERP policies for scientists.

ERTG facilitation will focus on producing outcomes that CEERP managers can use to make policy and program decisions based on the best available science. This will require knowledge of CEERP managers’ needs and the best available science on ecosystem restoration aimed at benefiting juvenile salmon and steelhead. For the ERTG process to succeed, the facilitator must have extensive experience and understanding of the following subjects: the ERTG process in general and the origin of the process and how it has adapted and evolved since its inception in 2008; the respective roles of the ERTG, its Steering Committee, and restoration practitioners; the strengths and weaknesses of the process; ecosystem restoration design challenges and uncertainties and how they affect the ERTG process; restoration project action effectiveness research findings and their CEERP management implications; juvenile salmon and wetland ecology, hydrology, and ecosystem restoration in the LCRE; and BPA’s and Corps of Engineers’ management policies and obligations for the CEERP.

This work element also covers funding for participation of four (4th added via Amendment #1) of the five ERTG members (Bottom, Jones, and Krueger, plus Thom on 7/1/2022). Knowledge is required of the duties and responsibilities of ERTG members to inform development of clear, specific scopes of work for their subcontracts. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the skill sets of individual ERTG members is key to facilitating successful ERTG work products.
WE Agreement Type:
Contracted
Deliverable Specification:
Notes from ERTG meetings and conference calls; email follow-ups from ERTG Steering Committee conference calls (as necessary); finalized ERTG work products; and SBU reports with comments.
WSE Effective Budget:
$154,511
% of Total WSE Effective Budget:
92.79%
WSE Start:
11/01/2021
WSE End:
10/31/2022
WSE Completion:
10/31/2022
WSE Progress:
Concluded
WSE ID Continued From:
n/a
WSE ID Continued To:
n/a
Finite or Recurring:
Recurring

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Budget History

SOWRevision Planned Updated Contractor Comments (optional) BPA Comments (optional)
1. 89094 (11/01/2021 - 10/31/2022) $168,000 $154,511 ERTG subcontractors came in under budget.
Work Element Budget (Current Performance Period) $173,100 $154,511 ERTG subcontractors came in under budget.

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Milestones

2 Milestones
Sort Type Title Start End Status Modified By Modified Date
A ERTG coordination and facilitation 11/1/2021 10/31/2022 Concluded Christine Read 3/22/2022 12:51:30 PM
Description: Continue ERTG work by convening, facilitating, and documenting meetings (in-person and virtual) and conference calls generally concerning assessment of the benefits to juvenile salmon from estuary habitat restoration under the CEERP. Facilitation of the ERTG Steering Committee and funding for four of the five ERTG members (Bottom, Jones, and Krueger, plus Thom effective 7/1/2022) also falls under this work element. For the period November 1, 2021 through October 31, 2022, the following ERTG-related conference calls and meetings (in-person or virtual) addressing WE191a will be scheduled and facilitated by BioAnalysts, as directed by BPA and the Steering Committee: • Bi-weekly conference calls of the Steering Committee. • Up to seven web-based virtual meetings of the ERTG and the Steering Committee for discussions and restoration project presentations. • Up to six web-based virtual meetings for the ERTG to score projects and work on assignments from the Steering Committee. Travel includes • One three-day trip to Portland, Oregon for an in-person** ERTG and Steering Committee meeting, project presentations, and site visits. • One three-day trip to Portland, Oregon for the in-person** ERTG annual regional meeting. • One three-day trip to Astoria, Oregon for an in-person** ERTG and Steering Committee meeting, project presentations, and site visits. **In-person meetings and site visits will be contingent on authorization under state and local Covid-19 protocols. If in-person events are not allowed, they will be replaced by virtual events.
B DELIV Watershed Coordination/ERTG 10/31/2022 Concluded Christine Read 3/3/2022 10:30:29 AM
Description: Notes from ERTG meetings and conference calls; email follow-ups from ERTG Steering Committee conference calls (as necessary); finalized ERTG work products; and SBU reports with comments.

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Metrics

This work element does not require Metrics
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Location

None
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Focal Species

This work element does not require Focal Species
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Environmental Compliance

This work element does not require Environmental Compliance
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RM&E Metadata

This work element does not require RM&E metadata
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