Science and Management Community Aquatic Habitat Connectivity Discussion – Background, Process and the Bigger Picture

In the Great Lakes ecosystem barriers fragment riverine habitat and often block seasonal migrations of aquatic organisms between the lakes and the tributaries.  Conversely, some barriers provide ecological benefits by assisting with the control of sea lamprey, protecting threatened, endangered, or vulnerable native species, and preventing pathogen and contaminant spread.   As a result of increasing interest in decommissioning dams, agencies are reviewing increasing numbers of proposals to remove or modify barriers.  This symposium is Phase I of a three-phase effort to develop the needed principles, protocols, tools and policies that ensure conflicting concerns are weighed and system-wide impacts are evaluated as aquatic habitat connectivity projects are proposed.  During day one, 15-minute overviews stimulate facilitated direct audience participation which will be recorded and then synthesized overnight to distill knowledge gaps, data needs, and suggest decision support tools that may need to be developed.  In addition, an overview of aquatic habitat connectivity funding opportunities as well as re-connecting watersheds while managing risk will be discussed in terms of developing a basic model for decision support.  Day two begins with an integrated decision making example followed by two facilitated discussions, the first of which will improve on the results from day one.  The second facilitated discussion, chewing on the hard questions, will challenge participants to consider and provide input on a broad range of decision making and policy related questions. Products from Phase I will supply the science-based foundation for Phase II and stimulate the decision making and policy discussions of that effort.  Moving forward, Phase II will start at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference (Kansas, December 2012).  The Council of Lake Committees will host discussions about the needed principles, protocols, tools and policies and endeavor to reach consensus on these factors after which they will be provided to the Council of Great Lakes Fishery Agencies for review, validation, and potential voluntary adoption by participating Great Lakes authorities to guide Great Lakes connectivity restoration.  Pending success, in Phase III, the results would be shared nationally at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference as early as March, 2013 or thereafter, dependent on completion of the process in the Great Lakes.  The culmination of this effort has the potential to substantially improve development and implementation of aquatic habitat connectivity projects throughout North America and to reduce conflict among agencies, stakeholders or other interest groups as projects are considered.