Fish & wildlife Columbia Basin CIS MOA

 
Memorandum of Agreement for Cooperative Information System Development for the Columbia Basin
Between the Northwest Power Planning Council and National Marine Fisheries Service

The Northwest Power Planning Council (Council) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agree to a cooperative approach to plan and develop an information system for the Columbia basin. The Council and NMFS believe that the region is best served by a unified approach to meeting all data and information needs.

Our agreement provides for the creation of a process to develop an information system co-chaired by the Council and NMFS.

1. Need for Cooperative Information System Planning and Development.

The Council and NMFS have specific legal mandates to develop plans to recover, rebuild, restore, protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats in the Columbia River basin. These mandates are largely carried out through Bonneville's implementation of the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program and NMFS? implementation of the federal Endangered Species Act. Both activities are highly dependent on the quality, quantity, and timeliness of data and information.

Data used for these two interrelated but essentially separate decision making processes are often the same. As a result there are considerable benefits to be gained by cooperative development and implementation of a comprehensive information system. This should include at a minimum:

1. adoption of common protocols for collecting, reporting and sharing information;
2. development of meta-data standards for clearly identifying information about data so it can be easily recovered and understood; and
3. development of a common framework for information system development to guide investment towards the most cost effective approaches and outcomes, and optimize system performance and access.

There is a lot at stake for both partners. Improvements in collecting, managing and making necessary data and information available to better inform decision makers is likely to have significant regional and even national consequences. Many other organizations will also be relying directly and indirectly on the outcome. 

The interests of NMFS relate to anadromous fish conservation and management, while those of the Council include all fish and wildlife populations affected by operation and development of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS).

2. Committees.

The co-chairs will establish sub-committees as necessary to provide regional input and guidance for the development of the cooperative information system. It is essential that the tribes, state and federal agencies, and local governments, citizens, and all interested parties have an opportunity to participate in the development of this information resource.

3. Funding and Administrative Support.

Funding requests to Bonneville and other sources must be adequate to support the development of an efficient and effective data system. First year tasks are expected to include a phased in project plan, focused needs analysis, data inventory, support of various sub-studies, and development of a memorandum of understanding among data participants and other tasks.  Additional budget requests may be needed to fund approved projects. Funding recommendations will proceed jointly from the Council and NMFS

4. Overall Goal and Timelines.

Overall Goal: Materially and demonstrably improve the quality, quantity, and availability of data and related information in the Columbia basin on fish, wildlife and their supporting habitats.  

1. Within 6 months to 1 year identify, develop, and implement near term programmatic solutions to selected information system problems.
2. Within 1 year develop a coherent overall information system architecture (that includes the solutions in a) (above) as a basic blueprint for subsequent information system development.
3. Within 3 years implement a staged program of actions necessary to establish the coherent overall information system.
4. On a yearly basis review progress in achieving these goals and the performance of the solutions. The review should include independent validation and verification of programs, actions, and products.
5. At the end of 3 years provide a report detailing progress, challenges, and options for ongoing Columbia Basin information system development. 

While the time lines specified here are relatively short, there is an urgent need to improve the information management system to support critical short as well as long-term decisions. During the same time there is likely to be further change in emerging information system technologies. These factors combine to require an urgent, yet staged, programmatic approach to information system development in the Columbia Basin.

5. Consultation.

The co-chairs shall ensure that the Cooperative Information System is developed in an open and public manner, using where possible existing outreach and coordination groups.

Termination:  This Memorandum Of Agreement terminates April 15, 2004 or by request of either party.

[Signed by:]

April 1, 2002

^ top