FRIDAY Nov. 6, 2015    Evening. Committee meetings.

SATURDAY Nov. 7, 2015          

Attending:        Jack Minard, Zo Ann Morten, Jim Armstrong, Jim Shinkewski, Brian Smith, Eric Carlisle, Ian Bruce, Leandre Vigneault, Dianne Sanford, Elizabeth Hardy, Paul Cipywnyk, Lee Hesketh, Cindy Verbeek, Wayne Salewski

Regrets:           Jan Lemon (sent in roundtable)       

Guests Present:

Jason Hwang, DFO, Acting (for Adam Silverstein) Regional Manager, Community        Involvement Program

Michael Crowe 

                         Robert Schaefer, DFO, Community Advisor, Mission, Abbotsford to Beyond Hope and South Side Fraser River to Abbotsford
                         Tina Chestnut, DFO, (minute-taking/reporting advice and continuity through Jason/Adam)
                         Jeffrey Lemieux, DFO, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Region, Science Branch Manager, Freshwater Ecosystems

                        SEHAB alternates present: Alan James, Lynn Lee

0845                 Meet and Greet - get prepared

0900                  Chair Welcome and Opening Remarks

Noted change in government so SEHAB will be working with new fisheries minister, new minister of environment and climate change, new science minister, as well as changes at section head and RHQ levels.

MOTION: Ian Bruce to approve the agenda, SECOND Jim Armstrong, PASSED

The board accepted Cindy Verbeek as the representative for the upper Skeena

0910                  Discussion: SEP Review and SEHAB

SEHAB is concerned with factual errors in the review of the board’s performance contained in the recent avaluation of the Salmonid Enhancement Program. SEHAB has been meeting regularly three times per year, and regularly reporting to DFO Pacific Regional HQ. It was noted that SEHAB funding is contingent upon reporting, and funding has not been suspended.

SEHAB was dismayed to learn that the review is done and cannot be changed. SEHAB agreed that a letter pointing out the errors should be sent to the review team and to appropriate senior DFO managers.

ACTION: Write letter regarding errors to review head, post on SEHAB website

1000                 Local Community Advisor (Robert Schaefer) Presentation on activities, challenges and successes

Key points: There are challenges with the new habitat system; Succession issues and aging volunteers; PAR: Cultus Lake sockeye under a lot of pressure and while the run has been built back up there are still pressures from pike minnow, milfoil, urbanization, recreational use, and agriculture. Difficult to liaise with all streamkeeper groups due to size of area.

1045                 Break

1100                 Roundtables Part one

West Van/Howe Sound/Pemberton
South Vancouver Island
Streamkeepers Federation
Southern Interior
Upper Fraser
North Coast
North Vancouver/Port Moody
Central Vancouver Island
Smithers
Steelhead Society
North Side Fraser/Burnaby/Mission
Haida Gwaii
Sunshine Coast
Salmon Foundation
South Fraser

1200                 Lunch

1330                 Roundtables Part two

Pease see above 

1430                 DFO Report

                        Jason Hwang (CIP, EMB)

Short presentation on SEP and PAR; economically viable and ecologically sustainable; safeguard the environment and wild fish stocks; facilitate activities

Issue of staff turnover, so difficult to achieve continuity in ongoing discussions. Interjurisdictional difficulties in relation to steelhead.

PAR presentation – March Claver via conference line: add link to presentation here

SEHAB would like a meeting with all parties responsible for implementation of PAR together

             Jeffry Lemieux (Science)

Looking at ways in which DFO Science Branch can make better use of citizen science in areas such as, but not limited to, habitat, stock assessment, water quality, etc.

Is asking if a Science Advice Request (RSIA) would facilitate this.

Perhaps could start with data collection such as water temp/flow etc. Stock assessment potentially overwhelming for volunteers? The RSIA must relate to answering a stock management issue or concern, is very formal and commits science to resource and act. They are also very rarely accepted because of this.

Leandre Vigneault was named as the “Science Committee” lead and would contact Jeffry to move this and other ideas forward.

ACTION: Leandre to contact Science Committee members (Wayne, Lee, Ian, Cindy, Jim)  and contact Jeffry to begin a workplan

                                     - Tina Chestnut (suggestions for format of SEHAB minutes)

It was agreed that Tina Chestnut and SEHAB Secretary Paul Cipywnyk would work on this together at a later date following the meeting.

                                    - Restoration Framework – Jason Hwang

Restoration Framework

Was nearly complete then internally people wanted to make more comments. There are just a few adjustments and are starting to use it internally. Starting to think about Version 2.0 with more context around what we’re doing when we do restoration. V2.0 will likely not appear until next summer or fall.

This will be a topic for a Friday Night Forum

Action: Jack to talk to Jason about a Friday Forum for February on restorations, the Restoration Framework, Planning restorations based on watershed priorities and to look at effective and ineffective restoration activities, secure speakers, promote, etc.

Spoke to DFO/SEP reorganization. Down to three section heads. Changes to regional DFO management.

Rebecca Reid new RDG

Bonnie Antcliffe new associate RDG

Cheryl Webb new Regional Director Ecosystems Management Branch

ACTION: Jason Hwang to send SEHAB org chart with short descriptions.

RFCPP

SEHAB would like to see the scope of funding expanded to cover planning. This is dependent on agreements between DFO and Treasury Board. See recommendations to RHQ.

Tina Chestnut on PIP tendering process

Email went out last month to groups on existing list

This round closes Jan. 7

Please broadly distribute the email, and promote broad participation

No guarantee of funds available, but looking for expressions of interest and must be on the list of suppliers to apply for PIP funding in the next three years.

CAs to help complete applications

SEHAB/DFO Business process

Use the time and effort from this table more effectively to become better partners. Would like to have a discussion in terms of formalizing business processes, to do a better job leveraging and working with SEHAB.

ACTION: Navaids Review – Coms Committee

ACTION: Review Process with DFO – Coms Committee and Jason/Tina

Jason Hwang and Tina Chestnut shared advice on prioritizing and organizing advice to new RDG. For example, think about what’s political and what’s operational.

                                     - Prioritizing Roundtable concerns/topics       

1530                 Break

1600                 Board Q&A/Discussion

                                     - Prioritize for RHQ and organize by responses wanted

                                     - Begin RHQ Agenda – Closing the Loop document

Forming the Closing the Loop document was postponed to Sunday, and will be done as a group        

1700                 Adjourn

SUNDAY Nov. 8, 2015

0900 - 1200       Business Meeting

0900                 Standing Committee Reports

 - Chair – Jack (SEP Review)

SEP Review

Statement for new RDG

ACTION Secretary Paul Cipywnyk draft letter re response to SEP review and prepare something for RHQ meeting

 - Finance – ZoAnn (Budget and Track Record)

Contract changing over time to continue to align with SEP.

Have a new admin person

Contract process has changed so have a new structure in place

$33K budget has not changed in years

Matching up yearly cycles - Can we shift AGM to May, so then it would flow with financial cycle?

There is $440 of SEHAB funds “stuck” at HSBC

ACTION: Jim Armstrong to approach HSBC to get access and move the funds.

ACTION: Chair/Secretary. Put inflation on the next meeting agenda, and look at asking for a budget increase in the new year.

Annual General Meeting

Chair Jack Minard declared the AGM open

MOTION: Leandre Vigneault/Jim Armstrong to postpone the business of the AGM to the first meeting of the fiscal year to align with fiscal reporting. Passed.

MOTION: Jim Shinkewski/ Leandre Vigneault to Adjourn the AGM. Passed.

 - Membership – Jack (Review)

Updated live

ACTION: Paul to send Alan James contact info

ACTION: Ian to send alternate name and contact info

 - Governance – Jack (How do we best report to RHQ?)

How to we weigh geographical differences? Five areas with low volunteers and huge areas.

Is there still going to be another cut to SEP?

We want to know that what we are doing is actually being used.

Ensure that SEHAB Terms of Reference are front and center.

MOTION: Leandre/Jim A Continue with RTs and choose issues to take to RHQ as a group on Sunday. Passed.

              - Communications – Paul (SEP Review, filling gaps)

As noted in other ACTION, to work with Tina on minutes and reporting, and draft letter of response to SEP review.

              - Southern Chinook – Ian (Short verbal Report)

Realization that SEHAB’s presence on this Committee is extremely valuable to the process as no one else on the committee speaks for the biota and its habitat. SEHAB is not a “user” of the resource and as such has a unique perspective at this table.

ACTION: That Ian continue to be the SEHAB Rep at this table

 

0930                 Election of Officers for 2015 – 2018

                        Four executive members to be elected

Postponed to realigned AGM in the new year.

1000                 Review Working Groups & 2015/16 Workplan

                                     - PAR (ZoAnn)

                                     See report

                                     - Communication Working Group (Paul/Wayne)

                                    Short verbal report

                                     - Stock Assessment, WSP, Science, Data Collection (Leandre/Jack)

Formation of Science Committee: Leandre Vigneault, Ian Bruce, Cindy Verbeek, Jim Armstrong

                                                            Other Topics:

                                     - Salish Sea Conference (Jim A)

                                     - Seawater AC and Tidal Turbines (Dianne/Jim S)

                                     - SEP cuts and itemized budget and the future (ZoAnn/Dianne/JimS)

ACTION ALL: Reminder to all that written committee reports should be distributed before board meetings.

1045                 Break

1100                 RHQ Discussion – Closing the Loop

The board collectively reviewed items that arose from the roundtables, and collectively formulated a draft Closing the Loop document to take to Pacific Regional HQ.

12:45    Review receipt of Roundtables to process travel claims

            Submit Roundtables and Travel Claims

A.  Minutes from this meeting to be ratified by Nov 23, 2015

B.   Date next meeting:  Feb 19, 20 and 21 RHQ Feb 22 – ACTION: Confirm with Cheryl

C.   Invitation to build agenda by: January 15, 2016

D.   Draft agenda due on: January 29, 2016

E.   Determine Participants (SEHAB exec. PLUS area issue sponsors) for Monday meeting at RHQ

F.  Determine if we are having a Friday night forum ASAP

Action items November 2015

ITEM	DETAILS	SPONSOR	ACTION/DUE
Draft letter of response to SEHAB section of SEP Review	Errors in review need to be pointed out.	Paul Cipywnyk	ASAP
Prepare response to SEHAB section of SEP Review for RHQ	Errors in review need to be pointed out.	Paul Cipywnyk	Done
DFO Pacific Org Chart	Including short descriptions of roles	Jason Hwang	ASAP
Review Navaids	Ensure that processes are clear & are being followed	Coms Committee	Report to next SEHAB meeting
Review SEHAB/DFO Business Process	Is SEHAB reporting in the most effective manner?	Coms Committee, Jason Hwang, Tina Chestnut, Adam Silverstein	Report to next SEHAB meeting
Retrieve SEHAB funds from HSBC account	~$440 inaccessible	Jim Armstrong	ASAP
Inflation/Budget ask	SEHAB budget has not increased for over ten years. Put this on next agenda.	Chair/Sec to put on next agenda. Finance Committee to report.	Report to next SEHAB meeting
Update any missing member info	New alternates	Paul > Alan, Ian	ASAP
Committee Reports	Reminder that all committees should write and distribute reports prior to each SEHAB meeting	ALL	Before every SEHAB meeting
Draft letter of welcome to new DFO Minister	Short letter of welcome, and introducing SEHAB, to new DFO minister	Paul Cipywnyk	Underway
Confirm Feb. RHQ Mtg		Jack	Before Feb. mtg

Action items May 2015

ITEM	DETAILS	SPONSOR	ACTION/DUE
Send comments to Jim who will compile and forward to Karl		Jim	Done
Who attends and why?	Set up a protocol	Jack	Before Feb. 2016 meeting
Keeping mail list up to date after each meeting	Ensure both mail lists are up to date	Paul	Following every meeting
Follow up with Wayne re external communications		Jack	Done
Definition of QEP	Write letter to DFO Jason Rough draft to everyone Do you have a def and if you don’t look at this one	Ext Com Group	Before Feb. mtg
Look at def of QEP province	Check this out before writing letter to DFO and share with group	Ext Com Group	Done
Notifications	Write letter in response to SF letter	Leandre	Dec. 15, 2015