Federal Agency Programs in Living Aquatic Resources and Aquatic Habitat Protection

Department of Interior

Minerals Management Service

Activities Related to Living Aquatic Resources. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has been charged with responsibility for administration of the oil and gas leasing program on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The MMS Environmental Studies Program (ESP) was initiated in 1973, to provide information in a timely fashion for each decision step in the pre- and post-lease sale process. Staff in each of the four regional offices and headquarters conduct an annual assessment of information needs. Based on this assessment, contracts are awarded (mostly on a competitive basis) to academic institutions, consulting companies, and other Government Agencies to provide information used for the "assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development...". Specifically, information is used in the preparation of sale-specific Environmental Impact Statements which include analyses of the potential effects of oil and gas industry activities on living aquatic resources. Information may also be used to develop lease stipulations and mitigating measures to protect living aquatic resources from possible harmful effects.

Statutory Authority. Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.). The MMS also operates under mandates from many other laws, for example: the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S. C. 4321 et seq.); the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.); the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.).

Ten-Year History of Budget and Personnel Levels. Funding of all living aquatic resources studies conducted during FY1986-FY1995 is summarized below. Categories of included studies are Fisheries, Endangered Species, Fates and Effects, Biology, and to some extent Socioeconomics. FTE levels for fisheries-related personnel have been: FY1986 through FY1989 - 12 FTE, FY1990 - 19 FTE, FY1991 through FY1992 - 17 FTE, FY1993 - 15 FTE, FY1994 - 14 FTE, and FY1995 - 13 FTE.

Five-Year History of Personnel by Civil Service Grade. Fisheries-related personnel are generally GS-12 level.

National Policy or Goals Studies. (For the MMS-ESP only)

a) OCS Oil and Gas: An Assessment of the Department of the Interior Environmental Studies Program. The National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, 1978.

b) Assessment of the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Program. National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, 1993.

c) Environmental Information for Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Decisions in Alaska. National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, 1994.

Interagency and State-Federal Coordination Mechanisms. Coordination with other State and Federal agencies exists at many different levels within the MMS. Mechanisms which directly involve the ESP include:

a) Outer Continental Shelf Advisory Board -- The purpose of this board is to advise the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of MMS, and DOI officers in the performance of discretionary functions of the OCS Lands Act, including all aspects of leasing, exploration, development, and protection of the resources of the OCS. The board is composed of two committees:

1) Policy Committee -- consists of a member and an alternate from each coastal State, selected public and private special interest groups, and members from the DOI and other Federal agencies.

2) Scientific Committee (SC) -- consists of 15 members with expertise in a wide-range of scientific disciplines who advise the Director, MMS, on the MMS-ESP.

b) The SC is provided with copies of the ESP Regional Studies Strategic Plans annually for their review and comments.

c) Many studies of living aquatic resources are conducted through IAs or MOUs with State and Federal Government Agencies.

d) Representatives from the MMS-ESP serve on various committees and task forces whose main goal is to foster interagency coordination: NBS Information Needs Process Team, Interagency Ecosystem Management Coordinating Group, Interagency Committee on Coastal Physical Processes, Subcommittee on Oceanographic Fleet Coordination, Arctic Research Policy Committee DOI Working Group, DOI Science Board ad hoc Working Group, Coastal GOOS (Global Ocean Observation System) Committee, and Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research.

Periodic or Annual Reports. The MMS issues many annual and periodic reports. The ESP issues the following:

a) Annual Regional Studies Strategic Plans from each of four regional offices and headquarters.

b) An annual report on the sightings of bowhead whales during the months of September and October.

c) Studies reports - final reports and publications are usually issued at the completion of most studies contracts.

d) Proceedings from Information Transfer Meetings are issued by each Region; meetings are annual or biannual.

National Biological Service

Activities Related to Living Aquatic Resources. The National Biological Service (NBS) provides the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources. The NBS provides information needed by resource managers in DOI in a form that allows them to assess, predict, and manage the biological consequences of various policies and management practices. The NBS also works to identify and serve the science needs of a wide range of partners, including State and other Federal agencies. Aquatic research activities include studies of fish species that are anadromous, migratory, or inhabit interjurisdictional waters such as the Great Lakes. High priority is given to restoring depleted fishery resources, especially those that are economically important, environmentally impaired, depleted from overuse, or generally at risk. Studies are conducted on the status, ecology, and habitat requirements of, and effects of various habitat manipulations on waterfowl, pelagic marine birds, and shore-birds. Research on marine mammals addresses their populations status, limiting factors, habitat requirements, and management alternatives. In cooperation with other Federal agencies, the NBS monitors contaminants in Great Lakes fishes, and assesses the impacts of contaminants released into, or trapped in aquatic environments. The NBS also develops methods for quantifying impacts on fish and wildlife resulting from changing land and water uses.

Statutory Authority. The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934 (48 Stat. 401, 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.); Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-742d, 742e-742j-2; Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, as amended (16 U.S.C. 703-711); Migratory Bird Conservation Act title of the Act of May 25, 1900 (31 Stat 187, 16 U.S.C. 715); Cooperative Research and Training Units (P.L. 86-686), amended by the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 (74 Stat. 733, 16 U.S.C. 753a, as amended by 92 Stat. 3110, §2); Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); U.S. Geological Survey Organic Act of March 3, 1879, as amended (20 Stat. 394); Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543); Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361-1362, 1372-1284, 1401-1407); Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 931-939); National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2801-2810); Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972, enacted as Pub. L. 92-516, amending the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Control Act (Act of June 25, 1947, 61 Stat. 163); Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species Prevention and Control At of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-646); National Park Service Organic Act, as amended and supplemented (16 U.S.C. 1-4, 17j-2, 18f, 431-433, 461-467); Clean Air Act of 1977, as amended by Pub. L. 95-95 (42 U.S.C. 7418, 7470 et seq.); Water Resources Development Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.); Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.); Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982 (16 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.); Outdoor Recreation Act of June 32, 1936 (49 Stat. 1894); Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331).

Ten-Year History of Budget and Personnel Levels. (Provided only for the two fiscal years that NBS has been in existence.) Totals include total direct and indirect expenditures (but not including administrative and facility costs) for programs supporting conservation of living aquatic resources, including freshwater and marine habitats and species, and large program components focused on wetlands and wetland-dependent species, most prominently waterfowl and other animals that use wetlands at least part of the year. When certain program components examine a range of habitats and species, including mixtures of aquatic and terrestrial resources, NBS estimated the portions devoted to aquatic resources and included here.

Five-Year History of Personnel by Civil Service Grade. (Provided only for the two fiscal years that NBS has been in existence.)

It is estimated that in FY1994, the above individuals were assisted by 313 full-time equivalent support staff in grades GS-1 through GS-8. The comparable estimate for FY1995 is 336. Many of these individuals may have worked on a variety of aquatic and non-aquatic related activities.

National Policy or Goals Studies. The NBS conducts a number of studies in support of national policies or goals for living aquatic resources. Examples include:

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species Research: Research on problems related to the unintentional introduction of aquatic nuisance species, especially the zebra mussel, into waters of the United States;

Louisiana Wetlands Loss Study: In 1988, the NBS (formerly within FWS) initiated a study of the causes and impacts of coastal wetlands loss in Louisiana, including a re-inventory of coastal resources, ecological landscape modeling, contaminants effects, and the effect of marsh management practices;

Fishery Stewardship: The NBS expanded its efforts to provide modeling capabilities, assist with study design and protocols for stock identification and assessment, and develop state-of-the-art tools for evaluation of genetic resources of native and hatchery stocks of fish;

Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Initiative: This initiative includes field studies to supplement existing scientific information, the development of region-scale ecosystem and hydrologic models, and the analysis of alternatives for hydrological restoration;

Large Rivers Initiative: Studies focus on the assessment of habitat conditions, resource needs and biological integrity of large multi-jurisdictional aquatic systems, including interior rivers and watersheds, with an emphasis on fishery issues;

Landscape Functions: Watershed studies have been initiated to evaluate the effects of vegetation on quality and quantity of precipitation and of biogeochemical studies and the relationship to watershed ecosystem processes;

Offshore Studies: The NBS operates a studies program to generate data and/or environmental assessments associated with the exploration and production of offshore mineral resources;

Chemical and Drug Registration Research: In FY1994, the NBS began a cooperative, 5-year State and Federal effort to conduct research needed to obtain approval of high priority drugs critical to public fish production;

Anadromous Fish: The NBS conducts research on fish passage issues, including development and testing of fish passage structures, evaluation of mitigation measures for FERC relicensing, and technical assistance;

Great Lakes Fisheries: Models are being developed to analyze historical data and evaluate new data on the effectiveness of fish sanctuaries and management practices in preserving native species in the Great Lakes; and

Genetics and Systematics: The NBS is investigating the genetic population structure of native fish and freshwater mussels that are listed, candidate species, or species of management concern due to rapid declines of stocks.

Interagency and State-Federal Coordination Mechanisms. The NBS uses CAs, including cooperative research unit agreements with State universities which are specifically authorized under Pub. L. 86-686, MOUs and IAs to coordinate activities. CAs are used whenever the principal purpose of the agreement is to transfer funds or services to another organization to accomplish some public purpose that involves substantial involvement between the NBS and the cooperator. IAs are used between the NBS and other Federal agencies to coordinate research and certain management studies.

Periodic or Annual Reports. The NBS research results are published in the open literature, including peer-reviewed journals. The NBS also produces several in-house publications:

NBS Information Bulletins are brief interim reports of research or inventory by NBS scientists and cooperators intended for information and immediate use by decision makers and resource managers in DOI.

Biological Science Reports are periodic peer-reviewed reports by DOI scientists and cooperators of the highest quality that include original science, reviews, and inventories.

North American Fauna is a subseries of Biological Science Reports that is reserved for monographic length publications that cover in-depth studies of single species, groups of species, or ecosystems.

Information and Technology Reports are periodic peer-reviewed reports by DOI scientists or associates that include conference proceedings, syntheses, annotated bibliographies, new techniques, or related products.

NBS Open Files Reports are an all-electronic series that includes lengthy data sets or files of biological information, maps, or GIS that are not appropriate for hard copy publication.

National Status and Trends Report is a lengthy full-color report meant for the educated lay reader with numerous chapters that treat the factors affecting the Nation's biological diversity and regional reports on the status and trends of species, habitats, and ecosystems.

Our Living Resources is a full-color book-length publication that contains more than 200 brief papers on the health and status of our Nation's species an ecosystems.

Waterfowl Management Handbook is an open-ended series of brief reports of practical interest to natural resource managers who include management of waterfowl in their responsibilities.

Fisheries Review is a quarterly publication that includes indexed citations to the World's literature on fish, fisheries, and fishery management.

Wildlife Review is a bimonthly publication that includes indexed citations to the World's literature on bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian biology, ecology, and management.

Cooperative Extension Reports are irregular publications intended for the public that address current topics and issues in natural resource management.

Most NBS series are available in hard copy or electronic form. Selected publications are available on CD-ROM. The NBS publishes periodic product announcements of all its series publications and all other printed products from peer-reviewed journals. Contact the Publication Management Officer at the Information Transfer Center (ITC), 1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 200, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (telephone (970) 223-9709, ext. 216), to be placed on the mailing list for announcements. Refer to the NBS home page for instructions on how to access the electronic versions of NBS publications. Fisheries Review and Wildlife Review are available in various hard copy and electronic forms form several sources; contact extension 236 at the ITC for specific details. Copies of NBS series and other publications are available from FWS, Publication Unit; MS 130, Webb Building; Washington, DC 20240 (telephone (703) 358-1711) or the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161 (telephone 1-800-553-6847).

National Park Service

Activities Related to Living Aquatic Resources. Living aquatic resources and habitats are managed by the National Park Service (NPS) in 163 of the 368 units in the National Park System. The NPS conducts management programs designed to maintain and protect aquatic and marine resources found within the boundaries of NPS areas. NPS also works with other governmental organizations to resolve management issues occurring outside park boundaries but affecting park aquatic/marine resources. An active research program is closely coordinated with the National Biological Service.

Examples of program activities include: evaluations of the spawning runs of Dolly Varden trout in the Kugururok River, Alaska; assessments of the ecological effects of introduced rainbow trout and kokanee salmon at Crater Lake National Park; restoration of habitat and fisheries of the Merced River, Yosemite National Park; protection and recovery of threatened and endangered fishes in the Colorado River; evaluations of the impacts of certain land use practices on aquatic resources at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore; restoration and management of brook trout populations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; assessments of recreational fishing harvests at Everglades National Park; management of the coral reef fish assemblages at Virgin Islands National Park, and the development of fishery management plans at Catoctin Mountain Park, Buffalo National River, and St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Statutory Authority. The National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); General Authorities Act of 1970, as amended (16 U.S.C. la-1--la-8); National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and individual park enabling acts.

Ten-Year History of Budget and Personnel Levels. These figures are estimates of combined salary and project money devoted to living aquatic and marine resources.

Five-Year History of Personnel by Civil Service Grade. Personnel shown are those whose annual effort exceeds 50 percent devoted to living aquatic and/or marine resources activities. Prior to FY1994, the personnel shown included research and grants grade scientists. In 1994, these NPS employees were transferred to the National Biological Service. Employees shown after this transfer date generally conduct management activities. This summary only includes career, career-conditional, and term employees.

National Policy or Goals Studies. The following management policy publications and guidelines are available from: Chief, Wildlife and Vegetation Division, National Park Service, 1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

a) NPS Management Policies: Management of the National Park System. National Park Service, 1988.

b) NPS-77: Natural Resources Management Guideline. National Park Service, 1991.

c) "A Heritage of Fishing": The National Park Service Recreational Fisheries Program. National Park Service, Wildlife and Vegetation Division, 1992.

d) Fisheries Needs Assessment and Action Plan. National Park Service, Wildlife and Vegetation Division, 1992.

Interagency and State-Federal Coordination Mechanisms. The NPS uses CAs, MOUs, and IAs to coordinate activities. CAs are used whenever the principle purpose of the agreement is to transfer funds or services to another organization to accomplish some public purpose that involves substantial involvement between NPS and the cooperator. CAs are in place with such organizations as the American Fisheries Society, the Wildlife Society, and the Society for Range Management. MOUs are administered with such organizations as the In-Fisherman, Berkley, the American Zoological Association, and the Smithsonian Institution. IAs are used between NPS and other Federal agencies to coordinate research and certain management studies. IAs are in effect with the National Biological Service, FWS, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for projects associated with specific parks.

Periodic or Annual Reports. Reports of natural resource management accomplishments are published by NPS in a variety of publications. Park Science, A Resource Management Bulletin is published quarterly and provides a forum for science and resource management in NPS. An annual Highlights of Natural Resources Management provides a synopsis of important resource management accomplishments for the year. A separate annual science report provides an inventory of research and management activities completed by NPS and its various cooperators. These and other publications are available from the Publications Coordinator, National Park Service, Natural Resources Publication Office, P.O. Box 25287 (WASO-NRPO), Denver, CO 80225-0287.