External Review of the Federal-State Coop Program Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 15:53:32 -0700 To: "DC - All District Chiefs" From: Steve Blanchard Subject: External Review of the Federal-State Coop Program Cc: "A - Division Chief and Staff", "B - Branch Chiefs and Offices", "Mary E Daniel, Hydrologist, Denver, CO" , "Stephen F Blanchard, Staff Assistant, Reston, VA" The Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI), at its August, 1998 meeting, established a Task Force to conduct the first external review the Federal-State Cooperative Water Program in its 100+ year history. (More information is available about ACWI from the WRD public web page at the URL: /wicp/) The Task Force is composed of 16 non-Federal agency/association representatives and 6 Federal agency representatives. A complete list of the Task Force membership is provided in attachment 1. The Terms of Reference for the Task Force describe the scope of their work and is provided below as attachment 2. The Task Force is requested to review the activities of the Program by addressing and responding to questions from four broad topics - (1) Coop Program Mission, (2) Prioritization of Work, (3) Conduct of Work, and (4) Products. Each of these four elements of the scope are described in more detail below. The Task Force will have from September 1998 to June 1999 to complete its work. I (Steve Blanchard) will serve as the Executive Secretary to the Task Force and Betsy Daniel will facilitate the meetings. The Task Force held its first mtg last week (October 14-15) in Reston at the USGS National Center Building. The first day of the mtg was primarily a briefing to the Task Force on the USGS, the WRD, and the Fed-State Coop Program. The second day was set aside for Task Force deliberations. The meeting went very well and the Task Force made a good start toward determining its approach to the review. We expect there will be 3 additional mtgs of the Task Force and that these mtgs will take place in District Offices in different WRD Regions. The specific Districts will be determined during the next month or so after discussion with the Task Force. The dates for the next three mtgs are Jan 25-27, 1999; Mar 24-26, 1999; and May 5-7, 1999. The Task Force elected a chair, Larry Rowe of the Mohave Water Agency in CA, and a vice-chair, Fred Lissner of the Oregon Department of Water Resources. This note is also a heads-up that some of the Task Force members may want to stop by and visit the district office closest to them. I have asked them to contact me prior to any visit so that I can give you advanced warning. You may want to become familiar with the names of the Task Force members closest to your office in case they make contact directly without going through me first. We will keep you informed of the work of the Task Force as they progress. If you have any question, pls call (703-648-5629) or email (sfblanch) me. ____________________________ Attachment 1 Federal-State COOP Review Task Force Representative List Arranged Alphabetically Mr. Craig H. Albertsen, U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Denver, CO 80225 Mr. Thomas F. Baumgartner National Weather Service State College, PA 16801-4821 Mr. Tom Bruns Vice President, Development Services American Water Works Association Indianapolis Water Company Indianapolis, IN 46202 Mr. Edmund B. Burkett Chief of Water Management Section U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CESAM-EN-HW Mobile, AL 36602 Mr. Richard S. Burton Director, Monroe County Environmental Health Laboratory National Association of Counties Rochester, NY 14623 Mr. Randall C. Duncan President, International Association of Emergency Managers Cowley County Civil Defense Winfield, KS 67156 Mr. James E. Enote Project Leader Pueblo of Zuni Zuni, NM 87327-0339 Mr. Frederick G. Lissner Manager, Ground Water & Hydrology Dept. Oregon Department of Water Resources Salem, OR 97310 Mr.Peter J. Mack NY Department of Environmental Conservation Region 4 Schenectady, NY 12306-2045 Dr. Fred L. Ogden Assistant Professor Of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Connecticut Storr, CT 06269 Mr. Donald M. Phelps Project Manager Hammond, Collier & Wade-Livingstone American Society of Civil Engineers Chelan, WA 98816-1758 Mr. David L. Pope Chief Engineer Division of Water Resources Kansas State Board of Agriculture Topeka, KS 66612-1283 Dr. Jonathan G. Price, State Geologist Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology University of Nevada Reno, NV 89557-0088 Mr. Robert E. Roberts Executive Director Environmental Council of States Washington, D.C. 20001 Mr. Larry W. Rowe, P.E. General Manager Mojave Water Agency Apple Valley, CA 92307 Mr. James D. Shotwell Ameican Institute of Professional Geologists Austin, TX 78746 Mr. Earl T. Smith Arkansas Soil & Water Conservation Commission Little Rock, AR 72201 Mr. Charles S. Spooner Acting Chief, Monitoring Branch U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Mr. Dr. Frank Tsai Senior Technical Advisor Federal Emergency Management Agency Washington, D.C. 20472 Mr. Alan. H. Vicory Executive Director Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission Cincinnati, OH 45228-1112 Dr. Leslie A. Wedderburn Department Director, Water Resources Evaluation South Florida Water Management District West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Mr. Donald E. Woodward National Hydrologist U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250 ________________________________ Attachment 2 9/3/98 Advisory Committee on Water Information Task Force to Review the Federal-State Cooperative Water Program TERMS OF REFERENCE I. Official Designation Task Force to Review the Federal-State Cooperative Water Program (Task Force) of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). II. Purpose and Scope A. Purpose - The purpose of the Task Force is to assess the effectiveness of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Federal-State Cooperative Water Program (Coop Program), draft recommendations, and to provide a written report of findings to the ACWI. The report from the Task Force to the ACWI will serve as the basis for the ACWI to recommend possible enhancements or modifications to the USGS for the Coop Program. B. Scope - The Task Force is requested to review the activities of the Program by addressing and responding to four broad topics described below. The Task Force will have from September 1998 to June 1999 to complete its work. The Task Force will address the following four topics: 1. Mission - Historically, the Coop Program has been designed to develop hydrologic data and technical analysis needed to assist in meeting the USGS mission of continuously assessing the Nation's water resources, and to provide technical assistance to state, tribal, and local water management agencies in seeking solutions to water-resource issues of national concern through a matched funding arrangement. Is the Coop Program successfully meeting its mission? Is this mission still valid? If not, how should it be altered? Does the Coop Program adequately contribute to the broad USGS mission while keeping abreast of emerging water resources issues at the state and local level? 2. Prioritization - In Fiscal Year 1997, the Congress appropriated $64.5 million dollars for the Coop Program. State and local agencies provided an equal amount of matching funds plus an additional $28.5 million dollars of unmatched funding. Given that there is more funding available from the state and local side than there is matching Federal funding, are matching funds applied to the most important topics and issues? Is there a proper balance between funding of long-term data collection versus short-term interpretive studies? What changes could be made in the approach to project selection to help assure maximum effectiveness for the program? 3. Conduct of work - Nearly all of the work performed in the Coop Program is done by USGS scientists and technicians. This arrangement is designed to enhance quality control, provide national consistency in data collection and methods of analysis, and provide a stable core of experienced water scientists nationwide. Could this arrangement be improved without sacrificing its benefits? What is the appropriate relationship with the private sector, states, universities, etc? What would be the implications of altering current work arrangements on the unique qualities of the Coop Program and water management nationwide? 4. Products - The products developed in the Coop Program need to be useful to cooperators and other users. These users include representatives of all levels of government, the scientific community, the private sector, and the general public. The products also fulfill national needs by building long term national data bases, augmenting activities in other USGS programs, and providing a national picture of water resources through synthesis of information from individual projects across the country. In addition, the Coop Program advances the development and application of new approaches and methodologies relevant to water resources issues. To what extent should the products of the Coop Program support: (1) national level needs, as compared to (2) the needs of cooperators and other information users? Are the products meeting the needs of the primary users as well as the multiple needs of ancillary parties? What changes in products should the USGS consider to strengthen the Coop Program's impact? Are there ways to further stimulate the development of new approaches and methods and to enhance the transfer of these approaches and methods to interested parties? III. Membership A. The chair of the ACWI will designate up to 24 representatives to the Task Force. The Task Force shall comprise a balanced representation of Federal, regional, state, tribal, local, and municipal government agencies, and the private sector. Membership will reflect organizations that use USGS water information, have partnerships with USGS, or have interests in the objectives of the Coop Program. B. The Task Force will include individuals from each of the four Water Resources Division Regions. C. Federal membership will not exceed six representatives from the following organizations: National Weather Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Office of Water, and U.S. Department of the Interior. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be invited to participate as a nonvoting member. D. The Chair of the ACWI may designate up to a maximum of 18 representatives that have a balance of interests and functions. These organizations that participate on the Task Force will represent the following interests: Native Americans, environmental interest groups, industry, local government agencies, professional societies, or river basin commissions. E. The Chair will be elected from non-Federal members of the Task Force. The USGS will provide the Executive Secretary for the Task Force. IV. Meetings and Procedures A. The Task Force will begin activities during September 1998. The Chair will announce date, time, and location of each meeting in advance. After the initial two- or three-day meeting, the Task Force will plan further sessions, as necessary. The Task Force report is due to the Executive Secretary of the ACWI by June 30, 1999. B. Representatives to the Task Force will receive no pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Task Force. However, while away from their homes or regular place of business and in performance of service for the Task Force, non-Federal representatives will be allowed travel expenses if needed. Travel expenses will include per diem. Section 5703 of Title 5 of the United States Code describes allowances associated with this expense. C. Before transmitting the final report to the Director, USGS, the ACWI will announce the availability of the draft report for public review and comment in the Federal Register. D. The Task Force Executive Secretary will prepare and distribute to all members a summary of each meetings. Summaries of each Task Force meeting, recommendations adopted, and copies of all studies and reports issued by the Task Force will be available for public inspection on the World Wide Web and for review and copying at the following location: Water Information Coordination Program U.S. Geological Survey 417 National Center 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, Virginia 20192 E. Support services shall be provided by USGS. F. Authority - The Task Force is part of the implementation of the Water Information Coordination Program mandated by OMB Memorandum No. 92-01, dated December 10, 1991. The Task Force reports to the ACWI that operates under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. V. Products A. A compilation of Task Force meeting summaries and special studies. B. A draft written report describing the findings of the Task Force and its recommendations. C. A written summary of the public comments on the draft report. D. An oral presentation to the ACWI of the summary findings and recommendations of the Task Force. E. A final written report describing the findings of the Task Force and its recommendations presented to the ACWI. F. Transmittal of the final report from ACWI to the USGS including any comments, or suggested enhancements, or suggested modifications of the Coop Program resulting from the ACWI review of the Task Force report.