ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE

 

2.

CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ANNUAL MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MONTEREY PENINSULA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME -- SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY OPERATIONS

 

Meeting Date:

July 17, 2006

Budgeted: 

Yes

 

From:

David A. Berger,

Program/

Various

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

Prepared By:

Beverly Chaney

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

General Counsel Approval:  Yes

Committee Recommendation:  The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on July 6, 2006 and recommended ____________________.

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

State & Federal Agency Review: Consistent with the District’s License Agreement with California American Water and permit application pending with NOAA Fisheries

 

SUMMARY:  The Board will consider approval of a proposed Memorandum of Agreement  (MOA) with the California Department of Fish and Game (Department) for the operation of the District’s Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (Facility) (Exhibit 2-A).   Only two minor revisions have been made to the proposed MOA from last year’s MOA: (1) the District’s contact person was changed to Beverly Chaney, and (2) the duration of the agreement was changed to two years through June 30, 2008.  On June 8, 2006, a copy of the proposed MOA was sent to the Department for their review, comment and approval.  Staff expects the Department will approve the proposed MOA since only minor revisions have been made for the 2006-2008 MOA.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  District staff recommends approval of the proposed MOA (Exhibit 2-A), and authorization for the General Manager to enter into the MOA.

 

IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES:  Staff time for implementing the 2006-08 MOA with the Department is expected to be similar to last year and includes a seven-day work schedule with eight (8) hours per day on weekdays and four to six hours per day on weekends and holidays.  Any additional time that may be needed for unexpected maintenance or emergencies would increase compensatory time-off balances for three positions: the Senior Fisheries Biologist, Associate Fisheries Biologist, and Assistant Fisheries Biologist, and possible overtime for the two River Maintenance Specialists on weekends.  In the unlikely event overtime is required, it would be funded from the salaries line item of the budget.  If sufficient funds were not available in the Salaries line item, the overtime would be funded from the Contingencies line item

 

BACKGROUND:  The District has been operating the Sleepy Hollow Facility under the direction of the Department since 1996.  Department approval of the set-up, operations, and protocol at the Facility has been accomplished through the annually updated and reviewed MOA, as well as periodic workshops, meetings and site visits by the Department’s biologists, pathologists, and hatchery operators, NOAA Fisheries staff, and other interested parties.

 

In 1997, after the Carmel River steelhead was listed as a “threatened species”, the District submitted a permit application to NOAA Fisheries to cover its fisheries work on the Carmel River, including Facility operations.  In early 2006, District Staff and NOAA Fisheries began work on the Steelhead Rescue and Rearing Management Plan.  This plan is the first step in acquiring a Section 10 Permit from NOAA to cover our steelhead mitigation efforts on the Carmel River.

 

EXHIBITS

2-A      Proposed Memorandum of Agreement with the California Department of Fish and Game for the operation of the District’s Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility

 

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