Advisory Board member Carol Fries arrived at the meeting.
Chair’s Report – John Calder:
Calder said he had worked with Elfring on a proposal to evaluate the science programs. Elfring summarized the proposal for the Board members and invited questions. Elfring presented a detailed budget as follows:
Personnel: $ 34,007
Commodities: 537
Travel: 26,525
Contractual: 10,474
Direct Expenses: 71,543
Indirect Expenses: 37,457
Request to OSRI: 109,000
NAS Special Funds: 25,000
-to add two additional members to the proposed 6-member review team.
Total: $134,000
Elfring said she expected to hear next week about the request for $25,000 in support funds for this project from the National Academy of Sciences. If granted, the budget request to OSRI could be reduced to $109,000.
There were questions about the evaluation and discussion regarding whether the diverse programs of OSRI could be covered by a six-member review team.
Elfring recommended the Board consider the proposed goals for the evaluation, revise them as desired, and make sure the team membership was chosen appropriately. Thomas noted that Senator Stevens had stated the Board was unique in its public, industry, and government membership. Thomas suggested the Board use their unique makeup to endorse the membership setup of the Team.
Calder recommended that everyone review the goals, the timeline, and the financial considerations. He suggested that at the end of the meeting that day the Advisory Board review those factors.
Directors’ Report:
Gary Thomas
Operations
Thomas reported he attended the PICES meeting in Japan, and made six presentations. The previous day he made a presentation to the North Pacific Fish Management Council, which was well received by the public, and the scientific and statistical committees.
Thomas said that Technology Coordinator Walter Cox was tracking the overall programs, and receiving compliments from various quarters.
Research & Development
Thomas summarized the Nowcast/Forecast Program, covering the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) validation and the submitted manuscripts. There is a Zero-order Nowcast/Forecast tool on the Web, which could be used for minor simulations of physical conditions in the Sound. There was progress, said Thomas, in the development of a comprehensive observation network for the Nowcast/Forecast system. Thomas said that OSRI was initializing formal plans for IT development, which would provide the infrastructure to archive and disseminate the collected information.
Thomas briefly covered the ten-year plan for the Met-Ocean Network Development. There will be a planning team workshop in May or June, where they will construct proposals to implement the plan.
Thomas summarized Biological Nowcast/Forecast development. He noted that the OSRI program is enhanced by this data and the foundation of the SEA program. Potential partners for OSRI in their studies include:
North Pacific Research Board
Gulf Ecosystem Monitoring (GEM)
Pollock/Stellar sea lion initiative
5-year coop agreement with NOAA’s Denver lab.
The Board recessed for a break at 10:12 AM.
Calder called the meeting back to order at 10:30 AM.
FY O1 Work Plan Update
Walter Cox,
OSRI Technology Coordinator
Cox reviewed the FY 01 programs with the Board. He noted that the budget was tracking well. The programs are meeting their schedules, and there is more interest in OSRI programs in general than there has been in the past. A copy of Cox’s report is included in the meeting packet.
Cox noted that an education project not listed in his report included an RFP that was out for an education workshop that would be held in April.
Thomas said that there is interest in convening a fisheries workshop.
John S. Ash OSRI Research Fellow; Scott Polar Research Center
Ash gave his presentation “Management of Potential Environmental Risk Associated with Oil and Gas Development in the Alaska Arctic.” He discussed training, education, and technical improvement, and other proposals.
Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council
Hyce discussed “Iceberg Detection in Shipping Lanes of Valdez Arm.” Hyce summarized the varying contributions received for the project, including $100,000 from OSRI. She said that RCAC staff was lobbying in Washington DC for the final dollars needed to complete the work. This project addresses the high risk of ice in the tanker lanes.
Vaughan presented an overview of the Prince William Sound Meteorological Workshop. She discussed the action plan that resulted from the workshop, including defining data needs, the proposed system upgrade, system oversight, and the 10-year strategic plan.
The Advisory Board recessed for lunch at 12:20 PM.
Chairman Calder called the meeting back to order at 1:40 PM.
Board members present after the lunch break were: Calder, Page, Mutter, Leland, Ujioka, Kopchak, Fries, Hahn, Goering, Parker and Majors. Visitors Ash, Vaughan, and Phil Mundy and Molly McCammon (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council) were also present.
Richard Thorne, Ph. D. Prince William Sound Science Center
Thorne gave the Board a status review of the acoustic monitoring programs of pollock and zooplankton. He covered the studies themselves, the reports, and what was expected in the future.
Thorne noted their approach centered on the keys to successful sampling: high sampling power and optimization of survey design. He summarized how those factors helped make the programs successful.
Whitney presented a discussion of the NOAA/OSRI Five-Year Environmental Sensitivity Index mapping project. Whitney said that analysis of the Aleutians, Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet, and the North Slope was nearly complete. Northwest Alaska and the Chukchi Coast are slated for completion in the next two years. Bristol Bay is also on the list. This mapping classifies coastlines into habitats, from the
most to least sensitive to oil exposure. The areas in Northwest Alaska are particularly expensive to map due to the helicopter time needed. Whitney said the Coast Guard has donated helicopter time in the past, and he hopes they will continue to help. In summary, Whitney said the project still needs about $40-50,000 for completion.
Advisory Board member Ed Thompson arrived about 2:25 pm (mid-way through Whitney’s presentation).
Finance Committee Report
RJ Kopchak, Chair of the OSRI Finance Committee;
Penny Oswalt, Finance Director
Motion, Kopchak; Second, Thompson to accept the Audit report and management letter for the Oil Spill Recovery Institute. While it was noted that the OSRI Board had requested a separate management letter from the Prince William Sound Science Center, Oswalt stated that the auditors felt it more appropriate to add the OSRI name to the management letter.
Motion carried unanimously.
Kopchak noted that the Finance Committee’s discussion centered on the presentation of the Financial Status Report, and that the committee had no recommendations for changing the method. The Board agreed the budget document provided them with the information they need.
Kopchak asked the Board to comment on the content of the budget report. There were no questions on the FY 00 Year End Report. In future reports, Leland noted that the Board wants to see a listing of the Projects of Opportunity. She also suggested adding additional columns on the cover sheet showing where the funds were coming from for each program area.
Investment Report
Haymans distributed an investment report, stating that the invested funds were making 6.7%, but could grow to 13%. He said the active management style was paying off.
Oswalt said she would prepare a summary sheet showing all the income sources and will distribute this to all Board members.
The Board took a ten-minute break at 3:40 PM.
The meeting came back to order at 3:50 PM.
Bylaw Amendments
At-Large Committee Members; Terms and Elections; and
“Committee” Definition
Bird summarized the proposed changes in the bylaws of OSRI and outlined in her handouts. She asked the Board where in the bylaws to reference how the at-large members are elected and what their term of office is (how many years). Board consensus was to keep the at-large members’ terms to two years and elect these members as necessary.
Motion, Fries; Second, Page to elect the at-large committee members as needed with no term limits. Motion carried unanimously. The bylaw (Article V, Section 6) will read “Elections: Officers shall be elected every two years or as necessary to fill vacancies. The two additional members of the Executive Committee shall be elected annually as necessary, with no term limits.”
Motion, Fries; Second Page to delete the definitions of “committees” in Article I. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion, Leland; Second, Fries to delete “and are available to anyone requesting that information” from Page 16 of the Grant Policy Manual. The deletion will clarify that the total number of proposals received is what can be made public, not the proposals themselves. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion, Fries; Second, Ujioka to continue with the existing work plan committee. Discussion ensued. The Board suggested there be no term limits, and that there be at least five members serve on the Committee.
Motion withdrawn with consent.
Motion, Kopchak to direct the chair to appoint members of the Committee. The appointments will be confirmed by the Board. No Second.
The Board agreed that the Chair would ask for volunteers for the Work Plan Committee. If there are not volunteers, the Chair will appoint the members.
FY02 Work Plan Committee:
Volunteers/appointees to the FY02 Work Plan Committee are: Brad Hahn, Ed Thompson, Doug Mutter, Marylyn Leland, and Doug Lenstch.
Cox distributed a preliminary draft of the FY02 plan proposing project spending in Technology: $390,000; Ecology: $540,000; and Public Education and Outreach: $340,000; Total Budget: $1,250,000.
Discussion ensued on the need to achieve the 40:40:20 distribution. The Work Plan Committee will meet after the adjournment of this meeting.
Polar Research Board Proposal for Review of OSRI Research Programs
Calder directed the discussion to the four goals that were listed on Page 2 under “Statement of Task.” Page stressed the importance of determining whether the ongoing projects were consistent with the goals of OSRI. Thompson questioned whether the Board could determine if the $100,000 would be well-spent. Thomas responded, pointing out that the program was of national significance, and a review could help determine that significance. Goering cautioned that the review could result in recommendations that were not expected. Kopchak said that he feared that scientists might have a hard time validating the Board’s approach because it is a colloquial body. Parker said that the timeline for the project might be too tight for the publication to get out. Thomas said he saw the timeline as off by perhaps eighteen months.
Kopchak cautioned against waiting because the sunset clause of OSRI looms in 2006. He encouraged doing the review so corrections to the program can be made in a timely matter, if necessary. Treadwell said that a comprehensive document like the proposed work from the Polar Research Board could be a good political tool. Mutter suggested an interim report. Goering responded that such a report could cost additional funds, but was possible. Parker suggested representatives from the Coast Guard and the American Petroleum Institute be included, not as team members but as liaisons. He added that the review team would not be an advocacy group.
The Board discussed funding for the project, and determined there is $1.2 million in unallocated, unencumbered monies that can be used with Board authorization. The Board agreed to make a decision the next day on the use of funds.
The meeting recessed at 5:00 PM.
Chairman Calder called the meeting back to order at 8:35 AM on Friday, February 9th.
Present at the meeting were Advisory Board Members Calder, Mutter, Page, Leland, Lenstch, Thompson, Hahn, Kopchak, Fries, Majors, and Goering. Thomas, Cox, Oswalt, and Bird were present from the OSRI staff. Guest Elfring was present as well.
Proposal from Polar Research Board, Continued
Calder summarized the previous day’s discussion and the Board’s desire for changes in the proposal. The Board agreed to delete the words “5-year review” from the second page. On the first bullet, instead of “research supported” it will read “whether the activities supported to date adequately address the mission of the Institute. The second bullet will have the phrase “and the operations are effective and efficient” added to the end. “Research” will be changed to “projects” in the third bullet. The fourth bullet will have an additional phrase stating that the Committee will offer suitable recommendations for future directions or Targets of Opportunity.
Thomas commented on the time schedule in light of scientific products and papers that will be released. He expressed concern that only two out of eight of the significant research papers due for publication will be finished by the fall of 2001. The time schedule proposed will significantly impact operations for the current staff. He said there were insufficient funds in administration, and suggested a category to prepare for this.Ujioka arrived at 8:40 am.
Following discussion of the time schedule, Calder summarized the Board consensus to delay the program three to four months, making the finishing date October or November of 2002. That finishing date could be helpful to the legislative process. The revised schedule will have the first major Committee meeting in January or February of 2002, and the draft report due in September or October of 2002.
This will give Elfring adequate time to pull together the review team and schedule the meetings. The contract must be completed no later than July of 2001.
Thompson noted that the project may span three years. Elfring responded that their financial office could break down the budget into three fiscal years.
Motion, Mutter; Second, Leland to allocate not more than $140,000 to contract with the Polar Research Board in the last quarter of the current fiscal year for a review of OSRI programs. Kopchak noted with approval of this motion, the funds for this project will be allocated, although the contract had not been awarded. The final proposal from the Polar Research Board will be sent to Thomas and Calder, who will ensure all the required changes are included prior to award of the contract.
Motion carried unanimously.
Memorandum of Agreement between OAR/NOAA and OSRI for remote sensing research program
Thomas summarized the proposed cooperative agreement with NOAA to complete LIDAR surveys of herring schools in coordination with acoustic surveys. Parker spoke in favor of the agreement, noting such surveys were needed. Kopchak commented that the agreement include the phrase “$100,000 per year” to be consistent in language.
Motion, Kopchak; Second Mutter to approve the Memorandum of Agreement between OAR/NOAA and OSRI.
Motion carried unanimously.
Sept. 11-12, 2001: Fall/Annual Meeting in Cordova.
Feb. 7-8, 2002: Proposed meeting in Anchorage for the winter 2002. The Polar Research Board committee would attend part or all of this meeting and possibly visit Cordova after the meeting. The Polar Research Board Committee may hold public sessions, except when they debate issues.
Kopchak stressed the importance of local ownership in OSRI’s establishment. Parker suggested the Committee also visit Valdez and Prudhoe Bay.
Public Comments
There were no public comments.
Page said he was retiring from the Coast Guard after 29 years, and will be resigning from the OSRI Board as of April 4, 2001. He has enjoyed his service on the Board. He is taking a new position as Executive Director of the Marine Exchange Board. Thomas presented Page a token of appreciation for his service.
Leland announced the upcoming PWS RCAC meeting on February 22 and 23, 2001 in Anchorage. Thomas said Cox and he had discussed presenting the OSRI work plan at the RCAC meeting.
Thompson suggested Cook Inlet RCAC would also be interested in the presentation, as well as the North Slope Borough.
Parker reiterated that the Arctic Research Commission will highlight spill response as a high priority in its next report. This is expected to be sent to the new Administration the next month.
Hahn noted that DEC’s EVOS projects would close out this year. About $30,000 remains, which they may direct to a Prince William Sound ice detection radar project.
Page said that Jack Davin will be his replacement. Davin will arrive in July, and attend the September meeting.
Fries called attention to an information management system developed to provide easy access to data on a statewide basis. It is available through a web site. The EVOS reports will be available online.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:45 AM.
These minutes were reviewed and approved by the Advisory Board on
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Doug Mutter, Secretary