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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
'Monitoring Aquatic Systems in a Manner that Matters' Plenary Speaker Abstract: Policy and regulatory decisions by federal and state agencies have profound effects on fish populations and their habitats. Often decisions rely on opinions rather than of data. The use of individual or group opinions is sometime justified as there have been few concerted efforts to monitor how changes in management policies affect aquatic systems. On the other hand, some decisions simply lack critical thinking. I use data collected at over 1000 stream reaches on Forest Service on within the Interior Columbia River Basin to suggest we still have lots to learn about how to collect data in a manner that helps public land managers and regulators make good decisions. This presentation will focus on identifying the weaknesses and solutions associated with current monitoring approaches for assessing aquatic conditions on public land.
SPEAKER INFORMATION
PRESENTER(S): Brett Roper - Bio: Brett Roper is the National Aquatic Monitoring Program Leader for the US Forest Service as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Watershed Sciences Department at USU. He received his BS and MS from Utah State University and his PhD in Fisheries Management from the University of Idaho. In his down time he writes a twice monthly column for outdoor enthusiasts for the local newspaper.