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SALCC Steering Committee Report Card Part I: Interview Summary

Report Card Summary: Sustain These key areas were perceived as being on the right track and need to continue There was a strong belief SALCC key focus area and direction were well selected and have held up well. Steering Committee members expressed overall satisfaction about the decisions staff is making on behalf of SALCC and satisfaction with the level of issues being brought before the committee. No significant governance corrections were offered. Stay the course here. Planning for a fall 2012 conference to review progress and provide stakeholders with an opportunity to help guide the future direction SALCC was strongly endorsed. Continue planning for this event. Continue efforts actively engage stakeholders and participating organizations in the process. Support State habitat protection efforts Effective meeting management & facilitation, especially webinars and conference call updates Support the revisions team for the indicator process Ramp up development of the Conservation Blueprint

Recommended Improvements “Do better” recommendations generally fell into the following categories: Tangible products that benefit our stakeholders are being delivered. Their benefits and return on investment need to be quantified and communicated Partner roles should be clarified through the natural resource indicators process. This is where monitoring efficiencies can be gained. The next challenge is coordinating partner willingness to accept data sets from other agencies. Performance measures for reporting to Congress MUST be part of SALCC thinking. We must be able to state what SALCC has accomplished that nobody else has…. or could have. Document operational efficiencies in delivering conservation to the region Focus on Refuge land managers. Messages showing how SALCC products and tools help them make better conservation decisions must be developed and validated. Strengthen inreach efforts within participating agencies Broaden Steering Committee perspective through inclusion of the Catawba Nation and Corps of Engineers. Products contribute to decision making at various levels not just planning to plan There was general stakeholder support for the goals and guiding principles SALCC identified a year ago, however, decreases in the number of “don’t know” responses should be a target for improvement. Integration of social, human and cultural dimension Aligning Climate Science Centers science with partner priorities Greater consistency between LCCs. SECAS should help us with cross boundary issues

Exceeding Expectations: Celebrate! Areas SALCC is doing better than expected fell into the following areas: SALCC has taken on big, ambitious goals Consistent recognition of intent (and action) to be transparent, open and inclusive SALCC operational effectiveness; we’re seen as one of the best run Cooperation with JVs and habitat partnerships FWS linkages with the LCC indicator process The number of stakeholders we’ve reached and their engagement Military training route project

Based on your expectations and understanding of SALCC’s mission/vision, are we on track? Strong belief SALCC key focus areas and direction have held up Overwhelmingly: YES!

Expectations “This was so new I truly had no expectations going in. We didn’t have much of a blueprint to work from so this was a work in progress “I feel like I’m a part of this effort and what this broad partnership wants to be” Good, energetic engaged and caring people are engaged, but overall this is better than I expected Our key focus areas and directions have held up: Indicators and Blueprint are two of the most important things we can be doing right now Strong confidence in Ken, Rua and team to do the right things Major support for navigating strategic choices

Trends SALCC must address Federal budget sequester Partner fatigue. It’s real Linkages with other LCCs: SECAS discussion is crucial Linkage of social and economic messages to build support for conservation Congressional expectations to show Federal operational efficiencies. Can we? Anti-government trends seem to be increasing

What’s working well? Habitat assessment work. LCCs have helped a lot! Initial scepticism toward LCCs seems to be subsiding Roles of staff, steering committee and working groups Webinars for decision making are a good process Chartering a revisions team for the indicator process Staff has added a great deal of value to the partnership Effective meeting management & facilitation

Where have we exceeded expectations? SALCC has taken on big, ambitious goals Willingness to trust and desire to find common ground FWS linkages with the LCC indicator process The number of stakeholders we’ve reached and their engagement SALCC operational effectiveness; we’re seen as one of the best run Transparency and openness: Even if you don’t like a decision, you understand how it was made Cooperation with JVs and habitat partnerships Military training route project

Are there governance corrections that need to be made? No biggies We still haven’t tested our decision-making bodies to determine if they are effective The biggest surprises are ahead – The biggest are expected when things hit the ground and it had a real, meaningful impact

“Do Betters” – Understanding this is evolutionary. Maturation takes time – Agency cultures continue to be a challenge – SALCC Board needs a broader perspective to truly fulfil the mission we set forth last year. Input from local/county planners is missing. – Linking CSCs – Integration of social, human and cultural dimensions – Some are looking for yet-undelivered ground level products – Greater consistency between LCCs. SECAS should help us with cross boundary issues

What changes in operations and coordination are needed? (funding decisions, project management, involvement, steering committee operations, shared resources, communications) – More certainty on private funding and other partner contribution would help – Having product makes it easier to make the case to outsiders and justify our participation – A more effective way for the partnership to communicate with partners and externals is needed. We all have fulltime jobs. We don’t necessarily absorb the newsletter when it comes out

What are our net 2-3 priority things we need to be focused on in the coming year? (AFTER the indicator process?) – ID what each agency will contribute to accomplish blueprint objectives – Specific modeling of current and future habitats for species of interest. – Identifying sustainable landscapes – Continue work on a solid network of conservation lands that enable us to maintain the biggest groups of species we can hang on to – After indicators are put into practice we need to truly make swift and efficient progress in the monitoring and assessment of the monitors we chose. We need to demonstrate their effectiveness at being able to make valid future predictions – Refinement of first round surrogate species recommendations – Ecological flows, ecosystem forecasting and indicator species – Critical cultural habitats across the landscape need to be identified – Future flows and existing aquatic connectivity – Refinement of aquatic stream habitats and variety – Guidance on sea level rise implications for coastal habitat

If we do these things, will they move the needle in a way that your organization will find it easy to stay engaged and committee? Overwhelmingly: Yes!

Report Card Part II: Steering Committee & Stakeholder Web Survey Summary

To what extent do you feel the SALCC pursued it's first goal of providing a blueprint for enhancing SALCC conservation planning and investments?

To what extent do you feel the SALCC pursued it’s second goal of providing support for conservation investment?

To what extent do you feel the SALCC pursued it’s third goal of facilitating collaboration to enhance conservation?

To what extent do you feel the SALCC pursued it’s forth goal of promoting data integration and sharing?

To what extent do you feel the SALCC pursued it’s fifth goal of evaluating and reporting progress?

To what extent do you feel the SALCC pursued it’s sixth goal of communicating progress?

Report Card Part III: Stakeholder Web Survey Summary

How involved are you with your SALCC (check all that apply)?

How Long Have You Been Involved with SALCC?

With regard to what your Cooperative has accomplished over the past 12 months To what extent do you feel the SALCC involved you?

If your Cooperative hosted a conference in the fall of 2013 to review progress and provide you with an opportunity to help guide the future direction of your cooperative Would you be likely to attend?

Thinking back on the efforts of SALCC over the past 12 months, Please rate the extent to which you believe the SALCC is adhering to these principles as it pursues its mission

Report Card Part IV: Steering Committee Web Survey Summary

With regard to what SALCC has accomplished, how well did we involve you/your staff in the process?

Rate the level of issues that are coming before the Steering Committee

Do you have any concerns about the decisions staff is making on behalf of SALCC?

Discussion/Questions?