CBC Revises Goals & Work Plan

By Mike Chapel

USDA Forest Service

Throughout the latter half of 2000, various members and staff of the CBC discussed, reviewed, and revised the Council work plan, which summarizes the overall goals and operation of the CBC.

The Council decided to build on its existing theme by adding a reference to tribal governments. The new theme for the Council is therefore: Strengthening ties with local and tribal governments to conserve biodiversity and enhance economic vitality. With that in mind, the Council reviewed the four goals in the existing work plan. In response to limitations on available staff, the group eliminated the goal to assist local projects embodying the principles in the Biodiversity Council's 1991 Memorandum of Understanding on Biodiversity. The final decisions regarding the remaining three goals are as follows:

1. Biodiversity Council Meetings — The Council will continue to have four meetings per year, three of which will have a regional focus and one will have a statewide emphasis. Additionally, at least one meeting every two years will focus on coastal and marine issues. The staff will continue collaborating with non–member agencies and organizations in developing these quarterly Council meetings. The Council also directed the staff committee to address both population growth issues and the interface between rural and urban communities where opportunities exist at upcoming CBC regional meetings.

2. Other Meeting and Forums — During the planning for Council meetings, staff will assess the desire of local agencies and groups to conduct forums that identify and address issues of local or regional interest. Staff will help design and conduct these forums where local interest warrants. In addition, the Council and staff will continue to evaluate the roles of forums for regional–level managers in the overall statewide strategy for the CBC.

1. Newsletter — The Council will produce and distribute two issues of the California Biodiversity News each year and use them as preparation for upcoming CBC meetings, to showcase good work, and provide updates on past discussions as well as ongoing Council projects. Both the Editorial Board and Executive Editor will continue to oversee the preparation of the newsletter.

2. Website — The Council will expand and improve the CBC website (ceres.ca.gov/biodiversity) and its linkages with CERES and other sites.

3. Conservation Efforts — The Council will provide more opportunities for individual members to share information about their conservation programs with others on the Council. To that end, the staff committee meeting locations will rotate among participating agencies and encourage presentations about ongoing work by the hosting offices.

The Council will form a small, staff–level working group to develop specific recommendations on ways the Council can assist with coordinated information management in California. The group will be organized and led by the Resources Agency. This working group will develop specific recommendations on the future roles for the CBC Science Coordinating Committee.

The Staff Committee is currently revising the work plan to reflect the decisions of the Executive Committee and Council. After review and approval by the CBC Executive Committee, the new work plan will be presented to the Council at their next regional meeting in Chico on March 14 and 15, 2001.