Mission

The mission of the Calaveras River Fish Group (CRFG) is to serve as an ad hoc group with scientific and technical expertise on anadromous fish populations, their habitat and fisheries in the Calaveras River that will coordinate studies and evaluate data to enhance anadromous fish populations in the Calaveras River.

Objectives

1.     Make recommendations for enhancement actions and studies that address elements of evaluation and fishery management plans for the Calaveras River (these plans are identified under Initial Recommended Steps).

2.      Provide informal peer review and technical coordination of studies and proposed enhancement efforts including, but not limited to, those proposed to CALFED Bay Delta Program or the USFWS Anadromous Fish Restoration Program.

3.     Provide direction to stakeholders performing or proposing studies leading to development of new information needed to fill identified data gaps.

4.      Act as a scientific information dissemination and exchange forum for ongoing or proposed anadromous fishery research and monitoring activities.

5.      Offer to serve as the fisheries technical team to stakeholders conducting resource planning, enhancement and monitoring on the Calaveras River.

Membership/Meetings

The CRFG is technical and informal in nature. All technical representatives of agencies, stakeholders and individuals with specific and pertinent fishery expertise are welcome to participate. Non-fishery technical representatives and the public are welcome.

The CRFG has no established meeting schedule.  Meetings will be held on an as needed basis.

Miscellaneous Provisions

The CRFG has no regulatory authority.

Participants agree to work collaboratively and submit draft project proposals and draft reports to the group for peer review.

All participants agree to free and open exchange in a timely manner of all past and future data generated and to act collaboratively toward a common goal as long as participating in the group to facilitate the CRFG mission.

Any written advice or input forwarded to other parties from the CRFG will require a consensus of the group. In any case where full consensus is not achieved any written advice or input forwarded will contain a statement of dissenting positions.

Guidelines for Requests for Proposals/Study Proposals

1.      CRFG recommends that all Requests for Proposals for grant funding be submitted to the CRFG for review and discussion of scope and appropriateness to fishery and habitat evaluation needs.

2.      Any member or members of the CRFG that wish to submit proposals may respond to Requests for Proposals submitted to the CRFG.

3.      Proposals for funding of fishery or habitat studies or projects need to be submitted to the CRFG for technical and peer review before CRFG support can be garnered.

Initial Recommended Steps of the CRFG

Develop a plan for evaluation of anadromous fish and habitat on the Calaveras River including data collection and adaptive management.

Compile and summarize existing aquatic resource information for the Calaveras River.

Develop a conceptual model of how anadromous salmonids use the Calaveras River and the relationship between population status and limiting factors.

Identify information gaps, scientifically and technically sound projects, and both on-going and needed fishery monitoring.Provide information for development of a long-term anadromous fishery management plan for the Calaveras River.

Develop a framework by which the CRFG can manage, evaluate and respond to stakeholders and study sponsors.  Initially the framework will be structurally skeletal due to current gaps in available information.  As new information becomes available, the framework will be updated to reflect the then current best management, evaluation and response approaches.