Presenter: Larry McKinney

Commission Agenda Item No. 15
Action
Designation of TPWD Representative and Representative of Recreational Interests in the Guadalupe River Basin to the Steering Committee of the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program
Resolution
August 23, 2007

I. Executive Summary: Senate Bill 3 enacted by the 80th Texas Legislature requires that the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) along with interested stakeholders, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas A&M University (TAMU) develop a Recovery Implementation Program (RIP) for the Edwards Aquifer for federally listed species associated with the aquifer. The RIP will be a facilitated, consensus-based process guided by a 21-member steering committee to be created not later than September 30, 2007. The EAA is required to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TPWD, the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Texas Water Development Board, other federal agencies and stakeholders not later than December 31, 2007. Further, the EAA shall enter into an implementing agreement with the above listed agencies not later than December 31, 2009 and will jointly develop a program document to be approved and executed by September 1, 2012.

II. Discussion: The RIP process required in Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), establishes a steering committee for the Edwards Aquifer Authority Recovery Implementation Program. SB 3 requires that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission appoint a representative of TPWD to the steering committee. Additionally, SB 3 requires that "a representative of recreational interests in the Guadalupe River Basin," be appointed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

III. Recommendation: TPWD staff recommends that Cindy Loeffler, Director of Water Resources for TPWD's Coastal Fisheries Division be appointed as TPWD's representative to the steering committee. TPWD staff will also present recommendations for the recreational representative. TPWD staff recommends that the Commission adopt the following Motion:

"As required by Senate Bill 3, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission appoints Cindy Loeffler as the representative of TPWD and [Name of Recreational Representative] as the representative of recreational interests in the Guadalupe River Basin to the Edwards Aquifer Authority Recovery Implementation Steering Committee."