AUTHORS: Michael E. Colvin, US Geological Survey; Caleb A. Aldridge, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Neal Jackson, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Max Post van der Burg, US Geological Survey
ABSTRACT: The Tennessee and Cumberland rivers (TNCR) invasive carp subbasin partnership (Partnership) comprises state and federal agencies tasked with coordinating invasive carp control efforts, identifying funding priorities, executing funded projects, and reporting project results annually. To better align subbasin program operations with management objectives the TNCR Partnership prioritized and funded a project to structure their decision making processes—our team facilitated execution of the project. Over several online and face-to-face meetings, we elicited the TNCR Partnership’s management objectives and alternative invasive carp management strategies. The TNCR Partnership produced a shared understanding of uncertainties associated with invasive carp management and monitoring, co-producing an systems model that projects the future state of invasive carp abundance and distribution. Additionally, the systems model can help the TNCR Partnership evaluate alternative management strategies by comparing whether the expected outcomes of implemented management actions align with management objectives. Varying uncertainties were identified throughout the elicitation process that could be reduced through research or monitoring. This talk focuses on how uncertainties, framed as hypotheses, can potentially be reduced by monitoring outcomes of management actions as part of an adaptive management program. Specifically, we discuss the minimal requirements to operationalize an invasive carp adaptive management program which aligns with existing funding and project management timelines. Lastly, we highlight lessons learned during this structured decision making process and provide generalizations applicable to other invasive carp subbasin partnerships.
