1

To:  SEAHG Committee and SA Files

From:  L. D. Garrett, SEAHG Chair

Subject:  Outcomes of SEAHG Committee Conference Call; 12/05/13

Date:  12/21/13

The SEAHG conference call was convened with the goal of beginning discussions on developing

recommendations to the TWG on proposed programs for the 2015/16 AMP program planning and

budgeting cycle.  The following members identified as participating in the call are as follows:  Lucas Bair,

Helen Fairley, Jerry Cox, Jerry Myer, John Jordon, Shane Capron, Jason Thiriot, David Garrett, Don Osler,

Clayton Palmer. However, I believe two additional persons were in attendance and I could not identify

them.  Please help me in completing the list of participants.  

Members were provided advanced materials by Capron and Garrett including goals, objectives and

proposed conference call agenda, the original memoranda forming and assigning the charge for the

Committee by the Assistant Secretary, 2012 SEAHG Committee Report approved by AMWG,  2012 PPT

to AMWG on Committees recommendations, and 2013 charge to the committee by TWG.   

The conference call accomplished three objectives as initially established for the meeting: 1, Bringing all

members up to date on past activities and reports of the Committee; 2, an overview of ongoing or

proposed socioeconomic program activities occurring in the EIS/LTEMP process, at GCMRC and by AMP

stakeholders; and 3, identifying initial socioeconomic program proposals for the 2015/16 .

Capron provided the general charge to the committee and the request to the SEAHG for 2015

socioeconomic program recommendations to the January TWG mtg. Garrett provided a brief overview

to the Committee on past SIAHG and SEAHG activities and recommendations to the AMWG, referencing

the table 3 proposed program descriptions and the final SEAHG recommendations and report to the

TWG and AMWG.   

Brief discussions occurred related to the socioeconomic assessments being performed in the EIS/LTEMP

processes.  Garrett reported briefly on the recent EIS/LTEMP webinar presentation of Bruce Peacock on

planned new non‐market survey assessments of environmental resources and services by the NPS,

David Harpman’s presentation on planned recreation non‐market assessments of recreation being

conducted by BOR, Tim Allison’s presentation on recreational regional impacts, and hydropower market

valuations being performed by Argonne National Labs.  All webinar presentations were noted to be

available to TWG and AMWG members on the EIS/LTEMP website.   

Opportunities for socioeconomic assessments outside the EIS/LTEMP process were presented by Lucas

Bair recently appointed economist to GCMRC and Clayton Palmer, WAPA.   

Lucas Bair overviewed GCMRC commitments to the AMP process and areas where the Center might

begin to assist the process, including collaboration with Arizona Game and Fish on Lees Ferry sport
2

fishing and evaluation of decision methodologies incorporating socioeconomic values such as costs and

benefits.  

Clayton Palmer provided updates on a socioeconomic program being pursued by three AMWG/TWG

members; WAPA, CREDA and the UCRC. The program will be pursued through literature assessments

and potential surveys of non‐market values for hydropower, and market and non‐market values for

water. A team of scientists is being contracted to pursue the assessments and a draft study plan is in

development.   

A discussion was pursued on SEAHG recommended socioeconomic program elements that might best be

considered and proposed to the TWG for consideration in 2015.  It was agreed to at least consider all

originally developed elements in case current ongoing activities by the EIS/LTEMP process might not

capture all aspects of a proposed information need.  Although no new program elements were

introduced in the discussion it does not preclude the Group identifying a new program element for

consideration at a later date.   

As recognized by the SEAHG, time would not permit discussion of all recommended program elements.

A second conference call/webinar was originally proposed to complete a list of programs for

consideration.  

Review of several areas of recommended programs did yield three potential program elements for

consideration by the TWG.  These will be reviewed in a second conference call in January where   

potential additional elements may be identified.   

The three general projects identified for consideration in the discussions included the following: 1,  A

workshop for AMWG/TWG on non‐market valuation methods, potential outcomes and potential use in

the AMP; 2, an assessment of market values associated with sports fishing and rafting in the Lees Ferry

Reach; and 3,  development of socioeconomic decision support methods that could be helpful to

stakeholders in evaluating future management and science program options.  

The SEAHG proposed a follow‐up meeting in January to further discuss the three projects identified for

consideration and evaluate other potential program options for the FY2015‐2016 program period.  

Garrett proposed working with Bair in developing additional information on the three proposed projects

including costs, time requirements and potential outcomes.  These would be reported at the next

SEAHG conference call.