Missouri River 

Basin Association

 MRBA Planning Document:

Mission and Principles for

The Missouri River Basin Association

December 2002

PREAMBLE:

The Missouri River is a valuable national and regional resource.  Its ecological, economic, and cultural significance extends beyond its waters and shoreline communities.  The region’s prosperity and quality of life are dependent upon the river’s continuing economic and environmental viability.

The States and Tribes, in partnership with the federal government, share a continuing responsibility for the development and implementation of management plans for the Missouri River System.  While the federal government’s role is an important and long-standing one, the States and Tribes of the basin possess a unique obligation to manage the waters of the basin in the interest of all the citizens of the region.

The relationship between maintaining a healthy economy and a healthy environment is becoming increasingly clear.  Effective management of Missouri River System will require enhanced collaboration among all units of government and the pursuit of unified economic and environmental policies.  The Missouri River Basin Association continues to play a prominent role among intergovernmental organizations in the pursuit of this collaboration.

 MISSION:

The Missouri River Basin Association addresses water-related issues and promotes effective water and environmental policy decisions regarding the Missouri River Basin.  MRBA works with and coordinates communication among the basin’s states, Indian tribes, federal agencies and stakeholders to enhance the basin’s economic and environmental resources.

 PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGEMENT:

·         MRBA will represent and balance the various, often competing interests in the basin. 

·         MRBA will work closely with its federal advisors, other basin organizations, and stakeholders throughout the basin to develop policy recommendations concerning the Missouri River. 

·         MRBA’s strength and ability to influence policy and legislation are derived from the common ground it finds among its state and tribal members.  Therefore, it strives for consensus positions when possible on all issues.

MRBA WORK ACTIVITIES:

Process Issues:

 1.      MRBA Director Meetings:

A.  MRBA will generally hold 4 meetings per year and schedule its meetings several months in advance of the actual meeting date.

B.  MRBA will attempt to move its meetings around the basin to give stakeholders more opportunities to attend them.

C.  MRBA will send meeting notices to congressional staffers around the basin.

D.  MRBA meetings will generally be a day-and-a-half each in length.

E.  MRBA will formalize the seating arrangement at its meetings, with designated places for state and tribal members and federal representatives.

F.  MRBA will generally host public forums associated with its April and November Directors’ meetings each year.  The forums will provide education on a variety of issues that affect Missouri River ecosystem recovery.   

G.  MRBA will incorporate workshops (roughly 2 hours in length) on various topics, such as specific river uses, hydropower, cultural resources, water quality, and tribal water rights, at its January and September meetings each year.

H.  MRBA will ask MRNRC to provide updates on its activities at each of the MRBA meetings.

I.   MRBA will form several committees to address issues, including a technical committee for annual operating plan development and a legal committee to update the MRBA directors on current legal issues in the basin.  

2.       Relationship with Federal Agencies:

A.     MRBA will actively seek project ideas from federal agencies.

B.     MRBA will coordinate closely with the federal agencies through its meetings and through the Missouri River Federal Agency Roundtable.

C.     MRBA will seek formalized appointment of federal representatives to serve as advisors to MRBA’s Board.

D.     MRBA will encourage two-way communication with its federal advisors, encouraging them to bring up issues for discussion at the MRBA Directors’ meetings.

Programmatic Activities:

I.  Short-Term Activities: (Within one year) 

1.       Annual Operating Plan: 

MRBA will help implement a collaborative approach to the development of the Corps of Engineers’ Annual Operating Plans (AOPs) for the Missouri River.  To accomplish this, MRBA will:

A.     Establish an MRBA Director-appointed AOP Technical Committee, beginning with the 2003-2004 AOP cycle.

B.     Have the AOP Technical Committee meet with Corps, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal agencies in mid-July to review current hydrologic conditions in the basin and develop options for inclusion in the Corps’ draft AOP.   The AOP Technical Committee will encourage participation by the tribes, MRNRC, and other interested parties at its meetings with the federal agencies. 

C.     Ask the Corps to share its draft AOP with technical committee members and other interested individuals before mailing it out to the general public.

D.     Ask the Corps to use AOP public hearings to update stakeholders on Agency Coordination Team discussions on such things as fledgling ratios.

2.      Monitoring: 

A.  MRBA will develop an agreement on legislative language for a monitoring bill by early 2003.

B.  MRBA will coordinate with MRNRC in this process.

C.  MRBA will work towards passage of a monitoring bill in Congress. 

3.       Refuge Revenue Sharing:

A.      MRBA will support the specific issue of “Refuge Revenue Sharing.” 

4.       Cultural Resource Issues:

A.      MRBA will support individual tribes’ efforts to preserve tribal cultural resources from losses to erosion.

5.       Information Coordination:

A.     MRBA will support efforts to investigate what kind and the extent of monitoring that is currently taking place in the Missouri River Basin.  

B.     MRBA will support efforts to investigate what kind and the extent of habitat acquisition programs and funding are available to Missouri River floodplain landowners.   

II.  Long-Term Activities (greater than one year): 

6.  Prior Recommendations:

                A.     MRBA will revisit, update, and pursue where still appropriate the implementation of                          recommendations listed in its April 1998 “Blue Book.” 

7.       Master Manual/Adaptive Management: 

A.      MRBA will help coordinate adaptive management activities once a new Master Manual has been adopted for the basin.

B.      Participants in the April and November MRBA educational forums may evolve into an advisory group to the Corps and the Fish and Wildlife Service on Master Manual issues. 

8.       Stakeholder Committee:

A.     MRBA will continue to explore the formation of a Missouri River Stakeholder Committee. 

B.     Participants in the April and November MRBA educational forums may evolve into a Stakeholder Committee. 

9.       Water Use/Depletion Analysis:

A.     MRBA will support a water use/depletion analysis of the entire Missouri River that will provide important baseline data for managers of the river.     

10.   Drought Mitigation:

A.     MRBA will consider supporting plans mitigate the effects of drought on the basin. 

11.   Flow Frequency Study:

A.     MRBA will be briefed on and evaluate the flow frequency study of the Missouri River.  

12.   Water Quality:

A.     MRBA will determine its role in coordinating future water quality projects. 

13.   Bank Stabilization:

A.      MRBA will evaluate and consider supporting plans that identify optimal locations for bank stabilization projects along the Missouri River. 

14.   Sedimentation:

A.      MRBA will support the initiation of studies that evaluate sedimentation issues in the river.