ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
4.	CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MONTEREY PENINSULA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME FOR OPERATION OF THE SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD REARING FACILITY
Meeting Date:			June 20, 2005	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David A. Berger,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Dave Dettman/	Cost Estimate:	N/A
			Beverly Chaney
General Counsel Approval: Yes
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on June 9, 2005 and recommended _______________.
CEQA Compliance: N/A
State & Federal Agency Review: Consistent with the District’s License Agreement with California American Water and permit application pending with NOAA-Fisheries

SUMMARY: The Board will consider approval of a proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the California Department of Fish and Game (Department) for the operation of the District’s Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility (Facility) (Exhibit 4-A). Minor revisions have been made to Sections #6, 12, and 14 of the Terms and Conditions of the proposed MOA from last year’s MOA, in addition to updating the effective date and duration through May 31, 2006.

RECOMMENDATION: District staff recommends approval of the proposed MOA (Exhibit 4-A), and authorization for the General Manager to enter into the MOA.

BACKGROUND: The District has been operating the Sleepy Hollow Facility under the direction of the Department since 1996. Department approval of the set-up, operations, and protocol at the Facility has been accomplished through the annually updated and reviewed MOA, as well as regular workshops, meetings and site visits by the Department’s biologists, pathologists, and hatchery operators, NOAA Fisheries staff, and other interested parties.

In 1997, after the Carmel River steelhead was listed as a “threatened species”, the District submitted a permit application to NOAA Fisheries to cover its fisheries work on the Carmel River, including Facility operations. To date, NOAA Fisheries has not processed the application, although during a recent site visit to the Facility, NOAA Fisheries staff indicated they would begin work on it in the near future.

EXHIBITS

4-A Proposed Memorandum of Agreement with the California Department of Fish and Game for the operation of the District’s Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility

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