Watershed Decision Tool Webinar Series (UPDATE)

The USFWS Southeast Region Office is sponsoring a webinar series on Watershed Decision Tools with the aim of promoting awareness of the many various watershed prioritization tools available to assist in planning conservation actions and fostering discussion about how each tool is or could be used, applicability and limitations, and possible future improvements and needs. We currently have 4 remaining webinars scheduled and hope to add more. We have switched to a new webex platform to enable recording and archiving of webinar presentations, so login details for the series has changed.

Please note NEW login and call-in information:

Meeting Number: 746 893 440
Meeting Password: W@tersh3d

Call-in No.: 1-866-744-9870 (US)
Attendee passcode: 4748621

Please note that you will now need to enter a password to login to the webex; you can copy and paste it from this email above (highlight the password and press <Ctrl+C>) then click on the link to join the meeting below and paste (<Ctrl+V>) in the password field of the login dialog box.

If for some reason the "join the online meeting" link below does not work, you can always point your web browser to https://mmancusa.webex.com/mmancusa and enter the meeting number and password above, which will remain the same throughout the series.
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To join the online meeting (Now from mobile devices!)
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1. Go to https://mmancusa.webex.com/mmancusa/j.php?MTID=m1b81bc2917c1026a94826844e5d508ea
2. If requested, enter your name and email address.
3. If a password is required, enter the meeting password: W@tersh3d
4. Click "Join".
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link:
https://mmancusa.webex.com/mmancusa/j.php?MTID=m4684c91bab767eca90f2b66b30a79eaf

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To join the teleconference only
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Provide your phone number when you join the meeting to receive a call back. Alternatively, you can call:
Call-in toll-free number (Verizon): 1-866-744-9870 (US)
Call-in number (Verizon): 1-866-744-9870 (US)
Show global numbers: https://clicktojoin.verizonbusiness.com/wbbcClick2Join/servlet/WBBCClick2Join?TollNumCC=1&TollNum=866-744-9870&TollFreeNumCC=1&TollFreeNum=866-744-9870&ParticipantCode=4748621&customHeader=mymeetings&dialInNumbers=true
Attendee access code: 474 862 1

Watershed Decision Tool Webinar Series

In recent years increased computing power and data storage capacity, new analytical techniques, and increasing availability of a rapidly growing number of high-resolution geospatial datasets, combined with the diverse needs of state and federal wildlife and natural resource agencies, NGOs, and academic researchers, have led to the development of a wide variety of decision support tools for ecological and conservation planning applications. These tools range from simple spreadsheet-based ranking applications to sophisticated statistical models that predict habitat characteristics, ecosystem condition, or species distributions using multiple high-resolution geospatial data layers as input. This webinar series explores some of the many tools that have been developed to support conservation of aquatic species, ecosystems and habitats in a watershed or landscape context, with a specific focus on tools that have been applied to aquatic resources in the Southeast.

With so many different tools that have been developed and applied, how does one identify and evaluate potential options for a particular application? The choice of an appropriate tool will depend upon the specific intended application (e.g., identification of high-priority dams to target for fish passage projects to benefit diadromous species), the geographic location and extent where it will be applied, data requirements and availability, the type and resolution of output desired, and the expertise and level of effort required to apply the tool, among other factors. This webinar series is intended to highlight some of the available watershed and aquatic habitat prioritization and assessment tools or approaches that have been applied in the Southeast and provide information that will help participants identify and select tools or approaches that can best meet their particular needs.

Each presentation will cover the following general information and will be followed by a discussion.

Impetus for the tool or approach (why was it created or selected?)
How was the tool developed/applied? What data are required?
What does the tool do? (product, geographic scale, how it is used)
Who is using the tool? (e.g., federal agencies, state agencies, NGOs, researchers)
Can the tool be shared? If so, how is it available?

Please consider participating in a conversation about the wide array of watershed tools and prioritization methods that are being used or could be used in the Southeast U.S. to assist with habitat and species conservation actions.

Below are the presentations that we currently have planned. All presentations will begin at noon Eastern unless otherwise specified and will be 1 hour including Q&A.

1) Presenter: Jan Dean (FWS). Title: "Fisheries Watershed Tool." Date: 21 January 2015 at 12:00 PM ET. (Cancelled - to be rescheduled)

2) Presenter: Emily Granstaff (FWS). Title: "The Southeast Aquatic Connectivity Assessment Project (SEACAP) Tool." Date: 11 February 2015 at 12:00 PM ET.

3) Presenter: Mark Endries (FWS). Title: "MaxEnt in North Carolina USFWS ES." Date: 04 March 2015 at 12:00 PM ET.

4) Presenter: Mark Scott (SCDNR). Title: "South Carolina Stream Assessment Tool." Date: 25 March 2015 at 12:00 PM ET.

5) Presenter: Jeff Powell (FWS). Title: "Strategic Habitat Units (SHUs) and Strategic River Reach Units (SRRUs) in Alabama." Date: 15 April 2015 at 12:00 PM ET.

6) Presenter: Seth Wenger (UGA). Title: "Prioritizing Areas of the Conasauga River Sub-basin in Georgia and Tennessee for Preservation and Restoration." Date: 29 April at 12:00 PM ET.

Call-in and webex information will be the same for each presentation.

Webex Series Hosts: John Faustini (john_faustini@fws.gov) and Jeffrey Herod (jeffrey_herod@fws.gov)