The Austin Ecological Service Field Office (ESFO), Texas, teamed with the newly hired program manager of the Edwards Aquifer Recover Implementation Program (EA RIP), Dr. Robert Gulley, to provide a workshop on sections 7 and 10 of the Endangered Species Act, and Structured Decision Making (SDM) for members of the EA RIP on February 29, 2008.  The workshop was held at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority offices in Seguin, Texas.  Over the course of several EA RIP meetings, questions arose regarding the legal and regulatory framework in which the EA RIP operates that promulgated the need for such a workshop.  Field Supervisor, Adam Zerrenner, as well as staff Patrick Connor and William Amy coordinated with Dr. Gulley to clarify aspects of the Endangered Species Act and the results of the SDM Rapid Prototype workshop held in January this year. 

The workshop was well attended with several members of the EA RIP Steering Committee and Scientific Subcommittee present.  The workshop provided an opportunity for participant to ask questions and gain a sense of the advantages of SDM.  A similar information session will be provided for the EA RIP Scientific Subcommittee at their next meeting on March 17, 2008.