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Environmental Incentives, LLC (EI) assists public agencies in developing management tools to define goals, track plans and actions, measure progress and report results in an effective manner that informs management decisions. EI worked with multiple Lake Tahoe environmental agencies to develop the Lake Tahoe Management System Design and Pathway Indicator Monitoring and Reporting Strategy.
Adaptive Management System Design
EI developed a multi-agency Adaptive Management System that will improve the effectiveness of the resource management actions within the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Adaptive Management System will include elements of both Continuous Improvement Management and Adaptive Management. It will structure communication between agency policy makers and researchers to identify areas of uncertainty and systematically incorporate scientific findings into management decisions. The system design analysis included the development of a Generalized Management System Design Manual to be used as a template for developing program-specific management systems. The project also analyzed how the generalized system could be applied to three important programs:
- Pathway Indicator Status and Trend Monitoring and Evaluation Program
- Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load
- Environmental Improvement Program - Stormwater Subprogram
Pathway Indicator Monitoring Strategy & Reporting Strategy
The resource management agencies within the Lake Tahoe Basin determined 34 Basin-wide environmental and social Desired Conditions to achieve through resource management and community planning. EI defined an indicator hierarchy that could be used to organize monitoring efforts and report findings, as well as an indicator reporting system that would enable the agencies to provide meaningful information to public, policy making and scientific audiences. EI also developed a database of indicator monitoring resource needs and determined that prioritization of indicator monitoring efforts is necessary for the Pathway agencies to gain the greatest value for the resources invested.
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