Great Basin Consortium Meeting Minutes
Reno, NV
20 January 2011
Attendees: Jeanne Chambers (GB-RMP), Mike Collopy (GB-CESU), Rang Narayanan (GBEP), Mike Pellant (GB-LCC; GB-RI), Nat Frazer (convener)
1. Reviewed minutes of Great Basin Coordination Meeting notes and discussed “List of
Duplication as Viewed by GBEP, GBCESU, GBRMP and GBLCC” (pg 8 from meeting
notes)
2. Identified and discussed unique attributes of participating Great Basin Consortium
programs:
GB-CESU: Part of a national program that provides a funding mechanism for transferring
funds from federal partners to universities to conduct projects
GB-LCC: DOI initiative working with stakeholders to develop priority research and
monitoring needs from a landscape scale perspective
GB-RI: BLM-focused restoration program
GB-EP: Develop funding from public and private sources to facilitate landscape-scale, onthe-ground projects by engaging NGOs, state agencies and their coalitions, and the private
sector in collaboration with universities and federal agency partners.
GB-RMP: Grassroots coalition that provides a web-based clearinghouse of information for
the Great Basin and mobilizes teams of research and managers to fund and implement
projects that address priority science needs
3. Developed a set of elements for a matrix that summarizes key characteristics of each of the
cooperating GBC organizations (to be shared on GBC website):
Organization (link to website)
Mission Statement
Unique role
Partners (general category)
Initiating Organization
Funding/Support
Staffing
Contacts
4. Initial descriptions were also developed for each of the cooperating GBC organizations (see
below)
5. Identified Short-term Goals for GBC
Develop GBC website
Initiate planning for joint annual meetings
Develop summaries of each member organization’s characteristics
6. Identified Long-term Goals for GBC
Work to increase coordination across geographical and organizational boundaries
Maintain and improve information sharing among the region’s experts and collaborations
7. Proposed Communication Strategy
 GBC should work with the cooperating organizations to initiate joint annual meetings
following a model similar to the following:
Monday PM: travel (if needed)
Tuesday AM: GBC progress reports (all member organizations)
Tuesday PM: Presentation of GBC project highlights
Wednesday AM: LCC Stakeholder forum
Wednesday PM: Joint Business meeting

Develop a coordinated Great Basin Consortium website that highlights:
Mission statement and background information on GBC
List of participating organizations and contact information
Matrix of organizational characteristics
Links to websites of all participating organizations
8. The committee reviewed the current draft GBC mission/vision statement and developed a
revised statement that we believe more accurately reflects the mission of the GBC

Draft Mission/Vision Statement:
“We are a consortium of partners who coordinate and collaborate on science delivery
to achieve sustainable and resilient Great Basin ecosystems and human
communities”

Proposed new Mission Statement and paragraph providing context:
“To increase communication and coordination among the partner
organizations in order to enhance the effectiveness of their research,
management, outreach and funding activities”
The activities that the mission statement supports are broadly interpreted by the
partner organizations. Research includes scientific studies, science delivery and
science application. Management includes land uses such grazing and restoration
activities such as prescribed fire, weed control, and seeding. Management also
includes identifying priority treatment areas from landscape assessments, project
planning, on-the-ground implementation, and post-treatment monitoring/evaluation.
Outreach includes disseminating science-based information by conducting
education and extension activities including stakeholder forums, workshops and
symposia. Funding activities refer to efforts to support research, on-the-ground
project implementation, and outreach through various sources including grants,
agency budgets, state legislative and federal congressional sources, private
donations and gifts and volunteer contributions. Please follow-the links below to the
websites of the GB Consortium partners for more specific information about these
four activities.
9. We developed a matrix of organizational characteristics to help with both internal and
external communication
Organization: Great Basin Research and Management Partnership (GBRMP)
Website: http://greatbasin.wr.usgs.gov/GBRMP/
Mission Statement: The GBRMP promotes comprehensive and complementary research
and management collaborations to sustain ecosystems, resources and communities across
the Great Basin
Unique Role: Grassroots organization that provides a web based clearinghouse of
information for the Great Basin and mobilizes teams of researchers and managers to fund
and implement projects that address priority science needs
Partners/Collaborators: All Great Basin organizations - federal and state research labs and
management agencies, universities, local agencies, tribal governments, NGOs, and
collaboration developed to address regional and local needs
Initiating Organization: Research agencies and universities
Funding/Support: Member agencies and grants
Staffing: In-kind contributions by participating institutions
Contacts: Nat Frazer, nat.frazer@usu.edu, (435) 797-2452; Jeanne Chambers,
jchambers@fs.fed.gov; (775) 784-5329
Organization: Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (GBCESU)
Website: http://www.ag.unr.edu/gbcesu/
Mission Statement: The GB-CESU is a partnership for research, technical assistance and
education to enhance understanding and management of natural and cultural resources of
the Great Basin.
Unique Role: Part of a national program that provides a funding mechanism for transferring
funds from federal partners to universities to conduct projects
Partners/Collaborators: Universities and federal agencies
Initiating Organization: Department of the Interior
Funding/Support: Projects funded with federal agency funds through a cooperative
agreement
Staffing: In-kind contributions by participating institutions
Contact: Michael W. Collopy, mcollopy@unr.edu; (775) 784-8262
Organization: Great Basin Environmental Program (GBEP)
Website: http://greatbasinenvironmentalprogram.org/
Mission Statement: To develop funding for on-the-ground projects and related research and
outreach education to improve the Great Basin environment.
Unique Role: Develop funding from public and private sources to facilitate landscape-scale,
on-the-ground projects by engaging NGOs, state agencies and their coalitions, and the
private sector in collaboration with universities and federal agency partners
Partners/Collaborators: universities, federal agencies, state agencies and coalitions, and
NGOs
Initiating Organization: land grant universities in the Great Basin
Funding/Support: federal, state and private
Staffing: coordinators, students, and in-kind contributions by participating institutions
Contacts: Stan Johnson, sjohnson@cabnr.unr.edu, 775/784-1678; Rang Narayanan,
rang@cabnr.unr.edu, 775-784-6649
Organization: Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GBLCC)
Website: http://www.doi.gov/whatwedo/climate/strategy/Great-Basin.cfm
Mission Statement: The Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative enhances
understanding of the effects of changing climate and other natural and human impacts
across the region and promotes the coordination of science‐based actions to enable human
and natural communities to respond and/or adapt to those conditions.
Unique Role: Unique Role: DOI initiative working with stakeholders to develop landscapescale tools and monitoring to address climate change and other regional stressors.
Partners/Collaborators: Inclusive! All agencies (federal, state and local), Tribes, NGO’s,
public, etc. No restrictions on participation via the LCC Stakeholders Forum
Initiating Organization: Initiated by Department of Interior in 2009 by Secretary Executive
Order.
Funding/Support: Funding is committed to three positions (BLM, US F&WS, and USGS)
with associated support funding for each position.
Staffing: A permanent full-time Coordinator (BLM) and Science Coordinator (US F&WS) will
be hired in 2011. USGS has hired a landscape ecology scientist to support the LCC. Other
staff (part-time) are expected to be assigned to the project on an as needed basis.
Contact: Mike Pellant, Interim Coordinatior, 208-373-3823, mike_pellant@blm.gov
Organization: Great Basin Restoration Initiative (GBRI)
Website: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/gbri.html
Mission Statement: To maintain and/or restore public lands in the Great Basin using
science-based strategies supported by stakeholders.
Unique Role: Maintain or improve the health of public lands by reducing the impacts of
wildfires and invasive species.
Partners: USGS, Forest Service, ARS, and other research agencies, State management
agencies, and larger NGO’s (for example TNC).
Initiating Organization: Initiated by BLM (Nevada State Office and the National Interagency
Fire Center) in 1999 to address the large wildfires in the Great Basin.
Funding/Support: A permanent full-time Coordinator is funded for GBRI. The other main
funding source is the BLM’s Native Plant Initiative that provides $800,000 per year for native
plant development and application research.
Staffing: One full-time coordinator and a Core Team with representatives from each Great
Basin state, WO, and several regional BLM positions (part-time duties).
Contact: Mike Pellant, GBRI Coordinator, 208-373-3823, mike_pellant@blm.gov
10. We agreed that the GBC talking points all members should strive to use include the Mission
Statement and information contained in the Matrix of Organizational Characteristics.