President Steve Rideout (MA) called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.

• After opening remarks and recognition of past section president, President Rideout asked for approval of the 2003 minutes. A motion was made and seconded that the 2003 minutes be approved as written. The motion passed unanimously.
   
• President Rideout (reporting for Dirk Miller [WY]) then asked for review and approval of the section’s Financial Report. A motion was made and seconded that the report be accepted; motion passed unanimously.
   
• President’s Remarks: “In case you have not seen my final column, I mentioned two items I think will engage the membership, in partnership with other Sections such as the Fisheries Administrators. These are the North American Agenda for Aquatic Resources and the National Fisheries Habitat Initiative. Based on recent Governing Board action, the North American Agenda for Aquatic Resources, an anticipated partnership effort with the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, will develop around a series of Concerns developed by AFS through the Governing Board. A final set of Concerns and proposed responsibilities for AFS will be presented to the Governing Board next March.
   
  The National Fisheries Habitat Initiative, now a major priority for the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and patterned in a number of ways after the very successful North American Waterfowl Management Plan, is gaining momentum in terms of partner interest and seeking a major role from AFS, particularly in defining and describing the science behind the role of habitat in fishery conservation and management. The Governing Board has reaffirmed its support for the initiative and will formally communicate that support in the near future. A logical outcome of that communication will be a need for AFS, through the Parent Society, and its subunits to take the lead or be a major partner in various workshops, symposia, and other forums to make sure the initiative proceeds on a solid scientific footing. It’s hard to imagine that our Section shouldn’t be a major player on those processes.
   
  Finally, I want to extend my appreciation to the fellow officers and others of the Section who have given me support, without fail, whenever I have asked. President-Elect Dave Willis for his wise counsel and leadership in developing our new on-line proposal submission process. Secretary-Treasurer Dirk Miller for his great role in representing us in the PFIRM Symposium and subsequent responsibilities, in addition to doing his usual superb job in keeping the Sections finances in order. Past President Tim Hess for taking on assignments whenever I asked including overseeing our sponsorship of an international member of our Section to the 4th World Fisheries Congress. Special thanks also to Fred Janssen for keeping our web page updated and adding the new proposal submission form and process among other things. To Tom McMahon (MT) for reviewing the Sustainable Forestry Initiative on behalf of the Section and providing excellent comments to the AFS leadership. Thanks also to Jeff Boxrucker for overseeing our Awards nominations and process this year. And thanks also to Bob Wiley and Steve Filipek for handling our Nominations Committee process and developing great candidates for us.”
   
• President Rideout then relayed the Nominating Committee Report for Steve Filipek (AR) and Bob Wiley (WY). In a truly close vote, Joe Larscheid (IA) edged Fred Janssen (TX) for President-Elect of the Fisheries Management Section. President Rideout expressed the section’s sincere appreciation to Fred for running (and for his continual and greatly appreciated service to FMS). Fred will be busy in the short term with his responsibilities in the Computer User Section. Perhaps he will be willing to run again for president in two years.

Dirk Miller, running unopposed to continue his term as Secretary-Treasurer, “squeaked out” a “narrow” victory. We certainly appreciate Dirk’s long-term commitment to this position. Divisional representatives running unopposed were Dave Zafft (WY) for Western Division, Bob Limbird (AR) for Southern Division, Mark Porath (NE) for North-Central, and Randy Jackson (NY) for Northeast Division. Again, President Rideout expressed our section’s appreciation to these individuals for their willingness to serve.

President-elect Dave Willis (SD) then reported on the results of our e-mail ballot for this year’s election. We obtained e-mail addresses for most members, but also mailed approximately 50 ballots to those without e-mail. Quite a few of the people who received a mail ballot actually have e-mail addresses; they simply have not updated their AFS profile. About 50 e-mails were “failures” because of wrong or out of date e-mail addresses. We probably need to encourage FMS members to continually update their AFS profile. We received 231 votes. Our membership is a moving target; however, 231 out of roughly 700 members voted (one-third). We received 229 votes by e-mail and only 2 by overland mail. The only write-in votes for regional officers were Bill Hyatt (CT) and Mike Allen (FL). Dr. Allen indicated that he would be interested in more FMS involvement in the future. Based on those who voted for their regional representative, NE members provided 10% of ballots, NC members 35%, W 20%, and S members 34%.

• Awards Committee Chair Jeff Boxrucker (OK) announced the FMS awards. Dr. John Ney (VA) was honored by induction into our Hall of Excellence. The award was presented by Dr. Don Orth of Virginia Tech University, who praised Dr. Ney for his professional efforts. After a short comedy routine, Dr. Ney indicated his sincere appreciation for this recognition, indicating that he “always wanted to be a fishery biologist.”
   
• The Award of Excellence for 2004 was presented to Mr. Don Duff (UT) for his career-long efforts in fisheries. Between his federal service and his effective interactions with conservation organizations, the award was well-deserved.
   
• The Award of Merit for 2004 was presented to Drs. Steve Miranda (MS) and Ted Henry (GA) for their work in shepherding the section-sponsored electrofishing effects study. Dr. Miranda reminded the audience that Jeff Boxrucker had handled all of the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration interactions for the section.
   
• The Quad City Conservation Alliance, Rock Island, Illinois, received the Conservation Achievement Award for 2004. Accepting award was Alliance President Sonny Stevens, who indicated that the organization has donated over $3 million over the last 20 years for conservation efforts in the Quad Cities area.
   
• President Rideout reported that the section now had a formal funding request process that can be initiated on the FMS web page (webmaster is Fred Janssen). Three funding requests submitted for the 2004 meeting were handled under new business. However, President Rideout noted that we still need to develop a process for member comment (prior to the annual business meeting) on the web site.
   
• Past-President Tim Hess (VA) provided an update on the State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies, State Wildlife Grants program, and Landowner Incentive Program.

1. There have been 3 consecutive years of funding for both SWG and LIP, and a fourth seems ensured. The House has the FY 2005 SWG appropriation set at $67.5 million and the Administration is at $80 million; the House has the FY 2005 LIP appropriation set at $15 million and the Administration’s request is $50 million.
    
2. All States and Territories must complete and submit Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy by October 1, 2005 addressing the eight Congressionally-mandated elements. FMS members are encouraged to help develop and implement the conservation actions necessary to combat the problems that face your fisheries and aquatic resources.
    
3. There is a tremendous amount of interest in these Strategic plans, from a myriad of federal and state agencies, and conservation organizations; new and re-invigorated partners will likely spring forth during this process.
    
4. A lot of the major habitat problems in fisheries occur on private lands. So the LIP is an opportunity to focus on many of those if you are >connected= with the group that is implementing this program within your State.

• Christine Fletcher (AFS staff) provided an update on the Hutton Program. She did not request funds for support of this program in the upcoming year.
   
• Tim Hess reported on the successful FMS sponsorship of an international member to the 4th World Fisheries Congress in Vancouver this spring. Robert Arlinghaus (from Germany) submitted a ‘thank you’ and a meeting evaluation to the FMS, which has been forwarded to our newsletter editors for inclusion in the next available issue.
   
• President Rideout reviewed the Fisheries Administrators Section’s decision to support, in conjunction with the Fisheries Management Section, an exchange program with the United Kingdom’s Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM) involving our respective Section’s President’s. The FAS proposed to support up to $1000 for airfare for their president over two cycles to attend the IFM meeting. The basic approach would be that each Society’s President would attend the other’s meeting in alternate years. AFS would be represented alternately, by the President of FAS then FMS. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to join the FAS and support our President for two cycles also.
   
• Installation of New Officers – President Rideout delivered the gavel and turned the meeting over to Dave Willis, whose first order of business was to present “newly” Past-President Rideout with a plaque expressing the section’s appreciation for his 4 years of service as President-elect and President.
   
• Ad hoc committee reports followed. Dr. Scott Bonar (AZ) is chairing the Standardized Sampling Methods committee, which is a revitalization of the Fisheries Techniques Standardization Committee that was chaired by Don Gabelhouse (NE) back in the 1980s. Scott’s report was delayed until funding requests.
   
• Randy Jackson (NY) is chair of the Genealogy Committee, and earlier this year distributed a survey requesting educational backgrounds of section members. His report indicated that “Many genealogies were received. Also received were geneologies, genelgies and genologies. It is evident that different spell-check programs promote different spelling of the word genealogy. We are currently working to identify the roots of the different spellings. Adam raised a Cain.” On a serious note, he indicated that our professional roots are highly intertwined in the fisheries profession, and he had not yet found a suitable method for summarizing this complex information.
   
• Brian Graeb (SD) is chair of the Sauger Symposium committee, and is responsible for ensuring that the section meets all requirements to sponsor such a symposium at the 2006 AFS meeting in Lake Placid. All members interested in or involved in sauger work are requested to contact Brian (brian.graeb@sdstate.edu). Early interest indicates that we should be able to assemble an outstanding program.
   
• Three requests for funding were submitted via the section web page in 2004.

1. Scott Bonar requested $10,000 to complete the work of the Standardized Sampling Methods Committee. A motion was made and seconded that the section approve these funds. Discussion followed. First, Dr. Bonar provided an overview of his intent for the project, which would result in a final book product. Proceeds from the book would either be returned to FMS, or split with the Education Section if they agreed to co-sponsor the project. The intent of the book is to provide the common sampling methods used by conservation agencies in various water types. In addition, the project will fund a research assistant at the AZ Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, who would work to compile a nationwide database on common sampling indices. A summary, with central tendencies and other useful comparison data, would be included as one chapter in the book. Another chapter would involve statistical treatment of common sampling indices, and would complement the upcoming AFS text on Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fisheries Data being coedited by FMS members Mike Brown (SD) and Chris Guy (MT). A final chapter would address the potential development of and utility of correction factors in cases where standardized methods were changed. Comments by Andy Loftus (MD) and others cautioned Dr. Bonar of the legal implications of “standard” methods. Such was not the intent of the project. The motion passed unanimously.
    
2. Gwen White (IN) from the Equal Opportunity Section requested that our section provide $500 for their student travel support program. Jeff Boxrucker (OK) moved and Doug Stang (NY) seconded that the section approve these funds. Dr. White provided background information. Via a friendly amendment approved by Boxrucker and Stang, the motion was changed to make the $500 per year contribution a line item in our budget for coming years. The motion passed unanimously.
    
3. Julie Meka (AK) requested that the section provide $400 in travel support for speakers to travel to a 2005 AFS symposium on “Catch-and-Release Science and its Application to Conservation and Management.” A motion was made and seconded that the section approve this funding request. The motion passed unanimously. The FMS will be a co-sponsor of this symposium at the 2005 meeting.

• President Willis then asked for other suggestions for section-sponsored symposia at the 2005 and 2006 AFS meeting. Vaughn Paragamian (ID) indicated that a Second International Burbot symposium is in the works for the 2005 meeting. The First International Burbot symposium was published by FMS as Special Publication No. 1. Vaughan indicated that he is seeking other funds for the Second symposium, and may not need to request financial support from the section. Any member with further suggestions for upcoming symposia is asked to contact Dave (david.willis@sdstate.edu).
   
• Tim Hess asked for FMS co-sponsorship of a symposium proposal for the 2005 meeting in Anchorage that would focus on the fisheries/aquatic aspects of the new State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies. Jeff Koening, the Director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Tim will co-chair this symposium, with speakers to be invited from each Region of the country. The membership voted for the FMS to co-sponsor this symposium (no dollars requested or committed). [The Fish Administrators Section also voted to be co-sponsors.]
   
• AFS Past-President Fred Harris (NC) then provided an update on the Rise to the Future program of the U.S. Forest Service, which he believes needs to be revisited. The original efforts provided an increased emphasis on fisheries within the Forest Service, but that support was now eroding. Fred moved and Steve Rideout seconded that the FMS send a letter of support to the Forest Service indicating the need for renewed efforts. The motion passed unanimously.
   
• Mike Colvin (2007) alerted the section that the next AFS reservoir symposium (Reservoir Committee, Southern Division) is now in initial planning stages, and likely will be held in 2007. Mike will place an informational article on the FMS web page.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.

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