XIII Meeting of the Canada/Mexico/U

XIII Meeting of the Canada/Mexico/U.S. Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management

Veracruz, Mexico

May 12-16, 2008

AGENDA – EXTENDED (FINAL)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE WORK TABLE ...... PAGES A1-A11

LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK TABLE...... PAGES B1-B3

CITES WORK TABLE...... PAGES C1-C4

ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION WORK TABLE...... PAGES D1-D4

MIGRATORY BIRDS WORK TABLE...... PAGES E1-E14

SPECIES OF COMMON CONSERVATION

CONCERN WORK TABLE ...... PAGES F1-F30

A-1

WORK TABLE: Executive Table

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

9:00 am

AGENDA ITEM 1: Welcome – Adoption of the Agenda

COLLABORATORS & CONTACTS: Executive Table: Virginia Poter, Director General for Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife Service, Canada; Martin Vargas Prieto, Director General for Wildlife, Direction General for Wildlife, SEMARNAT, Mexico; Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USA & Trilateral Coordinating Committee (Paul Quinn/CWS, Melida Tajbakhsh/USFWS, Leonel Urbano/DGW)

DESCRIPTION:Welcoming remarks by DGVS Director General Martin Vargas Prieto

& adoption of the agenda

BACKGROUND: The hosting Co-chair greets Heads of Mexican and American

Delegation and other table participants. Any modifications to the agenda are noted.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Adoption of the agenda

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

9:10 am

AGENDA ITEM 2: 2007-08 Action Item Report

COLLABORATORS & CONTACTS: Executive Table: Virginia Poter, Director General for Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife Service, Canada; Martin Vargas Prieto, Director General for Wildlife, Direction General for Wildlife, SEMARNAT, Mexico; Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USA & Trilateral Coordinating Committee (Paul Quinn/CWS, Melida Tajbakhsh/USFWS, Leonel Urbano/DGW)

DESCRIPTION: Review of action items agreed at the previous meeting.

BACKGROUND: Action Item Reports (AIRs) were developed to effectively monitor implementation of annual work plans. Tables review progress against AIRs at the beginning of each annual meeting.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Monitor progress and identify gaps or challenges in meeting goals identified at the 2007 meeting (if no outstanding issues, the Chair officially endorses the document 07-08 AIR) on behalf of the Executive Table.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

9:20 am

AGENDA ITEM 3: Country Updates

DESCRIPTION: Heads of Delegation give a presentation (15 min./each) on major developments in their countries (i.e. legislations, regulations, budgets, priorities, agreements, conventions, programs, projects, etc.) which might have an impact on the other two countries.

BACKGROUND: Executive Table Co-chairs use this opportunity to exchange information relevant to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation taking place in their countries which might be of interest to the other countries.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Exchange of information that helps understand challenges/opportunities in the other countries to promote a shared vision and common agenda.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

10:05 am

AGENDA ITEM 4: Participation of Non-governmental Organizations at the Trilateral Committee

COLLABORATORS & CONTACTS:Executive Table: Virginia Poter, Director General for Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife Service, Canada; Martin Vargas Prieto, Director General for Wildlife, Direction General for Wildlife, SEMARNAT, Mexico; Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USA & Trilateral Coordinating Committee (Paul Quinn/CWS, Melida Tajbakhsh/USFWS, Leonel Urbano/DGW)

DESCRIPTION: The Executive Table needs to discuss procedures regarding NGO participation in the Trilateral Committee working tables and provide guidelines for the TCC to draft language accordingly and incorporate in the Trilateral Committee Terms of Reference document.

BACKGROUND: Since the inception of the Trilateral Committee in 1996, NGO participation has been ad hoc. Throughout the years, the Parties have had different and changing positions regarding NGO participation. For example, in the U.S. regulations dictate that, if interested, the public can attend U.S. Government meetings. At the same time, the Trilateral Committee is a government-to-government meeting which includes some issues which, by their nature (i.e. law enforcement, regulatory processes) require meetings to be conducted behind closed doors. At the 2007 annual meeting, the Law Enforcement and the CITES tables requested that their meetings be restricted to government officials. Some NGOs have expressed concerns. The issue is relevant at three levels:

(1)Invitations by one of the Parties to foreign nationals working for NGOs headquartered in one of the other countries: some NGOs have requested the USG to invite their foreign national staff stationed in another country. Standard practice has been that a government can only invite nationals of its own country regardless of where they work or where they are stationed at. There is a need to decide if this will continue to be the guideline, and, if so, incorporate into the ToR.

(2)NGO participation at the working tables and in the development of the agendas: NGOs are provided the opportunity to provide input into the development of the working tables agendas through contact with the tables Co-chairs, but in ad hoc manner. Policy regarding this, including a systematic mechanism needs to be discussed. In addition, NGO participation in working tables at the annual meeting is currently ad hoc. Specific guidelines regarding the purpose and scope of NGO participation in working tables at annual meetings including whether NGO participation can be limited to specific items needs to be discussed. The TCC suggests that NGO participation be granted at the discretion of the three Co-chairs, on a consensus basis, and after prior consultation.

(3)NGO participation at the Executive Table: before discussions on the new relationship between the Executive Table and the Biodiversity Conservation Working Group of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, NGO participation at the Executive Table was limited to specific presentations, at the request of the Executive Table. The discussion of this new relationship may open issues related to a potential NGO participation of a different nature (this discussion will take place fully under Agenda Item #5).

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Revisions to the Trilateral Committee Terms of Reference document incorporating guidelines for NGO participation in the Trilateral Committee.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

Coffee Break – 10:30 – 10:45 am

10:45 am

AGENDA ITEM 5: The Executive Table and the Biodiversity Conservation Working Group (BCWG) of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC)

DESCRIPTION: The BCWG Chair (CAN) will make a presentation of current biodiversity-related activities under NACEC, followed by a discussion between the BCWG and the Executive Table of the document prepared by the drafting team outlining the terms of a new formal relationship between the two bodies, to be delivered to the Executive Table on May 1, 2008 for review.

BACKGROUND: The Trilateral Committee and the NACEC have partnered in a few projects for the past ten year. However, this relationship has been conducted in an ad hoc manner. There is need to formally discuss the nature of this relationship and agree on the terms of a new relationship to avoid duplication of efforts and maximize results. To this effect, and further to discussions at both the 2007 Trilateral Executive Table (ET) and BCWG meetings, the TC and the BCWG appointed a drafting team in 2007 to prepare a document outlining the terms of the new formal relationship between these two bodies. The draft document will be distributed to the ET on May 1, 2008, for discussion at this meeting. A joint discussion between the ET and the BCWG will take place during this session to reach agreement on these terms and next steps (for example, language for a Council Resolution to be signed by the CEC Council at their annual meeting in June 08.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Recommendations by the Trilateral Exec Tableregarding the nature of the new relationship between the TC and the BCWG and next steps (provide language for a CEC Council resolution outlining this new relationship-potentially to be signed by the CEC Council at the June 2008 CEC Council meeting).

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

12:00 pm

AGENDA ITEM 6: Trilateral Committee Working Tables - first Three-Year Work Plan (2008-2010) – Review of draft by the Executive Table

COLLABORATORS & CONTACTS:Executive Table: Virginia Poter, Director General for Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife Service, Canada; Martin Vargas Prieto, Director General for Wildlife, Direction General for Wildlife, SEMARNAT, Mexico; Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USA & Trilateral Coordinating Committee (Paul Quinn/CWS, Melida Tajbakhsh/USFWS, Leonel Urbano/DGW)

DESCRIPTION: The Executive Table needs to review the draft Three-Year Work Plans which the tables are developing and endorse the plans for subsequent implementation by the working tables.

BACKGROUND: At the 2007 annual meeting, the Executive Table mandated the working tables to develop three-year (2008-2010) work plans per table as a tool for long-term strategic planning and accountability. Working tables have worked to develop their plans and will finalize their drafts at the annual meeting. At the 2008 meeting, the Executive Table will have the opportunity of conducting a review of the draft plans to comment and/or endorse the plans so that the tables can start implementing these plans in 2008. The TCC will provide the ET these drafts before the meeting.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Review by the Executive Table of the first Trilateral Committee Working Tables Three-Year Work Plan (2008-2010) and endorsement.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

Working lunch – 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

1:00 pm – 1:45 pm

AGENDA ITEM 7: The Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative

(WHMSI)

DESCRIPTION: The Executive Table will be updated on the upcoming WHMSI Conference to be held in Paraguay July 21-25, 2008. It will also discuss issues which Mexico had expressed regarding the initiative.

BACKGROUND: WHMSI holds a hemispheric conference approximately every two years to which the wildlife directors of all Western Hemisphere countriesare invited. WHMSI serves as a hemispheric forum for collaboration on wildlife conservation. The NGO community presently is very engaged in the initiative. Governance of the initiative is a matter of ongoing discussion.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: The U.S., Mexico and Canada will seek to address any questions or issues any of the three countries might have regarding WHMSI’s focus and governance in an effort to develop a common North American vision in advance of the third WHMSI Conference.

SUBMITTED BY: Herb Raffaele, Chair of the Interim Steering Committee for WHMSI.

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm

AGENDA ITEM 8: Presentation by Security and Prosperity Partnership for North America (SPP) representatives on outcomes of the 04/08 SPP meeting, and on the SPP decision-making process for the Trilateral Committee to have the opportunity to provide input

DESCRIPTION: The latest SPP Leaders’ Summittook place 04/08. Governments from the three countries are supposed to seek agenda input through in-country diplomatic political channels. The Executive Table needs to decide if it wants to seek opportunities to provide input into the SPP green agenda for North America.

BACKGROUND: The mission of the SPP is “To discuss opportunities and challenges facing North America and establish priorities for further collaboration [and] discuss opportunities to cooperate globally and within this hemisphere”. Given the compatible missions of the two bodies, since the inception of the SPP in 2005, the Trilateral Committee has looked for opportunities to provide input regarding Biodiversity priorities at the NA regional level. In 2006, discussions took place regarding a joint letter from the Trilateral Committee to the SPP offering assistance. However, due to protocol concerns, it was decided that each country should follow-up with its own in-country SPP representative offering assistance in the development of a regional biodiversity agenda. No such follow-up has been conducted. The ET needs to decide if further advances are warranted.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: The Executive Table will seek to learn about the outcome of the April 2008 SPP meeting and about the SPP decision-making processto seek opportunities to provide input into the SPP biodiversity agenda for North America.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

2:30 pm

AGENDA ITEM 9: Trilateral Committee Executive Table - first Three-Year Work Plan (2008-2010)

DESCRIPTION: The Executive Table needs to decide if it needs a Three-Year (2008-2010) Work Plan fir its own table, addressing the role and function of the ET as well as its strategic directions.

BACKGROUND: The role and function of the ET, as per discussions at the 2007 Exec. Table meeting, is three-fold: (1) Overall governance of the Committee or“Housekeeping” (i.e. deciding on place/date of annual meetings; Plenary Session topics; Trilateral Committee-funded projects, etc.); (2) Setting strategic directions (i.e. issuing priority areas of action for the working tables to follow; resolving issues presented by the working tables, etc.); and (3) Defining its relationship vis a vis other similar fora (i.e. the BCWG, SPP, WHMSI, NABCI, others). The ET needs to discuss if it needs a 3-year work plan incorporating these areas of responsibility, and if so, what should be included, or if it is only needed to revise Section 7 of the Trilateral Committee Terms of Reference to revise language outlining the Role of the Executive Table.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: A decision by the ET on whether or not to develop a Three-Year Work Plan (2008-2010) for the Executive Table, and if so, what the content should be. An alternative would be not to produce an ET 3-Year PLAN, BUT INSTEAD, TO REVISE Section 7 of the TC ToR to accurately reflect the role of the ET.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

Coffee Break – 3:30 – 3:45

3:45 pm

AGENDA ITEM 10: Trilateral Fund

DESCRIPTION: Mexico to present the results of the Avian Influenza projects funded in 2007by the Trilateral Fund. Executive Table to decide on what project to fund in 2008 and through which mechanism. Options: (1) Each party to bring topics to the annual meeting for the ET to decide; (2) Solicit topics from the Working Tables before the annual meeting for the ET to select at the meeting; (3) select topics beforehand based on the ET priority areas of action identified in 2007; (4) other.

BACKGROUND: The Trilateral Fund was established by the ET in 2005 to fund priority activities identified by the TC. Each party contributes $30K USD to the fund for a total of $90K USD. In 2005, a project to train state-level Mexican government personnel was funded by the TC fund. In 2006 and 2007, a project implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Society to train Mexican wildlife personnel on detection, prevention, and management of Avian Influenza at the regional level was financed by the TC fund. The U.S. is very pleased with results from this project and will request that the Executive Table approves continued funding in 2008. In addition, a mechanism to solicit and process topics for potential funding needs to be discussed and approved by the Executive Table.

REQUESTED SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: Decision on what project to fund in 2008 with the $90K USD Trilateral Fund and a funding mechanism established.

SUBMITTED BY: Trilateral Coordinating Committee

4:15 pm

AGENDA ITEM 11: Revision of the Trilateral CommitteeTerms of Reference

Document

DESCRIPTION: In order to improve the Trilateral Committee annual meeting, and more accurately conform to time schedules and demands, the ET instructed the TCC at the 2007 meeting to conduct an assessment of efficiency/efficacy of schedules related to the annual meeting and suggest improvements. As a result, the TCC suggested to: (1) shorten the Plenary Session time to half a day; and (2) dedicate the morning of the Plenary Session to delivery of reports from working tables, instead of delivery of reports the night before, allowing for a better structured meeting. The ET is to review and endorse these changes in the document Trilateral Committee Terms of Reference.