RAMP Releases Detailed Response to 2010 Peer Review Panel Report

Fort McMurray, AB: The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) today released its detailed response to the independent scientific review of the program undertaken in 2010.

The document provides a response from RAMP to comments and recommendations provided by the nine members of the peer review panel in their report submitted in January 2011.

RAMP took immediate action in response to some recommendations in the panel’s report while further assessing the remaining comments and recommendations.

“In some instances, RAMP was already considering areas highlighted by a panel member. For those items, we have developed steps that will further refine the recommendations - those steps are outlined in the response document,” said Chris Fordham, Chair of RAMP’s Communications Sub-committee. “Other items raised by panel members will also be acted upon this year and still others in 2012.”

RAMP is unable to fully respond to some comments and recommendations, however, as they are either beyond the scope of RAMP’s current mandate (for example incorporation of other, non-RAMP, data sets) or are currently part of the overall reviews of environmental monitoring now being undertaken by the federal and provincial governments. RAMP was asked by Alberta Environment to focus, at this time, solely on recommendations specific to refining the scientific elements of the program, and not to address issues of governance and structure, large-scale changes to the sampling design, or modifications to the current mandate and scope of the program. RAMP will address remaining elements of the report once government review initiatives are complete and RAMP is provided more direction.

“RAMP’s commitment to taking action in response to the input provided by the members of the peer review panel shows RAMP’s continued commitment to finding ways to improve its monitoring program within the parameters of its mandate, and contribute to further enhancement of environmental monitoring in the Lower Athabasca region,” said Fordham.

The full version of the response is available on the RAMP website.

About RAMP:
The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) is a science-based, multi-stakeholder aquatic monitoring program initiated in 1997; one of a number of programs monitoring the aquatic environment in the Lower Athabasca region of Alberta. The intent of RAMP is to determine, evaluate and communicate the state of the aquatic environment and any changes that may result from resource development within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

For more information:
RAMP Communications
communications@ramp-alberta.org
780-742-5147