Developing a Standardized Sampling Program

Abstract

In 1995, the Fisheries Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources formed a Resource Inventory Planning Committee to develop a statewide sampling program for inland waters. The goal of this sampling program was to provide information needed for the management and conservation of Michigan's aquatic resources. Because sampling provides information to a variety of users for multiple purposes, the sampling plan we designed included several subprograms, some of which are under local control and some of which are centrally administered with a broad statistical design. Centrally administered subprograms included designs to (1) evaluate stocking success using angler surveys, (2) evaluate the characteristics of lake fish communities across the state, and (3) evaluate the characteristics of stream fish communities across the state. Two of the major topics addressed by the committee were standardization of sampling gear and choice of sampling sites (i.e., particular lakes or stream segments). Although sampling gear standardization generated much discussion, the choice of sampling sites proved to be a much more contentious issue, primarily because it shifted much of the control over choice of sampling sites from local fishery managers to a more centralized system. Balancing the needs for information at a local scale with needs for larger scale data collections remains a challenge, and continues to generate conflict within the Fisheries Division. This is best addressed by explicitly recognizing the tension between these needs and basing the allocation of sampling resources on a rational basis developed by discussion among all organizational levels.