On April 15, 2005, the MoRAP Steering Committee met at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia to draft a new five-year strategy for the partnership. Dr. Larry Vangilder of the Missouri Department of Conservation served as facilitator. The group meeting began with a historical sketch from Dr. David Diamond, Director of MoRAP. We then listed all issues and opportunities in a brainstorming session, and grouped them into major categories as outlined below. Strategies for moving forward to address issues and capitalize on opportunities were outlined. Recognizing that our current situation and challenges have changed over the past decade, we revised our ten year old mission statement as follows:

The Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (MoRAP) develops, analyzes, and delivers the highest quality, lowest cost goespatial data for natural and cultural resource management. The partnership fosters innovation and cooperation among participants in order to improve our quality of life.

Major Challenges and Opportunities

During the brainstorming session, we listed 34 separate issues. We then grouped these issues into four major categories, including funding mechanisms, coordination and communication, technical directions, and operations. Of the 34 original issues, 17 mainly involved coordination and communication, eleven technical directions, four fundraising, and two operations. Many issues were broad and overlapped more than one major category, whereas others were closely related to each other.

I. Funding Mechanisms

1. The new MoRAP Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) needs to be signed and set in place to ensure continuation of the favorable overhead rate (12.5%) provided by the University of Missouri.
2. Better early coordination of projects may allow more opportunities for partners to participate in the funding of projects.
3. We may want to seek a general services/training agreement with individual partners in order to facilitate explicit funding of non-project oriented activities (e.g. partner training, delivery of customized products, meetings). Otherwise, the cost of these activities needs to be accounted for via projects.
4. EPA is now funding many community-based projects. MoRAP should look into becoming more involved in these types of projects.
5. New partners may enhance funding opportunities. Some suggestions included the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

II. Coordination and Communication

1. The Technical Committee and Steering Committee meetings are still important, but these should vary in terms of content. For example, one meeting could provide project up-dates in order to let partners know what is on-going, while the next could focus on project needs in order to develop lists of mutual needs.
2. Specific, targeted interagency meetings focused on individual issues should be geared toward partner end users, not only the technical and steering committee members. For example, a meeting focused on the new land cover roll out, remote sensing, aquatic resource issues, or cultural resource issues could garner input from partner staff who do not normally attend MoRAP meetings.
3. Interagency committees should be formed and remain active from the inception of major projects through to the end.
4. Although relatively non-overlapping niches are in place, MoRAP should continue to clarify relationships among the University of Missouri GIS shops.
5. MoRAP should investigate our possible role in the new Center for Wetland Excellence on campus.
6. MoRAP should continue to participate as a member of the Missouri GIS Advisory council, and should offer positive support at every opportunity.
7. MoRAP should continue to focus on our role in bringing partners together.
8. MORAP should make an effort to contact potential new partners such as the Army Corps of Engineers, SEMA, and the Department of Agriculture, as well as small non-government organizations.
9. MoRAP should revitalize our current outreach material, with special emphasis on keeping the web page more up to date.

III. Technical Directions

1. MoRAP should continue to maintain both GIS and Remote Sensing expertise. Remote sensing projects seem to offer more promise for new leaps forward in the future.
2. MoRAP should remain on the technological 'cutting edge' and develop new, innovative, and where possible collaborative approaches to solve targeted problems.
3. Many individual data layers need to be developed, analyzed, and delivered. A partial list includes:
   • DEMs from fine-resolution LIDAR would be of use for a variety of natural resource and development applications
   • stream temperature data from Forward-looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) would be useful for biological and water quality assessments
   • better historic place information is needed
   • more up to date, standardized, and comprehensive roads data are needed, and these data need to be continuously up-dated
   • stream species occurrence records need to be up-dated in a continuous, standardized fashion
   • the land cover of Missouri needs continuous up-dating, especially in urbanizing areas
   • fine-resolution land cover is needed in areas of public lands, urban areas, and along the Missouri River
   • wetlands need to be mapped across the state at fine resolution
   • fine-resolution landform models are needed throughout the state
   • urban noise indices are needed in the metropolitan areas
   • the 1:24000 NHD needs to be made into a single-line network to increase its utility
   • standardized, regional aquatic data sets are needed (classification, stream network, species models, etc.)
   • aquatic stressors indices need to be created, validated, and applied at fine resolution to stream reaches
   • terrestrial stressor indices need to be created and applied to define conservation focus areas in a rigorous way
   • land cover change is required for some specific targeted needs, such as forest management, cropland management, and urban growth
   • the public lands stewardship data layer needs to be improved and kept up to date
   • terrestrial species distribution models need to be completed in order to accomplish wildlife assessment and management goals
   • we need to recognize the need for better resource inventories and create a list of these needs
   • floodplains need to be accurately mapped
   • soils need to be modeled and mapped
   • geology needs to be mapped at finer resolution
   • population data analyses are required
   • springs need to be accurately mapped
   • caves need to be accurately mapped

IV. Operations

1. Return of indirect funds currently must pay for most hardware, software, and space as well as non-project activities such as meetings, partner training, delivery of customized products, and grant writing. We need to seek direct funding for all or some portion of these items.
2. MoRAP's space situation continues to be somewhat precarious, since we require year to year agreements with CERC. The current space also detracts from our professional appearance. We need to continue to seek better space.
3. MoRAP needs to continue to employ students in order to provide them with practical job experience or with opportunities to pursue advance degrees, and to reduce the cost of products as far as possible.
4. Appropriate MoRAP staff need to seek opportunities to take training as project managers, and become more proficient in this area. Although project reporting standards will vary based on the needs of funding partners, minimum standards need to be set in place and followed for every project.
5. MoRAP staff need to continue to take training and stay abreast of the latest innovations in GIS and Remote Sensing technologies.
6. MoRAP's budget and staff review schedule and process need to be linked with University of Missouri requirements in order to avoid unnecessary duplication. Special efforts should be made to include workers and students on campus in projects.

Summary

The primary function of MoRAP as a cooperative that uses new technologies to develop, analyze, and deliver geospatial data was affirmed by the Steering Committee. The growth of GIS within partner organizations, and the advent of new groups such as the Missouri GIS Advisory Committee, was recognized. Nonetheless, we agreed that MoRAP still has a critical role to play in facilitation of communication and cooperation among partners. The need for targeted contact with managers and practitioners was strongly emphasized, both in terms of technology and data transfer and in terms of needs assessment.

We all recognized that each partner has its own specific interests, responsibilities, and areas of emphasis. At the same time, we see the power of collaborative work in terms of saving money and time, and in terms of inspiring us to produce more complete and rigorous outcomes. MoRAP's key function is to provide information that helps facilitate decision-making. Members of the partnership will continue to work together because we all, without doubt, earnestly desire to see our labors result in benefits for society, and we have only a shallow pool of time to make that happen.