	Introduction

Adaptive management is the process of incorporating new scientific and programmatic information into the implementation of a project or plan to ensure that the goals of the activity are being reached efficiently. Adaptive management promotes flexible decision-making to modify existing activities or create new activities if existing programs are not meeting set goals, or if new circumstances arise (e.g., new scientific information). In prior Congresses, adaptive management has been proposed as a guiding principle for some large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts, including the Everglades, Chesapeake Bay, and Lake Tahoe. Previous experience with adaptive management can inform Congress both in the authorization of new adaptive management efforts and in providing funding and oversight of ongoing efforts. It concludes by providing information and preliminary issues for Congress to consider when providing authorization, funding, and oversight of these efforts. Generalized Model for Implementing Adaptive Management

The implementation of adaptive management in ecosystem restoration initiatives can be a complex process, and there is no general consensus on one standard model of adaptive management. While adaptive management is an important concept for all of these activities, this remainder of this report focuses on the application of the concept to large-scale ecosystem restoration (referred to as "ecosystem restoration" in this report). Some argue that the complex and dynamic nature of ecosystems make their restoration and management amenable to an adaptive management approach, while others argue that these same characteristics make application of the concept more difficult. Potential Benefits of Implementing Adaptive Management

Adaptive management is being used in ecosystem restoration initiatives to address the uncertainties associated with the complex and integrated nature of ecosystems and their restoration. A summary of these issues includes:
Connecting experimentation to operational changes. It cites specific examples of how adaptive management has been implemented in five discrete locations: Glen Canyon, Platte River, the Lower Colorado, the Missouri River, and the Everglades. Adaptive management efforts that have been largely framed by the federal government have been criticized by some who support a more central role for stakeholders in framing and leading adaptive management. Previously, Congress has refrained from providing extensive guidance related to the structure and substance of individual adaptive management efforts. The primary means of authorization for adaptive management programs has been either to explicitly reference the concept of adaptive management in legislation and leave more detailed guidance up to the agency (e.g., Everglades restoration program) or provide broad authorization language that may be interpreted by the executive branch as a mandate for an adaptive management program (e.g., Glen Canyon program). Concluding Remarks

The concept of adaptive management is straight-forward, but its implementation can be difficult. Theoretically, adaptive management uses the best available science and monitoring to guide a project or program towards its stated goals. Appendix. To date, no major outside review of the Platte River Implementation program has been conducted. Since then, multiple documents to guide adaptive management efforts have been produced.
Adaptive management is the process of incorporating new scientific and programmatic information into the implementation of a project or plan to ensure that the goals of the activity are being reached efficiently. It promotes flexible decision-making to modify existing activities or create new activities if new circumstances arise (e.g., new scientific information) or if projects are not meeting their goals.
The complex and dynamic nature of ecosystems make their restoration and management amenable to an adaptive management approach, and the concept is being implemented at scales that include entire regions or river basins. Adaptive management has been used to guide several major ecosystem restoration efforts with involvement by the federal government, including those on the Colorado and Platte rivers. Some of these adaptive management efforts have been specifically authorized by Congress, whereas other efforts have been formulated by agencies. Adaptive management has also been proposed as a guiding principle for several new and ongoing major restoration efforts, including those in the Chesapeake Bay and Lake Tahoe.
The concept of adaptive management is straightforward, but its implementation can be difficult. A preliminary review of federal adaptive management efforts related to ecosystem restoration projects suggests that governance structures, management protocol and other factors vary widely. Additionally, the scope and timing of efforts employing the term "adaptive management" seems to vary among these projects. Where adaptive management has been implemented, it has encountered challenges. While adaptive management theoretically uses the best available science and monitoring to guide a project or program towards its stated goals, in practice the process can be affected by a number of outside factors.
As the number of federal adaptive management efforts grows, Congress may revisit its role in shaping adaptive management programs in legislation. Some argue that Congress should do more to provide specific direction for major adaptive management initiatives in order to make adaptive management more consistent among these efforts. Others contend that Congress should allow federal agencies or restoration governing bodies to shape their own adaptive management programs, thus providing them with flexibility to match their program to their restoration needs. In addressing adaptive management, Congress may face decisions regarding the implementation guidelines and authorizations it provides these efforts, funds to establish and carry out these programs, and oversight issues.
This report provides an introduction to the concept of adaptive management. It focuses on the application of this concept to large, freshwater aquatic ecosystem restoration projects with multiple stakeholders. A summary of the benefits and drawbacks of adaptive management for these projects is provided, along with analysis of potential issues associated with various governance models for these efforts. The potential role for Congress in addressing adaptive management is also discussed. As an appendix, the report summarizes the structure and implementation of federal adaptive management efforts to date five ecosystems: Glen Canyon/Colorado River, Platte River, Lower Colorado River, Missouri River, and Florida Everglades.