RMP Governance | San Francisco Estuary Institute

RMP Governance

Program Structure

The San Francisco Bay Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality (RMP) governance structure is composed of a Steering Committee, Technical Review Committee, and workgroups. Strategy teams can also be created to focus on specific program interests. SFEI is the implementing entity for the RMP. All RMP meetings are open to the public.

*The RMP's governing bodies are separate from the Nutrient Management Strategy, which was created in 2014 as a separate entity. However, the RMP contributes some funding to the NMS for ongoing nutrients monitoring, and for special studies through the NMS Science Program. The steering committees of these two SFEI-administered programs maintain frequent communication.

RMP Staff Org Chart.pdf

RMP Committees

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is a formal stakeholder body, structured to represent all of the RMP participant groups. The Steering Committee is the decision-making body for the RMP. All recommendations and information from various groups in the RMP governance structure ultimately flow to the Steering Committee to support its decision-making. Steering Committee meetings are held quarterly. See Details.

Technical Review Committee

Similar to the Steering Committee, the Technical Review Committee (TRC) is a formal stakeholder body, structured to represent the Program Participant Groups. The TRC provides oversight of the technical content and quality of scientific investigations conducted for the RMP and serves as an advisory body and critical link for recommendations that emanate from workgroups and strategy teams and advance to the Steering Committee. TRC meetings are held quarterly. See Details.

Workgroups (for special studies on priority topics)

High priority water quality topics covered by the RMP are primarily addressed by five workgroups: the Emerging Contaminants Workgroup; the Sources, Pathways, and Loadings Workgroup; the PCB Workgroup; the Sediment Workgroup; and the Microplastics Workgroup. Workgroups consist of scientists who are currently studying the Bay, invited science advisors who are nationally-recognized experts in their field, federal and state regulators, and representatives from discharger groups participating in the RMP. Each workgroup meets one to three times a year to address issues concerning the planning and implementation of RMP special studies and relevant elements of Status and Trends monitoring. See Workgroup details on the Special Studies on Priority Topics page.

Strategy Teams

RMP strategy teams provide a forum for local scientists and stakeholders to plan RMP studies. Strategy teams meet as needed to develop long-term RMP study plans for addressing high priority topics.

The RMP also participates in the San Francisco Bay Nutrient Management Strategy, which is developing the science needed for informed decisions about managing nutrient loads and maintaining beneficial uses within the Bay.

RMP Strategy Teams

RMP strategy teams provide a forum for local scientists and stakeholders to plan RMP studies. Strategy teams meet as needed to develop long-term RMP study plans for addressing high priority topics. The only strategy team that is currently meeting is the Sport Fish Strategy Team.

Sport Fish Strategy Team

The RMP Sport Fish Strategy Team includes local stakeholders, agency representatives, and scientists with an interest in the RMP’s long-term monitoring of contaminants in sport fish from San Francisco Bay. RMP sport fish monitoring is performed on a five-year cycle, and includes monitoring of mercury, PCBs, PFAS, and other contaminants in a wide range of fish species. This monitoring provides critical information for tracking water quality trends and for updating the fish consumption advisory for the Bay.

Reports

Meetings (coming soon)