What is the GAO Report?
In March 2008, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released an audit on the IBMP. It stated the partner agencies were not fulfilling adaptive management practices as defined by law. GAO recommended the IBMP be revised as follows: • Clearly define measurable objectives and refine, revise, or replace the plan and procedures as needed • Define specific scientific and management questions to be answered and incorporate the results into the IBMP • Make all documents reflecting decisions and actions easily accessible to the public • Report annually to Congress on the progress and expenditures related to the plan Q: Has the IBMP been revised? A: Between August and December 2008, the leaders and managers of the five state and federal agencies involved in managing bison met seven times to begin implementing changes recommended by the GAO. These meetings were open to the public and agencies accepted public comment. The primary changes to the IBMP included: • Establish www.ibmp.info to pro
