Shorebirds Study, Western Arctic Parklands

Description

This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project with University of Alaska Anchorage under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program. CESUs are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. The project intended award is $33,926. STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Agreements Concerning Cooperative Research and Training on NPS Resources (16 U.S.C. § 1a-2(j)): The Secretary may enter into agreements with public or private educational institutions, States and their political subdivisions, for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the resources of the National Park System, and pursuant to such agreements, to accept from and make available to the cooperator such technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative research units as the Secretary deems appropriate. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN: Project Description This is a collaborative effort between UAA and NPS to assess important staging areas in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA) and Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR) for post-breeding shorebirds and to communicate the findings of this effort to the local community, park visitors, and international communities. This project builds on existing research by Federal, State, local and international partners to pursue the global objective of addressing the effects of climate changes on wildlife. Phase 1) Plan survey design and logistics. During spring 2014, UAA will complete the NPS Research Compliance and Permit Process and will obtain the necessary permits for conducting low-level aerial surveys. UAA will schedule pilots to conduct surveys and will consult with local native/tribal groups about this project. Phase 2). Conduct aerial surveys. During two, one-week periods in late-July and early August 2014, coinciding with peak shorebird use, Dr. Taylor (UAA) will conduct low-level aerial surveys of transects. Phase 3) Summarize and communicate findings. Dr. Taylor (UAA) will summarize results of these surveys in a detailed technical report to be completed in spring 2015. This report will include a map showing spatial variation in post-breeding shorebird use across WEAR littoral habitats. It will also include site-specific estimates of shorebird use, tables detailing species composition, and figures describing migration phenology. Dr. Taylor (UAA) will deliver an oral presentation that summarizes this study to park managers and meet with park interpretative staff in Kotzebue. Public Purpose This project allows for facilitating partnership opportunities with neighboring countries (specifically Canada, Mexico, and neighboring Pacific Islands), and building sister park relationships throughout the Pacific and Arctic Oceans to enhance marine resource conservation and education of the public's natural resources. Dr. Audrey Taylor (UAA) is well connected with both Alaskan and Russian members of Beringia's shorebird research community and actively engages in partnerships, which address circumpolar and regional issues that affect shorebird conservation. These national and international level relationships will be critical for developing and implementing park-based shorebird conservation and management activities. Communicating the status of migratory birds to the public is crucial to local and international conservation efforts. Migratory birds offer a unique platform for conveying the concept of ecological connectivity across international boundaries. In this way, shorebirds provide educational opportunities that can connect youth in rural Alaskan communities to each other and to youth in Beringia and Asia and Central/South America. Using an existing and nationally recognized educational program about bird species of concern in northern Alaska (12 Species of Concern Program, delivered annually in schools in Anaktuvuk Pass and Fairbanks), the UAA and park interpretative staff will integrate shorebirds and these research activities into the curriculum for all communities neighboring BELA and CAKR. Similarly, the information from this project will be incorporated in an existing web-based educational program (developed in part by the P.I.) on western sandpipers, which is available to the public. The partner, in cooperation with the National Park Service will: 1. Provide a technical report detailing spatial variation in post-breeding shorebird use in WEAR littoral habitats. Provide a one-page, ¿resource brief¿ summary. 2. Provide regionally specific and relevant shorebird information to supplement the curriculum for the 12 Species of Concern Program (NPS, K-12 program delivered annually in schools in Anaktuvuk Pass and Fairbanks) to include shorebirds and the concept of pre-migratory staging in the life cycle of migratory birds. 3. UAA will complete the NPS Research Compliance and Permit Process and will obtain the necessary permits for conducting low-level aerial surveys. UAA will schedule pilots to conduct surveys and will consult with local native/tribal groups about this project. 4. Conduct low-level aerial surveys of transects. 5. Dr. Taylor (UAA) will deliver an oral presentation that summarizes this study to park managers, schools, and communities, and will summarize results of the surveys in a detailed technical report. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT -Substantial Involvement : 1. Provide financial assistance to UAA in the amount of $33,926 for the project scope of work. 2. Assign (Lois DalleMolle) as the Agreement Technical Representative (ATR). 3. Provide additional technical assistance will the project by NPS staff Jeremy Mizel and Stacia Backensto (Arctic Network I&M (ARCN) Wildlife Biologists). 4. Coordinating aerial survey plan and use of NPS housing in Kotzebue. This will be completed by June, 1 2014. 5. Transfer of information to Dr. Taylor gathered from related and ongoing work concerning shorebirds in this area. This is ongoing throughout the course of this project. 6. Assist with design and completion of a resource brief for park managers, schools, and communities. This assistance will occur during October and November 2014. 7. Facilitate information transfer between Dr. Taylor and NPS interpretive staff and collaborate with Dr. Taylor and park interpretive staff to develop these portions of bird migration and species of concern curriculum for its delivery to schools in northwestern Alaska. This assistance will occur during October and November 2014. 8. Review of the aerial survey report by Jeremy Mizel (ARCN Wildlife Biologist) to be completed by May 1, 2015. 9. Provide assistance with survey design, analysis, map creation in GIS, and report writing. SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION: Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award . The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: ¿ (4) Unique Qualifications- Dr. Taylor is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon technical expertise and scholarship in addition to her partnerships and commitment to conservation of Beringia¿s shorebird research community. Dr. Taylor¿s prior work, using the same methods, on the North Slope of Alaska to document shorebird use of coastal habitat was fundamental in defining important shorebird habitat for the final IPA/EIS NPR-A document. These well-tested methods will be used to develop management plans for shorebirds in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Technical contact information: Lois DalleMolle, lois_dalle-molle@nps.gov, 907-455-0635 National Park Service, Alaska Region. End of FOA

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