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Shorebirds Study, Western Arctic Parklands

National Park Service · Opportunity P14AS00118

Who can apply

• Public and State institutions of higher education

About this opportunity

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

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