OpportunityTitle: Masked Bobwhite Quail Survey - Mexico
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD TO A SINGLE SOURCE; THERE IS NO &#147;FULL ANNOUNCEMENT&#148; ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOTICE.  This Notice is NOT a request for competitive proposals.  In accordance with Department of the Interior guidance (505 DM2 at 2.14) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) hereby provides notice of intent to make a single-source award for this project under criterion #2 (Continuation) and #4 (Unique Qualifications) to &#147;Eduardo Gomez&#148; in the amount of $28,100 via a modification to an existing agreement with the recipient.   The objective of the agreement is to maintain a long-term Masked Bobwhite Quail (MBQ) Survey Program in Sonora, Mexico.  The MBQ is arguably the most endangered bird in North America and a high priority species for recovery efforts by the Service.  They are extinct in the wild in the United States and there are very few left in Mexico.  The key to its recovery is to annually monitor areas in Sonora where they are still known to exist, survey other parts of their historic range to find new populations and to identify and record areas where good habitat still exists for use as introduction sites in the future.  Further competition would jeopardize the MBQ Survey Program by interrupting the surveys in the middle of the breeding season at a critical time in the recovery efforts for this species by the FWS.  In addition, the recipient is a Mexican biologist and a MBQ expert, the only MBQ expert in northwestern Mexico.  Since 2006, Mr. Gomez has been coordinating MBQ surveys in Sonora for the FWS under the existing cooperative agreement.  Because he lives in Sonora and can speak Spanish, he has been extremely effective in training other Mexican biologists to assist in the surveys, working with land owners in Sonora to gain access to lands to conduct surveys, interviewing ranchers about areas where MBQ might be found, and monitoring areas where the FWS currently has conservation agreements with some landowners.  Mr. Gomez&#146;s combination of education and experience make him uniquely qualified to coordinate and execute MBQ surveys and facilitate outreach to landowners.  His participation has been invaluable.
Description: The objective of the agreement is to maintain a long-term Masked Bobwhite Quail (MBQ) Survey Program in Sonora, Mexico. The MBQ is arguably the most endangered bird in North America and a high priority species for recovery efforts by the Service. They are extinct in the wild in the United States and there are very few left in Mexico. The key to its recovery is to annually monitor areas in Sonora where they are still known to exist, survey other parts of their historic range to find new populations and to identify and record areas where good habitat still exists for use as introduction sites in the future. The purpose of the modification to the existing cooperative agreement is to maintain the current level of survey effort and consistency in the performance of the surveys, and to avoid any delays that could cause the program to lose valuable information. Substantial involvement by the FWS is anticipated for the successful completion of the objective of the agreement. In particular, the FWS will be responsible for a) providing the recipient and recipient&#146;s assistants training in the latest survey techniques, and instruction on procedures for recording data; b) assisting in conducting masked bobwhite quail surveys during the peak period of the bird&#146;s breeding season; c) reviewing data collected to insure that it is collected and recorded according to FWS monitoring protocols; d) meeting with the recipient monthly to review progress and provide input as needed; e) serving as liaison between the recipient and the Masked Bobwhite Quail Recovery Team; and f) collaborating with the recipient to provide updates to the Recovery Team.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Help/Questions
GrantorContactText: Robert Mesta  &lt;br/&gt;Sonoran Joint Venture Coordinator &lt;br/&gt;Phone 520-882-0047