OpportunityTitle: NOVELTY IN A PREDATOR-PREY SYSTEM FACILITATED BY HUMANS AND CLIMATE: POLAR BEARS, GRIZZLY BEARS AND MUSKOXEN
Description: This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities without competition. ABSTRACT Funding Announcement P16AS00255 Project Title NOVELTY IN A PREDATOR-PREY SYSTEM FACILITATED BY HUMANS AND CLIMATE: POLAR BEARS, GRIZZLY BEARS AND MUSKOXEN Recipient Colorado State University Total Anticipated Award Amount $153,157 Cost Share 0.00 Anticipated Length of Agreement 4 Years Anticipated Period of Performance September 1, 2015 &#226;&#191;&#191; December 30, 2019 Award Instrument CESU Task Agreement Statutory Authority 54 USC 101702 (b) Cooperative Research and Training Programs CFDA # and Title 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Continuation Point of Contact Erica Cordeiro OVERVIEW The rarest large mammal in any National Park Service unit is muskoxen, a species that once roamed Beringia with wooly mammoths. Now, however, muskoxen confront twin challenges-warming temperatures and long instilled &#226;&#191;&#191;once adaptive&#226;&#191;&#191; behaviors that today create conflicts with humans. Although muskoxen are becoming an increasingly visible and a celebrated Arctic species, their populations are no longer uniformly increasing. This project capitalizes on three key opportunities developed by the research efforts during the past seven years to enhance and inspire an understanding of Beringia systems: 1) expanding infrastructure, trust and shared expertise that involved local citizens and scientists within and beyond protected areas in both Chukotka and Alaska; 2) the novelty of a challenging predator-prey system with bears (polar and grizzly); and 3) assessment of effects from harvest-based manipulations of adult sex rations, and discovery of pre-conditions leading to additional human-muskoxen conflicts. If it can be first understood why and how the ecology of muskoxen changes, expected outcomes of management actions can be amplified to improve conservation. The work to be accomplished under the project expands upon existing, and will build new, relationships with Alaskan native communities, especially Shishmaref and Kotzebue, with federal authorities, and critically with Russian collaborators in Pevek and Wrangel Island. Overall, the project has unparalleled opportunities to strongly promote bilateral capacity, education, scientific training, and conservation while fundamentally galvanizing regional and global interest in the nature of change in Beringia ecosystems. While science in its own right is of key importance, the ultimate aim of this project is to inspire and inform broader audiences of the splendor and frailty of Beringia Arctic and to showcase opportunities for additional collaboration between Russia and the USA. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN The three specific goals of the project are: 1) Develop scientific knowledge about how muskoxen respond to bears so that the consequences of the biological interactions can be better understood, as well as substantiate how indirect effects of human actions, such as sex ratio skew, may affect muskoxen survival and shape management options. 2) Inform and inspire the public &#226;&#191;&#191; locally, regionally, nationally and internationally &#226;&#191;&#191; about exciting scientific approaches to conservation while building bi-lateral capacity for research and interest about the changing nature of Beringia&#226;&#191;&#191;s diversity. 3) Provide a research platform on which to support others interested in samples or data from this remote and logistically challenging environment, thus adding further opportunities for initiating new collaborations and partnerships. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT Colorado State University agrees to: a) Manage the project and provide all supervision. b) Conduct systematic field tests to collect data about potential vulnerability of muskoxen to bears at three primary sites: Cape Thompson region including CAKR, BELA and Wrangel Island. c) Perform analyses of systematically collected data and recorded responses. d) Work directly and cooperatively with the NPS and partners in Alaska and Chukotka to complete the goals and deliverables outlined under this project. e) Carrou out an extensive outreach and educational program comprised of, but not limited to, public presentations in the local Alaskan communities, professional conferences, professionals at various institutions in the US and Russia, blog posts, op-eds and popular articles highlighting on-going research. f) Submit a final scientific report. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT National Park Service agrees to: a) Provide technical expertise to review project&#226;&#191;&#191;s draft reports, products and final scientific report. b) Facilitate dissemination of final product to relevant communities and organizations. c) Provide technical assistance and expertisze to the project including logistical support, travel arrangements including international travel, and safety briefings related to this project, geographic location and remote areas. SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS 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 justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable. In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria: (1) Unsolicited Proposal &#226;&#191;&#191; The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives; (2) Continuation &#226;&#191;&#191; The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity; (3) Legislative intent &#226;&#191;&#191; The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress&#226;&#191;&#191; intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose; (4) Unique Qualifications &#226;&#191;&#191; The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications; (5) Emergencies &#226;&#191;&#191; Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed. NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: This project is a continuation of the first year of this project. Also, Colorado State University is a part of the CESU program which was competed.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Work
GrantorContactText: Erica Cordeiro 907-644-3315&lt;br/&gt;Erica_Cordeiro@nps.gov&lt;br/&gt;
CloseDateExplanation: This is a notice of intent to award to Colorado State University.  This is the second year of a four year project.  Also, this is a part of the CESU network and as such, has already been competed.