OpportunityTitle: Effects of Infanticide Risk on Brown Bear Resource Selection in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Description: NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD 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 P16AS00505 Project Title Effects of Infanticide Risk on Brown Bear Resource Selection in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska Recipient Mississippi State University Principle Investigator / Program Manager Jerrold Belant Total Anticipated Award Amount $85075 Cost Share None New Award or Continuation? Continuation Anticipated Length of Agreement 3 Years Anticipated Period of Performance 8/30/15 &#226;&#191;&#191; 12/30/2018 Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement Statutory Authority 54USC&#194;&#167;100703 Cooperative Studies Units: The Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, including land grant schools, in partnership with other Federal and State agencies, to establish cooperative study units to conduct multi-disciplinary research and develop integrated information products on the resources of the System, or the larger region of which System units are a part. CFDA # and Title 15.945, Cooperative Research and Training Programs &#226;&#191;&#191; Resources of the National Park System (CESU) Single Source Justification Criteria Cited (4) Unique Qualifications NPS Point of Contact Erica Cordeiro OVERVIEW Lake Clark National Park Preserve (LACL) was established to &#226;&#191;&#191;protect habitat for and populations of fish and wildlife.&#226;&#191;&#157; Bristol Bay is world renown for large sockeye salmon runs and brown bears fill an essential ecological role by transferring marine derived nutrients from salmon into terrestrial ecosystems. Within this extremely productive ecosystem, brown bears reach some of the highest densities in the world. High densities combined with predictable concentrations at food sources make brown bears a prime species for wildlife viewing. Bear viewing is the most popular activity for visitors to LACL, and sport/subsistence hunting of brown bears is economically and culturally important for visitors and local residents. External to the park&#226;&#191;&#191;s boundary a number of proposed resource development projects have raised concerns regarding potential impacts to brown bears and other wildlife. To date, no data exist on demographics, movement patterns, or ecology of brown bears in LACL, limiting NPS&#226;&#191;&#191; assessment of potential impacts from resource development. Shifting resource availability and bear movement patterns have implications for their ability to respond to changes in habitat quality and prey availability. This project will assess resource selection and denning ecology of brown bears within LACL. These data will improve our understanding of the ecological niche of brown bears, our ability to assess potential impacts of the proposed development, and management of bear hunting and bear viewing activities by visitors and local residents. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN Investigators from MSU and NPS staff will collaborate to accomplish the following specific objectives. 1) Estimate seasonal and annual space use of radio-collared brown bears 2) Determine extent of landscape heterogeneity and seasonal resource availability. 3) Estimate relative influence of temporal and spatial resource availability on brown bear space use. 4) Determine den-site selection of radio-collared brown bears, emphasizing potential risk of infanticide. 5) Determine potential spatial segregation between den sites of male and female bears, particularly females with dependent young. 6) Determine potential temporal segregation between den entrance and exit dates for male and female bears, particularly females with dependent young. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT MSU will use animal location data to determine the seasonal and annual home range size of radio-collared brown bears and how the landscape heterogeneity and seasonal resource availability their affect their area use. Brown bear den site selection will be assessed with a focus on the spatial segregation of male and female dens and the potential risk of infanticide for females with dependent young. Data on den entrance and emergence dates for male and female bears will be analyzed to assess the potential of temporal segregation to prevent encounters between male bears and females with dependent young. MSU will complete the final project report and draft two manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Use animal location data from GAAR to broaden the spatial assessment and determine: 4) den site entrance and emergence timing as a factor in lowering energetic costs, 5) spatial attributes of dens sites that provide increases in thermal cover and minimize risk 6) body composition of bears using salmon will have higher fat percentages. Complete a final report and draft three manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The final project report will be formatted in the NPS Natural Resources Technical Report series format (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM/). NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT Substantial involvement on the part the National Park Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, the National Park Service will be responsible for the following: NPS will be fully engaged in all stages of the discussions in support of this project as we see it meeting a critical need for LACL. Specifically, we will participate in all stages of this project including study design, logistic planning, data and model analyses, and report and publication preparation. NPS will provide bear location data that will be used in spatial and temporal analyses of bear movements, resource selection, denning locations, and home range size. NPS will provide GIS (geographic information system) data on landscape features in LACL. Additionally, NPS will support and organize internal and external opportunities for the results of this project to be shared with bear management agencies both regionally and more broadly, park staff, local subsistence users, and the general public. 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. The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: Continuation Project: This agreement is in collaboration with Mississippi State University under Master Cooperative agreement P12AC51051. Mississippi State University is within the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit (CESU) and as such, has already successfully competed for research collaborative projects. Justification to award to MSU is not required.
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 a continuation project to a cooperative ecosystem study unit (CESU) partner.  CESUs are not required to be competed as they are competed when inducted into the CESU program.