Moose and Wolf Capture Operations and Cooperative Studies

Post Date

March 13th 2009

Application Due Date

March 27th 2009

Funding Opportunity Number

701819R148

CFDA Number(s)

15.608

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Cooperative Agreement

Funding Activity Categories

Environment

Number of Awards

1

Eligibility Categories

State Governments

Funding

• Estimated Total Funding:

  $10000

• Award Range:

  $1000 - $10000

Grant Description

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Headquarters Region 7 intends to award a single source Cooperative Agreement to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation. This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made 10 days after this notice. PURPOSE: The continued monitoring, management, and study of factors affecting the abundance of moose, caribou, and wolves on the Alaska Peninsula. Data regarding population demographics such as population composition, recruitment, and survival rates provide information that is fundamental to the Department’s management decisions regarding the moose, caribou, and wolves on the Alaska Peninsula. Radio-collared animals are an essential component of monitoring activities as they provide information regarding the locations, movements, and survival rates of moose, caribou, and wolves on the Alaska Peninsula. This information facilitates appropriate management of moose, caribou, and wolves for the long-term benefit of subsistence and recreational users. The purpose of this agreement is to provide support and assistance to the Department in acquiring information fundamental to the management of game species and ongoing cooperative projects. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this agreement are to provide support and assistance to the Department for 2009 capture operations for moose, caribou, and wolves. Capture operations will be conducted by Department wildlife biologists and Service staff of the Alaska Peninsula/Becharof National Wildlife Refuges during 2009. Capture operations will be conducted within Game Management Units 9C and 9E. BACKGROUND Moose and Wolves Moose are an important subsistence species for residents of the Alaska Peninsula. A dramatic decline in local caribou abundance since the early 1990s has resulted in increased use of moose to meet subsistence harvest needs and a concomitant increase in local interest regarding moose population status and trends. Moose also are a popular resource among recreational hunters and the Alaska Peninsula is world renowned as a trophy moose hunting destination. Willow communities preferred by moose occur throughout the Refuges and the majority of high-quality moose habitat occurs on Refuge lands. Important winter moose concentrations occur within the Kejulik, Dog Salmon, Meshik, and Chignik River drainages. Other important winter concentrations also occur near the Ugashik Lakes, Mother Goose Lake, Black Lake, and Yantarni, Mitrofania, and Stepovak Bays. Moose have been present on the Alaska Peninsula since the early 1900s, but were not abundant until the 1950s. The population peaked during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Liberal harvest regulations were in place during 1964–1973 but restrictions on harvest were initiated during 1974 as the population began to decline. Comparisons of trend area surveys indicated moose in the area had declined considerably (approximately 60% of peak numbers) by the early 1980s. These declines were apparently the result of poor habitat conditions and low calf recruitment. Habitat condition and predation by brown bears and wolves have likely hindered population recovery to pre-decline abundance. Despite reportedly low calf recruitment, contemporary moose trend area data indicate that moose numbers have remained relatively stable on the Alaska Peninsula during the past 25 years. Current Department management objectives for moose in Unit 9 are to: 1) maintain existing moose densities in areas with moderate (0.5–1.5 moose per mi2) or high moose densities (1.5–2.5 moose per mi2), 2) increase low moose densities (< 0.5 moose per mi2) where habitat conditions are not limiting, 3) maintain bull:cow ratios of ≥25 bulls:100 cows in moderate and high moose density areas, and 4) maintain bull:cow ratios of ≥40 bulls:100 cows in low-density areas. The monitoring of local moose and wolf population parameters provide valuable information for the ongoing management of moose and their predators on the Alaska Peninsula. Data regarding population demographics such as recruitment and survival rates are fundamental to the Department’s management decisions regarding moose and wolves in Unit 9. Radio-collared animals are an essential component of monitoring activities as they provide information regarding the locations, movements, and survival rates of moose and wolves. Initiatives by the Bristol Bay Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, Bristol Bay Native Association, and local Fish & Game Advisory Committees, have requested improved information on moose and wolves to support Department and Service management decisions. Consistent with the principles of ecosystem management and the laws and polices listed above, effective management of the Refuges is done in close coordination with the State of Alaska. The Department has the primary responsibility for managing resident wildlife populations such as moose and wolves. Information regarding moose such as abundance, composition, survival, calf recruitment, and deleterious factors are fundamental to the Department’s management decisions regarding seasons and bag limits for moose on the Alaska Peninsula. Information regarding wolves such as abundance, survival, movements, and predation rates also is important to the Department for making management decisions regarding wolf management. As a major land manager of moose and habitat on the Alaska Peninsula, the Service has an interest in the status of moose and their predators. Therefore, the staff of the Department and the refuge staffs of the Service at the Alaska Peninsula/Becharof National Wildlife Refuges regularly cooperate on surveys and studies of moose and wolves. Refuge funding has allowed for the continued monitoring, management, and study of factors affecting moose and wolf abundance on the Alaska Peninsula. The Department has requested the assistance of the Service to accomplish wolf and moose capture operations during 2009. Caribou Historically, the Northern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd (NAPCH) has been an important subsistence resource for the 12 communities in Game Management Units (GMU) 9C & 9E. The NAPCH also was a popular resource among recreational hunters prior to a moratorium on hunting in 2005. Similarly, the Southern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd (SAPCH) has been an important resource to subsistence and recreational users in GMUs 9D and 10 prior to closure of subsistence and recreational harvest in 2007. Initiatives by the Bristol Bay Native Association, local Fish & Game Advisory Committees, Bristol Bay Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, and the Aniakchak Subsistence Resource Commission have requested improved information to support State and Federal management decisions. Improved understanding of the NAPCH was the first priority of the 1997 Bristol Bay-Kodiak Ecosystem Partners meeting, as well as a priority issue with participants in the Bristol Bay Native Association’s 1998 Northern Alaska Peninsula Caribou & Moose Workshop. More recently, the Bristol Bay Native Association organized a Subsistence Summit for residents of the Alaska Peninsula at which refuge staff and the Department’s Area Biologist discussed the ecology of local caribou declines. The Northern Alaska Peninsula caribou Herd (NAPCH) has declined by approximately 88% since the early 1990s. This dramatic decline has resulted in unmet demand for subsistence harvest. Composition surveys in 1998 indicated that NAPCH bull:cow ratios had declined and thus, a reduced quantity of harvestable bulls was available for subsistence and recreational harvest. Consequently in 1999, the Alaska Board of Game limited the NAPCH harvest to 600 bulls to be allocated as Tier II permits and the Federal Subsistence Board closed federal lands to non-local hunters. The NAPCH continued to decline and the Alaska Board of Game reduced the number of available Tier II permits to 400 in 2000. The Department continued to distribute 400 Tier II permits through 2003. As the harvestable quantity of caribou continued to decline, the number of Tier II permits was further reduced to 100 and 40 in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The NAPCH was subsequently closed to all hunting in 2005. Current understanding of caribou herd dynamics suggests that fall calf:cow ratios near 25 calves:100 cows are necessary to maintain migratory caribou herds at stable or increasing levels. Estimated NAPCH calf:cow ratios averaged 32.7 calves:100 cows from 1992-2002. Since 2003, estimated calf:cow ratios have declined precipitously with an average of 9.2 calves:100 cows from 2003-2007 and this level or recruitment is unlikely to support stabilization or recovery of the NAPCH. In addition, bull:cow ratios have also declined by approximately 19% since 2002. The Department objective for the NAPCH is 25-40 bull:100 cows. However, 2007 composition surveys indicate that current NAPCH bull:cow ratios (27 bulls:100 cows) are below favorable levels. The effects of decreased range conditions, diseases, parasites, and predators have been proposed as potential factors limiting NAPCH numbers. Indications of nutritional stress, including low-body weights, high incidence of disease, and delayed year of first reproduction were reported during the late 1990’s. In addition, limited studies of range conditions suggested the winter range of the NAPCH may have been negatively affected by overgrazing. Preliminary results of a cooperative radio-telemetry study (2005-2007), indicated low survival rates, poor nutrition, poor recruitment, high levels of parasites and disease, and high predation rates on neonates are having adverse effects on NAPCH numbers. Consistent with the principles of ecosystem management and the laws and polices listed above, effective management of the Refuges is done in close coordination with the State of Alaska. The Department has the primary responsibility for managing resident wildlife populations such as caribou. Estimates of herd size, herd composition, and calf recruitment are fundamental to the Department’s management decisions regarding seasons and bag limits for caribou herds on the Alaska Peninsula. As a major land manager of caribou habitat on the Alaska Peninsula and Unimak Island, the Service has an interest in the status of the NAPCH, Southern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd, and Unimak caribou herd. Therefore, the staff of the Department and the refuge staffs of the Service at the Alaska Peninsula/Becharof National Wildlife Refuges regularly cooperate on surveys and studies of the caribou herds. Refuge funding has allowed for the continued monitoring, management, and study of factors affecting the abundance of these herds. REASON FOR SINGLE SOURCE: (1) Continuation – The activity for which this agreement will support is necessary to the 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. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has the primary responsibility for managing resident wildlife populations such as moose, caribou, and wolves. Consistent with the principles of ecosystem management and the laws and polices listed below, effective management of the Refuges has been done in close coordination with the State of Alaska Department of Fish & Game. The staffs of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Alaska Peninsula/Becharof NWR) regularly cooperate on surveys and studies of moose, caribou, and wolves on the Alaska Peninsula. Refuge funding has allowed for the continued monitoring, management, and study of factors affecting the abundance of these populations. (2) Legislative intent – The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress’ intent to restrict award to a particular recipient or purpose. This agreement is entered into under the authority of the Fish & Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 USC 661 to 666C; the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, 16 USC 410hh, 43 USC 1602-1784; and the Master Memorandum of Understanding (13 March 1982) between the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service which sets the framework for cooperation between the two agencies. (3) Unique Qualifications – 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, and if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has the primary responsibility for managing moose, caribou, and wolves on the Alaska Peninsula. In addition, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game meets other criteria which preclude competition for this cooperative agreement, including location, property ownership, technical expertise, and support capacity.

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of the Interior

• Office:

  Fish and Wildlife Service

• Agency Contact:

  Dom Watts 907-246-1210
  

• Agency Mailing Address:

  Government Point of Contact

• Agency Email Address:

  dom_watts@fws.gov

• Location:

  Region 7