Evaluation of Methodologies for Estimating Winter Food Supply and Habitat Carrying Capacity for American Black Ducks

Post Date

December 2nd 2010

Application Due Date

December 15th 2010

Funding Opportunity Number

FWS-R5-MB-11-069

CFDA Number(s)

15.655

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Grant

Funding Activity Categories

Environment

Number of Awards

1

Eligibility Categories

Public and State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education

Funding

• Estimated Total Funding:

  $40000

• Award Range:

  $10000 - $40000

Grant Description

THERE IS NO FULL ANNOUNCEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOTICE. This is a Notice of Intent to Award a Grant Agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and University of Delaware for the purpose of Evaluation of Methodologies for Estimating Winter Food Supply and Habitat Carrying Capacity for American Black Ducks at E.B. Forsythe NWR and Surrounding Areas. This Single Source Award is being made in accordance with Department of the Interior Policy 505 DM 2, 2.14 B(4), which allows for award to an applicant who is uniquely qualified technical expertise. The University of Delaware, a Public Institution of Higher Education, is uniquely qualified because of the University’s role as the lead organization in coordinating the assessment of black duck food sampling and evaluations of habitat carrying capacity surrounding areas. This project will evaluate methods used to measure food supply and will be used to fulfill specific objectives of the President’s Executive Order 13508: Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Based on their experience in measuring and evaluating food resources in conjunction with previous investigators are widely recognized as experts in conducting these activities. They also posses the only dataset available in which to make comparisons of black duck food resources in this location. There are no other organizations or investigators with comparable information or experience necessary to complete this project, and are uniquely qualified to carryout this project in a timely and cost-effective manner. The purpose of the proposed agreement is to further monitoring, research, and conservation activities for tidal marsh birds of New England. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712) authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions and to accomplish the purposes of the migratory bird conventions with Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the Soviet Union. The grantee will coordinate and implement an evaluation of methodologies for estimating winter food supply and habitat carrying capacity of American black ducks at E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas. Services will include: A. Core sampling of invertebrates and seeds, necktonic sweep netting, fish sweep netting, trapping, and seining, and stove pipe sampling of salt marsh grasses to measure snails. B. Test two core-sampling techniques for reducing variance of invertebrate and seed estimates. C. Calculate total energy supply and compare to black duck energy demand data collected within the same study area as part of a separate Black Duck Joint Venture study.

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of the Interior

• Office:

  Fish and Wildlife Service

• Agency Contact:

  Christal Cutler
  Grants Officer
  Phone 413-253-8233

• Agency Mailing Address:

  POC for electronic errors

• Agency Email Address:

  christal_cutler@fws.gov