Caribou Seasonal Behavior and Movements

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This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program. CESUs are partnerships that provide research technical assistance and education. This announcement is notification of intent to award a CESU agreement to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for a study of the seasonal behavior and movements of the Northwest Arctic Caribou Herd and how caribou behavior may be influenced by human activity.The project intended award estimate is $78,000, for the period of 7/5/2012 to 09/30/2014.Objectives: Document traditional knowledge related to the seasonal behavior and movements of the Researchers will perform semi-structured and participatory mapping interviews with knowledgeable individuals of Noatak to identify activities that may influence caribou distribution and movements, including fall migration and where caribou cross major rivers. The semi-structured interview with participatory mapping format was selected for its potential to capture more subtle and detailed information than a fixed survey or questionnaire, and to provide spatially explicit local and traditional knowledge. Questionnaires and/or additional interviews will be conducted in other Northwest Arctic Borough villages (e.g., Kotzebue, Kiana, Noorvik). NPS cooperators will work with the UAF project team to integrate caribou distribution and movement data with local knowledge findings to identify concurrence and hotspots. The project will produce a final report to be delivered to the NPS in a format that allows that it be integrated to the larger project investigating user conflicts within the region.The NPS will contribute expertise in GIS analysis of findings from participatory mapping research, as needed by the research team. NPS will contribute to the development and design of the project and review and comment on interview protocols. NPS may assist with aviation expenditures if there is NPS pilot and plane availability. The NPS will provide housing in Kotzebue as available and needed as researchers travel to and from northwest Alaska villages as part of their work for this project. The NPS will provide logistical support when possible. NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:Issued under a Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) program.(1) 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 if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

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