Protocol Development for Waterfowl, Waterbirds, Cranes Surveys on National Wildlife Refuges in US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2

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The Inventory and Monitoring Program in the Southwest Region (Region 2) of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) needs to develop refuge-specific monitoring protocols for wetland birds on 9 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. These refuges are Bitter Lake NWR, Maxwell NWR, Las Vegas NWR, Muleshoe NWR, Washita NWR, Salt Plains NWR, Tishomingo NWR, Hagerman NWR, and Sequoya NWR. The purpose of the protocols is to insure relevant biotic and abiotic information is collected consistently through time, and that the information collected can be used to evaluate management on refuge (Adaptive Management and Strategic Habitat Conservation). The monitoring protocols must conform to requirements of the National Wildlife Refuge System's (NWRS) Survey Protocol Template. The protocols will guide weekly and bi-weekly survey efforts of for waterfowl, waterbirds, sandhill cranes, and other wetland birds on each of the refuges. Developing protocols will require site visits to each of the individual refuges to acquire geospatial information. Site visits will be scheduled at the convenience of each of the refuges in order to overlap with their regularly scheduled wetland bird surveys and must occur between October 15, 2014, and January 31, 2015. Protocol development will require frequent engagement with Service staff. During development, all nine protocols will receive rigorous review by refuge staff (Wildlife Biologists and/or Refuge Managers) and peer review by both Service staff and non-Service personnel. The Zone Biologist for each refuge will arrange for all peer reviews once draft protocols are in a near final state. Edits and suggestions made by reviewers must be incorporated into the protocols; if the applicant disagrees with the suggestions dialog must occur promptly and the disagreement must be resolved by all parties. Protocols will be written in a style that conforms to that of natural resource, conservation, and wildlife management trade journals (e.g., Journal of Wildlife Management), and must also include all required elements a NWRS Survey Protocol (for example, background, objectives, sampling design, data management, and standing operating procedures). Preparation of protocols will require familiarity with hand-held Global Positioning Systems and ability to use with professional geospatial software. Integration of geospatial information into the protocols will be required. Preparation of protocols will require familiarity with standard wildlife survey and estimation techniques, particularity techniques used to survey large concentrations of wetland birds; the ability to translate those survey and estimation techniques into standard operating procedures will also be required. On-site housing at either Buffalo Lake NWR, Umbarger, Texas, or Muleshoe NWR, Muleshoe, Texas (location to be determined by the Service based on housing availability) will be provided by the grantor during the duration of the grant. The grantee must be able to pass required Service background checks in order to utilize telecommunications and computer equipment. Informal updates will be required monthly. A progress report that includes the status of each refuge-specific protocol will be required at 6 months. All nine protocols must be in final form at the end of the contract agreement period, and these protocols will serve as final reports.

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