Data Collection and analysis to support management of priority species and their habitats in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mountain-Prairie Region

Activity 1. Synthesize, organize and clean data sets USFWS will collate, organize and provide all pertinent Rio Grande Sucker and Chub data sets to CSU with associated metadata. CSU will work with USFWS to clean existing Rio Grande Sucker and Chub data sets from Baca National Wildlife Refuge in preparation for analysis. Activity 2. Analyze population data to estimate population size and other demographic parameters (e.g., survival) CSU will analyze Rio Grande Sucker and Chub data sets to estimate population size, survival, and movement rates using mark-recapture modeling and incorporating both in hand and passive data sources and other methods as appropriate. Estimates of parameter uncertainty will be calculated. Activity 3. Prepare final report CSU will prepare a final report with the results of the analysis from Activity 2. The report will include an Introduction, a detailed description of Methods, a Results section and a Discussion section. The report will include a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) appendix that describes in detail how USFWS staff will carry out population estimates and estimates of demographic parameters on an annual basis. USFWS will review the draft report and assist with writing the Introduction and Discussion sections. Activity 4. Train Service staff CSU will plan and lead a 3-day training for select Service staff focused on the analysis methods used in Activity 2. The training will parallel the SOP appendix from Activity 3. USFWS staff will assist CSU with planning for the training event.