Model Considerations for Monitoring Eagle Fatalities at Low-Risk Projects in the United States

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD TO A SINGLE-SOURCE AND THERE IS NO FULL ANNOUNCEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOTICE. This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under Pacific Northwest CESU⿿s (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit) Cooperative and Joint Venture Agreement. CESUs are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. The CESU Network Council competitively selected the CESU host universities through five rounds of formal competition from 1999⿿2003, and periodically reviews and reapproves each host university. This opportunity is consistent with the mission of the CESU Network and application of the CESU Network system-wide indirect cost rate is expected. This funding is being announced under the following authorities: Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C §703 et seq. This funding opportunity will enable collaborative work between a member university of the Pacific Northwest CESU and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Service has identified an immediate need to develop specific tools and protocols for low-risk wind facilities that allow for expedited permit evaluation while ensuring that levels of eagle take are accounted for in a way that is consistent with management objectives. The ability to articulate key uncertainties which influence the models, and to design monitoring programs that can resolve these uncertainties, is particularly important. The goals of this collaboration are to: develop a standardized post-construction monitoring protocol for low-risk wind projects that would enable the Service to determine whether unacceptable levels of eagle take may be occurring, modify current models to better represent low-risk projects, evaluate survey design and data requirements as appropriate, and assist Service staff with implementation of products into the larger eagle permitting framework. The initial effort will focus on revising the collision model and developing monitoring standard for projects in low-risk areas. Later efforts may include modifying the adaptive decision framework, developing or refining collision models with additional complexity, and continuing development of a bald eagle specific model (collision prior).