Cooperative Agreement F24AC01696

INVASIVE SPECIES ERADICATION HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR RECOVERY OF NATIVE SPECIES AND HASPLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE RECOVERY OF U.S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (FWS) TRUST RESOURCES. THIS PROJECTWILL FOCUS ITS EFFORTS ON ADDRESSING THE FWS COASTAL PROGRAM STRATEGIC GOALS IN THE CARIBBEAN BY PROMOTING THEECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF COASTAL FORESTS, THE MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR THREATS TO ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF ESSENTIAL HABITAT FOR STATE AND FEDERAL LISTED SPECIES. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, WE WILL STRENGTHEN THE PLANNING AND PREPARATION OF PARTNERS FOR THE ERADICATION OF BLACK RATS (RATTUS RATTUS) FROMCULEBRITA ISLAND AND LUIS PEA CAY, CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (CNWR), PUERTO RICO. THE PROJECT WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1) IDENTIFY THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE PROCESSES OF FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES FOR A RAT ERADICATION, 2) ADVANCE OPERATIONAL PLANNING THROUGH RESEARCH AND CONSULTATIONS, 3) FINALIZE THE BIOSECURITY PLAN TO PREVENT THE REINVASION OF RODENTS AFTER THE ERADICATION, 4) EVALUATE EXISTING BIOLOGICAL MONITORING PROTOCOLSOF SPECIES OF CONCERN FOR THE CNWR STAFF AND COLLECT BASELINE DATA BEFORE THE REMOVAL OF RODENTS. THIS PROJECTALIGNS WITH THE CNWR COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN (CCP) AND WITH THE SOUTHEAST REGIONAL STRATEGY OF DELISTING SPECIES AND CONSERVING AT-RISK SPECIES TO PRECLUDE FURTHER LISTING AS WELL AS IDENTIFIED BY STATE AGENCIES.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO BUILD UPON ONGOING RESTORATION EFFORTS TO ADVANCE THE RECOVERY OF FIVE LISTEDSPECIES (VIRGIN ISLANDS TREE BOA, LEPTOCEREUS GRANTIANUS, WHEELER S PEPEROMIA, HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE, AND THEROSEATE TERN) AND PREVENT THE LISTING OF ONE AT-RISK SPECIES (CULEBRA SKINK). THE PROJECT WILL TARGET THE COASTALPROGRAM FOCUS AREA OF CNWR AND WILL BE FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS TO CATALYZE SPECIES RECOVERY BY ADDRESSING THE THREAT OF INVASIVE MAMMALS, AS SPECIFIED IN THE RECOVERY CRITERIA. LUIS PEA CAY AND CULEBRITA ISLAND ARE PART OF A MAJOR SEABIRD SITE IN THE CARIBBEAN (HOME TO 14 NESTING AND 10 VISITING SEABIRD SPECIES) AND SUPPORT A SUITE OF SEABIRD SPECIES INJURED DURING THE DEEPWATER HORIZON (DWH) OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO IN 2010. RESTORING THESE OFFSHORE ISLETS WILL ADVANCE THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIORS ONGOING EFFORTS TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE DWH OIL SPILL ON AUDUBONS SHEARWATER, BROWN NODDY, SOOTY TERN, BRIDLED TERN AND WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD.CULEBRITA ISLAND AND LUIS PENA CAY ARE PART OF THE LIST OF PRIORITY ISLANDS FOR INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT ANDRESTORATION FOR THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM IN THE FWS. IN ADDITION, BOTH SITES ARE PRIORITY AREAS OF THESOUTHEAST CONSERVATION BLUEPRINT CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF ISLAND HABITAT FOR FEDERALLY LISTED AND OTHERIMPERILED SPECIES. THIS PROJECT HAS THE PRIMARY INTENTION OF TRANSITIONING TO THE SECOND PLANNING PHASE OF THEERADICATION OF BLACK RATS FROM CULEBRITA ISLAND AND LUIS PEA CAY. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND DELIVERABLES ARE 1) A LIST OF FEDERAL AND STATE COMPLIANCE NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH AERIAL BROADCAST OF RODENTICIDE USING A NOVEL DRONE TECHNOLOGY AND COMPLETING AT LEAST TWO CONSULTATIONS WITH REGULATORY BODIES 2) A REVISED AND DETAILED (SECOND PHASE) OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT BUILDS ON AN EXISTING PLAN AND INCLUDES THE METHODOLOGY, EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL, LOGISTICS, COMMUNICATIONS, MONITORING PROTOCOLS, NON-TARGET MITIGATION ACTIONS, AND OPERATIONAL BUDGET NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE ERADICATION 3) A REVISED AND DETAILED (SECOND PHASE) BIOSECURITY PLAN WHICH ENCOMPASSES RISK PATHWAYS AND BEST PRACTICES GUIDELINES FOR BIOSECURITY MEASURES ON ISLANDS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN 4) IDENTIFYING BIOLOGICAL MONITORING NEEDS FOR BOTH SITES AND REVIEWING CURRENT METHODOLOGIES AND DATA ANALYSIS, PARTICULARLY FOR SEABIRDS AND 5) BASED ON THE BIOLOGICAL MONITORING NEEDS, COLLECTING BASELINE DATA FOR SPECIES OF CONCERN WHICH THE CNWR STAFF CAN MONITOR ONCE BLACK RATS ARE REMOVED.