Cooperative Agreement G23AC00649

PROJECT TITLE: NAFWS-USGS BIG GAME MIGRATION CORRIDOR MAPPING PROJECT FOR TRIBES IN WESTERN STATESPROJECT PERIOD: 10 1 2023 THROUGH 9 30 2026ABSTRACT: CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF MIGRATION CORRIDORS AND SEASONAL RANGE DECLINES OF LARGE UNGULATE POPULATIONS HAVE PROMPTED A LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH PROJECT DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT HABITATS FOR UNGULATE POPULATIONS TO ASSIST WESTERN STATES IN MAPPING UNGULATE MIGRATION CORRIDORS AND DEVELOP NEW MAPPING TOOLS. THIS PROJECT WILL USE PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED GPS COLLAR LOCATION DATA FROM WILD UNGULATE POPULATIONS AND ANALYTICAL METHODS DEVELOPED BY THE WYOMING COOPERATIVE FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH UNIT AND COLLABORATORS (BROWNIAN BRIDGE MOVEMENT MODEL KAUFFMAN ET AL. 2020) TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE LARGE-SCALE MOVEMENTS OF MULE DEER, ELK, AND PRONGHORN INVOLVING WESTERN TRIBES AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE LARGER EFFORT OCCURRING ACROSS THE WEST. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:(1)ESTABLISH TRIBAL WORKING GROUP (2)COMPILE AVAILABLE GPS COLLAR DATA (3)ANALYSIS OF DATA WITH METHODS THAT EITHER ESTABLISH OR, ARE CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING GPS MOVEMENT DATA FOR MULE DEER, ELK, AND PRONGHORN ACROSS WESTERN TRIBES AND PROVIDE THE RESULTING POLYGONS TO THE RESPECTIVE TRIBAL NATION. (4)CREATE CARTOGRAPHIC MAP PRODUCTS OF MIGRATION CORRIDORS, AND SEASONAL RANGES FOR MULE DEER, ELK, AND PRONGHORN FOR WESTERN TRIBES.(5)TRIBAL CAPACITY BUILDING SURROUNDING: GIS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS FOR GAME SPECIES(6)ASSIST TRIBES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARTOGRAPHIC AND INFOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS TO COMMUNICATE KEY MIGRATION ISSUES, THREATS, AND CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES.DELIVERABLES EXPECTED OUTCOMES1)HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS AT THE NAFWS REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES, FOR ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.2)ASSEMBLING GIS SHAPEFILES FOR THE MIGRATION ROUTES, STOPOVERS, AND SEASONAL RANGES FOR MULE DEER, ELK, AND PRONGHORN FOR WESTERN TRIBES WITH AVAILABLE GPS COLLAR DATA.3)FINAL REPORT UNGULATE MIGRATIONS OF THE WESTERN US, INCLUDING MAPS FOR MULE DEER, ELK, AND PRONGHORN THAT INCLUDE KEY MIGRATION CORRIDORS FOR POPULATIONS FOR WESTERN TRIBES, AND BETWEEN CURRENT ADJACENT STATES. THE TRIBAL ANALYST WILL ENSURE EXPRESSED CONSENT IS RECEIVED, PRIOR TO USE OF TRIBAL DATA, IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR AGREED UPON DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN. 4)DELIVER MAP FILES AS APPROPRIATE TO TEAM MEMBERS AND OUR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.INTENDED BENEFICIARIESTHE NATIVE AMERICAN FISH AND WILDLIFE SOCIETY (NAFWS) IS THE ONLY NATIONAL TRIBAL ORGANIZATION WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON TRIBAL FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES. NAFWS WAS ESTABLISHED INFORMALLY DURING THE EARLY 1980S AND INCORPORATED IN 1983 AS A 501(C)(3) IN THE STATE OF COLORADO. AS A UNIQUE MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION WITH 227 SUPPORT MEMBER TRIBES IN 7 REGIONS (SOUTHWEST, PACIFIC, GREAT PLAINS, GREAT LAKES, SOUTHEAST, NORTHEAST, AND ALASKA) NAFWS PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ANY OF THE 574 FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES. MANY MIGRATING SPECIES HOLD CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL LANDS ARE OFTEN VITAL FOR THE MOVEMENT OF THESE ANIMALS. TRIBES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE WORKING TO PROACTIVELY MANAGE IMPROVED HABITAT AND CONSERVE AND ENHANCE WILDLIFE MIGRATION CORRIDORS. UTILIZING TRACKING DATA, TRIBES CAN IDENTIFY MIGRATION ROUTES, BARRIERS, AND SOLUTIONS SUCH AS WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY FENCING, OVER AND UNDERPASSES FOR CROSSING ROADWAYS, AND RESTORATION PROJECTS. THE IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF MIGRATION CORRIDORS AND EFFORTS NEEDED TO ENHANCE THOSE CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE WEST WOULD ADDRESS A NEED FOR CAPACITY WHILE PROMOTING TRIBAL CAPACITY IN SPATIAL DATA ANALYSIS. CURRENT DATA GAPS EXIST, AND THIS FUNDING WILL ASSIST IN BRIDGING THAT GAP WHILE FACILITATING THE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THESE POPULATIONS. SUBRECIPIENTS: N A