A04-SOW_Raptor_Nesting_-_REV_09_07_2021_0005.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

RAPTOR NESTING SURVEYS

AND POPULATION PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM)

TAOS FIELD OFFICE

I. Purpose

The purpose of this Statement of Work (SOW) is a longitudinal study to conduct an inventory to locate new raptor nests and document raptor nesting activity during the nesting seasons (January to August) of calendar years 2022-2026 on National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) lands in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

The BLM is responsible for preparing and maintaining, on a continuing basis, a current inventory of the public land and its resources (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 Sec. 201 (a)). This inventory information, along with monitoring data collected under a variety of programs, shall be used to evaluate the current status and trends of plants and animals and their habitats on BLM-administered lands, and to respond to U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Federal Register Notices of species status review (e.g., 90-day, 12-month, 5-year, and annual candidate reviews). The BLM shall ensure that all actions undertaken comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), their implementing regulations, and other directives associated with MBTA and ESA-listed and proposed species.

Benefits of this survey to the BLM include:

1. Determine the extent of the resource (composition and productivity), condition and trends of raptors within the NLCS.

2. At the Field Office level, it will provide relevant geographic population data to help the Taos Field Office (TAFO) determine the best strategy for land management decisions in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Management Plan. Updated information and monitoring of raptors, an object of value within the Monument, will not only serve to protect and inform any restoration required for these species, but also provide the scientific basis for management decisions for other resources decisions.

3. At the Regional level, data will help the BLM to analyze cumulative effects, work with partners to develop regional mitigation strategies, report on conservation targets and wildlife corridors, and improve regional datasets.

4. At the State level, raptors are required for monitoring pursuant to the MBTA of 1918 and 1929, Executive Order 13186, New Mexico Bird Conservation Plan, BLM IM 2008-050, Memorandum of Understanding between BLM and USFWS (2010), and BLM Manual 6840.

5. At the National level, these data will provide reporting on distribution, abundance, and trends in raptors for the Rio Grande and Taos Plateau.

The surveys and information from the project will help educate the public about raptors, wildlife and special status species issues, as well as inform recreation, grazing, transportation and wildlife-viewing programs.

Contractor Responsibilities:

Contractor shall be responsible for compliance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and obtain all necessary state and federal permits, as necessary, to conduct the above-referenced surveys.

Any injured birds collected by the Contractor, must contact the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish

AND POPULATION PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT

or a Rehabilitation Facility possessing valid Rehabilitation Permit.

Contractor personnel shall be trained in the identification of raptors and nesting behavior and have experience in the protocol methods.

II. PROJECT AREA AND DESCRIPTION

Raptor nesting survey areas are listed below. The timing and frequencies of raptor nesting surveys differ by species but may be conducted in conjunction where survey dates overlap. However, separate reports for each year are required.

RAPTOR NESTING SURVEY AREAS AND GENERAL DIRECTIONS:

Rio Grande Gorge: Approximately 40 miles in length, from the Colorado/New Mexico state line to Orilla Verde Recreation Area.

Rio San Antonio Gorge: Approximately 5 miles in length, 267 total BLM acres, T. 32 N., R. 8 E., Sec. 25, T. 31 N., R. 8 E., Secs 11, 14, 24 and 25.

Orilla Verde Recreation Area: Approximately 5 miles in length, including the Rio Pueblo de Taos upstream of the confluence with the Rio Grande approximately one mile, downstream along the Rio Grande to the Village of Pilar.

*See attached Map for specific site locations. The Contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) prior to conducting surveys to confirm directions to sites and access information. Although off-road travel is minimal, a medium-clearance vehicle is recommended at the Rio Grande Gorge and Rio San Antonio Gorge sites due to the possibility of newly formed erosion on dirt roads resulting from winter/spring weather conditions.

Survey methodology published in the literature sources listed below should be followed for general raptor nesting surveys (as opposed to surveys assessing the impacts of a particular project) at the above locations. It is essential for surveyors to be familiar with these documents since they cover a wide range of topics including natural history, habitat and permitting.

Fuller, M.R. and J.A. Mosher. 1987. Raptor Survey Techniques. In B.A.G. Pendleton (B.A. Millsap, K.W. Cline, and D.M. Bird, eds.). Raptor Management Techniques Manual. National Wildlife Federation Scientific and Technical Series No.

10. 420 pp.

Call, M.W. 1978. Nesting Habits and Surveying Techniques for Common Western Raptors. U.S. Dept.

of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Technical Note No. 316. 115 pp.

Suter, G.W. and J.L. Jones. 1981. Criteria for Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, and Prairie Falcon nest site protection. Raptor Research 15: 12-18.

AND POPULATION PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT

Fyfe, R.W. and R.R. Olendorff. 1976. Minimizing the dangers of nesting studies to raptors and other sensitive species. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Paper No. 23. 17pp.

British Columbia Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management. 2001. Inventory Methods for Raptors Standards for Components of British Columbia's Biodiversity No. 11. Prepared by Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Environment Inventory Branch for the Terrestrial Ecosystems Task Force, Resources Inventory Committee.

http://ilmbwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/tebiodiv/

The surveys will be for presence/not detected of raptors at historic nest sites during the nesting season (January through July, or as dictated for assessing nest success and productivity), and to locate any new or previously undocumented nest sites or territories within the survey area. Known nest sites will be provided by the BLM and total approximately 75 individual locations. Access is available by designated roads open to the public for vehicular traffic; however, actual data collection would be gathered on foot by walking along the rim of the Rio Grande or Rio San Antonio Gorge, collecting information on the opposite cliffside. There is a paved road in the Orilla Verde Recreation Area and data would be collected along that road from observations made inside the canyon.

Active nests will be monitored to determine reproductive success and productivity, reoccupation rates, diet and habitat use, if possible. Data gathered will assist in making informed management decisions and determining areas where the potential for human disturbance is most critical.

At the active and occupied nest locations, points will be established, and the species identified. Each location will be documented using a Global Positioning System unit, using NAD83 datum, and the UTM coordinates will be plotted on USGS quadrangle maps. Each point will be classified as an active or occupied territory, confirmed breeding or status unknown.

All raptors opportunistically observed or heard during the survey (including migrants) will be documented.

III. TIME FRAME

Surveys for raptor nesting will be for presence/absence, with follow up visits to discovered raptor nest sites, and each site will be surveyed during the breeding season, beginning in January for eagles and continuing through June or July for most raptor species.

Period of Performance will be as follows (start date will be adjusted based on contract award date):

Base Period January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 Option Period 1 January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 Option Period 2 January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Option Period 3 January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 Option Period 4 January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

AND POPULATION PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT

IV. DELIVERABLE ITEMS/SCHEDULE

The following information will be delivered to the COR during the respective surveyed year (RSY):

Periodic updates, no less than monthly, should be provided with species sighted, a unique identifier for each location, including name of quadrangle map and UTM coordinates, cliff aspect, nest status, number of nestlings/fledglings and description of activity.

All raptor nest field survey forms will be delivered to the COR by October 1, during the RSY.

One (1) Final report for raptor nesting will be delivered to the COR by December 31of the respective survey year. The raptor nesting report will include a complete species list of all species seen or heard at the established nest sites. In addition, a list of species (not observed at a nest site) that were encountered between points. All species that are encountered that are of special interest (federally listed threatened or endangered species, BLM Sensitive, New Mexico threatened or endangered) will be documented as to activity (e.g., nesting, flying overhead) and any other information that can be readily gathered. Copies of survey forms with raw data will be submitted as part of this report. A copy of current USFWS or NMDGF permit will be required.

One (1) compact disc (CD) or USB drive containing photographs, an electronic copy of the final reports (.doc and .pdf formats), and ArcMap compatible shapefiles of points, lines or polygons collected regarding the location of biological data shall be delivered to the COR by December 31, of the respective survey year. Use of North American Datum 1983 Geographic Coordinate System is preferred for electronic GIS data submissions.

V. KEY OFFICIALS:

BLM – Contracting Officer

Emmett Larson Section Chief/Contracting Officer elarson@blm.gov 303-236-6701

BLM – Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

TO BE DETERMINED

The COR will be designated in writing at the time of contract award, for the purpose of administering the technical requirements, and to review and approve work which is within the scope of the work specified in this contract. The COR is not authorized to issue changes or in any other way modify the contract.

mailto:khoughton@blm.gov