7-Attachment B Scope of Work.docx

Attachment: B Scope of Work Wilson's Phalarope Conservation Agreement and Strategy Development

NC27-123

1. Introduction

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) and the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office of the Utah Department of Natural Resources (PLPCO) are seeking proposals from qualified professionals to lead the development of a Conservation Agreement and Strategy (CAS) for Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor).

Wilson's Phalarope is a long-distance migratory shorebird that depends on a network of wetland, saline, and alkaline lake habitats throughout its annual cycle. The species is particularly dependent on saline lake habitats in the western United States during migration and molt, where large concentrations of birds gather to feed and build energy reserves needed for their long-distance migration.

The western saline-lake network will serve as the primary conservation unit for the strategy. Individual lakes and associated wetlands provide different functions and may vary in importance depending on water levels, salinity, food availability, habitat conditions, and timing within the annual cycle. Together, these sites provide a network of habitats that allows Wilson's Phalaropes to move among sites and respond to changing environmental conditions.

The goal of the CAS is to develop a coordinated, science-based framework for conserving Wilson's Phalarope and the network of saline lake habitats on which the species depends. The CAS will identify conservation needs, threats, actions, monitoring priorities, and opportunities for collaboration among agencies, organizations, researchers, water managers, landowners, and other stakeholders.

Although Wilson's Phalarope will be the focal species, the CAS may also assess other bird species with similar habitat requirements, such as Eared Grebes, where doing so can inform Wilson's Phalarope conservation or identify opportunities for conservation actions that benefit multiple saline-lake dependent species.

2. Background

Wilson's Phalarope is a long-distance migratory shorebird that breeds primarily in the northern Great Plains and western Canada and migrates through the western United States before continuing to wintering areas in South America.

Following breeding, large numbers of Wilson's Phalaropes undertake a molt migration and concentrate at saline and alkaline lakes in the western United States. These sites provide abundant invertebrate food resources that allow birds to acquire the energy reserves necessary for migration to South America. At the Great Salt Lake, Wilson's Phalaropes use both open-water habitats and associated wetlands and feed extensively on brine flies, brine shrimp, and other aquatic invertebrates.

The western saline-lake network is therefore an important component of the species' annual cycle. The ability of Wilson's Phalaropes to use multiple sites is dependent on the availability of suitable habitat and adequate food resources across the network. Conservation of individual lakes is important, but maintaining the function of the broader network is necessary to provide sufficient habitat, food resources, and redundancy across years and changing environmental conditions.

The Great Salt Lake represents a particularly important component of this network. It has been recognized as a site of hemispheric importance for shorebirds, and Wilson's Phalaropes occur at the lake in large numbers during migration.

Wilson's Phalarope and the saline-lake network face a variety of potential threats, including changes in water availability and delivery, water diversions, drought, changing precipitation patterns, increasing temperatures, groundwater use, habitat alteration, changes in lake elevation and salinity, degradation or loss of associated wetlands, and changes in food resources.

These threats may affect individual lakes differently and may influence the availability and quality of habitat across the broader network. Understanding these relationships and identifying conservation actions that maintain habitat function at both individual sites and the network scale will be an important component of the CAS.

Significant research, monitoring, and conservation efforts are already underway at many important sites. However, additional coordination is needed to compile available information, identify knowledge gaps, establish conservation priorities, and develop coordinated actions for Wilson's Phalarope across the western saline-lake network.

The CAS will build upon existing scientific information, monitoring programs, conservation plans, and ongoing management efforts. The strategy should identify actions that are biologically meaningful, feasible to implement, measurable, and capable of being coordinated among multiple partners.

Because multiple bird species use saline lake habitats and may have similar habitat requirements, the CAS may also assess other species where appropriate. This may include species such as Eared Grebe, particularly where species share important habitat, food resources, threats, monitoring needs, or conservation actions.

3. Scope of Work

The contractor will lead development of a Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Wilson's Phalarope.

Wilson's Phalarope will remain the focal species for the CAS. However, the contractor may assess other bird species with similar saline-lake habitat needs where appropriate. This may include Eared Grebes and other species that share important saline-lake habitats, food resources, threats, or management needs with Wilson's Phalarope.

The contractor will work with UDWR, PLPCO, and conservation partners to develop the CAS through a collaborative process. The contractor may need to lead or participate in stakeholder meetings, technical working groups, individual partner meetings, and other discussions necessary to develop the strategy.

The contractor will be responsible for project coordination, scientific information management, stakeholder engagement, and preparation of the CAS.

Major tasks will include:

a. Develop and maintain a detailed project schedule for completion of the CAS.

b. Coordinate meetings, conference calls, webinars, and other partner communications associated with CAS development.

c. Develop meeting agendas, presentations, summaries, notes, action items, and other materials necessary to support the CAS process.

d. Maintain current CAS contact lists and conduct outreach to stakeholders regarding ongoing CAS activities, meetings, deadlines, and opportunities for participation.

e. Maintain regular communication with state and federal agencies, tribes, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, researchers, water managers, conservation organizations, and other Wilson's Phalarope stakeholders.

f. Compile, organize, and review existing scientific information, conservation plans, monitoring reports, datasets, and other relevant information concerning Wilson's Phalarope and the western saline-lake network.

g. Manage and organize datasets and information sources extending beyond Utah and encompassing Wilson's Phalarope habitat and populations throughout the western United States.

h. Identify important sites and habitat areas and evaluate their importance to Wilson's Phalarope during different portions of the annual cycle.

i. Identify data gaps and priority research questions needed to improve conservation planning.

j. Facilitate development of conservation goals, objectives, strategies, and actions for Wilson's Phalarope.

k. Identify conservation actions that address habitat availability, water management, food resources, migration habitat, monitoring, research, and other factors affecting the species.

l. Identify opportunities to coordinate conservation actions among saline lake systems and across state and jurisdictional boundaries.

m. Identify responsible parties, potential funding sources, implementation timelines, and measurable outcomes for proposed conservation actions.

n. Develop approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of conservation actions and updating the CAS as new information becomes available.

o. Obtain documented commitments and responsibilities agreed upon by participating agencies and partners.

4. Requirements

The contractor will:

a. Work closely with UDWR, PLPCO, and participating Wilson's Phalarope conservation partners throughout development of the CAS.

b. Maintain regular communication with project leads.

c. Provide regular progress updates.

d. Maintain the project schedule and meet established deadlines.

e. Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder and technical meetings.

f. Maintain current CAS contact lists.

g. Conduct outreach to stakeholders regarding ongoing CAS work.

h. Maintain organized project files, datasets, meeting records, action items, and document versions.

i. Manage and organize datasets and information sources that extend beyond Utah and encompass the western United States.

j. Incorporate technical and partner review into draft and final documents.

k. Ensure that information incorporated into the CAS is appropriately documented, scientifically defensible, and traceable to available sources.

l. Be available for virtual meetings and, as needed, in-person meetings in Utah or other locations associated with the project.

m. Provide electronic copies of final documents, datasets, meeting materials, and other project products developed under the contract.

The contractor is expected to maintain a high level of organization throughout the project. Administrative responsibilities are an important component of the work and include maintaining schedules, contact lists, meeting records, action-item tracking, document versions, datasets, and other project materials.

Successful completion will require substantial participation and commitment from state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, researchers, water managers, and other partners.

5. Compliance

The contractor's performance will be evaluated based on completion of the Scope of Work and Project Deliverables within the established 12-month contract period and within the approved contract budget.

The contractor shall:

a. Meet agreed-upon project milestones and deadlines.

b. Participate in scheduled project and stakeholder meetings.

c. Provide timely communication and progress updates to UDWR and PLPCO project leads.

d. Maintain accurate and current stakeholder contact information.

e. Maintain organized datasets, project records, and document versions.

f. Incorporate appropriate technical and stakeholder review into draft and final CAS documents.

g. Ensure that the CAS is grounded in the best available science.

h. Ensure that conservation actions and recommendations are clearly documented and supported by available information.

i. Deliver final products in an electronic format approved by UDWR.

Progress will be evaluated through regular communication with project leads, review of interim products, participation in project meetings, and review of draft and final CAS documents.

6. Project Deliverables

The contractor will be expected to provide, at a minimum:

1. Project Schedule and Work Plan

· Detailed project schedule and timeline.

· Identification of major milestones and anticipated completion dates.

2. Stakeholder Coordination

· Current CAS stakeholder/contact list.

· Meeting agendas and materials.

· Meeting notes, summaries, and action-item tracking as appropriate.

· Stakeholder outreach and communication materials.

3. Conservation Agreement and Strategy

· Draft Wilson's Phalarope Conservation Agreement and Strategy.

· Revised draft incorporating technical and stakeholder review.

· Final Wilson's Phalarope Conservation Agreement and Strategy.

4. Additional Species Assessment, Where Appropriate

· Assessment of other bird species with similar habitat needs, including Eared Grebe, where relevant to Wilson's Phalarope conservation.

· Identification of shared conservation needs and opportunities for actions that may benefit multiple saline-lake dependent species.

5. Final Project Materials

· Electronic copies of all final documents, datasets, meeting materials, and other project products developed under the contract.

7. Project Timeline

The base period of performance for the scope of work is 12 months from the date of contract execution. To accommodate final invoicing, administrative closeout, and logistics, the contract will carry an overall term of 18 months. All primary deliverables and work are expected to be fully completed within the initial 12-month window.

The contractor shall propose a detailed timeline in its proposal.

8. Project Budget

The total budget for consultant services will be not to exceed $75,000 for the 12-month contract period.

Proposals should provide a detailed fee proposal and clearly identify anticipated costs for:

a. Personnel;

b. Travel;

c. Meetings;

d. Subcontractors, if applicable; and

e. Other project expenses.

The proposed budget should demonstrate that the Scope of Work and required Project Deliverables can be completed within the $75,000 maximum contract amount.

9. Reference Documents

Reference documents may be provided to support development of the Wilson's Phalarope Conservation Agreement and Strategy. These may include, but are not limited to:

a. Existing Wilson's Phalarope research and monitoring reports;

b. Great Salt Lake and other western saline-lake monitoring information;

c. Existing conservation plans and strategies;

d. Relevant species and habitat assessments;

e. Maps and spatial data identifying saline lake habitats;

f. Existing agency and partner conservation documents; and

g. Other scientific and technical information identified by participating partners.

Additional reference documents may be provided to the selected contractor during the project as needed.

The contractor should build upon existing information and conservation efforts rather than duplicate completed work. The CAS should identify existing programs, research, monitoring, and conservation actions that can be incorporated into or coordinated through the strategy.