P17AS00562 Notice of Intent.pdf

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities without competition.

ABSTRACT

Funding

Announcement

P17AS00562

Project Title CRLA, LAVO, MOJA Classification Map Class Support and

NVC Types

Recipient NatureServe

Total Anticipated

Award Amount $73,022

Cost Share $0

Anticipated Length of Agreement 18 Months

Anticipated Period of Performance 8/15/17 – 12/31/18

Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement

Statutory Authority 54 USC 101702(a), 54 USC 200103 (g)(1)

CFDA # and Title 15.921 Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance

Point of Contact Karl Brown

OVERVIEW

Crater Lake, Lassen Volcanic, and Mojave National Park and Preserve Veg Mapping Classification and

Assistance; yielding public understanding and education of the vegetation types in these Klamath and

Mojave Networks Parks.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Support an integrated effort with the NPS collaborators to map and check the map NVC types for the

Crater Lake, Lassen Volcanic, and Mojave National Park and Preserve – CRLA, LAVO, and MOJA, detailed below. Specifically, the project manager will organize the most efficient, cost-effective approach to provide support for the CRLA and LAVO classification review, NVC types, use of the latest NVC hierarchy; and writing of MOJA global NVC descriptions. Two attached SOW proposals from NatureServe details the summarized tasks for the 3 Parks below.

Duties will focus on:

1. Mojave Network NVC needs: Since there were so many new associations identified in the MOJN classification (~140), only a subset had sufficient resources for NatureServe to write global descriptions. CNPS staff prioritized which proposed types for which global descriptions should be written. There were 5 categories of priority: 1 = high number of samples (>10) and substantiated by other literature; 2 = high number of samples (>10), but with no additional literature to support the concept; 3 = 3 to 9 samples, and also with additional literature; 4 = 3 to 9 samples, but with no

7 - -additional literature; 5 = fewer than 3 samples. All 56 of the Priority 1 associations had global descriptions written by NatureServe and have been accepted into the NVC with CEGL codes. This proposal is for work to complete the global descriptions for the priority 2 and priority 3 associations, separated into two distinct tasks. For each task once the global is completed the description will be added to Biotics, and the associations will be converted from a “proposed, provisional” type to an accepted NVC association with a CEGL code

Task A: Write Global Descriptions for Priority 2 Associations & Data Entry at Mojave Network

NatureServe ecology staff will complete global descriptions for 28 proposed associations identified in the classification for the Mojave I&M Network Parks. These priority 2 associations have local descriptions written by CNPS staff, have 10 or more samples to support their concepts, and have been assigned to alliances. However, they are not supported by any additional literature.

Task B: Write Global Descriptions for Priority 3 Associations & Data Entry

NatureServe ecology staff will complete global descriptions for 27 proposed associations identified in the classification for the Mojave I&M Network Parks. These priority 3 associations have local descriptions written by CNPS staff, have 10 or more samples to support their concepts, and have been assigned to alliances.

2. Klamath Network NVC needs:

Task C: CRLA types support;

NatureServe ecology staff will review the 37 provisional associations documented at CRLA to identify if any of them represent existing NVC associations. This review could result in several of these being merged into an existing NVC association and assigned a CEGL code;

merged together into a proposed new association; or being identified more clearly as a unique type. For those that are probably new associations, NatureServe would work with SOU to develop a package of materials to be submitted to the NVC Review Board for peer-review.

NatureServe would facilitate the peer-review including finding appropriate reviewers and ensuring they complete their reviews in a timely manner. The follow-up to the reviews that

NatureServe will also undertake includes any revisions needed to descriptions, names, or alliance placement.

NatureServe would implement the accepted revisions (new associations, perhaps new alliances) into the NVC databases, and will provide data back to SOU for these as an Excel table with names, codes, hierarchy, and as a Word document with the descriptions.

Results:

o Thirty-seven provisional CRLA association-level types reviewed by NatureServe and upgraded to the NVC as possible.

o Additional CRLA provisionals peer-reviewed, and accepted into the NVC, assigned

CEGL codes and entered to Biotics.

o A table of all CRLA associations with complete NVC hierarchy information.

Task D: Scope Revisions to LAVO classification and Add NVC Hierarchy:

This will entail working with a tabular list of all the associations, with their link to the old hierarchy (including the old alliances), and then entering the new NVC alliance for the association, or if an alliance isn’t easily identified then assigning it to a Group. Some of the

LAVO associations may clearly belong to an existing NVC association; in those cases we will enter the CEGL code for that association.

7 - -

A tabular list of the LAVO associations linked to the current NVC hierarchy will be provided, along with comments as feasible on individual types and their similarity to existing NVC associations or probability of being entirely new types.

This process will provide enough understanding of the LAVO classification to be able to identify the work that will be required in the future to review it more in-depth and prepare it for peer-review and full induction to the NVC. We will document in a brief report the work that will be required.

Results:

o A table of all LAVO association-level types with complete, up-to-date NVC hierarchy information o A brief report for LAVO with a description of the work and approximate costs (as suggested staff hours) to complete an in-depth review, peer-review and induction into the NVC.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

1. Provide substantial guidance and consultation to the Cooperator in connection with the project.

2. Provide the Cooperator with timely information on changes to park access, park boundaries or land ownership.

3. Provide the Cooperator with maps, reports, photography, and databases containing information relative to the biodiversity of CRLA, LAVO, and MOJA.