Subgrant Opportunity Form FRTC Sage Grouse Field Data Collection..docx

Grant Opportunity – Fallon Range and Training Complex (FRTC) Sage Grouse Field Data Collection

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has received Federal Grant funding for assisting with the completion of an adaptive study to collect greater sage-grouse population and movement data and acoustic data.

Proposals are due no later than close of business on Monday, March 16, 2026. Grant proposals and any questions should be submitted to the Nevada Department of Wildlife Staff Specialist, Brad Bauman at bbauman@ndow.org.

Grant Application Instructions:

Please find a Scope of Work below detailing the deliverables for FRTC Sage Grouse Field Data Collection.

Grant Eligibility: (must meet all of the following criteria)

· Subgrantee must have an active UEI number, or ability to obtain one.

· Subgrantee must be registered in the System for Award Management, at www.sam.gov, and be in good standing, OR can obtain registration and good standing.

· Subgrantee must provide a current Single Audit Report if they have expended the threshold amount or more in federal awards during the fiscal year.

· There is no match requirement.

The proposal must include:

· Identification of the project manager and supporting staff (if applicable) along with a brief description of qualifications.

· Description of how the scope of work will be performed.

· Subgrantee must provide a current Indirect Cost Negotiation Agreement approved by the United States Department of the Interior if indirect costs are being charged in the proposal.

Scope of Work:

The purpose and objectives of this subgrant are assist with the completion of an adaptive study to collect field data on greater sage-grouse population, movement data, and acoustic data. Sage-grouse and acoustic data will be collected to evaluate greater sage-grouse populations in relation to military overflight noise from withdrawn airspace and land under the FRTC modernization and associated control sites. Recipient will coordinate with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and US Navy to implement the study design “Evaluating Greater Sage-Grouse Populations in Relation to Military Overflight Noise from Fallon Range Training Complex Modernization,” which was produced in partnership with the USGS, USFWS, NDOW, and Western Bioacoustics (hereafter, FRTC Study Design).

This project is intended to determine the potential effects of military overflights on Greater sage-grouse within the Region of Influence for the Fallon Range and Training Complex. This will be accomplished by implementing the FRTC Study Design. Research objectives will be carried out in two phases across a minimum 5-year study that includes 1) a desktop analysis and pilot study to gather baseline data, leverage existing information to establish monitoring methodologies, and assess sage-grouse population growth rates under current conditions within the FRTC, followed by; 2) a full field study investigating impacts of military aircraft overflights and subsequent noise on sage-grouse stress metabolites, behavior, and population demographics.

Subrecipient will work with the US Navy, USGS, and NDOW to continue work associated with the FRTC Pilot Study. Subrecipient will be responsible for collecting field data on Greater sage grouse and noise associated with military over flights. Data will include existing flight data, lek count data, video recordings, environmental conditions from remote sensing data, intrinsic population growth rates and rate of change, VHF/GPS data from marked sage-grouse, and acoustic data. Analysis and investigations will be used to identify potential underlying mechanisms of observed patterns and focus additional field data collection on preliminary connections, if any, to stress, behavioral differences, and effects on population dynamics from military overflights.

The Subgrantee will conduct acoustic monitoring at selected sites in Nevada associated with Greater Sage-grouse leks using established NDOW Noise Protocols. Lek selection criteria will be determined jointly by NDOW and the Subgrantee.

Sound level measurements will be conducted at each site in coordination with NDOW and based upon data collection needs associated with the FRTC Sage Grouse Noise Study. Field data forms and acoustics data will be submitted annually to NDOW for analysis by June of each year. The subgrantee will provide soundscape equipment to NDOW for additional soundscape data collection by NDOW staff. The Subgrantee will provide a cost estimate for NDOW review and approval annually before work begins each field season.

Requirements of the subgrantee are:

1. Minimum of 20 years of experience collecting acoustic data in quiet, sagebrush environment, with at least 10 years of work collecting acoustic data at Greater-sage grouse leks..

1. To collect soundscape data with Sony A10 sound recorders and Larson-Davis 831/831C sound level meters with low-noise microphones having a noise-floor of <= 7dbSound level meter systems will meet ANSI Type 1 standards.

1. Objectives:

The objective of the pilot field study is to refine data collection methodologies and study site selection to ensure that implementation of the full field study will yield appropriate data to fulfill the purpose of the long-term noise study.

The full field study will evaluate potential impacts of aircraft overflights by:

1. Collecting field soundscape data to identify sound levels and characteristics of military overflights;

2. Monitoring potential changes in lekking behavior using both audio and video recorders

3. Collecting space use and seasonal movements using data from radio-marked sage-grouse; and

4. Collecting fecal samples to analyze fecal glucocorticoid metabolites to measure stress levels.

2. Location and Description:

Project work will occur within the Region of Influence of the FRTC Modernization, which includes project sites withing the following counties: Washoe, Humboldt, Elko, Lander, Eureka, White Pine, Nye, and Churchill.

This subgrant will cover costs associated with this work through April 2029 and may occur year-round. NDOW will be provided with data and analysis products for review among project partners.

(annually)

3. Contractor furnished property and services:

The subgrantee is responsible for executing the methods described in the Final Study Design and meeting the Reporting Requirements of this agreement. The subgrantee is responsible for coordinating and communicating key aspects of the project status to NDOW and the US Navy through regularly scheduled coordination meetings.

4. Government furnished property and services:

No government furnished property is being provided by the Nevada Department of Wildlife

5. Selection Process:

The winning proposal will be selected through the Nevada Department of Wildlife scoring process, outlined in the NDOW Grants Manual at https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NDOW-GRANTS-MANUAL-4.17.17.pdf.

Subgrant Monitor:

Reporting:

The successful subgrantee shall be required to provide the Nevada Department of Wildlife Interim and Final Performance Reports and Interim and Final Financial Reports. Reporting deadlines and content shall be consistent with normal Federal Grant reporting requirements and will be detailed in the subgrant award.

Invoicing:

All invoices shall be sent to the subgrant monitors listed above.

If the full complement objective is not met, and the vendor deems continued efforts are no longer feasible or worthwhile for the term of the contract then an invoice should be submitted for the work completed up to that point for which the Nevada Department of Wildlife has not already been invoiced.