A_01_30_PWS_Lark_Monitoring.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

COLUMBIA RIVER PLACEMENT SITE STREAKED HORNED LARK MONITORING

1. PROJECT BACKGROUND. The federally listed Streaked Horned Lark (SHLA) occurs on dredged material deposition islands and mainland sites in the lower Columbia River. In 2014, USACE completed a consultation with USFWS for effects to SHLA resulting from Columbia River channel maintenance activities. As part of the consultation, USACE is required to monitor SHLA and their habitats, evaluating population trends to confirm effects.

2. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION. Prior to start of work each survey year, the COR will provide GIS shape files of the dredged material placement sites and site access information/points of contact.

3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED. Furnish all labor and equipment necessary to perform the work required herein. The following tasks shall be completed:

a. Task 1: Assessing Occupancy and Abundance. Using methods and protocols developed by Washington

Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), conduct presence/absence (occupancy) surveys at sites where the occupancy status is unknown. This will include sites that have never been surveyed and sites where larks have not been documented during previous surveys, but where habitat is potentially suitable for SHLA. In addition, using WDFW protocol to estimate abundance, collect data at sites where larks were detected during the previous monitoring season, and where occupancy surveys detect individuals during the present breeding season, to estimate population abundance and inform population trends. Table 1 is anticipated summary of surveys to be conducted by year. Coordinate workplan with COR and submit for approval. Workplan must be approved by COR prior to start of work each survey year. Notify points of contact for each site as directed by COR. Task 1 is 2016 breeding season surveys with period of performance contract award to 31‐Mar‐2017.

Table 1: Dredged material placement sites and anticipated surveys by breeding season 2016, 2017, 2018

Placement Site Occupancy Protocol Abundance Protocol No Surveys

Benson Beach X1, X1, X1

West Sand Island X1, X1, X1

Rice Island X, X, X

Miller Sands Island X, X, X

Pillar Rock Island X, X, X

Skamokawa‐Vista Park X, X, X

Welch Island X, X, X

Tenasillahe Island X, X, X

James River X2, X, X

Puget Island X2, X X1

Brown Island X, X, X

Crims Island X, X, X

Hump Island X, X, X

Lord Island X2, X X1

Dibblee Point X, X, X

Howard Island X2, X, X

Cottonwood Island X, X, X

Sandy Island X, X, X

Lower Deer Island X3 X, X

Martin Bar X, X, X

Sand Island X, X, X

Placement Site Occupancy Protocol Abundance Protocol No Surveys

Austin Point X, X, X

Gateway X3, X, X

West Hayden Island See note4 1 Recommendations from previous monitoring results suggest that no surveys are needed until existing site conditions are disturbed.

2Planned site prep activities will disturb existing site conditions, triggering habitat succession.

Surveys should evaluate whether site is or becomes occupied following site prep.

3No larks were detected at site in 2015 so 2016 monitoring should begin with occupancy protocol.

4No surveys in this contract scope. Landowner will conduct surveys and provide reports to USACE.

b. Task 2: SHLA Territory Mapping. When estimating bird abundance and population trends, accounting for detectability is a key component of the analysis. Preliminary detectability models for larks indicate that detectability may be as low as 0.50 (Anderson and Slater 2015), although little‐to‐no information is available to validate these estimates. A habitat model is concurrently being developed using remote sensing techniques. To date, the preliminary model has been built using lark locations from previous abundance surveys, and one concern is that the model is built from disjunctive temporal periods. There is also concern that locations used to develop the initial model may not represent the full spectrum of habitat conditions larks use during a breeding cycle. To address concerns with both of these efforts, intensive territory‐mapping shall occur on a subset of islands. Coordinate workplan with COR and submit for approval. Workplan must be approved by COR prior to start of work each survey year. Territory mapping provides density estimates for individual sites, allowing comparison of estimates from abundance surveys corrected for detectability. Territory mapping also provides the detailed habitat use data necessary to build robust models of habitat use.

Conduct territory mapping at select sites following standardized methods (Ralph et al. 1993). At each site, delineate a survey area. This will be the entire area of potentially suitable habitat for small islands, but will likely be a smaller portion of a larger island. Level of effort anticipated is equal to five (5) visits each to two islands during the breeding season; majority of survey effort would be focused during the same time that aerial imagery would be collected, as coordinated with the COR (i.e. late May/early June). At each site, systematically traverse the site marking all observations of larks and record adult behavior (e.g., counter‐singing, nest‐building, feeding). Follow territorial individuals to ensure territory boundaries are demarcated correctly. After all surveys are complete, aggregate locations from maps from each visit in a GIS environment to define territory boundaries and estimate density and home range size to inform the habitat model. Density estimates will be used to compare with abundance surveys. Locations of larks collected during surveys will be provided to USACE for use in further developing the habitat models. Task 2 is 2016 breeding season surveys with period of performance contract award to 31‐Mar‐2017.

c. Task 3: Habitat mapping consultations. Meet with USACE to recommend methods and refine the USACE streaked horned lark habitat model, including the identification and review of relevant variables.

Additionally, assist in devising and implementing a methodology for accurately mapping habitat and modeling the suitability of habitat based on previous experience identifying suitable habitat for streaked horned larks and previous monitoring results, as well as technical expertise with standard GIS programs.

Level of effort anticipated is equal to three (3) one‐day meetings in‐person at the USACE office in Portland, Oregon, with two preparation days prior to each meeting. Task 3 is period of performance contract award to 31‐Mar‐2017.

d. Optional Task 4: Assessing Occupancy and Abundance. Same as Task 1 but performance is 2017 breeding season surveys (see Table 1) with period of performance 01‐Apr‐2017 to 31‐Mar‐2018.

e. Optional Task 5: SHLA Territory Mapping. Same as Task 2 but performance is 2017 breeding season surveys with period of performance 01‐Apr‐2017 to 31‐Mar‐2018.

f. Optional Task 6: Habitat mapping consultations. Same as Task 3 but period of performance is 01‐Apr‐ 2017 to 31‐Mar‐2018.

g. Optional Task 7: Assessing Occupancy and Abundance. Same as Task 1 but performance is 2018 breeding season surveys (see Table 1) with period of performance 01‐Apr‐2018 to 31‐Mar‐2019.

h. Optional Task 8: SHLA Territory Mapping. Same as Task 2 but performance is 2018 breeding season surveys with period of performance 01‐Apr‐2018 to 31‐Mar‐2019.

i. Optional Task 9: Habitat mapping consultations. Same as Task 3 but period of performance is 01‐Apr‐ 2018 to 31‐Mar‐2019.

4. ANTITERRORISM/OPERATIONS SECURITY.

a. Pre‐screen candidates using E‐Verify Program. The Contractor must pre‐screen Candidates using the E‐ verify Program (http://www.uscis.gov/e‐verify) website to meet the established employment eligibility requirements. The Candidate must have two valid forms of Government issued identification prior to enrollment to ensure the correct information is entered into the E‐verify system. Provide an initial list of verified/eligible Candidates to the COR no later than 3 business days after the initial contract award.

b. All contractor and all associated sub‐contractors employees shall comply with applicable installation, facility and area commander installation/facility access and local security policies and procedures (provided by government representative). The contractor shall also provide all information required for background checks to meet installation/facility access requirements to be accomplished by installation Provost Marshal Office, Director of Emergency Services or Security Office. Contractor workforce must comply with all personal identity verification requirements (FAR clause 52.204‐9, Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel) as directed by DOD, HQDA and/or local policy. In addition to the changes otherwise authorized by the changes clause of this contract, should the Force Protection Condition (FPCON) at any installation or facility change, the Government may require changes in contractor security matters or processes.

5. DELIVERABLES.

a. Workplan for all surveys including schedule.

b. Interim survey reports will include the estimated number of larks observed per site per survey, an evaluation of habitat conditions where larks are observed, site occupancy status, detection locations (if applicable), preliminary territory maps, and a summary of behavior, particularly focused on determining breeding behaviors. Maps showing locations of all observed larks may be requested for sites scheduled to receive dredged material.

c. The final report will contain a summary of methods and findings, and an analysis of population trends relative to the existing baseline data and current year observations, all raw data from the surveys, the site maps with all lark observations clearly marked for each survey, territory boundaries and density estimates also compared with abundance surveys, all recommendations provided under Task 3, and all GIS data including lark detections and territory boundaries. In addition, the final report will include a discussion of the monitoring season and recommendations for the timing and location of future monitoring and territory mapping, should it be needed. Provide all data collected under this contract with the final report, including field reports and GIS files with metadata using best management practices.

6. SCHEDULE.

a. Survey workplan for 2016 must be submitted within one week of contract award. Survey workplans for 2017 and 2018 must be submitted before 10 April of the survey year.

b. Surveys will occur between 01 May and 31 August of each survey year.

c. Interim survey reports must be provided at a minimum each survey year:

i. Within two weeks of completion of the first round of occupancy and abundance surveys.

ii. Within four weeks of the final survey.

d. Provide a draft final report to USACE in Word format along with files containing all data collected under this contract and allow 14 days for review and comment. All comments must be addressed. The final report and data must be completed by 28 February of the year following the survey period.

e. Coordinate habitat mapping consults with COR.

7. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY. These are the criteria against which the performance will be evaluated. Work shall be considered not to have been performed when any one of the following conditions exists in accordance to the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

Performance Objective

Performance Standard

Allowed Number of

Discrepancies Surveillance

Streaked horned lark monitoring services, including territory mapping and interim reporting

Perform work (surveys and interim reports) on schedule. All sites surveyed using WDFW protocol, as specified.

Surveys may be conducted +/‐ one week of planned dates.

Field inspections.

Final report and data analysis

Final report completed with required content and delivery of all data (GIS layers, etc.) on schedule.

All content must be correct in final report submission.

100% review and approval of written report and data.

Figure 1