draftPWSColRiverLarkMonitoring.docx

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 proposed SHLA monitoring 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 prior to start of work each survey year. Notify points of contact for each site as directed by COR.

Table 1: Dredged material placement sites and anticipated survey type by year (2016, 2017, 2018).

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

Tenasillahe Island

X, X, X

X1

Brown Island

X, X, X

Crims Island

X, X, X

X1

Dibblee Point

X, X, X

Sandy Island

X, X, X

Sand Island

X, X, X

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 no information is available to validate these estimates. Habitat models are concurrently being developed using remote sensing. To date these preliminary models have been built from lark locations from previous abundance surveys, and one concern is that models are built from disjunct temporal periods. There is also concern that lark locations may not represent the full spectrum of habitat conditions that larks use. To address concerns with both of these efforts, perform an intensive territory-mapping project on a subset of islands. 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 each site following standardized methods (Ralph et al. 1993) with some slight modifications. 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 is equal to 10 visits to two islands during the breeding season; majority of survey effort would be focused during the same time that aerial imagery would be collected (i.e., late June/early July 2015). At each site, systematically traverse the site marking all observations for larks and recording behavior (e.g., countersinging, 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. Density estimates will be used to compare with abundance surveys. Locations of larks collected during surveys will be provided to USACE for use in their effort to develop habitat models.

c. Task 3: Habitat mapping consultations. Meet with USACE to recommend methods of refining habitat models, including the identification and review of relevant variables and assist in devising and implementing a methodology for accurately mapping habitat and modeling the suitability of habitat.

4. ANTITERRORISM/OPERATIONS SECURITY. 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.

5. DELIVERABLES.

a. 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), 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.

b. 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, and all GIS data of lark observations. In addition, the final report will include a discussion of the monitoring season and recommendations for the timing and location of future monitoring, should it be needed.

6. SCHEDULE.

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

b. 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.

c. Provide a draft final report to USACE and allow 14 days for review. The final report and data must be completed by 28 February of the year following the survey period.

d. 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

8. CLIN STRUCTURE:

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2016 to 14-Apr-2017

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2016 to 14-Apr-2017

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2016 to 14-Apr-2017

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2017 to 14-Apr-2018

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2017 to 14-Apr-2018

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2017 to 14-Apr-2018

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2018 to 14-Apr-2019

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2018 to 14-Apr-2019

Period of performance: 15-Apr-2018 to 14-Apr-2019

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