Monitoring, Assessing and Evaluating the Survival of Juvenile Snail Kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) on Lake Kissimmee, Lake Cypress, Lake Hatchineha, Kissimmee River and the Kissimmee River Floodplain

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, is seeking a cooperative agreement for a research project focused on monitoring and assessing the survival of juvenile Snail Kites in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes region. The project aims to understand how current water management affects Snail Kite reproductive success, survival, and population dynamics through comprehensive ecological research. Applicants must be members of the South Florida-Caribbean or Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Regions. The evaluation will be based on technical merits of the proposed research and its potential relationship to USACE missions. Key tasks include monitoring vegetation and Snail Kite populations, determining incidental take, tracking juvenile mortality, and providing management recommendations. The Statement of Interest is due by 2:00 PM Central Time on July 28, 2025, with contact points being Nicholas Aprea (Grants Specialist) and Brian Hesford (Project Manager).

The base funding for this opportunity is approximately $171,533, with potential for additional funding for optional tasks in subsequent years. The base period of the agreement will extend 12 months from the date of award, with the possibility of up to four 12-month follow-on periods contingent on funding availability. The place of performance will be specific locations including Lake Kissimmee, Lake Cypress, Lake Hatchineha, Kissimmee River, and the Kissimmee River Floodplain. The project falls under the Conservation and Rehabilitation of Natural Resources on Military Installations program (CFDA 12.005), which supports comprehensive environmental management and conservation activities on Department of Defense lands.