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BIN TITLE:  Distribution, Abundance, Habitat Use, and Evaluation of Threats to Grassland Birds in the Southern US and Mexico

SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU:  Fish and Wildlife Service

BIN NUMBER:  FWS02CR98

BUREAU CONTACT:  Kathy Granillo, (505)248-6818

RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION:  During FY99, the first field season of data collection was conducted in southeastern Arizona on a study of habitat use by priority wintering grassland birds.  The project involves conducting flushing bird survey transects on seven sites in desert grassland habitat in the Sonoita, Altar and San Rafael valleys, collaborating with a University of Arizona graduate student doing flush mist netting on the same sites, and extensive vegetation sampling.  The study will describe the habitat preferences of target species including Baird=s, Cassin=s, and Grasshopper sparrows and Sprague=s Pipit  to determine the effects of grazing on the wintering ecology of these species.

DATE SUBMITTED: 28 January 2000

PREPARED BY: Fritz L. Knopf, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins, CO; (970)226-9462; fritz_knopf@usgs.gov_

BIN TITLE:  Technical Assistance: Providing Scientific Information and Technical Assistance to Address FWS Management Problems and Needs

SUBMITTING PARTNER BUREAU:  Fish and Wildlife Service

BIN NUMBER:  FWS03CR99

BUREAU CONTACT:  Kathy Granillo, (505)248-6818; Sean Kelly, (612)713-5470; Frank Bowers, (404)679-7188; John Nickum, (303)236-7917; Wayne King (303)236-8155

RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: This activity includes many small technical assistance efforts initiated by field biologists who call on BRD for help with developing/acquiring habitat models for use on environmental assessments, designing environmental studies, training on habitat evaluation, or assistance with various aspects of habitat management planning.  Several larger activities also occurred in FY99.

In August 1999, Clair Stalnaker and Adrian Farmer met with FWS staff at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in West Virginia to discuss future plans for technical support and development of the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) and the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP).  The USGS stopped providing HEP and IFIM training in FY99, although HEP courses will continue to be offered by Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI).  Subsequently, the FWS recognized the need to support the training as well as continue technical support and development of these technologies, and is currently developing a strategy to meet this need.  BRD staff may continue to be involved with the teaching of formal courses for 1-2 years at the NCTC as FWS staff develop the necessary skills to conduct training and technical assistance in the longer term.   

FWS, Region 6 asked MESC to review the database, habitat models, and associated procedures developed over the last 15 years to establish flow recommendations for endangered Whooping Cranes on the Platte River, Nebraska.  As a part of this effort, data collected on more than 60 individual crane roost sites were used to >test= the habitat suitability model.  This model >test= resulted in the identification of improvements to the depth function of the original habitat model.  MESC staff also developed improved statistical procedures to deal with temporal and spatial variations that are inherent to discharge-habitat relationships in the study area.  The results of the MESC study were presented to the Platte River Interagency group in the FWS Regional Office in February 2000.  FWS written comments on the draft report are currently being incorporated into the final report to the FWS.

Adrian Farmer was asked by FWS, Regions 4 and 5, to help design an ecological assessment for a re-licensing study of a FERC project located at Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.   Farmer traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina in August 1999 for initial meetings with the applicant (Virginia Power), FERC, FWS, and NGO staff.  This meeting led to a decision to host a workshop, attended by technical experts, to develop a conceptual approach for performing an impact analysis of the existing Roanoke Rapids project.  Farmer traveled again to Raleigh in December 1999 to assist with this workshop.   As a follow-up to this workshop, BRD/ MESC staff may be asked to assist with the development of habitat models or other specific tools needed for this assessment. The Roanoke Rapids project is the first of many FERC re-license studies that will be conducted in the next 5 years, and Regions 4 & 5 hope that the assessment method developed here will also be useful for the other FERC projects.  

DATE SUBMITTED:  13 March 2000

PREPARED BY:  Adrian H. Farmer, Midcontinent Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins, CO; (970)226-9410; adrian_farmer@usgs.gov

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URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/99FWSMESCBIN.htm
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