News and Recent Updates
GBLCC STEERING COMMITTEE SUPPORTS FIVE PROJECTS FOR FUNDING
On April 4, the Great Basin LCC Steering Committee approved five recommended project proposals for FY2013 science funding (click here for full summary). Approximately $200,000 from the US Fish & Wildlife Service was made available, resulting in the development of a short-term science approach and convening of the Great Basin Science Working Group (SWG). The SWG was responsible for developing a recommendation to the Steering Committee for the allocation of the FY2013 science funding. Over a period of two weeks, the solicitation was broadly disseminated, resulting in 16 project proposals submitted for review and evaluation by the SWG. After applying the evaluation criteria, the SWG recommended a prioritized list of six projects to the Steering Committee.
Upon review and discussion of the SWG recommended proposals, the Steering Committee agreed to support the following five projects. See below for a brief description of each project.
- $48,222 awarded to Dr. Elizabeth Leger, University of Nevada, Reno: “Understanding the causes and consequences of cheatgrass die-offs in the Great Basin.” The project will use satellite imagery to provide information on the size and extent of historic die-offs in the Winnemucca area and determine if the die-offs are restoration opportunities by planting native grasses.
- $44,795 awarded to Dr. Eric Beever, U.S. Geological Survey: “Characterization of montane ecosystems, their microclimates, and wildlife distribution and abundance across the hydrographic Great Basin.” The project will retrieve four years of data from over 200 temperature sensors located on over 100 million acres of the Great Basin to help quantify the variability of climate across varying landscape levels and time periods.
- $38,855 awarded to Dr. Elisabeth Ammon, Great Basin Bird Observatory: “Evaluating species management guidance and monitoring programs for the Great Basin.” The project will provide an online, open source document that summarizes the current knowledge on the value of different species management practices, important gaps in knowledge about priority species and current status of monitoring coverage.
- $35,000 awarded to Dr. Bryce Richardson, USDA Forest Service: “Development of tools and technology to improve the success and planning of big sagebrush ecosystems.” The project creates a knowledge base and tools to assist resource managers by informing them of the most appropriate seed sources to plant to enhance the success of restoration under current and future climates.
- $31,356 awarded to Dr. Matt Germino, U.S. Geological Survey: “Effects of genotype and management treatments of native and invasive herbs on success of sagebrush restoration.” The research will evaluate how initial establishment of sagebrush is influenced by management treatments and to determine how the effects are varied under different climate conditions.
The SWG work was guided through this short-term recommendation process by the mission, goals and objectives of the Great Basin LCC and short-term guiding principles for funding allocation. Click here for the news release: Five Projects Funded to Increase Understanding of the Great Basin (04-26-13)
ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Inter-LCC Sage-grouse funding available
The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and USFWS are accepting proposals through May 8 for the Inter-LCC Greater Sage-grouse Initiative. Please visit the Great Basin LCC website at www.greatbasinlcc.org for more information and a link to the RFP.
Northwest Climate Science Center and North Pacific LCC
The Northwest Climate Science Center (NW CSC), Alaska Climate Science Center (AK CSC) and North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NPLCC) have formed a new partnership aimed at better understanding and adapting to the impacts of climate change on resources of cultural and/or subsistence significance. This partnership centers on funding opportunities that allow Tribal entities, First Nations, and closely affiliated partners to identify viable, real-world responses to climate change, while also recognizing the sensitive nature of many resources. Applications for project funding are due May 9, 2013. Additional information and application instructions can be found at http://www.doi.gov/csc/upload/Tribal-projects-announcement.pdf
April Steering Committee Meeting Highlights
Additional highlights from the April 4 Steering Committee meeting include:
• Approval of Charter additions outlining Steering Committee characteristics and process for filling vacant seats.
• Heard updates on the Rapid Ecoregional Assessment (REA) process and Science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (S-TEK) process.
The next virtual Steering Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for September 2013. Please stay tuned for more information on REA and S-TEK process, as the Science Working Group determines next steps and asks for input.
WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SAGE-GROUSE INTER-LCC RESEARCH
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
There is $500,000 available for greater sage-grouse funding.
Proposals are due by May 8, 2013, selections to be announced in mid-June 2013.
Note that all funded work must be completed before September 30, 2015.
Anticipated outcomes of this initiative, either through funded research, management support, or data acquisition/manipulation proposals, include:
Spatially explicit description at scales useful to management (range-wide, management zone, population) of habitat conditions, disturbance patterns, ongoing mitigation/restoration/preservation treatments, and population status and trends
Applied analyses of future habitat condition and population vectors
Decision support tools to assist management agencies to make science-informed decisions about resource allocation
Adaptive management frameworks at scales meaningful to managers
Evaluation of effectiveness of current management activities
Additional research that fills critical information needs for greater sage-grouse management
Assessment of climate change impacts on sage-grouse and sagebrush persistence is being pursued through other means, so proposals where climate change impact assessment is the primary objective will not be considered for funding through this initiative.
An opportunity to discuss concepts for proposals with members of the Oversight Committee will be afforded to project proponents prior to the submission deadline. This is a good opportunity to refine proposals to make them more competitive and perhaps to find collaborative partners. Project proponents are encouraged, but not required to participate. Format for this pre-proposal discussion will be either a webinar or conference call on April 22 and 26. If interested in participating please submit a 1-page concept proposal that summarizes key aspects of the proposal to Tom Remington by April 16. The webinar/conference call will be held during a 2 hour time block each on April 22nd and 26th.
The Coordinator for this effort is Tom Remington (based in Denver), he can be reached at: remingtontom@msn.com.
