Opportunity Information: Apply for 70181AR035
Apply for 70181AR035
- The Region 7 in the education environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "McLees Lake Sampling" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608 Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2010 and posted on May 15, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 31, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $76,409.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $76,409.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
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Opportunity Summary:
The McLees Lake Sampling opportunity is a US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 7 continuation cooperative agreement intended as a single-source award to the Qawalangin Tribe in Unalaska, Alaska. It is explicitly not a competitive funding announcement and not a request for proposals; the agency states it does not plan to accept applications from other parties and expects to make the award about 15 days after the notice. The eligible applicant category is federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and the award is tied to CFDA 15.608 (Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance). The estimated total funding listed is $76,409 (with an award ceiling of $76,409 and an award floor of $14,664), and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The posting date is May 15, 2010, with a closing date of May 31, 2010, and the opportunity is archived June 30, 2010.
The project is rooted in subsistence fisheries management needs on Unalaska Island, roughly 1,250 km southwest of Anchorage. Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are not commercially harvested in the area, but they are a key subsistence resource for local residents. Historically, Unalaska Lake supported an important sockeye run, but management actions and declining returns shifted local fishing pressure toward the McLees Lake run, which drains into Reese Bay and provides both spawning and rearing habitat plus a relatively protected fishing area. Over time, subsistence demand increased substantially, reflected by the rise in permits from 65 in 1985 to a peak of 231 in 2002, with 2008 still at 207. Earlier management relied on aerial surveys (conducted since 1974) and harvest data (collected since 1985), but aerial counts were limited and unreliable due to weather, aircraft availability, timing, and observer variability. Concern from local residents and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) that weak monitoring could threaten the run and future subsistence opportunity led the Kodiak/Aleutians Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council to prioritize a more dependable escapement monitoring program.
To improve accuracy, USFWS installed a weir in 2001 and discontinued aerial surveys by 2003, partnering with the Qawalangin Tribe to monitor sockeye escapement through a sequence of funded efforts that continued through 2009. The justification for continuing the work is that returns generally declined after monitoring began, and the 2008-2009 returns were the lowest on record, prompting in-season subsistence fishery closures. The Office of Subsistence Management approved continued work (including an out-of-cycle proposal) to maintain timely escapement information and help investigate potential reasons behind low returns.
The primary purpose of the cooperative agreement is capacity building within the Qawalangin Tribe and the Unalaska community by hiring and training local Alaska Native and/or local residents as research assistants to conduct field sampling. The work also supports in-season fisheries management decisions by producing dependable escapement estimates and biological data. The specific study objectives are to (1) count daily sockeye passage through the weir, (2) characterize run timing using proportional daily passage, (3) estimate sex and age composition with statistical precision (simultaneous 90% confidence intervals with maximum width of 0.20), and (4) estimate mean length by sex and age.
Field operations center on installing and running a flexible picket weir spanning about 21 meters at the outlet of McLees Lake, operated from June 1 through July 31, 2010. A live trap is built on the upstream side to allow fish sampling while still enabling adult passage. Crews inspect and maintain the weir and trap daily, and fish are passed and counted intermittently between 0700 and 2400 each day, with session length varying by fish volume. Daily escapement/capture information is relayed to the Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Field Office (AFO) via satellite phone and then shared with ADFG managers by email to inform in-season management of the Reese Bay subsistence fishery, with additional daily reporting to ADFG commercial fisheries staff in Sand Point to provide run data relevant to regional management.
USFWS responsibilities include providing a crew leader, one research assistant, biological oversight, and logistical and administrative support; training the tribal cooperator in sampling and fish-handling protocols; monitoring performance through routine communications and potential site visits; providing housing and subsistence during active field camp periods; transporting crews from field camp to the weir site and other duty locations; archiving data under AFO standards; and producing annual reporting to the Office of Subsistence Management Fisheries Monitoring Program and the Kodiak/Aleutians Regional Advisory Council, including publication in USFWS Alaska Fisheries Technical or Data Series reports. The agency also commits to presenting findings annually to the Qawalangin Tribal Council.
The Qawalangin Tribe, as the recipient, is expected to hire one research assistant for roughly two months during May 25 through July 31, 2010 (exact dates set by USFWS investigators), provide supervision and administrative support needed to help generate abundance estimates and collect biological data, ensure the hired staff follow both USFWS and tribal conduct and safety rules while working or traveling, and provide about 300 square feet of enclosed, locked, ground-level storage (a Conex box). Project performance is checked during the season through bi-weekly meetings between USFWS and tribal project officers, and after the field season the Service, the Tribe, and ADFG jointly analyze results to judge success and decide next steps.
The period of performance is structured as one base year starting in the fiscal year of award plus four option years, with option-year funding dependent on available funds and satisfactory completion of prior objectives. USFWS reserves the right to withhold option-year funding if progress is insufficient, funds are misused, or funding is unavailable.
McLees Lake Sampling (USFWS Region 7) - Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the "McLees Lake Sampling" grant opportunity?
McLees Lake Sampling is a US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Region 7 continuation cooperative agreement focused on monitoring sockeye salmon escapement and collecting biological data at McLees Lake on Unalaska Island, Alaska. The project supports subsistence fisheries management by producing dependable in-season run information and by building local capacity through hiring and training local Alaska Native and/or local residents as field research assistants.
2) Is this a competitive grant or open funding opportunity?
No. The notice states this is not a competitive funding announcement and not a request for proposals. USFWS explicitly indicates it does not plan to accept applications from other parties.
3) Who is the intended recipient of this award?
The award is intended as a single-source award to the Qawalangin Tribe in Unalaska, Alaska.
4) What applicant category is listed as eligible?
The eligible applicant category listed is federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
5) When does USFWS expect to make the award?
USFWS states it expects to make the award approximately 15 days after the notice.
6) What is the CFDA program associated with this opportunity?
The award is tied to CFDA 15.608, Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance.
7) How much funding is available?
The estimated total funding is $76,409. The award ceiling is $76,409 and the award floor is $14,664.
8) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice specifies there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
9) What are the posting, closing, and archive dates listed?
The posting date is May 15, 2010. The closing date is May 31, 2010. The opportunity is archived on June 30, 2010.
10) Where does the project take place?
The project is based on Unalaska Island, roughly 1,250 km southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. Field operations focus on McLees Lake, which drains into Reese Bay.
11) Why is this project needed?
Sockeye salmon are a key subsistence resource for local residents. Historically, Unalaska Lake supported an important sockeye run, but management actions and declining returns shifted fishing pressure to McLees Lake. Subsistence demand increased substantially (permits rose from 65 in 1985 to a peak of 231 in 2002, and were 207 in 2008). Earlier monitoring relied on aerial surveys (since 1974) and harvest data (since 1985), but aerial counts were limited and unreliable due to weather, aircraft availability, timing, and observer variability. Local residents and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) raised concerns that weak monitoring could threaten the run and future subsistence opportunity, leading to prioritization of a more dependable monitoring program.
12) What monitoring method is being used and why?
USFWS installed a weir in 2001 to improve monitoring accuracy and discontinued aerial surveys by 2003. The weir-based program is intended to provide more dependable escapement estimates and biological data than aerial counts.
13) What prompted continued monitoring through this continuation agreement?
The notice explains that returns generally declined after monitoring began, and the 2008-2009 returns were the lowest on record. Those low returns resulted in in-season subsistence fishery closures. Continued work was approved to maintain timely escapement information and help investigate potential reasons behind low returns.
14) What is the primary purpose of the cooperative agreement?
The primary purpose is capacity building within the Qawalangin Tribe and the Unalaska community by hiring and training local Alaska Native and/or local residents as research assistants to conduct field sampling. The work also supports in-season fisheries management decisions by generating dependable escapement estimates and biological data.
15) What are the specific study objectives?
The study objectives are to: (1) count daily sockeye passage through the weir; (2) characterize run timing using proportional daily passage; (3) estimate sex and age composition with statistical precision defined as simultaneous 90% confidence intervals with maximum width of 0.20; and (4) estimate mean length by sex and age.
16) What are the main field activities described in the notice?
Field operations include installing and operating a flexible picket weir spanning about 21 meters at the outlet of McLees Lake and running it during the season. A live trap is built on the upstream side to allow sampling while still enabling adult passage. Crews inspect and maintain the weir and trap daily, and fish are passed and counted intermittently each day.
17) What is the operating season and daily schedule for the weir work?
The weir is operated from June 1 through July 31, 2010. Fish are passed and counted intermittently between 0700 and 2400 each day, with session length varying based on fish volume.
18) How is information reported and used for management decisions?
Daily escapement and capture information is relayed to the Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Field Office (AFO) via satellite phone. AFO shares the information with ADFG managers by email to inform in-season management of the Reese Bay subsistence fishery. Additional daily reporting is provided to ADFG commercial fisheries staff in Sand Point to supply run data relevant to regional management.
19) What does USFWS provide or do under this cooperative agreement?
USFWS responsibilities include providing a crew leader and one research assistant, biological oversight, and logistical and administrative support. USFWS also trains the tribal cooperator in sampling and fish-handling protocols, monitors performance through routine communications and potential site visits, provides housing and subsistence during active field camp periods, transports crews from field camp to the weir site and other duty locations, archives data under AFO standards, and produces annual reporting for the Office of Subsistence Management Fisheries Monitoring Program and the Kodiak/Aleutians Regional Advisory Council (including publication in USFWS Alaska Fisheries Technical or Data Series reports). USFWS also commits to presenting findings annually to the Qawalangin Tribal Council.
20) What is the Qawalangin Tribe expected to do as the recipient?
The Qawalangin Tribe is expected to hire one research assistant for roughly two months during May 25 through July 31, 2010 (exact dates set by USFWS investigators). The Tribe is also expected to provide supervision and administrative support needed to help generate abundance estimates and collect biological data, ensure hired staff follow USFWS and tribal conduct and safety rules while working or traveling, and provide about 300 square feet of enclosed, locked, ground-level storage (a Conex box).
21) How will performance and progress be monitored?
During the field season, project performance is checked through bi-weekly meetings between USFWS and tribal project officers. After the field season, USFWS, the Tribe, and ADFG jointly analyze results to judge success and decide next steps.
22) What is the period of performance and what are "option years"?
The period of performance includes one base year starting in the fiscal year of award plus four option years. Option-year funding depends on available funds and satisfactory completion of prior objectives.
23) Can USFWS decide not to fund the option years?
Yes. USFWS reserves the right to withhold option-year funding if progress is insufficient, funds are misused, or funding is unavailable.
24) What species is the monitoring focused on?
The monitoring is focused on sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).
25) Is the sockeye salmon fishery in this area commercial or subsistence?
The notice states sockeye salmon are not commercially harvested in the area, but they are a key subsistence resource for local residents. The project supports in-season management of the Reese Bay subsistence fishery.
26) What historical monitoring data existed before the weir program?
Aerial surveys were conducted beginning in 1974, and harvest data were collected beginning in 1985. The notice indicates aerial counts were limited and unreliable for several practical reasons, including weather and observer variability.
27) What local or regional bodies influenced prioritization of improved monitoring?
The Kodiak/Aleutians Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council prioritized a more dependable escapement monitoring program in response to concerns from local residents and ADFG about the limitations of prior monitoring and potential impacts on future subsistence opportunity.
28) What role does the Office of Subsistence Management play in this project?
The Office of Subsistence Management approved continued work (including an out-of-cycle proposal) to maintain timely escapement information and help investigate potential reasons behind low returns. USFWS also produces annual reporting to the Office of Subsistence Management Fisheries Monitoring Program.
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