Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plains CEsU | G17AS00097

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00097

The Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey (USGS) posted a discretionary funding opportunity under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Plains CESU (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00097). The award is structured as a cooperative agreement for science and technology research and development (CFDA 15.808). It was created on June 22, 2017, with an original closing date of July 7, 2017. USGS anticipated making one award, with a maximum funding level (award ceiling) of $44,491. Eligibility is limited to CESU partners (the listing notes "Others" and points applicants to additional eligibility details, but the core intent is that a CESU partner carries out the work).

The research focus is the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a migratory shorebird considered a high conservation concern for federal and state land management agencies. In the Western Gulf Coastal Plain ecoregion, the species uses grassland and agricultural habitats during spring and fall migration, and existing observations suggest that birds can occur in large numbers but are unevenly distributed across the landscape. A key problem driving this grant is that conservation and management decisions are currently constrained by the lack of robust regional population estimates and limited information on habitat use, especially for a species that historically depended on coastal prairie habitats and still appears tied to those systems.

The project aims to improve both population and habitat knowledge by developing a standardized survey approach that can be applied broadly across the region. A central feature is the creation of a population and habitat survey protocol that can be implemented by a volunteer network of observers. By leveraging trained volunteers using consistent methods, the project is intended to generate region-wide data that are comparable across sites and time periods, supporting better estimates of abundance and distribution while also documenting habitat associations.

USGS identified three primary objectives for the funded work. First, the project will conduct standardized ground surveys for Buff-breasted Sandpipers across the coastal plain of Texas and southwest Louisiana during peak migration windows, ensuring coverage when birds are most likely to be present and detectable. Second, it will collect data on broad habitat associations within grassland and agricultural settings in coastal Texas and southwest Louisiana during spring migration, linking sightings and counts to general habitat categories and landscape context. Third, it will go beyond broad categories to identify micro-habitat characteristics associated with higher Buff-breasted Sandpiper abundance in coastal Texas and Louisiana, which can help managers understand the fine-scale conditions that attract or support the species (for example, structural vegetation conditions or other localized site features, as captured through the protocol).

Overall, the opportunity is designed to produce practical, field-ready monitoring methods and a stronger evidence base for conservation planning in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain. The expected outcomes are improved regional abundance estimates, clearer understanding of where and when the species concentrates during migration, and more actionable habitat information that can guide proactive management actions on both public and private lands in coastal prairie, grassland, and agricultural landscapes.

• The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Plains CEsU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 22, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $44,491.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G17AS00097

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