FY15 Pacific Brant mid-winter ground surveys in Mexico

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7 intends to award a single source financial assistance agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2.14 (B) to Terra Peninsular, A.C. This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made 15 days after this notice. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The goals of the Fish and Wildlife Services Migratory Bird Management Division are to protect, restore, and manage migratory bird populations to: (i) ensure long term ecological sustainability of all migratory bird populations; (ii) increase socioeconomic benefits; (iii) improve hunting and birdwatching, other outdoor bird related experiences; (iv) increase awareness of the value of migratory birds and their habitats for their intrinsic, ecological, recreational and economic significance. Pacific Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) is a subspecies of the brant goose that breeds in Alaska and winters in Baja California and Mexico. Management of Pacific Flyway brant is conducive upon consistent, rigorous and defensible population indices to ensure appropriate adaptive harvest management. The Pacific black brant is a Tier 1 Priority Species for the Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region; a focal species for the Fish and Wildlife Species; and is considered extremely important to subsistence and recreational waterfowl hunters. Because approximately 80 percent of Pacific Flyway brant overwinter in Mexico, it is essential the Service obtain annual population estimates to assess recreation and subsistence harvest, nonhunting mortality, and other factors influencing survival, mortality and population abundance and trend. Terra Peninsular, A.C. Calle Tercera 1282, Zona Centro, Ensenada Baja California, Mexico has the professional knowledge, skills and abilities to conduct the required ground based and boat based surveys to assess the distribution and abundance of Pacific brant overwintering in bays, estuaries and wetlands in four major coastal lagoons of Baja California (Bahia de San Quintin, Laguna Ojo de Liebre Guerrero Negro, Laguna San Ignacio and Bahia Magdalena) and along the west coast of mainland Mexico from the Colorado River Delta to Bahia Santa Maria in Sinaloa. In addition, Terra Peninsular has the experience necessary to handle all logistics necessary to transport boats, motors, field gear, and personnel to field sites to count brant. This funding opportunity is made under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, 16 U.S.C. (661 to 667) (e) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 16 U.S.C. 709 (e).