Grant Opportunity – Greater Sage-grouse Research within ’s Most Novel Habitats

Proposals are due no later than November 13, 2015. Grant proposal and any questions should be directed to: Shawn Espinosa @ [email protected].

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is interested in understanding Greater sage-grouse (hereafter referred to as “sage-grouse”) population dynamics in areas of the state that are as close to a “reference” conditions as possible. Stoddard et al. (2005) describes this condition as it relates to the “naturalness” of the biota (structure and function) of a given area or region and implies the absence of significant human disturbance or alteration. Most prior, recent sage- grouse research efforts in Nevada have hinged on some sort of anthropogenic disturbance such as utility scale transmission lines, geothermal energy developments or mines and measuring their effects. Given this, we lack significant monitoring data in areas void of various infrastructure with quality habitat conditions in order to determine sage-grouse vital rates within areas possessing natural biotic integrity. To address this, we propose to conduct intensive sage- grouse and vegetation monitoring activities for a three year period at two sites in Nevada that are relatively disturbance and infrastructure free as well as those that support functional sagebrush communities (those where the preponderance of understory vegetation is considered native). One site is located in northern Nevada and one is located in central Nevada to help account for physiographic and vegetative differences between floristic provinces.

Grant Application Instructions

Please refer to scope of work below for details regarding this research project. Proposals should include the following at a minimum:  Demonstrate qualifications to conduct tasks identified within the scope of work;  Identification of the project manager and any supporting staff along with a brief description of their qualifications;  A proposed cost estimate with detail to include: salary, travel, material costs and other anticipated expenses;  A schedule of activities;  Submission of the draft report in digital form

Grant Eligibility (must meet all the following criteria)  Must be a Government Agency or Academic Institution (University) with offices located in either Nevada or California;  Specific experience working with Greater Sage-grouse within the Great Basin and measuring demographic parameters and habitat selection of sage-grouse;

Scope of Work Sage-grouse Monitoring  Capture and radio mark (utilizing GPS satellite transmitters and VHF Transmitters) up to 30 female sage-grouse initially (5 GPS satellite transmitters and 25 VHF transmitters) and maintain that approximate sample size over the course of the 3-year study;  Capture and band any male sage-grouse encountered during trapping efforts;  Periodically download and categorize data obtained from GPS satellite transmitters;  Track VHF marked individual birds by ground or aircraft 2–3 times per week during nesting period;  Determine nest initiation dates of each female grouse;  Identify movement patterns during the nesting season;  Determine nest fate of each female grouse and estimate daily nest survival probabilities;  Estimate the effects of environmental characteristics on nest survival rates;  Calculate kernel home-ranges of female grouse during the nesting season;  Track individual birds by ground or aircraft 2–3 times per week during brooding period;  Conduct brood counts during day and night (spotlights) every 10-d interval through the brood-rearing period to document brood success. Broods with no chicks will be scored unsuccessful and confirmed within 48-hours;  Calculate 10-day interval brood survival rate;  Identify patterns in sexual segregation during the fall months using radio telemetry relocations;  Identify late-fall feeding area for congregated broods;  Estimate differences between male and female (with broods) departure dates to wintering areas;  Use aircraft to identify wintering grounds;  Calculate Brownian bridge movement path models to identify corridors between seasonal use areas;  Calculate seasonal and annual survival rates and identify differences between sexes;

Habitat Measurements and Analyses  Within 48 hours of nest fate, measure multiple microhabitat characteristics at each nest site, including total shrub cover, sagebrush cover, perennial and annual grasses, perennial and annual forbs, vertical cover, and horizontal cover (measured at 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 m from nest site);  Place four perpendicular transects centered at the nest and record the percent shrub cover for each meter along the transect at scales of 5, 10, 25 m;  In addition, place two 20 X 50 cm Daubenmire plots along each transect and one at the nest center where percent cover is estimated and all plants are measured and keyed as annual or perennial;  Use three methods, including Jones cover, board to estimate vertical and horizontal cover at each point of subplots and at the nest bowl;  Conduct multiple measurements to quantify the amount of conifers within the nesting area (Monitor study site);  Use maps of vegetation types derived from remote sensing data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) to measure habitat characteristics at larger spatial scales;  Measure the habitat characteristics (field and GIS) at random points that are spatially dependent and independent from the nest site;  Develop a cover class layer of conifers using 1-m resolution NAIP and NDVI data (Monitor study site);  Conduct multi-scale habitat selection analysis using random and used points;  Estimate the effects of grouse age and body condition on nest survival rates;  Conduct habitat measurements (field and GIS) at a subsample of brood locations during day and night and dependent random locations for each 10-day interval;  Develop and compare brood survival models that include vegetation characteristics as covariates to identify the effects of vegetation factors;

This study serves as a control and contributes to eight ongoing study areas across Nevada and California where the USGS is conducting monitoring and research work. The major objective of these efforts is to estimate variation in habitat requirements for sage-grouse over multiple spatial scales across the Great Basin in the face of anthropogenic disturbance. Although management guidelines have been published for greater sage-grouse populations (Connelly et al. 2004, Crawford et al. 2004), studies that were used to establish those guidelines disproportionately represented the northern and eastern portions of sage-grouse range. Results of current studies conducted within Nevada demonstrated that environmental factors selected by sage-grouse and those factors that influence their vital rates differed from other populations across the range (Lockyer 2012, Coates and Delehanty 2010, Casazza et al. 2010, Kolada et al. 2010a, Kolada et al. 2010b). Therefore, applying range-wide management standards may not produce the most favorable outcomes and might reduce efficiency in valuable resources and time.

Location 1. The Santa Rosa/Owyhee study area is located on the eastern flank of the in Humboldt County, Nevada. Hydrologically, the study area is encompassed largely within the North Fork Little Humboldt River and the Little drainages. Access is available via Paradise Valley north of Winnemucca, NV. Between 30-40 lek locations are documented within this area and some limited telemetry information is available for this site. Please see Figure 1 below. 2. The Monitor study area is located mostly in Nye County, but could also include portions of southern Eureka County. Specifically, this study site will initially include east Monitor Valley near Willow Creek and Black Rock Canyon and likely include portions of the Monitor Range around Butler Basin and Savory Mountain. Please see Figure 2 below.

Contractor Furnished Property and Services  The contractor shall furnish labor and certain equipment and supplies to perform all work as set forth in the specifications.  Provide NDOW with nesting and brood-rearing (March – August) telemetry data by November 30th each year following the field season. Data should be reported in an excel spreadsheet with the locations (Universal Transverse Mercator [UTM] preferred using North American Datum (NAD) 83 and latitude and longitude), date, sex, season (breeding, brood-rearing, fall, and winter).  Provide NDOW with fall and winter (Aug – March) telemetry data by May 1st each year following flights. Data should be reported in an excel spreadsheet with the locations (UTM preferred using NAD 83 datum and latitude and longitude), date, sex, season (breeding, brood-rearing, fall, and winter).  Provide NDOW with monthly progress reports for April, May, June and July summarizing the following: o Movement data (i.e. PMU connectivity, migration routes, landscape level movement drivers, movement distances from leks to nests, if Ruby Pipeline infrastructure is having a measurable effect on sage grouse habitat use, and presenting other noteworthy information) o Use areas (i.e. identification of new leks, confirmation of existing leks, nesting, brood-rearing, winter, and presenting other noteworthy information) o Habitat characteristics (i.e. nesting and brood-rearing site selection characteristics, determine what riparian/meadow characteristics sage-grouse are selecting for and against, and presenting other noteworthy information) o Population demographics (i.e. annual, seasonal, and daily survival estimates; nest and brood rearing success; average brood size, population growth estimates; presenting other noteworthy information.) o Other relevant information.  Provide NDOW with an annual comprehensive report by December 31st of each year summarizing: o Movement data (i.e. PMU connectivity, migration routes, landscape level movement drivers, movement distances from leks to nests, and presenting other noteworthy information) o Use areas (i.e. identification of new leks, confirmation of existing leks, nesting, brood-rearing, winter, and presenting other noteworthy information) o Habitat characteristics (i.e. nesting and brood-rearing site selection characteristics, determine what riparian/meadow characteristics sage-grouse are selecting for and against, and presenting other noteworthy information) o Population demographics (i.e. annual, seasonal, and daily survival estimates; nest and brood rearing success; population growth estimates; presenting other noteworthy information.) o Other relevant information.  Will submit data upon request. Random data request may occur on a limited basis. Data request may include but is not limited to the information discussed under “subgrantee obligations”and additional information.  Any activities performed under this subgrant shall acknowledge the funding was provided through the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Upland Game Stamp program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration federal aid funding.

NDOW Furnished Property and Services  NDOW will provide USGS with technical assistance and guidance throughout the project process;  NDOW may provide personnel assistance with capture efforts in either of the two study site locations.

Figure 1. Santa Rosa/Owyhee study are located northeast of Winnemucca, NV in Humboldt County.

Figure 2. Monitor Valley study site located southeast of Austin, NV in Nye County.