This grant aims to identify disturbance mechanisms influencing elk habitat selection in natural gas development fields in the Fortification Creek Area. The study will assess the effects of noise and traffic volume on elk avoidance of energy development areas, evaluate phased development impacts, and compare findings with historic data. The research will provide crucial insights for planning CNBNG projects to minimize disturbances and restore habitat functionality, contributing to the protection of elk habitat amidst energy resource development on public land.
Opportunity ID: 41732
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | RFA-WY08-9004 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Identifying Disturbance Mechanisms Influencing Habitat Selection by Elk in Natural Gas Development Fields |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | CategoryExplanation |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Cooperative Agreement |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Natural Resources |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | 1 |
| Assistance Listings: | 15.231 — Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | Yes |
| Version: | Synopsis 1 |
| Posted Date: | May 21, 2008 |
| Last Updated Date: | – |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | May 28, 2008 |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | May 28, 2008 |
| Archive Date: | Jun 27, 2008 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $34,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $34,000 |
| Award Floor: | $34,000 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | – |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Bureau of Land Management |
| Description: | Project Background Information: The 123,000 acre Fortification Creek Area (FCA) in northeastern Wyoming provides year-round habitat to a geographically isolated prairie population of 250 Rocky Mountain elk and lies within the Powder River Basin, an area rich in hydrocarbon resources including coal and coalbed methane natural gas (CNBG). Because habitat is restricted, recent plans to develop the CBNG resources in the FCA are cause for concern. To better understand the effects of CBNG development and to develop appropriate mitigation measures, the Bureau of Land Management would like to develop a research study to identify the disturbance mechanisms (e.g., noise and traffic volume) that may lead to elk avoidance of areas undergoing energy development. Additional opportunities for this study are to (i) evaluate the effects of phased development, where CBNG development will be restricted to a third of the FCA until the entire FCA is developed in thirds, giving elk options to avoid development disturbances, (ii) provide a pre-development temporal perspective of habitat selection through comparing study data to radio-telemetery data collected in the FCA in 19922000 and 20052007, and (iii) compare elk locational data in the FCA to locations of elk from a study evaluating the effects of deep oil and gas development on elk habitat selection near Big Piney in western Wyoming (20002002). A fundamental purpose of this proposed research is to provide managers with information to (i) plan future CNBNG development projects to minimize disturbances, and (ii) restore habitat functionality through reducing or removing the disturbance factors that lead to avoidance of areas undergoing energy development. C. Project Objective: The study will help protect elk habitat while allowing for the orderly development of energy resources on public land. The primary resource challenge addressed by our project is the influence of oil and gas development on elk habitat effectiveness. In other studies, elk and mule deer have avoided areas undergoing oil and gas development, which have negatively affected population demographic parameters. Our primary research hypothesis is that activities associated with oil and gas development such as traffic volume and noise are mechanisms that disturb elk and other wildlife, causing them to avoid areas near oil and gas developments, which reduces the effectiveness of habitats. Through our research we will evaluate the influence of these disturbance mechanisms on elk habitat selection, thereby elucidating the overall influences on habitat effectiveness. Identifying which mechanisms most influence elk habitat selection as well as the temporal and spatial aspects whereby these mechanisms influence habitat selection will provide managers with essential information that can be used to make future energy developments more compatible with wildlife as well as provide information that will be useful in restoring habitat effectiveness to areas that have been developed for oil and gas resources. |
| Link to Additional Information: | – |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
Ilze Karklins-Powers
Grants & Agreements Specialist Phone 307-775-6293 Email:Ilze_Karklins-Powers@blm.gov |
Version History
| Version | Modification Description | Updated Date |
|---|---|---|
Related Documents
There are no related documents on this grant.
Packages
| Agency Contact Information: | Ilze Karklins-Powers Grants & Agreements Specialist Phone 307-775-6293 Email: Ilze_Karklins-Powers@blm.gov |
| Who Can Apply: | Organization Applicants |
| Assistance Listing Number | Competition ID | Competition Title | Opportunity Package ID | Opening Date | Closing Date | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.231 | PKG00007303 | May 21, 2008 | May 28, 2008 | View |
Package 1
Mandatory forms
41732 SF424_Mandatory-1.1.pdf
41732 Mandatory_SF424B-1.1.pdf
41732 SF424A-1.0.pdf
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