Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU | G18AS00095

Opportunity Information: Apply for G18AS00095

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G18AS00095) was a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding announcement issued through the Department of the Interior, with support managed by the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK). It was offered as a cooperative agreement under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 15.808). The funding was relatively small and targeted in scope, with a single anticipated award and an award ceiling of $43,236. The opportunity was posted July 31, 2018, with an original closing date of August 14, 2018. Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text, which is typical for CESU opportunities that often prioritize or route awards through cooperative research partners.

The central purpose of the project was to evaluate and strengthen an existing long-running monitoring program for Boreal Toads at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (KLGO), and to conduct a robust analysis of monitoring data collected since 2004. Boreal Toads are identified as a species of conservation concern, so the intent was not just academic analysis, but producing management-ready results that park staff can use to protect habitat while planning and carrying out on-the-ground actions. Specifically, the results were meant to help KLGO incorporate toad conservation into the Dyea area plan, which includes restoration work and the design or placement of new trails and other infrastructure. In other words, the grant aimed to connect long-term wildlife monitoring directly to practical land-use decisions in a historically and ecologically significant landscape.

A major component of the work involved a thorough occupancy analysis using the existing monitoring dataset from key breeding sites. Occupancy analysis is designed to estimate where a species is present while accounting for imperfect detection, which is important for amphibians that can be missed even when they are there. Alongside estimating current status and trends, the project called for examining how habitat and climate variables relate to occupancy and population patterns. The idea was to move beyond simple counts and produce quantitative, defensible inferences about how site conditions and broader environmental factors may be influencing the toads over time.

Another emphasis was understanding how hydrology, particularly the behavior of the Taiya River, affects the status of core breeding sites used by Boreal Toads. Because river hydrology can shape wetland formation, flooding frequency, sediment movement, and water availability, changes in the river can alter breeding habitat suitability from year to year or over longer periods. The opportunity therefore asked for an evaluation of how shifts in the Taiya River's hydrology might impact breeding sites and, by extension, toad persistence. This hydrology-focused work was intended to support mitigation planning during Dyea-area development and restoration, helping managers reduce harm or design projects that maintain or improve breeding habitat conditions.

The opportunity also highlighted that Boreal Toad breeding areas occur not only on park-managed lands but also on non-park lands within the National Historic Landmark boundary. For that reason, the grant placed value on producing information that can be shared among multiple landowners and partners, supporting collaborative conservation. Quantitative findings about which breeding sites matter most, how they are functioning, and how their status is changing would help align decision-making across jurisdictions where park goals and private or other land management needs intersect.

Beyond analyzing historical data, the project included a set of simulations to test how well the current monitoring program can detect trends of interest. This type of power or sensitivity assessment helps determine whether the existing sampling design is strong enough to detect declines, increases, or other changes within a reasonable timeframe, or whether adjustments are needed (for example, more visits per season, better timing, additional sites, or revised field protocols). The goal here was to evaluate monitoring effectiveness and ensure that future data collection can actually answer the management questions being asked, rather than producing ambiguous results due to limited detection probability or insufficient sampling intensity.

Disease risk was another explicit element of the work, through analysis of factors associated with amphibian chytrid fungus detection in sampled toads. Chytrid fungus (often referenced in amphibian monitoring as Bd) has been linked to severe amphibian declines in many places. The opportunity called for examining whether sex, size, and site-specific characteristics are associated with the prevalence of chytrid fungus in the sampled individuals. This kind of analysis can help identify whether certain sites or segments of the population may be at higher risk, which can influence handling protocols, site prioritization, and broader conservation planning.

Finally, the grant asked for an evaluation of how study length influences the reliability of management recommendations. Since the dataset extends back to 2004, the project could explore how conclusions change when using shorter versus longer time windows, and what that implies for decision-making. This is a practical question for managers who may need to act based on limited recent data, yet also want to avoid overreacting to short-term variability. By assessing the relationship between monitoring duration and confidence in trend estimates, the work was designed to help park staff understand what the existing program can reliably tell them now and what it might require to deliver stronger guidance in the future.

Overall, this opportunity was a focused, applied research effort aimed at turning nearly two decades of Boreal Toad monitoring into clear estimates of status and trends, identifying environmental drivers (including climate, habitat, and river hydrology), evaluating disease patterns, and stress-testing the monitoring design itself. The deliverables were intended to directly support land-use planning, restoration, and infrastructure decisions in the Dyea area, while also providing credible information for cooperation among multiple landowners within the broader landmark landscape.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain 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 Jul 31, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 2018. (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 $43,236.00 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).

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