National Park Service Grant: Natural Resource Management and Bird Conservation on Alcatraz Island

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service’s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT
Funding Announcement Number P11AT00572
Project Title Natural Resource Conservation and Management on Alcatraz Island

Recipient GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVANCY

Principle Investigator / Program Manager Sharon Farrell – Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Bill Merkle, Wildlife Ecologist – National Park Service

Total Anticipated Award Amount $158,733
Cost Share None required
New Award or Continuation? Continuation
Anticipated Length of Agreement 2 years
Anticipated Period of Performance 4/20/2011 – 12/31/2012
Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement
Statutory Authority 16 U.S.C. §1g
CFDA # and Title 15.944 – Natural Resource Stewardship
Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Continuation – The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity
NPS Point of Contact Erica Cordeiro, 415-561-7048

OVERVIEW

A. Cooperative Agreement No. 1443 CA-8140-98-001 (“Basic Agreement”) was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (“GGNRA”) and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (“Parks Conservancy”) on October 24, 1997 for the purpose of transferring National Park Service appropriated funds to nonprofit organizations to carry out the public purposes of the National Park Service programs. Task Agreement No. J8148110215 continues the purpose of that Basic Agreement and further expands the scope to implementing natural resource conservation and management actions, focused on continuing to implement the Bird Conservation and Management Strategy, on Alcatraz Island.
B. The Parks Conservancy has a considerable presence on Alcatraz, and is highly involved with the GGNRA in planning and implementing projects on Alcatraz. The Parks Conservancy participates with the GGNRA on the Alcatraz Management Team, Bird Conservation and Management Team, Alcatraz Projects Team, as well as numerous individual project teams, and the overall coordination of island operations. The Parks Conservancy is currently supporting Alcatraz projects related to visitor services and way-finding, garden restoration, rehabilitation and protection of cultural resources, and natural resource monitoring and protection.
C. The Parks Conservancy and the GGNRA worked together in the development of a Bird Conservation and Management Strategy for Historic Alcatraz Island (2005) (“Strategy”), with the Parks Conservancy funding this planning effort. The Strategy was developed as a response to resolve recurring conflicts among cultural resource protection and management, natural resource protection and management, and visitor access, as well as the policies and practices that guide their collective management. The Strategy outlines a range of recommended bird management actions to reduce or resolve conflict among resources. Many of the priority management actions were related to the management of western gulls, as they have the greatest potential to impact cultural resources and visitor services. By partnering with the Parks Conservancy, GGNRA is provided with unique resources, including an intimate knowledge of Alcatraz, past planning efforts, and the current Strategy, that will allow this project to be completed efficiently and successfully. Under this task agreement, GGNRA will receive support in implementing priority natural resource and bird management activities on Alcatraz Island.

STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Alcatraz Island is a 22 acre island in San Francisco Bay managed by the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Alcatraz Island has significant cultural and natural resources, and high rates of visitation. Western gulls (Larus occidentalis) present a challenge to the park service mission of preserving and protecting resources, while allowing for their public enjoyment. The breeding population of gulls on Alcatraz is well studied and has been identified as regionally significant. The gulls are afforded protections as migratory birds and as native species under park service policy. However, the gull population on the island has increased significantly since the mid-1990’s. Gull nests and excrement are causing damage to historic buildings on the island, and gull waste and aggressive gulls may adversely affect visitor experience.

Resource conflicts largely related to western gulls led GGNRA and the Parks Conservancy to address these issues. In response, the Parks Conservancy and the GGNRA worked together in the development of a Bird Conservation and Management Strategy for Historic Alcatraz Island (“Strategy”). The Strategy outlines a range of recommended bird management actions to reduce or resolve conflict among resources. Many of the priority management actions were related to the management of western gulls, as they have the greatest potential to impact cultural resources and visitor services. Waterbird monitoring also is an area of emphasis called out in the Strategy to better understand and minimize impacts to nesting birds.

Under this task agreement, the Parks Conservancy and GGNRA will work together to indentify and address issues affecting the management of natural resources on Alcatraz, in particular implementing bird management actions outlined in the Strategy. The Parks Conservancy and GGNRA will jointly identify management actions from the Strategy for implementation and develop appropriate scopes of work.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Recipient Involvement: This is a modification to an existing agreement. This modification adds funds in the amount of $76,883 for a combined total of $158,733. The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is both knowledgeable as well as currently in the process of completing this agreement which began in April of 2011.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT

Within this paragraph use the following language to address NPS Substantial involvement:
The National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area agrees to the following:

1. Have key GGNRA staff (Alcatraz Bird Management Team, Alcatraz Biologist, and Wildlife Ecologist) consult and collaborate with Parks Conservancy staff in planning and implementing this project.
2. Complete any necessary environmental and cultural resources compliance and communicate all necessary decisions to concerned GGNRA and Parks Conservancy departments.
3. Provide feedback, reviews, and approvals by park staff in a timely manner to allow the Parks Conservancy to complete activities within the scope of this agreement.
4. Facilitate acquisition of any research and collection permits.