Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Detachment Fallbrook Grant for Critical Biodiversity Surveys

Funding Opportunity Description

Naval Weapons Station (NAVWPNSTA) Seal Beach Detachment Fallbrook (Detachment Fallbrook, installation) is located in north San Diego County, adjacent to Camp Pendleton and the town of Fallbrook. Detachment Fallbrook resides within the California Floristic Province, which is a Mediterranean type climate and is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot of global significance ecosystem known for high biodiversity and endemism. On the installation, there is a diversity of flora and fauna. 

The low-intensity land use requirement of the military mission has kept over 90% of Detachment Fallbrook lands as undeveloped and largely natural open space that supports a range of plant communities and provides habitat for many sensitive species, including federally listed threatened and endangered species. The intent of this project is to study five taxonomic groups: amphibians (including the federally endangered Arroyo Toad [ARTO, Anaxyrus californicus] and federally proposed Spadefoot Toad [Spea hammondii]; reptiles (including federally proposed Southwestern Pond Turtle [Actinemys pallida]); mammals (with a focus on bats [Chiroptera] and other mammals of potential management interest); plants (with a focus on rare, endangered, and species of potential management concern); and invertebrates (including the federally proposed Monarch Butterfly [Danaus plexippus]).

           One species, ARTO, is both a California species of special concern and a federally listed endangered species. The ARTO is surveyed regularly per a 2003 United States Fish and Wildlife Service (UFWS) Biological Opinion (BO) to support the implementation of fire management on the installation (FWS-SDG-04B0004-04F0005). Of particular interest with the ARTO is tracking the riverine portion of the population over time as well as characterizing its uplands occupancy. The installation also supports a diverse herpetofaunal population (reptiles and other amphibians). Numerous herpetofaunal species on the installation are considered California species of special concern and a couple, the Spadefoot Toad and Southwestern Pond Turtle, have been proposed for federal listing. This taxonomic group is routinely surveyed to assess diversity and trends in species within the installation, as well as monitor for exotic or rare species that may not have been detected yet. 

One group of mammals, the bats, has received a lot of conservation attention in North America in recent years. This is due in part to their ecological and economic value in the face of alarming population declines following the spread of a fungal disease known to be associated with white-nose syndrome. Bats occur throughout the installation, to include roosting in bat boxes and within manmade structures such as magazines; there are current mission/bat conflicts that require evaluation and management support. There are other mammalian species of potential management concern at Detachment Fallbrook that have been less well studied, including San Diego Black-tailed Jackrabbit, American Badger, and Woodrats. 

Plant diversity on the installation is high with over 600 plant species documented on Detachment Fallbrook. The majority of plant species are classified as native; however, approximately 30% are non-native. Detachment Fallbrook’s 2016 Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) identifies which species have voucher specimens on file and which species are on the Detachment Fallbrook Watch List because more information (e.g., confirmation of presence) is needed. In response, botanical diversity at Detachment Fallbrook is surveyed periodically for differing management purposes, including early detection of invasive species, vigilance for rare or listed species, assessing parameters for habitat restoration and recovery, etc.

Finally, in addition to being ecologically significant (e.g., as important food source, pollinators, decomposers, etc.), some invertebrate species in our region are of particular management interest because they are invasive pests (e.g., Gold-Spotted Oak Borer, Shothole Borer) or species at risk and/or proposed for listing (e.g., Monarch Butterfly). The Monarch Butterfly is known to occur on Detachment Fallbrook and is of current management interest because it is slated to be listed in 2024, but the Navy does not have good data on its potential habitat and distribution. 

Brief Description of the Anticipated Work:

The Navy is seeking statements of interest that address two objectives: 1) to conduct mandatory surveys for ARTO, along with surveys for other amphibians and reptiles (with an emphasis on species proposed for federal listing), bats, plants and invertebrates (with an emphasis on Monarch Butterfly), and as required by the aforementioned BO’s and DoD instructions. 2) to continue surveys for these taxonomic groups per requirements in accordance with the installation’s INRMP as enforced through 16 USC §670c-1 (Natural Resources Management – Sikes Act), Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 4715.03 and Operation Naval Instruction 5090-1. 

Please see enclosure 1 for full scope of work and enclosure 2 for applicable terms and conditions.