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Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Mexican Spotted Owl PACs
Region: Statewide
ID: 7634
Project Status: Proposed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
We aim to develop and pilot a flexible, multi-species Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) framework for tracking threatened and endangered birds in remote rocky-canyon habitats. This approach seeks to overcome challenges of traditional call-back survey methods, focusing on the Mexican spotted owl. Our primary objective is to refine the PAM framework for the spotted owl by utilizing cost-effective autonomous recording units (ARUs) and innovative artificial intelligence technologies. We will examine how different ARU placements and deployment durations influence owl occupancy estimates and detection probabilities. This adaptable framework can be implemented across various ranges as needed by wildlife managers.
Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.
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Objectives
To purchase ARUs for use in the future development of a cost-effective and novel monitoring protocol for MSO.
Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
MSO surveys in Utah can be fairly difficult to conduct due to their remote locations in canyon habitat. ARUs are now more affordable, more common, and more accessible than they were in the past making this an ideal time to start the process of developing a PAM.
LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.
TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.
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Relation to Management Plans
This work will help facilitate the development in a cost effective and more accessible surveying method that will help address recovery criteria as outline in the 2012 Revised Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan.
List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.
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Fire/Fuels
Not applicable.
If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.
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Water Quality/Quantity
Not applicable.
Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.
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Compliance
The use of ARUs to conduct research on MSO does not require a Section 10(a)(1)(A) federal recovery permit. However, permits are required for placement of equipment federally managed lands.
Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.
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Methods
Money will be contracted out for a third party to purchase equipment for later use in MSO PAM development.
Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.
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Monitoring
Any contracted individual will coordinate with Utah Division of Wildlife Resource, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and other interested state partners, federal partners, tribal, or NGO partners.
Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.
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Partners
Federal partners National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service. NGO partners include but are not limited to Hawkwatch International
List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.
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Future Management
ARUs will be used to develop a scientifically sound acoustic monitoring protocol for MSO. Developing an acoustic monitoring protocol would likely increase data collection and help meet recovery goals.
Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
Not applicable.
Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.
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