BAT SURVEYS U.S. ARMY GARRRISON FORT CARSON, CO | W9126G 20 2 SOI 2984

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 20 2 SOI 2984

The BAT SURVEYS U.S. ARMY GARRISON FORT CARSON, CO opportunity is a Department of Defense (Fort Worth District) request for Statements of Interest (SOIs) to identify qualified investigators to support natural resource management at Fort Carson, Colorado, and the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS). The work is framed as professional and technical support for the installation's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP), helping Fort Carson meet its responsibilities under the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1). This notice is not asking for a full technical proposal or a detailed budget yet; instead, it is an initial screening step where interested parties submit qualifications and evidence of capability to perform similar work. A draft Statement of Objectives was provided for reference to help applicants understand the anticipated scope.

Eligibility is restricted in a very specific way despite the general listing that might look broad at first glance. Only non-federal partners within Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) in the Desert Southwest CESU region and the North Atlantic Coast CESU region may be considered. In practical terms, an applicant must be an eligible non-federal CESU partner affiliated with one of those two CESU regions to qualify. The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, and the government expected to make a single award.

Funding for the base period is approximately $180,563 to cover the core tasks, with the potential for additional funding tied to two optional tasks. The posting lists an award ceiling of $225,213, indicating the maximum potential value if optional work is included or if the final negotiated scope supports that level. The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W9126G 20 2 SOI 2984) was created March 12, 2020, with an original closing date of April 12, 2020, and agency review of SOIs beginning on April 12, 2020.

The anticipated work centers on expanding and refining bat data across multiple habitat types on the military landscape, with special attention to mines and other roosting features. First, the project continues acoustic monitoring by deploying acoustic recording boxes across Fort Carson and PCMS in areas of high bat activity and in distinct habitat types to improve information on species presence, relative abundance, and diversity. Acoustic loggers are also to be placed at mine entrances and exits to capture when and how bats move in and out of mine systems over time and across locations.

Second, the project continues capture efforts through bat netting and roost monitoring at the same acoustic recording sites to strengthen field-verified information that acoustics alone cannot provide. These capture events are intended to document species diversity and population structure, including reproductive status, age distribution, and evidence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) scarring, which is important for tracking health threats and potential impacts to sensitive species. The monitoring is meant to clarify which species assemblages are using Fort Carson and PCMS and how those assemblages vary by site and season.

Third, a telemetry component is included to better understand foraging behavior and identify potential roosting locations, particularly for rare species on Fort Carson and PCMS. Telemetry helps connect where bats are detected or captured to where they actually roost and feed, which can inform management actions, training-area planning, and protection or enhancement of key habitat features.

Fourth, the work includes broader bat habitat investigations and surveys, with an emphasis on mines outside the Stone City mine complex. This includes searching for new openings and surveying mine systems to determine bat use. It also calls for additional roost habitat searches across Fort Carson and PCMS wherever roosting habitat may exist, such as rock cliff faces and similar features, expanding beyond mines to other natural structures bats may depend on.

Fifth, the Stone City mine complex receives targeted attention. The project calls for completing an updated schematic of the complex after surveys, and it includes modifying a mine opening where a tri-colored bat was previously captured. Specifically, the opening is to be changed from a solid, impenetrable grate to a moving gate, implying a management need to balance bat access and safety or security considerations while maintaining suitable conditions for bat movement and roosting.

Sixth, the project includes habitat modeling to develop presence/absence models for bat species across the Fort Carson and PCMS landscape. These models are intended to improve understanding of where bats occur and what landscape or habitat features predict their use, which supports more strategic conservation planning, survey prioritization, and INRMP implementation in areas where military training and ecological stewardship intersect.

For questions or submission coordination, the point of contact listed is Sandra Justman, Contract Specialist, CESWF-CT (USACE), reachable at sandra.justman@usace.army.mil and 817-886-1073.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BAT SURVEYS U.S. ARMY GARRRISON FORT CARSON, CO" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 12, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 12, 2020. (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 $225,213.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for W9126G 20 2 SOI 2984

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