Predator Control Consultant

Proposals are being considered by the American Bird Conservancy for a predator

control consultant to implement pest control from February 15, 2019 – December

15, 2019 to provide nest protection around endangered seabird nesting colonies

on Kauai.

 

Background Information:

 

American Bird Conservancy is a non-profit 501c3 that conserves native birds

and their habitats throughout the Americas. This is accomplished by safeguarding

the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats

while building capacity in the bird conservation movement.

 

The purpose of this project is to provide nest protection for Threatened

Newell's Shearwater and Endangered Hawaiian Petrel in the Hono O Na Pali

Natural Area Reserve (HONP NAR) on Kauai Island in Hawaii. The main focus

of the project is within the Hanakapi?ai and Hanakoa tracts within HONP

NAR.

 

American Bird Conservancy will provide:

 

27 helicopter hours to access the HONP NAR site

 

Helicopter safety gear

 

Needed camera and conibear traps

 

25 A 24s rodent traps

 

Scope of Work:

 

Reduced predation on endangered seabirds

 

The contractor will conduct a minimum of 100 field days setting and monitoring

traps in the project area. In proposal contractor will explain how they

intend to use camera trap data and other monitoring to help adaptively manage

their trapping effort.

 

The contractor will carry out an additional 50 field days of targeted predator

control as part of a rapid Response team. This work will cover all of HONP

NAR and occasionally, at the request of HONP management, to work in other

locations.

 

Cats will be trapped using cage traps and Conibears. Live traps will be

checked at least every other day and kill traps at least once every month.

All live captures must be dispatched humanely in a manner consistent with

state ethics requirements and current best practices.

 

For rodent control, the trapping team will install 25 automatic resetting

traps (A-24, Goodnature, NZ) adjacent to cat trapping stations along the

Hanakapi?ai ridge-line to reduce rat bycatch at cat traps.

 

Barn Owl control work will consist of mapping all records that indicate

the presence of owls (i.e., pellets) within a 42-acre watershed, followed

by targeted control. Special care will be taken with native Pueo (Asio flammeus

sandwichensis; Hawaiian Short-eared Owl) in the area.

 

When detected, pigs will be removed by the contractor staff using a combination

of targeted trapping and shooting.

 

Contractor Requirements:

 

A successful applicant must have:

 

all supervisory staff must demonstrate more than five years with remote

fieldwork, transportation logistics, predator control techniques around

seabird nesting areas on Kauai;

 

knowledge of humane trapping techniques, and understand laws, permits and

liability with regard to working in the NAR;

 

familiarity working in ground-nesting seabird colonies, particularly Hawaiian

species, where fragile bird nests are often under trails;

 

demonstrated knowledge of protocols to minimize the spread of non-native

plants and other pests (ants) in Hawaii;

 

all applicable permits, permissions, and certificates of insurance;

 

all staff in the application must have helicopter safety training;

 

all staff must be trained in the use of firearms for predator control in

wildlands situations;

 

contractor must provide registered firearms, and demonstrate firearms are

well-maintained and stored per state guidelines.

 

Deliverables:

 

Final report that demonstrates SOW was completed. Final report will include

details on number of field days, trapping effort, trap success rate and

numbers of all invasive species removed and by what method.

 

Financial accounting

 

Term of Contract:

 

The Period of Performance will begin February 15, 2019 to December 15, 2019.

 

Payment:

 

Awarded contract will be cost reimbursable.

 

Payment will be contingent upon receipt of narrative and financial reports

and follow the schedule of payments laid out in the contract developed for

this work.

 

Requirements for Proposal:

 

Proposed work plan (not to exceed 3,000 words) including how the project

will be adaptively managed using monitoring tools provided (such as camera

traps) and contractor observations.

 

Budget

 

Timeline

 

Project Team: List 2-3 key individuals and describe their qualifications

relevant for project implementation

 

CV or Resumes of key staff

 

Evaluation and Award Process:

 

Request for proposal will be posted on January 28, 2019. Proposals must

be submitted by 5:00 pm Pacific Time, Friday, February 1, 2019. Awardees

will be notified by February 8, 2019.

 

Submit Proposal to:

 

Hannah Nevins, Seabird Program Director, American Bird Conservancy, hnevins@abcbirds.org.