Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU | G19AS00017

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00017

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G19AS00017) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding call under the Department of the Interior to support a single cooperative research project focused on amphibian conservation in coastal timberland environments. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally means USGS expects active involvement in the project beyond simply providing funds, often through collaboration on study design, data needs, or interpretation. The program sits within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.808) and is targeted to eligible CESU partners rather than the general public.

The core purpose of the project is to improve understanding of where three sensitive amphibian species occur near the northern edge of their geographic ranges in timberlands: the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii), the coastal tailed frog (Ascaphus truei), and the southern torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton variegatus). All three are considered species of conservation concern, and the foothill yellow-legged frog has been petitioned for listing under both the California Endangered Species Act and the federal Endangered Species Act. While foothill yellow-legged frog ecology has been studied in some contexts, USGS highlights a key gap: relatively little is known about its distribution and habitat use specifically within private coastal California timberlands, where management decisions can strongly influence stream and riparian conditions.

The work is designed to inform timber management practices by clarifying whether, and where, these amphibians are present in forested stream systems that run through managed timberlands. Foothill yellow-legged frogs are associated with streams in forested habitats, so better distribution data in these settings can help reduce risk to populations by guiding planning around harvest timing, riparian buffers, road work, and other activities that may affect water quality, stream substrate, temperature, or flow patterns. In other words, the project aims to produce actionable information that can be used to minimize impacts while still supporting working forest operations.

Methodologically, the opportunity centers on genetic detection using environmental DNA (eDNA). The project will apply genetic assays that are specific to the target species and test filtered environmental samples for the presence of their DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). This approach allows researchers to detect species presence from DNA shed into the environment (for example, in stream water) without relying solely on visual encounter surveys, which can be difficult in remote, turbid, or structurally complex stream habitats. USGS also notes an efficiency advantage of this sampling framework: once DNA is extracted from filtered samples, the same extracts can be tested for multiple species. As a result, the project includes using assays not only for the three focal species but also for other amphibians of conservation concern in the same region, expanding the potential conservation value of each collected sample.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was announced on November 6, 2018, with an original closing date of November 21, 2018. The funding is relatively small and targeted, with an award ceiling of $8,460 and an expectation of one award. Eligible applicants are described as "Others" with clarification provided through an eligibility text field (not included in the excerpt), but the narrative makes clear that the intended recipient must be a CESU partner within the Pacific Northwest CESU network.

In summary, this grant is a focused, single-award USGS cooperative agreement meant to support eDNA-based mapping of amphibian occurrence in managed coastal timberland streams near range limits, with a particular emphasis on filling distribution and habitat-use knowledge gaps for the foothill yellow-legged frog and producing information that can directly inform timberland management and conservation planning.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 06, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 21, 2018. (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 $8,460.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for G19AS00017

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