Northwestern Pond Turtle Study, Willamette Valley, Oregon | W81EWF 20 SOI 0035

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 20 SOI 0035

The "Northwestern Pond Turtle Study, Willamette Valley, Oregon" is a Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) cooperative agreement opportunity focused on pulling together and making sense of many years of existing scientific information on the Northwestern pond turtle (NWPT) in the Willamette Valley. The core purpose is to compile, digitize, standardize, analyze, and summarize decades of NWPT data in a way that directly supports an upcoming federal listing decision anticipated in 2023. The work is meant to translate scattered historical datasets into clear findings that can be used for management and recovery, with results shared publicly through peer-reviewed publications and professional presentations.

A major emphasis is building an organized, usable data foundation. The investigator is expected to enter and manage data in appropriate tools such as Excel, Access, and/or ArcGIS to support analysis and future monitoring. The opportunity also highlights practical data stewardship: converting existing paper files and legacy digital materials into a coherent digital archive (in coordination with USACE), creating a streamlined folder structure, and applying consistent file naming conventions based on best practices (for example, names that include the creation date and a brief descriptor). In addition to organizing the data itself, the investigator must document the organization and naming protocol and explain any issues encountered in the process, creating a record that helps future users understand both the dataset history and its limitations.

On the science side, the study is framed around recovery needs identified in the 2019 draft Western Pond Turtle Range-wide Management Strategy. The compiled analyses are intended to support actions such as conducting and synthesizing distribution and abundance information from known, historical, and potential habitats, and using demographic information from targeted areas to evaluate long-term trends. Beyond basic status and trends, the project is also intended to improve understanding of threats and to inform practical recovery measures, especially in priority conservation areas. In other words, it is not just a literature or database exercise; it is meant to produce management-relevant conclusions and point toward concrete actions that reduce threats and improve habitat conditions.

Another key deliverable is the development of a multi-year research study design that lays out how future NWPT work should be prioritized across and within watersheds in the Willamette Valley Project (WVP) area. This design is expected to focus on filling the most important data gaps while also supporting long-term WVP operations, including guidance that helps minimize negative impacts to turtles and their habitats. The solicitation notes that the exact emphasis of the future research plan may not be fully defined until existing data are reviewed, but it provides several example topics that reflect the kinds of management questions USACE needs answered.

Those potential research directions include evaluating how reservoir water level management for flood risk reduction, dam maintenance, or compliance with fisheries flow targets (referencing the 2008 fisheries Biological Opinion) affects NWPT reproduction, life history, dispersal, habitat use, and overall population viability. Another topic is whether turtles can successfully move through dams, spillways, and other water control structures, and what that means for population connectivity upstream and downstream of dams. The opportunity also points to developing a strategy for genetic sample collection so future analyses can assess population genetic structure and connectivity more rigorously. Additional topics include understanding how NWPT respond to vegetation management actions intended to improve aquatic or terrestrial habitat, and clarifying the impacts of non-native species such as red-eared sliders, bullfrogs, and largemouth bass, including measuring turtle responses to invasive species removal efforts.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity with a cooperative agreement instrument under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 12.630). The opportunity number is W81EWF 20 SOI 0035. It was created on June 22, 2020, with an original closing date of August 14, 2020. The solicitation anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $60,000. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional details referenced in the opportunity’s eligibility section. Overall, the grant is designed to convert long-running, fragmented NWPT information into an organized, accessible evidence base and a practical roadmap for future research and management in the Willamette Valley.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Northwestern Pond Turtle Study, Willamette Valley, Oregon" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 22, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 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 $60,000.00 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 W81EWF 20 SOI 0035

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: