HERPETOLOGICAL, BAT, MAMMALIAN, BOTANICAL AND INVERTEBRATE SURVEYS ON NAVAL WEAPONS STATION SEAL BEACH DETACHMENT FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA | N62473 24 2 0011

Opportunity Information: Apply for N62473 24 2 0011

This funding opportunity (N62473 24 2 0011) is a U.S. Navy cooperative agreement solicitation from Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest to support multi-year biological surveys at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Detachment Fallbrook in northern San Diego County, near Camp Pendleton and the town of Fallbrook. The installation sits within the California Floristic Province, a Mediterranean-climate region widely recognized for exceptional biodiversity and high levels of endemism. Because the military mission has required relatively low-intensity land use, more than 90 percent of the property remains undeveloped open space, which has allowed extensive natural habitats to persist and, in turn, support many sensitive species, including federally listed threatened and endangered species.

The core purpose of the project is to survey and better understand five major taxonomic groups across the installation: (1) amphibians, (2) reptiles, (3) mammals (especially bats), (4) plants (especially rare and management-sensitive species), and (5) invertebrates (including species of conservation concern and invasive pests). A central driver is compliance as well as improving baseline and trend information so the Navy can manage natural resources responsibly while maintaining mission operations. The work emphasizes species that are listed, proposed for listing, or otherwise considered sensitive under state or federal frameworks, and it is tied directly to the installation's environmental planning and regulatory obligations.

A key mandatory element involves ongoing surveys for the federally endangered Arroyo Toad (Anaxyrus californicus, often abbreviated ARTO). These surveys are required under a 2003 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion connected to fire management activities on the installation (FWS-SDG-04B0004-04F0005). For ARTO, the Navy highlights two main information needs: tracking how the riverine portion of the population changes over time and better characterizing how the species uses upland habitats (occupancy outside the immediate river corridor). Alongside ARTO, the Navy is also seeking surveys for other amphibians and reptiles, with special attention to species proposed for federal listing such as the Spadefoot Toad (Spea hammondii) and the Southwestern Pond Turtle (Actinemys pallida). Beyond targeting specific species, the broader herpetological work is intended to document diversity and population trends and to provide early warning for exotic species or rare native species that may have gone undetected in prior efforts.

For mammals, the emphasis is on bats, reflecting heightened conservation concern across North America due to severe declines associated with white-nose syndrome (a fungal disease complex) and the wider ecological importance of bats. Bats are present throughout Detachment Fallbrook and may roost in bat boxes and in human-made structures, including magazines, which can create operational conflicts that need evaluation and practical management solutions. The opportunity also notes other mammals of management interest that have not been studied as intensively on the installation, including the San Diego Black-tailed Jackrabbit, American Badger, and woodrats, suggesting the work may include broader mammal monitoring or targeted assessments where information gaps affect management decisions.

Botanical surveys are another major component, reflecting the installation's high documented plant diversity (more than 600 species recorded). While most plant species present are native, the Navy reports roughly 30 non-native species and signals ongoing needs related to invasive species detection and control. The 2016 Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) identifies which plant occurrences have voucher specimens and which taxa are on a local "watch list" where additional confirmation or information is needed. As a result, botanical fieldwork is expected to support multiple management uses, such as confirming presence of rare or listed plants, improving records for watch-list species, detecting and responding to invasive plants early, and collecting information relevant to habitat restoration, recovery, and long-term stewardship.

Invertebrate work is framed around two overlapping concerns: protecting ecologically important native invertebrates (as pollinators, decomposers, and food-web components) and addressing species that are either harmful invasives or are at risk and potentially headed toward regulatory protection. Examples of invasive pest concerns mentioned include Gold-spotted Oak Borer and shot hole borers, which can have serious impacts on native tree species and habitat quality. A highlighted conservation priority is the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), which is known to occur on the installation and is described as a current management concern because of anticipated federal listing activity in 2024. The Navy specifically notes that it does not yet have strong data on Monarch habitat and distribution on Detachment Fallbrook, so survey work would be expected to improve understanding of where Monarchs occur and what habitat features they are using.

The Navy is requesting statements of interest that address two main objectives. First, to carry out mandatory ARTO surveys and conduct associated surveys for other amphibians and reptiles (especially proposed-listed species), bats, plants, and invertebrates (with a particular emphasis on Monarch Butterfly), in line with Biological Opinion requirements and Department of Defense guidance. Second, to continue and expand surveys for these taxonomic groups as required by the installation's INRMP, with compliance rooted in the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1) and implementing policy such as DoD Instruction 4715.03 and OPNAV Instruction 5090.1. The solicitation points applicants to attached enclosures for the full scope of work and for applicable terms and conditions, indicating that the detailed methodologies, deliverables, schedules, and reporting expectations are spelled out in those attachments.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, tied to CFDA 12.300, with an expected single award. The award ceiling is listed as $1,996,364, and the original closing date is August 26, 2024. Eligibility is limited to Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Californian cooperative partners that qualify under DoDGARS Part 34 or 2 CFR 200, meaning the applicant pool is focused on entities already participating in the CESU network and able to meet federal assistance requirements. Overall, the opportunity is designed to blend compliance-driven monitoring (especially for the Arroyo Toad) with broader, installation-wide biodiversity surveys that fill knowledge gaps and directly support on-the-ground conservation and mission-compatible natural resource management at Detachment Fallbrook.

• The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HERPETOLOGICAL, BAT, MAMMALIAN, BOTANICAL AND INVERTEBRATE SURVEYS ON NAVAL WEAPONS STATION SEAL BEACH DETACHMENT FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-26. (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 $1,996,364.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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