Bald Eagle GPS-GSM Transmitters, Banding and Aerial Surveys | N40080 18 2 0002

Opportunity Information: Apply for N40080 18 2 0002

The grant opportunity titled "Bald Eagle GPS-GSM Transmitters, Banding and Aerial Surveys" (Funding Opportunity Number N40080 18 2 0002) is a Department of Defense effort led by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) to support bald eagle monitoring and management across several Navy installations in the Chesapeake Bay region. The work is centered on Naval Air Station Patuxent River Complex, Naval Support Facility Indian Head, Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, and the Blossom Point Tracking Facility/Research Facility. It is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 12.300 (Environment), with eligibility described as unrestricted (open to any applicant type, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement). The opportunity was posted on April 18, 2018, with an original closing date of May 18, 2018, and it anticipated making up to two awards; the published award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that funding levels are determined elsewhere in the solicitation or negotiated during award.

At its core, the project supports three connected lines of work: deploying GPS-GSM transmitters on eagle chicks, conducting aerial nest surveys, and banding fledgling eagles. Together, these activities are meant to give the Navy better, site-specific information about where eagles nest, how successful those nests are, and how young eagles move through and use the landscape after they leave the nest. That information is then used to reduce conflicts between protected wildlife and mission-related infrastructure and operations, while also meeting conservation responsibilities and coordination requirements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The GPS-GSM transmitter component focuses on Naval Support Facility Indian Head (NSFIH) and involves fitting transmitters to pre-fledging bald eagle chicks (young still in the nest, close to fledging). By tracking these birds as they begin moving around the local area, the Navy expects to map foraging areas and roosting sites used by local fledglings. The stated purpose is practical: the movement data will help the Navy prioritize and refine retrofits to electrical distribution systems at NSFIH, targeting places where eagles are most likely to perch, travel, or forage. The intent is to reduce eagle injuries and deaths associated with utility lines, and to ensure any mitigation actions align with USFWS terms and conditions and with the NSFIH Bald Eagle Management Plan.

The aerial nest survey component expands the geographic scope to multiple installations that are attractive nesting habitat because they are surrounded by major waterways, including the Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay, and Patuxent River. Surveys are planned for NSFIH (including NSF Stump Neck), Naval Support Facility Dahlgren (NSFDL, including Pumpkin Neck), the NAS Patuxent River Complex (including OLF Webster Field, NRC Solomons, and the Bloodsworth Island Range), and the Blossom Point Research Facility. The surveys target both known nest locations and potential nesting habitat, with the goal of identifying where eagles are nesting and tracking nest productivity. This monitoring supports day-to-day installation planning and mission awareness by clarifying where nesting activity is occurring, and it also contributes to broader understanding of bald eagle population trends within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The banding component is specifically tied to aviation safety at NAS Patuxent River. By banding fledgling eagles from installation nests, the Navy can later determine whether eagles observed in Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) areas, or involved in bird strikes, originated from nests on the installation or from off-site nests. That distinction matters for deciding what management actions are appropriate and defensible, and for evaluating whether on-base nests create an aviation hazard that requires additional mitigation. The notice also explains that this banding work was originally proposed through coordination between NAVFAC Washington natural resources staff and the USFWS during an annual metrics meeting, reflecting that the project is meant to fit within established interagency consultation and wildlife management processes.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to produce actionable wildlife data that directly supports both conservation and operational decision-making. GPS tracking helps pinpoint where young eagles spend time so infrastructure risks like power lines can be addressed more precisely; aerial surveys provide an installation-wide picture of nest distribution and reproductive success across several strategically located properties; and banding provides a way to link individual birds to nest origins, improving the Navy's ability to assess and manage wildlife-related risks to aircraft at NAS Patuxent River.

• The Department of Defense, NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bald Eagle GPS-GSM Transmitters, Banding and Aerial Surveys" 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 Apr 18, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 18, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 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.

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