www.cnlm.org
Center for Natural Lands Management
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Habitat Assessment for Reintroduction of Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterflies:
Review and Strategy Development
Date: May 15, 2012
OBJECTIVE
The Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM, www.cnlm.org), a non-profit
conservation organization in Washington and California, is soliciting proposals from
qualified contractors to develop a strategy that strengthens the scientific basis of habitat
enhancement planning and determination of site readiness for reintroduction of Taylor’s
checkerspot butterflies in the South Puget Sound lowlands of Washington state.
QUESTIONS
Please direct all questions to Cheryl Fimbel, Project Lead, at cfimbel@cnlm.org , or
telephone at (360) 283-5496.
BACKGROUND
The Taylor's (Whulge) checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori) is a subspecies of the
Edith’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha) in the Pacific Northwest. The Taylor’s
checkerspot is a Washington state endangered species and a federal candidate species
under the Endangered Species Act. Taylor’s checkerspots have been extirpated from
most of their former range in the South Puget Sound lowlands, with the exception of a
single site. Habitat degradation, possibly combined with weather events, is thought to
be the main contributor to the species’ local decline. In 2007, a multi-disciplinary
Butterfly Habitat Enhancement Team (Team) composed of state agency and nongovernmental personnel was formed to design and implement a strategic approach to
enhance formerly occupied prairies to prepare them as receiving sites for captive-bred
butterflies to aid species’ recovery. Team partners used a cooperative approach to
identify potentially suitable receiving sites for reintroduced butterflies, and to develop
enhancement targets and site-based work plans to promote checkerspot habitat
characteristics. Plans are updated annually and Team members continue to implement
land management activities to enhance sites in preparation for butterfly reintroductions.
Reintroductions are underway at four locations from which the checkerspot was
extirpated.
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Team partners seek to strengthen the scientific basis of future habitat enhancement
planning and determining site readiness for reintroducing Taylor’s checkerspot
butterflies, to promote efficient use of resources and reduce associated risks to the
species’ recovery. The Team would like to identify and characterize the critical habitat
features required for Taylor’s checkerspot recovery, but is confronted by several
challenges that make the best course of action to meet this goal unclear. These
challenges include:
1. Geographical Scope
In the South Puget Sound lowlands,Taylor’s checkerspot persist in a single extant
site on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. A goal of the Team is to learn more about
critical habitat features for this butterfly to promote at other South Puget Sound
reintroduction sites. The Team is uncertain whether the single extant site should
serve as a reference or whether information should be included from other sites
such as: a) higher elevation occupied sites on the Olympic Peninsula; b) sites
where checkerspots were extirpated but now have been reintroduced in South
Puget Sound lowland prairies; and/or c) all occupied sites within the sub-species’
range, including Oregon and British Columbia.
2. Habitat: Use vs. Occupied
Habitat use data are not available for all Taylor’s checkerspot populations at the
sites described in #1 above, although the extent of occupied habitat is generally
known for each site. The Team is uncertain how to characterize checkerspot
habitat where habitat use data are not available, nor easily obtainable.
3. Research Approach
The Team is uncertain which of the following research approaches would be most
suitable and cost-effective for strengthening the scientific validity of the habitat
enhancement targets for Taylor’s checkerspots in South Puget Sound lowlands: a)
detailed research to identify critical habitat features; b) characterization of select
habitat features, chosen a priori, in habitat used by checkerspots, with less
understanding of mechanisms determining population persistence; or c) proceed
with current habitat enhancement and reintroduction efforts and add an
experimental or adaptive management framework at sites where butterflies are
extant or reintroduced.
The Team seeks a contractor who can address these challenges and determine the
most cost-effective approach for obtaining information on critical habitat elements for
Taylor’s checkerspots, while balancing the desire for scientific rigor with the need for
answers that can be applied immediately to enhancement and reintroduction efforts.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project is intended to provide the Team with a recommendation for strengthening
the scientific basis of both habitat enhancement planning and reintroduction site
evaluation for Taylor’s checkerspots in the South Puget Sound. The Team has
identified a series of deliverables that we believe will meet this goal. Interim deliverables
will serve as ‘checkpoints’ to ensure that the contractor receives timely
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feedback/direction on products in development, and that the contract goal is on target to
being successfully achieved. The delivery date of the final deliverable noted below is a
preferred date, but not an absolute deadline if the Team and contractor agree that the
deliverable would benefit from a later (within two months) delivery date.
Contractor’s Scope of Work
Deliverables
1. Review Butterfly Habitat Enhancement Project documents (< 100
pages), including the annual report and workplan, and the habitat
enhancement summary currently employed by the Butterfly Habitat
Enhancement Team (Team), in relation to the project goal, and the
information gaps and challenges identified by the Team (information gaps
identified by the Team to be provided to the contractor). Interview
conservation cooperators and local researchers (annotated list of names
with associated roles and contact information for up to17 people will be
provided) as deemed necessary, to analyze and synthesize cooperators’
assessments of what has been learned and remaining information needs
for improving habitat enhancement efforts and determining site readiness
for Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies in South Puget Sound lowlands.
1. Synthesis of cooperator’s
assessments of current
knowledge and information
gaps for improving habitat
enhancement efforts and
determination of site readiness
for Taylor’s checkerspot
butterflies in South Puget
Sound lowlands. Delivery date
within 30 days of signing
contract.
2. Review published and unpublished literature, and interview researchers
(in addition to local cooperators in #1 above) investigating: 1. Taylor’s
checkerspots and close allies; and 2. relevant habitat enhancement
strategies (and associated metrics) for butterflies in temperate grasslands.
Summarize highlights of information relevant to habitat use and butterfly
recovery program habitat standards in an annotated bibliography, and
include potential implications for habitat enhancement efforts. The Team
has initiated this process and can provide a starting document with
associated literature.
2. Annotated bibliography of
literature relevant to habitat
enhancement for Taylor’s
checkerspot recovery in South
Puget Sound lowlands.
Delivery date within 60 days of
signing contract.
3. Review methodologies of existing data sets to identify options and
limitations for meeting identified information needs from these data sets.
Nine different data sets containing one year or multiple years’ data from
South Puget Sound lowland prairie vegetation surveys and Taylor’s
checkerspot research and surveys will be provided to the contractor.
3. Summary of existing data
sets (no analyses) and their
potential for meeting habitat
enhancement information
needs. Delivery date within 60
days of signing contract.
4. Determine, following review and synthesis of above information, which
information gaps are most critical to strengthening the scientific basis of
habitat enhancement planning and determining site readiness forTaylor’s
checkerspots; and have the highest likelihood of being successfully
addressed within a reasonable time frame (< 5 years) and budget
(<$100,000). Information gaps should be justified as either critical to
improving habitat enhancement planning and determining site readiness,
or simply desirable.
4. Identification of and
justification for priority
information gaps to aid habitat
enhancement planning and
determining site readiness for
Taylor’s checkerspots, and
indicate those with the highest
likelihood of being addressed
within a reasonable time frame
and budget. Delivery date
within 90 days of signing
contract.
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5. Prepare a strategy that provides recommendations to address priority
information gaps for critical habitat features for Taylor’s checkerspot
butterflies in the South Puget Sound lowlands. The strategy should use
(and demonstrate how) the previous 4 tasks support the recommendations
in the strategy. The strategy should recommend methods for analyzing
existing data sets, conducting additional research, and/or an alternate
course of action. If additional research is recommended, a study plan and
detailed description of methods should be included.
5. Strategy to address priority
information gaps, including
study design if research
required (see below for
additional information). 1st Draft
delivery date within 120 days of
signing contract. Final draft
due within 30 days of receiving
comments on 1st Draft.
Final Deliverable
The final deliverable will consist of a strategy to identify or characterize critical habitat
features, including a detailed study design if research is required, or an alternate course
of action, to aid habitat enhancement planning and determination of site readiness for
reintroducing Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies. The strategy may include more than one
recommended course of action wherein options include detailed study designs and are
prioritized according to cost-benefit criteria. The strategy may include a staged or stepwise approach to gaining new information or implementing recommendations made by
the Contractor. The strategy should include a course of action that may be implemented
within a reasonable time frame (not to exceed five years, preferably less) and
anticipated budget (not to exceed $100,000, preferably less). Recommendations and
study outcomes should provide quantitative guidance for managers to the extent
possible (e.g., mean percent plant cover and variation for enhancement targets, etc.).
PROPOSALS
Proposal submissions should be based on this request for proposals. Successful
proposals will consist of the following items:
1. A letter of submittal that includes a description of the individual or team of people
that will execute the work, and their qualifications and skills relevant to the required
work, along with their role in the team.
2. Resumes or CV’s of all individuals that will be involved in the work.
3. Plan describing how the Scope of Work and associated deliverables described
above shall be accomplished (< 4 pages).
4. Detailed and justified cost estimate not to exceed $38,000.
5. Timeline for completing the scope of work and deliverables. Include delivery times
for all deliverables.
6. Examples of related experience (written reports) for one or two projects with similar
requirements.
7. Three references and contact information.
All materials should be submitted electronically to Cheryl Fimbel, Project Lead, at the
Center for Natural Lands Management: cfimbel@cnlm.org. All submissions will be
acknowledged by email.
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Submittals will be reviewed commencing June 18, 2012. The selection process may
include interviews. The selection process will continue until a successful contractor is
identified.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Selection criteria to evaluate the competency of the Consultant shall include the
following:
Proposal
 Clear and detailed presentation of a plan to undertake the scope of work
and provide deliverables.
 Adherence to and justification of budget and preferred timeline. The
delivery date for the final deliverable noted above is the preferred date, but
will not be a limiting factor (within two months) to contractor selection,
unless all other competencies are equal.
Candidate
 Demonstrated ability to successfully design, implement, and report results
of butterfly-related research.
 Familiarity with butterfly habitat restoration and recovery programs,
domestic and international.
 Experience with land management conservation, research, and reporting.
 Experience with grassland ecosystem butterflies, especially checkerspots,
 Strong quantitative and writing skills.
 PhD degree in a Natural Resources field preferred but not essential.
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