SCOPE OF SERVICES
Contractor:
Park: Eastshore State Park
Project: North Basin Rafting Waterbird
Study
The
project site is Eastshore State Park; a State Park Unit located along Highway
80 in Berkeley, along the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay in Alameda
County. The North Basin is an aquatic
portion of the park, located directly north of the Berkeley Meadow (see
Attachment A). DPR is conducting
various natural resource assessments and site improvements in this area of the
park, as the first phase of implementing the park’s General Plan
recommendations.
The
North Basin is a relatively sheltered bay, totaling roughly 220 acres, which
provides important habitat for waterbirds during the rafting season (generally
October through April). In addition,
the Basin shoreline may provide some foraging and roosting habitat for
shorebirds during the same period. It is also occasionally used by
non-motorized watercrafts such as kayaks, wind surfers, and sailboats, but
there has been recent public demand for improved water access to allow for
easier boating access. In accordance
with the General Plan, DPR is considering constructing water access
improvements along North Basin. In
order to determine the feasibility of improving water access and allowing an
increase in boating activities, a study of the potential effects to rafting
waterbirds from boating activities must be completed.
The
purpose of this contract is to do the following:
·
Conduct a survey of waterbird and shorebird use of the North
Basin
·
Study the impacts that non-motorized boating activities may
have on rafting waterbirds
·
Provide recommendations and management guidelines for
boating activities so that rafting waterbirds are not adversely affected
The
Contractor shall use methods/protocols approved or endorsed by the California
Department of Fish and Game.
The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, and equipment to perform the following tasks:
The Contractor shall meet with Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) at Eastshore State Park to do an initial tour of the North Basin area. This meeting shall happen as soon as can be scheduled following the Notice to Proceed.
The
Contractor shall prepare and submit a study plan to DPR. The study plan shall include the protocol
and methods to be used, a map of sub-areas within North Basin, and a tentative
schedule for the three-year study. The
map of sub-areas shall show North Basin divided into a grid, within which all
sections will be surveyed and species recorded for those specific locations.
Task 3 – Conduct
Surveys of Rafting Waterbirds and Shorebirds
The
Contractor shall conduct surveys for rafting waterbirds and shorebirds for
three years within North Basin and along the shore of North Basin (See Map -
Exhibit C). The contractor shall survey
twice a month between September 1st and April 30th, and
once a month May 1st through August 31st, documenting
total numbers for all species within each sub-area of North Basin. The timing
of surveys will be scheduled to coincide with migratory peaks in waterbird and
shorebird use; from these data average over-wintering numbers as well as
migratory peak numbers will be derived.
In addition, if there is a storm that causes larger numbers of birds to
temporarily take refuge in North Basin, the Contractor will conduct an extra
survey at this time, to accurately reflect peak use. Two extra days of survey will be planned each winter, to coincide
with such storm events, to total 22 surveys per year (See Schedule - Exhibit
D). Data will be gathered by mapped
sub-areas in the North Basin to determine bird use of each area. Survey data will be used to help identify
areas of high waterbird use, establish management guidelines for boating
activities, and provide baseline data for future periodic evaluations of the
effects of boating on the rafting and foraging waterbirds.
Task 4 –
Research Impacts to Waterbirds from Non-motorized Boats
The
Contractor shall research potential recreational boating impacts to
waterbirds. This shall include a review
of all available studies and literature conducted on this topic, and an
assessment of the levels of sensitivity to disturbance of the different species
observed in North Basin. Sensitivity to
disturbance shall be assessed using “flush distance.” Estimates of flush distance at the site shall be reported when
available and values from other studies shall be employed if no ‘local’ data
are available. In addition, available historical data on waterbirds in North
Basin will be reviewed, some of which will be provided by DPR.
The
Contractor shall prepare a report, studying the potential affects to rafting
waterbirds from non-motorized recreational boating in North Basin, based on
available historical data, the survey data from Task 3, and the information gathered
in Task 4.
Task 6 – Prepare
Final Report and Management Recommendations
Following the third year of census, the Contractor shall prepare a final report, including survey results, impact analysis, and management recommendations. If potential adverse impacts are identified, management recommendations may provide guidelines for boating activities such as partial or full closure of the North Basin to boating during the rafting season, identification of a buoyed trail for boat use that avoids high bird use areas, restrictions on the types or numbers of watercraft and appropriate activities that will be permitted based on wildlife needs, etc.
DPR
Deliverables:
·
Historic data on waterbird use of the North Basin
·
Eastshore State Park Resource Inventory and General Plan
·
Qualifications and/or resumes of persons who will be
conducting surveys. These shall be
submitted in Microsoft Word, in Arial font, and can be e-mailed to DPR as
attached documents.
·
Study plan that includes the protocol and methods to be
used, a map of sub-areas within North Basin, and a tentative schedule for the
three-year study. These shall be
submitted on 8 ˝ by 11 paper in Microsoft Word, in Arial font. Three (3) hard copies and one digital copy
on CD-ROM will be provided to DPR.
·
Annual Reports.
These shall be submitted on 8 ˝ by 11 paper in Microsoft Word, in Arial
font. The report shall include a map of
the sub-areas within North Basin (on 11 by 17 paper), and a summary of data
collected to date. Three (3) hard
copies and one digital copy on CD-ROM will be provided to DPR on or before
December 31st of each year.
·
Final Report. This
shall be submitted on 8 ˝ by 11 paper in Microsoft Word, in Arial font. This report shall include 11 by 17 maps of
the sub-areas within North Basin, survey routes and/or stations, and primary
rafting areas for the waterbirds, if surveys show the waterbirds to congregate
in certain areas. This report shall
also include the study on potential impacts to waterbirds from recreational
boating activities, and management recommendations. Three (3) hard copies and one digital copy on CD-ROM will be
provided to DPR. All raw survey data
and associated field notes will be provided with the final report as well.
The Contractor shall complete work in 1,095 calendar
days from the written Notice to Proceed (NTP). The number of calendar days for
each deliverable or task is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Deliverable schedule
|
Task |
Deliverable |
Total
number of calendar days to complete task and deliverable from written Notice
to Proceed |
|
Task 1 |
Onsite Start-Up Meeting |
14 days |
|
Tasks 2 |
Study Plan |
35 days |
|
Tasks 3-5 |
Waterbird and Shorebird Surveys |
|
|
Task 6 |
Final Report |
1,095
days* |
|
|
|
|
*Contract period is reflective of a 3-year waterbird
study. Actual time in the field will be
22 days per year, for a total of 66 days of field work over the 1,095 day
contract period.