National Wildlife Refuge System, Inventory and Monitoring

The Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) initiative nationally coordinates the design, collection, retention and analysis of critical scientific information spanning the Refuge System, enabling wildlife refuges to adapt their management and deal with rapid and large-scale environmental change.

This agreement is to be awarded without competition because the activity to be funded, The University of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Natural Heritage Program is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based on a variety of demonstrable factors in technical expertise to �collect, synthesize, and validate information on Alaska�s animal and plant species of concern and their habitats, ecosystems of concern, and invasive species. The outcomes of their work are demonstrated in the development and curation of the Animal Data Portal, Rare Plant Occurrences, and Alaska Exotic Plants Information Clearinghouse databases � (http://aknhp.uaa.alaska.edu/).

Katherine Smiley, 907-786-3412 Katherine_Smiley@fws.gov