JBER Beluga Prey Salmon Project | W911KB 22 2 0003

Opportunity Information: Apply for W911KB 22 2 0003

The JBER Beluga Prey Salmon Project is a Department of Defense natural resources funding opportunity intended to support the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) Conservation Fisheries Program through a cooperative agreement. The work is structured as a base year with up to two additional option years, and it is administered through a cooperative agreement relationship involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and JBER in support of U.S. Air Force needs at the installation. The central aim is straightforward: keep long-running salmon monitoring programs going in multiple JBER waterways so the base can maintain credible, defensible data on salmon abundance, timing, and system productivity.

A major driver behind the project is regulatory and conservation responsibility tied to the Cook Inlet beluga whale (CIBW). Although designated CIBW critical habitat does not fall directly within JBER waters, it does include adjacent waters in Knik Arm along roughly 20 miles of JBER shoreline. The project is framed around the fact that critical habitat designation identifies key "primary constituent elements" essential to beluga recovery, and those elements include several Pacific salmon species (specifically Chinook, chum, coho, and sockeye). Because federal agencies must comply with Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act, JBER needs reliable information to ensure its actions are not likely to jeopardize listed species or adversely modify designated critical habitat. In practice, maintaining solid salmon monitoring data helps the installation document conditions, understand trends, and inform management decisions that may intersect with beluga prey availability.

The opportunity is also tied to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and its focus on protecting Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). Alaska Department of Fish and Game anadromous waters listings indicate that all five North American Pacific salmon species return to JBER streams to spawn, which means these waters are treated as essential habitat under the EFH framework. That designation increases the importance of ongoing monitoring and supports the argument that tracking anadromous fish presence and performance is a core stewardship obligation for the installation, not an optional research effort.

From a management standpoint, the work aligns with JBER's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP), which emphasizes long-term datasets on salmon escapement and lake productivity, along with efforts to improve spawning habitat and fish passage. The solicitation highlights that salmon are not only ecologically and economically important, but also function as a key food source element supporting beluga recovery. That combination pushes the project toward consistent, repeatable field monitoring that can stand up over time and support both conservation outcomes and installation decision-making.

Two focal monitoring areas are specifically described. The Eagle River system, including its tributaries, provides habitat for all five Pacific salmon species plus other fishes. This area is important because it relates to beluga recovery interests and because nearby Eagle River Flats is used for military training, creating an added need to document fish presence, run timing, and trends in a way that supports operational planning and environmental compliance. The description notes that a Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) unit was installed upstream of Bravo Bridge in 2011 to monitor escapement, and that the resulting sonar-based counts and observations help characterize run timing and population patterns in a complex river system.

The second major area is the Sixmile Lake system, which includes Upper and Lower Sixmile Lakes and Sixmile Creek managed as a connected unit flowing into Knik Arm. This system supports sockeye, pink, chum, and coho salmon and has a long history of adult enumeration using a fish weir dating back to 1988, with the weir moved in 1998 to the outlet of Lower Sixmile Lake. In addition to adult counts, the project description emphasizes juvenile outmigration monitoring: salmon smolt monitoring has occurred periodically since 2003 and annually since 2012 using a fyke net weir and live box at the same outlet location. Together, adult and smolt monitoring provide a fuller picture of production and survival signals through time, which is useful for tracking lake productivity and identifying changes that may warrant habitat or passage improvements.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 12.114, with eligibility listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full notice). The funding opportunity number is W911KB 22 2 0003, the anticipated number of awards is one, and the listed award ceiling is $192,080. The opportunity was created on December 28, 2021, with an original closing date of January 31, 2022. The issuing agency is the Department of Defense, Alaska District.

Finally, the solicitation includes important boundaries on what the cooperative agreement can and cannot be used for. It explicitly states that work performed under the agreement will not include inherently governmental functions and will not be used for personal services. Any changes to the scope or activities described in the statement of work must be coordinated through the Grants Officer's Technical Representative and approved by the Grants Officer before implementation. This language is meant to keep roles clear, preserve government decision authority, and ensure the partner is conducting field and technical work rather than acting in a governmental capacity.

• The Department of Defense, Alaska District in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "JBER Beluga Prey Salmon Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.114.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 28, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 31, 2022. (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 $192,080.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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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