Bison Partnership: Genetic Conservation Initiative- WICA | NPS NOIP17AC01030

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP17AC01030

The Bison Partnership: Genetic Conservation Initiative (WICA) is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement focused on protecting the long-term genetic health and conservation value of the Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) bison and several related satellite herds. The project centers on building a practical, science-based genetic monitoring and management program that can guide future decisions about breeding, culling, and animal movement among herds. WCNP bison are treated as especially important because of their cultural, historical, and genetic significance, and the grant frames genetic conservation as a core requirement of responsible long-term management.

The effort is structured as a collaboration between the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service and Texas A and M University AgriLife Research, with strong involvement from Wind Cave National Park and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. A key element is that NPS units and partners collect the biological samples during routine bison handling events (roundups), and those samples are then shipped to Texas A and M for laboratory analysis and long-term archiving. The primary sample type described is tail hair follicles, which are commonly used for DNA work because they are relatively easy to collect and store while still providing usable genetic material.

Scientifically, the initiative uses established genetic tools so results can be compared to earlier research and tracked over time. The work relies on mitochondrial DNA markers (to assess maternal lineages and mtDNA diversity) and nuclear DNA markers, particularly microsatellites developed and widely used in bison genetic studies (building on methods associated with Halbert’s marker sets). The project explicitly ties its planned analyses back to prior population genetic work on WCNP bison (including earlier studies by Derr, Halbert, and collaborators) so managers can tell whether genetic diversity and allele frequencies are stable or shifting across years. In addition to traditional marker approaches, the grant includes more modern genomic screening using a SNP-based platform (the BisonChip HD Array) to check genome integrity and look for signs of cattle introgression, which is a well-known conservation concern in some bison populations.

The project’s main on-the-ground research activities break into two sampling targets. First, during the 2017 roundups, the plan is to collect genetic samples from animals in five The Nature Conservancy (TNC) affiliated WCNP satellite herds, focusing on individuals that had not been sampled previously. Those samples are used to (1) confirm mtDNA status and quantify mitochondrial diversity across the satellite herds using established analytical methods, and (2) characterize each herd’s nuclear genetic structure using microsatellite markers. The nuclear analyses are intended to produce management-relevant metrics such as observed and expected heterozygosity (a snapshot of variation), estimates of inbreeding and overall genetic diversity, the average number of alleles per locus, and the presence of unique or rare alleles that may represent important genetic resources to retain.

Second, the initiative includes a targeted, contemporary check of the main WCNP herd itself. The plan is to randomly sample at least 10 animals under ten years of age across multiple cohorts, totaling roughly 50 animals, to evaluate whether key microsatellite allele and genotype frequencies have remained consistent over the previous decade. This is presented as a crucial test of whether the herd’s genetic status is being maintained under existing management. Alongside that time-comparison work, the project applies the SNP-based BisonChip HD Array to provide a higher-resolution look at the WCNP genome, with particular focus on detecting domestic cattle chromosomal regions and documenting the conservation integrity of the herd.

Roles are clearly divided under the cooperative agreement. Texas A and M University AgriLife Research, as the recipient, is responsible for conducting the laboratory and analytical work: determining mtDNA status and diversity patterns, calculating within-herd genetic structure and inbreeding-related measures for the satellite herds, testing the WCNP herd for stability in microsatellite allele/genotype frequencies, and running the SNP array analysis to evaluate genome integrity and potential cattle introgression. The National Park Service is responsible for collecting and submitting the genetic samples and, importantly, for translating the genetic findings into management practice. NPS commits to working with the university to develop tangible guidelines for effective population size calculations and to use those guidelines to shape metapopulation-style policies that manage the WCNP herd and satellite herds as an interconnected conservation unit. The management endpoint is practical decision support, including how to conserve existing diversity through culling strategies and intentional translocation of animals among herds.

Administratively, this opportunity was posted as a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, with an activity focus in environment, natural resources, and research and development. The listing identifies eligibility for private institutions of higher education, an anticipated single award, and an award ceiling of $100,000. The opportunity was created July 31, 2017, with an original closing date of August 18, 2017, and is associated with CFDA 15.949. Overall, the grant is designed to produce both scientific baselines and applied management rules so that WCNP-associated bison herds can retain genetic diversity, minimize inbreeding risk, and document their conservation value over the long term.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bison Partnership: Genetic Conservation Initiative- WICA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.949.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 31, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 18, 2017. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education.

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