Colorado Bookcliffs Bison Range Assessment

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is seeking a contractor to assess the range condition, forage production, and carrying capacity for bison in the Bookcliffs of Colorado. The project objectives include estimating potential wild bison carrying capacity, quantifying existing grazing pressure, and assessing current rangeland condition and vegetation productivity. The contractor will conduct a computer-based GIS analysis and field data collection to estimate vegetation production and potential carrying capacity within the management zone. The deliverables include a GIS analysis report and a vegetation production, ground truthing, and habitat condition report. • The project will be conducted in Game Management Units (GMUs) 21 and 30, west of Highway 139. • The contractor will compile and review existing spatial and tabular datasets relevant to the project area. • The contractor will conduct field-based vegetation production measurements during May and June. • The contractor will provide transparent, defensible, and reproducible analyses to support wild bison management planning.