Pika Monitoring through a National Parks and Protected Areas Cooperative Studies Program at Oregon State University Cascades Campus

The National Park Service intends to award a single source justified cooperative agreement to Oregon State University for the project titled "Pika Monitoring through a National Parks and Protected Areas Cooperative Studies Program at Oregon State University Cascades Campus." The project aims to provide continued population monitoring of the American pika in several western parks, including Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Crater Lake National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Lava Beds National Monument. The project will enable managers to develop resource management and infrastructure development strategies that benefit the species. Key objectives include providing field preparation and data management, conducting pika monitoring fieldwork, performing quality control on all pika monitoring data, and producing a final report that summarizes the pika monitoring work. • The project will be conducted in partnership with the National Park Service and will involve collaboration with the Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN) Inventory and Monitoring Program. • The project will provide opportunities for Oregon State University students and interns to gain valuable educational and professional experience. • The project will contribute to the development of analytical approaches for evaluating pika population trends in unique habitat environments. • The project will inform the public and the scientific community on the status of pika populations and the characteristics of unique pika habitats found in the low-elevation, lava flow study areas.