REQUEST TO PROCUREMENT DIVISION FOR SERVICES

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Animal Partners
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06638333
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 6, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2019
• Publication Date: June 1, 1973

El UNCLASSIFIED
� CO 'Approved for Release: 2019/07/30 C0663833---1 6.2(d)
UIN I UAL
(specify)
REQ11.(1-0 PROCUREMENT DIVISION FOR ,. ...ICES
(other than property or building maintenance and repairs) ORN 484806 .
OFFICE/DIV/BR
REQUEST NO.
DATE OF REQUEST
I. CERTIFY THAT FUNDS IN THE
E ESTIMATED
AMOUNT OF S .26- ()CO C'
LS/ORD/DD/S&T
I
2- y00- l',3
June 1973
/
PROJECT TITLE
Migratory Bird
PROJECT OR CONTACT OFFICER
EXTENSION
8-3658
DATE
Sensor System
R-
CONTRACTOR (if known)
Department of Interior
Division of Wildlife Research
I
PROPOSAL NO. AND DATE 'LCONT.RACT
.
Vork Statement'Attathe.d
B TASK_ORly NO. (if
known) �
TYPE OF SERVICE REOUESTED
APPLICABLE ONLY TO REPAIRS AND MODIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL INSPECTION IS REQUIRED BY
IRECEIV.ING DEPOT T A, I III TECHNICAL MONITOR
X
RESEARCH/DEV
TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO
GRANT
OTHER GOVT. AGENCY
(specify if applicable)
E1JtTEMsTO BE PICKED UP OR SERVICES PERFORMED AT:
REPAIR
Dept. of Interior
MAINTENANCE
Div. Wildlife Res.
ITEMS TO BE REDELIVERED TO:
MODIFICATION
STERILITY
CONTRACT CLASSIFICA-TION
confidential
WORK CLASSIFICATION
unclassified
HARDWARE CLASSIFICATION
unclassified
REPORTS CLASSIFICATION
unclassified
sc 0
SC I
sc 2
SHORT SUBSTANTIVE TITLE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE TO BE PERFORMED
The Division of Wildlife Research, Department of Interior, will
select Western Hemisphere migrating birds which are optimal analogs to
birds known to migrate to or through specified Eurasian target areas.
A statistical analysis will be made of computerized bird banding data
to determine flyways and distribution patterns of the analog birds.
,
�
- . .
,
CLASSIFIED CY
.,
/SecT# ..'
EXE MPT FROM GENERAL DECLASSIFICATION!
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Lf
SENSITIVE VIII'lli3IG 1E112%
SCHEDULE W.' E. 0 1167)2. ENI.7.1I'1�ION CA1LG01Y:
. � SC(I). (3) Or (4) (,.irr)e one or mole)
AU10;blittiCALLY �DECLASSiEILD ON
0:D
2382-73/1
AND M ETHODS INVOLVEDU.RCES
(unless impossible. insert chte or event)
cc reverse for specific in format ion
__".
reouired on R&D requests.)
APPROVAL
DESIGNATION
SIGNATURE
DATE
_IDLORD
Sayre Stev.orls
__
e._fl AR 12,73 _
DD/S&T
Carl E.
___..-- ..._.
2 3 JUN 1'373
UL.Il.INLL.6 . Na- .7
PROCUREMENT DIVISION USE
F DATE RECEIVED IN PD
\
RECORDED DY
----------
SECTION ASSIGNED TO
NEGOTIATOR
...----
FORM2112 REPLACES FORM,
1.-67 2420 AND 24161 1
1
WHICH MAy DE
UNCLASSIFIED [T] CONtENTlAL
I I
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SECRET F-1
(CP'�.
C�Cill
EIS
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ni UNCLASSIFIED I xi C2.EEt11TAL ATTACHMENTS OR STATEMENT!' T�] SECRET I 1 (sPeci
I. .1145TIFICAiTION FOR SOURCE SELECTI�
. This is a transfer of funds to another Government Agency: The
Division of Wildlife Research, Department of Interior is the only
organization possessing sufficient valid data to conduct the analysis,
required.
2. PROPOSAL
See attached.
3. DELIVERABLE ITEMS
REPORTS REOUIRED
5
NQ. OF COPIES r---1 MONTHLY F-7 INTERIM 1---1 QUARTERLY
Status
HARDWARE (state type and number)
OTHER N/A
X
FINAL
4. GFE REQUIRED
N/A
5. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
The only classification of this work effort will be Agency
association, hence, the SC-1 classification. It is of extreme
importance that Agency support of Department of Interior activities
not become public knowledge.
d UNCLASSIFIED
CON.NT1AL SECRET
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(spc0.1,
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Cr'"
Atachment
. STATEMENT OF WORK
Evaluate existing report from Phase I contract
in terms of:
a. species selection
b. characteristics of selected species
II
III
IV
Update or supplement existing ,report in terms of
a and b above.
The sponsor will designate target area. Western Hemisphere
-analogues to Eurasian birds known to frequent the target
area will be selected. The Wildlife Research Division of
the Department of Interior will evaluate existing bird band-
ing data to�Mprovide statistical pattern analysis of banding.
O&L, R 1
and release major and secondary flyways and distribution
at destinAion. . Relevant variables would.bg include, but
not be limited to, age, sex, flight time, nesting, molting,
and other relevant factors available from the computerized
bird banding records.
On the basis of available knowledge concerning migratory
flyways, nesting, and wintering habits of birds visiting
the.target area, the contractor will indicate probable
similarities and differences that might be expected between
birds utilized in the western analog analysis and the same
species ih the target area,
1 ;;DLVED
CLASS(PED
S� - -() 2( ta....ie)
IV\ 1� t
(unless mil -.1 ssibi insert date or eveat)
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Attachment #1
UTILIZATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AS BIOSENSORS
A presentation was made to the PRB concerning the use of
migratory birds as direct in vivo sensors or as sensor emplacement
vehicles. The background of the original ORD research effort in
this area, which involved migratory characteristics of selected
bird species nesting or wintering'in the vicinity of ten target
areas, was outlined. Approval was requested for transfer of .funds
to the Department of Interior, in the amount of $25K, for an analysis
of existing bird banding data to establish the flight and residing
distribution patterns of western analogs to the Eurasian birds. The
PRB recommended that prior to approval of fund expenditures, a meeting
be held with cognizant personnel to discuss specific target require-
ments, energy, or substances to be detected and technical approaches
for accomplishment.
As per PRB request, a meeting was held 13 April 1973 to discuss
the questions posed above. It was the concensus of opinion that,
for the present time, the project goal should not include utiliza-
� tion of birds as package emplacement vehicles, but rather as in viiro
biological sensors. Further, it was decided. that CW degradation
products would constitute the signal substance and that CW'test area
Dat�Shikhany would serve as the designated target.
Subsequent to the above discussion, the question arose as to
the probability of in vivo detection of CW signatures at the con-
centrations to which the birds would be exposed. Although specific
tests have not been directed toward the solution of this particular
problem, the available evidence, as cited below, indicates a high
probability of detection at the concentrations to be expected. In
addition, numerous bird species migrate to the Shikhany Volga River
Basin and are accessible from undenied areas. This general question
may. best. be approached in terms of its components, i.e., in view of
normal safety and security precautions; can we expect CW products
in the target area which will be ingested.by the migrating birds;
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vA:i.10[iCE
SENSITIVE INILl LICENCE SUJRCES
AND MEitIODS INVOLVED
CLASSIFIT.D CY
EXF.N11 1::1;r1 W.CLASSIFICATION
SCHELI:t.E ;) ',INEM:�1;614 CATEGORY:
��(.4) :) or mute)
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(artless impossible. insvrt date or evcut)
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UTILIZATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AS BIOSENSORS (continued)
are the CW degradation products retained in the organism and
detectable by available techniques; and do we have access to .
birds migrating from the target area.
Considering these component questions in sequence we may
ask:
� (a) Can we expect CW contamination in the target
area?
Assuming other countries exercise safety and security
precautions equal to that of the U.S., available evidence
indicates a high probability for the presence of CW
material or degradation products. This statement is sub-
stantiated by the current LS/ORD research program: organo-
phosphorus compounds were detected in soil samples surrounding
a VX plant in Newport, irdiana, which has been inoperational
for over a four-year period; soil samples taken from Rocky
Mountain Arsenal showed GB traces four years after test
cessation; recent analysis of soil and water samples from
the Cold Creek Organic plant in Alabama indicated contamina-
tion in surrounding areas and more than a mile downstream
from the plant. FI/DDP are sufficiently interested in
this finding to warrant possible application tc
R&D operations. Inasmuch as the Shikhany target
test area, as opposed to a production or storage
would expect significant levels of CW material.
(b) Are the CW products of sufficient concentration
to be retained in the organism and be detectable by avail-
able analytic techniques?
is a CW
area, one
Voluminous research data from the Environmental Protection'
Agency and the Department of Interior indicate that birds and
other wildlife absorb and retain infinitesimal amounts of toxic
products which are readily detectable by x-ray spectrometric and
emission spectrometric analysis, neutron activation and atomic
absorption.techniques, as well as via the more traditicnal wet
chemistry laboratory analysis. The extent to which the organisms
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Tr.
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UTILIZATION OF MIGRATORY 'BIRDS AS BIOSENSORS (continued)
environment provides detectable chemical clues to its
habitat is evidenced by an investigation which demonstrated
that poho salmon, "had natural chemical tags that could be
directly related tip their rivers of origin. "1 Numerous
other studies are cited in the literature which demonstrate
the capability to differentiate the habitat of identical
wildlife Species on the basis of tissue analysis. For
instance, aligators reared in Florida show a different
neutron activation signature than those reared in Louisana;.
two populations of snow geese in the Hudson Bay area could
be differentiated on the basis of emission. spectrometric
analysis; Oregon geese can be differentiated from Colorado
geese on the basis of manganeese content of the liver. An
organism is what it has eaten. Most of the research relevant
to our immediate CW problem is concerned with the effects
of insecticides and pesticides on wildlife. These compounds
are detectable at levels of 6-10 parts per million in the
bird population. Examples of such research. findings are as
follows:
In a general survey of the pesticide pollution
problem it was concluded that, "all mallards, black
ducks, and starlings tested in recent years contained
DDT or its derivitives DDE or DDD. Starlings carried
a much heavier concentration,' probably reflecting
their feeding habits."2 In an experimental program
at the Patuxent River Wildlife Research Station,
sparrow hawks were fed dietary dosages of DDT and
dieldrin and "for the first time provided statistically
demonstrable proof of a cause and effect relationship
between ingestion of these pesticides and eggshell
thinning and associated deletious effects on repro-
duction."3 The Denver Wildlife Research Station reports
"Semidomesticated mallards were treated with 0,4, 10, and
30 parts per million of dieldrin to learn if the pesti-
cide would effect the chromosomes of bone marrow and
lymphocytes. The mitotic index, the nuMber Of cells
undergoing mitosis per 1000 cells examined, was reduced
more than five times in birds treated with 30 ppm �
dieldrin."4 Since the publication of The Silent Spring
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UTILIZATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AS BIOSENSORS (continued)
and the growth of the ecology movement, the literature
is saturated with evidence of the lasting effects of
minute quantities of chemical substances on wildlife
health and. survival. Of more immediate relevance to
the CW problem are studies concerned, with the -organo-
phosphate-type pesticides.. Although the literature
is considerably less voluminous in this area, there
is evidence of bird uptake, retention, and laboratory
detectability of the substances. The effects of organo-
chlorine and organophosphate pesticides on the ring -
necked pheasant population were studied in Canyon
County, Idaho. Exposed to very minute quantities of
the material, the birds exhibited symptoms of organo-
phosphate poisoning and modified cholinesterase levels.5
A study in Dawson County, Nebraska, showed that a mere
eight fluid ounces of malathion (an organo-phosphate
pesticide) dispersed over an acre of land had a
significant detrimental effect on. the wildlife of
the area.6 A study is currently underway at the .
Patuxent River Wildlife Research Station to determine
the relative lethal toxicities of ninety different
pesticides, including the organophorphous compounds,
on four species of birds. Initial data show detectable
signatures of the oraanophorphous compounds.7 A pre-
liminary study with sponsored by LS/ORD,
in which mice were exposed to CW degradation products
substanciates the Bureau of Wildlife research findings.
The research programs cited above were not directed toward the
prcblem of CW detection. To arrive at a more definitive conclusion,
a specific project should be initiated in which target analog birds
are provided dietary intake of appropriate CW.substances in con-
centrations that might be expected at the Shikhany test site.
Appropriate chemical analysis over varying periods of time would
.then demonstrate the presence and degree of CW signatures existing
in the organism. However, considering the chemical similarity
of the pesticide-insecticide compounds with the CW agents, it is
logical to assume from existing data that migratory birds residing
in the target area would incorporate CW signatures in detectable
amounts and provide a qualitative and quantitative index of CW
activity at that site.
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UTILIZATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AS BIOSENSORS (continued)
(c) Species and distribution of birds in target area
and access for analysis during migratory cycle --
The above question was posed to the Office of Basic
and Geographic Intelligence, Their response constitutes
Attachment II. In brief, large numbers of migratory birds
temporarily reside in the Shikhany area. Considering the
nature of the terrain, a river basin with large reservoirs,
one.would expect a significant bird population. Fortunately,
many of the species present are those for which western analog
bird banding data exists, i.e., mallard, teal, merganser,
osprey, etc. During the winter months, the birds migrate to
the warmer climates of the Caspian Sea, Iran, Iraq, Turkey,
India, and other undenied areas in which they would be accessible
for capture. Many of the species are hunted birds and are of
concern to international wildlife protection groups so that
capture for "tagging" or biological study should not arouse
undue concern.
4. The preceding discussion of available research data indicates
that a migratory bird biosensor system would be feasible in terms of
probability of CW signature detection. However, as stated previously,
a definitive answer to the question would require definitive research.
This does not imply that the proposed migratory distribution pattern
analysis should be postponed to await the results of a long-term CW
signature study. Although both types of data are required for the
specific Shikhany CW project, bird migration pattern analysis has many
more applications than this particular reqUirement.. It is a fact of
nature that migratory birds constitute a multitude of ready-made
vehicles which circumvent the, globe in predictable patterns and are
readily available for intelligence utilization by ourselves and others.
It would seem essential that an R&D organization, anticipating future
requirements, should have available data concerning the distribution
.pattern characteristics of selected species. .Such data would be
applicable to future intelligence requirements in South America, Africa,
or. other parts of the world not currently considered as threats to our
national security. The development of atomic weapon capability in the
Third World areas may produce intelligence requirements that could be
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N- ;a.'
UTILIZATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AS BIOSENSORS (continued)
supported through signature analysis of migratory birds. The
voluminous research programs conducted. by the AEC contain positive
proof of wildlife adsorption of radio active materials. Utilizing
immunological memory techniques, it is quite possible that migra-
tory birds could be used to detect the presence of any substance
to which the bird develops an antibody defense- system. Probably
the most significant threat to our national welfare would be the
use of migratory birds as vehicles for the spread of human, live-
stock, and plant diseases. A migrating bird is the ideal host and
vehicle for such purposes. Considering the tremendous influx of
seasonally migrating birds into the U.S. from Central and South
America, it would seem essential that the CIA establish the techniques
and plans for selected bird distribution pattern analysis to support
countermeasures for such a threat. .If we delay analysis of existing
data for intelligence purposes until the threat has materialized,
it will be too late to institute effective countermeasures.. If such
a hostile action has not been anticipated by the Agency and an effec-
tive detection and countermeasures plan placed on file in the archives,
immediate program action should be initiated regardless of the rela-
tive merit of the minor $25K project support requested for the subject
investigation.
5. The basic and primary consideration' regarding the use of
migratory birds as emplacement vehicles; as biosensors for nuclear,
CW, and other products; or as hosts and transport vehicles for ,
bacterial dissemination is the reliability of the bird vehicle. Such
questions as the following. must be addressed: how many birds that
depart from point A arrive at point B? What proportion return to
point A? What is the bird distribution pattern around the target
area? What is the mortality and distribution pattern along the
flyway from point A to point B? Knowing the migratory paths and
the statistical distribution pattern in the target area, how many
birds would have to be captured and analyzed to provide a reliable
index of biological signatures? Obviously, the proposed project
will not answer all of these questions for all potential requirements.
However, a statistical pattern analysis of the existing Department
. of Interior bird banding computerized records, utilizing western
analogs for the Shikhany target area, will provide crucial data con-
cerning migratory bird reliability as sensor vehicles to meet this
requirement. In addition, such a study will provide data and a model
for determination of migratory bird Utilization to serve future re-
quirements or to counteract such action by others.
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REFERENCES
1. Caliprice, J. R., 1970. A Preliminary Report on X-Ray Spectrometric
Analysis and Discrimination of Salmonids from Different Geographic
areas. Fisheries Research Board, Canada. Technical Report 200.
2. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Programs, 1971, Dept. of
Interior, Resource Publication 111, pages 487 and following.
Washington, D. C.
3. Wildlife Research Problems, Programs and Progress, Bureau of Sport-
fisheries & Wildlife, 1969. Resource Publication 94, pages 41 and
following, Washington, D. C.
4. Denver Wildlife Research Station Report, 1971. Fish and Wildlife
Report, 1971, Washington, D.. C.
5. Effect of Pesticides on Pheasants, Idaho Dept. Public Health 1971.-
6. Ecological Effects of Wide Area Malathion Spraying. Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission, 1971.
7. Wildlife Research Problems, Programs and Progress. Bureau of Sport-
fisheries and Wildlife. Resource publication 111, 1971, pages 49
and following, Washington, D. C.
8. Hanson, H. C. & Jones, R. L., 1968, Use of Feather Minerals as
Biological Tracers to Determine the Breeding and Molting Grounds of
Wild Geese. Ill. Nat. Hist. Survey, Biol. Notes, 1160.
9. Devine, T. & Peterle, T. J., 1968. Possible Differentiation of Natal
Areas of North American Waterfowl by Neutron Activation Analysis,
J. Wildlife Mang., 32 (2) : 274-279.
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