Species Mgt Natural Resources Spt Edwards AFB, CA | W9126G 20 2 SOI 4172

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 20 2 SOI 4172

The grant opportunity titled "Species Mgt Natural Resources Spt Edwards AFB, CA" (Funding Opportunity Number W9126G-20-2-SOI-4172) is a Department of Defense effort, administered through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fort Worth District, to identify qualified non-federal partners to support natural resources and species management work at Edwards Air Force Base (Edwards AFB) in California. It is issued as a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI), meaning the government is not asking for a full technical proposal or budget yet. Instead, they are screening for teams with the right expertise and capacity, and only the most suitable respondents will later be invited to submit a full proposal. The project was planned to start in 2020, carries an anticipated funding amount of about $584,427, and is expected to result in a single award with an 18-month period of performance.

The work is tied directly to the Air Force's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) and is intended to support implementation of the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1), which guides how military installations manage natural resources in coordination with partners. Because the project is being pursued through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) framework, eligibility is limited: applicants must be non-federal partners in the CESU National Network, specifically affiliated with either the Californian CESU (W9126G-13-2-0012) or the Rocky Mountain CESU (W9126G-18-2-0018). The anticipated award instrument is a cooperative agreement under the CESU program, and the CESU Network indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent may apply, but only if both parties mutually agree and formally authorize its use.

From a scope standpoint, the government is looking for professional and technical services to carry out on-the-ground natural resource tasks on Edwards AFB-managed federal lands and to produce clear documentation and reporting of results. The opportunity is organized around three major task areas. First, the project requires development and execution of a large mammal inventory survey. This includes determining what large mammals are present or likely present on the installation, designing survey protocols that are both scientifically defensible and cost-effective, and ensuring the approach can be replicated in future years for trend analysis. The protocols must incorporate habitat subsets identified in Edwards AFB Habitat Quality Assessments (HQA), avoid overlapping existing HQA plot locations, and be implemented within the period of performance. Any trapping or tracking associated with the surveys must be supported by all required state and federal permits obtained by the non-federal entity.

Second, the opportunity includes a wildland-urban interface component focused on predator management planning in developed and semi-developed areas of the base, particularly where housing, commercial facilities, schools, and play areas may create frequent human-wildlife interactions. This task centers on bobcats and coyotes. The selected partner would be expected to identify predatory animals using or influenced by the cantonment-area project zone, locate populations, and create survey and mapping protocols that capture denning and cover habitat, food and water subsidies that attract animals, and travel pathways both within and adjacent to the project area (including movement related to ingress and egress). This task specifically anticipates trapping and fitting animals with transmitters and conducting health assessments to screen for communicable diseases that could affect humans or pets, with examples listed such as rabies, mange, and parvovirus. As with the large mammal work, the partner must secure all necessary permits for trapping and tracking. The deliverable emphasis is not just data collection; the partner must also provide practical recommendations to reduce negative interactions between people and predators. Suggested recommendation categories include habitat modification, reducing food subsidies, and educational outreach, including guidance on what types of public education are most effective.

Third, the sustainment task area is aimed at reducing nuisance wildlife issues by addressing attractants and direct animal conflicts across the installation. This includes locating illegal trash dump sites on Edwards AFB, developing a protocol to document them and trigger cleanup actions (including initiating trash removal work orders), and physically cleaning up and removing debris that attracts nuisance animals. It also includes removing stray or nuisance animals found on base, with examples ranging from domestic dogs and cats to livestock such as goats, cattle, and horses, as well as exotic birds. Veterinary support is part of this scope, including treatment and/or euthanasia of injured nuisance animals and wildlife when needed. A final sustainment element is access control at the Piute Ponds Complex area, where the project anticipates installing a vehicle gate at Avenue E and placing earthen berms in selected locations to prevent vehicles from driving around barriers.

The submission requested at this stage is a short Statement of Interest/Qualifications, capped at two pages, single-spaced in 12-point font, submitted by email. The government asks for basic entity identifiers and contact information (including name, organization, CAGE code, and DUNS number), plus a concise qualifications package: a biographical sketch, examples of relevant past work and clients, identification of staff/faculty/students available and their expertise, and any additional capabilities that would help the team successfully execute the project (for example, specialized field equipment, laboratory capacity, or other facilities). The Air Force and USACE emphasize that they do not want a full study proposal or budget at this time. Instead, an evaluation board at the receiving installation/activity will review submissions and select the parties whose experience and capabilities best match the project requirements, and those parties may then be invited to develop a full proposal.

Administrative details included in the notice specify that the RSOI would be posted for 30 days before a decision is made on who to invite for full proposals. Statements of Interest were due by 5:00 PM Central Time on June 30, 2020. Submissions were to be emailed to Alisa Marshall (USACE Fort Worth District, Agreement/Contract Specialist) and David Leptien (USACE Omaha District, Project Manager, Environmental Remediation Branch), with their email addresses and office phone numbers provided for questions and correspondence.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Species Mgt Natural Resources Spt Edwards AFB, CA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 01, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2020. (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 $584,427.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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