SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Effect of Avian Predation on Salmonid Smolts
- Notice Date
- 1/29/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Engineer District, Walla Walla, US Army Engineer District, Walla Walla, 201 N. Third Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876
- ZIP Code
- 99362-1876
- Solicitation Number
- W912EF-09-R-SS11
- Response Due
- 2/9/2009
- Archive Date
- 4/10/2009
- Point of Contact
- Clarence Miller, 509-527-7215<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Sources Sought Synopsis This is not a Notice of Solicitation. The Walla Walla District is issuing this notice to determine if there are any sources capable of providing this study without compromising prior testing results and at a competitive price to the prior studies performed by Oregon State University. (O.S.U.). Years of prior research have been already completed by O.S.U. and future results could be compromised if the follow on work is not exact to earlier test conditions set up by O.S.U. For this and the following reasons, the Corps of Engineers intends to sole source this to Oregon State University based on statutory authority for permitting other than full and open competition for requirement under 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The following provides the particulars: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, CENWW, 201 North 3rd Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362, intends to issue a Sole Source Firm Fixed Price Base plus three option Periods award to OSU-Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit to provide continuing ongoing work to evaluate the impacts of Avian Predation on Salmonid Smolts from the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Under the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 2008 BiOP for the Operation of the Columbia River Power System, Predation Management Strategy 2, RPA#47; the Corps of Engineers has an obligation to provide the region with information on the impacts of predation on juvenile salmonids and whether management actions are warranted. The installation of new spillway passage weirs on the Snake River, delayed start of juvenile fish,transportation programs, will likely increase the impacts of avian predation on juvenile salmonids; particularly selective predation on steelhead. The OSU-Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit has been conducting this research since 1997 and is a sole source that has developed specific knowledge of PIT tag deposition rates on Crescent and Foundation Islands, cormorant social attraction methods, Caspian tern and cormorant monitoring techniques, cormorant nesting platforms, PIT tag recovery techniques, bio-energetic modeling, stock-specific predation rate analysis, PIT tag detection efficiency methodology, PIT tag deposition rates, kleptoparasitism rates, and smolt vulnerability analysis. This study is ongoing and it is essential to maintain study continuity. The statutory authority for permitting other than full and open competition for this requirement, 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), and implemented by FAR 6.302-l(a)(2), which authorizes other than full and open competition when there is only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.. CONTRACTOR SERVICES: Purpose: Evaluate the impact of avian predation on salmonid smolts from Caspian terns on Crescent Island and Double-crested cormorants on Foundation Island located below the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers. The long term goal for Crescent Island Caspian terns and Foundation Island cormorants is to determine the impact of predation on juvenile salmonids under a variety of system operations and help determine if land management actions are warranted. Based on information resulting from this contract, the Corps plans to develop and implement an avian management plan for Corps owned lands, including avian colonies on Crescent Island, and associated shallow-water habitat. The primary objective of this plan will be to improve Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed anadromous fish survival for fish rearing and migrating through the lower Snake and Columbia rivers. Objectives: "Research, monitor, and evaluate predation on salmonid smolts by Caspian terns, and Double-crested cormorants; and to a lesser degree, other piscivorous waterbirds, on the Columbia Plateau. Determine colony size, habitat use, nesting success and factors limiting colony size and nesting success of the Caspian tern colony on Crescent Island and the Double-crested Cormorant colony on Foundation Island. Calculate 95% confidence limits for the estimate of the number of breeding pairs. Determine gull kleptoparasitism rates on terns, disturbance rates to the tern colony, predation rates on tern nests, and other causes of tern nesting failure in order to evaluate those factors that limit nesting success at the Crescent Island Caspian tern colony. "Determine diet composition and consumption of juvenile salmonids by Caspian terns nesting on Crescent Island and the Double-crested Cormorant colony on Foundation Island. Determine taxonomic composition of the diet of Caspian terns nesting on Crescent Island and the Double-crested Cormorant colony on Foundation Island. Identify prey salmonid species as salmon or steelhead and estimate annual smolt consumption for the Crescent Island Caspian tern colony and the Double-crested Cormorant colony on Foundation Island using the bio-energetic modeling approach (95% confidence intervals will be calculated for estimates of smolt consumption by terns). "Determine species and stock-specific predation rates on juvenile salmonids from the Snake and Columbia rivers by Caspian terns nesting on Crescent Island and the Double-crested Cormorant colony on Foundation Island using derived estimates from bio-energetic modeling and PIT tags recovered from the island. Detect and recover PIT tags from the Crescent Island tern colony using previously established methods to estimate PIT tag detection efficiency and deposition rates in order to determine species and stock specific predation rates (95% confidence intervals will be calculated for estimates of predation by terns). Measure PIT tag detection efficiency using previously establish methodology. On Foundation Island, the Contractor shall construct nesting platforms and encourage cormorant nesting on the platforms to enhance the ability to detect PIT tags egested by nesting cormorant colony on Foundation Island. Detect PIT tags at selected gull and other piscivorous waterbirds colonies as a means to evaluate relative and species and stock-specific (where feasible) predation rates on juvenile on juvenile salmonids. Detection efficiency estimates will be calculated relative to the sowing date and plot, thereby describing both temporal and spatial variation in detection efficiency. "Determine predation rates and total annual and seasonal fish consumption of Snake River wild steelhead and wild Chinook using PIT tags recoveries for year 2005-2009. Methodology shall be developed in collaboration with NMFS "Determine how various biotic and abiotic factors are associated with differences in smolt vulnerability to predation on Snake River steelhead by Crescent Island Caspian terns, Foundation Island cormorants, and other piscivorous waterbird colonies. Evaluate fish pathology and whole body chemistry of sub-sampled steelhead as a measure of fish health using established protocol. Investigate how abiotic factors are associated with differences in smolt vulnerability to predation by birds; factors include temperature, inflow, outflow, spill levels, spill duration, and turbidity. Determine differences in predation rates associated with fish length, weight, condition, origin, abundance, and release date. Contractor will continue to work collaboratively with NOAA Fisheries to utilize existing and future telemetry data from tags collected on Crescent and Foundation Islands. Data acquired recovery of acoustic and radio tags may be sufficient to determine whether smolt travel times, migration behavior, and passage histories are associated with vulnerability to predation. "Detect the formation of new Caspian tern colonies and new double-crested cormorant colonies on the Columbia Plateau and investigate colony size, habitat use, nesting success and factors limiting colony size and nesting success of incipient tern and cormorant colonies. Surveys shall be conduct to determine the distribution and size of double-crested cormorant colonies on the mid-Columbia River (from the Dalles Dam to the head of Wanapum pool) and on the lower Snake River (from the mouth of the Clearwater River to the confluence with the Columbia River), as well as at sites off the Columbia and Snake rivers that are within foraging range of cormorants. "For Caspian terns, asses the inter-colony movements, survival, and average age of first reproduction of terns banded at breeding colonies through out the western United States. Assess the relationship between management related changes in the size and productivity of colonies in the Columbia River estuary and changes in recruitment and reproductive success at colonies on the Columbia Plateau. "For Double-crested cormorants determine the distribution, relative abundance, and diet composition of cormorants along the mid-Columbia River and lower Snake River up to the confluence of the Clearwater River and Snake River during the post breeding season to assess the impacts of predation by over-wintering cormorants on residual fall Chinook salmon. PROFESSIONAL SKILLS: Changes on to Dam and juvenile fish transport program operations may change the impacts of avian predation on juvenile salmonids; particularly selective predation on steelhead. The ability to determine the impact of avian predation on juvenile salmonids from Caspian terns and cormorants require specific techniques and methodologies, analysis procedures, and equipment in order to maintain continuity of data and regional acceptability of the work. This work includes specific knowledge of PIT tag deposition rates on Crescent and Foundation Islands, cormorant social attraction methods, Caspian tern and cormorant monitoring techniques, cormorant nesting platforms, PIT tag recovery techniques, bio-energetic modeling, stock-specific predation rate analysis, PIT tag detection efficiency methodology, PIT tag deposition rates, kleptoparasitism rates, and smolt vulnerability analysis. CONDITIONS: a. Equipment: All non-expendable equipment purchased under this work order will remain the property of the Corps. b. Endangered Species Act (ESA) Permits: Unless otherwise approved by the Corps, prior to initiating work under the terms of this Memorandum of Agreement it is the responsibility of Contractor to obtain any permits which may be required by the ESA, 16U.S.C. Section 1531 et. seq. In the event such a permit is denied for the research work contemplated by this agreement, the Corps may terminate this work order in whole or part. c. Fish Handling: All handling of ESA listed species must conform to the Conditions Related in the NMFS Biological Opinion (2008). ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION: The solicitation will be available on the FedTeDS website: https://www.fedteds.gov The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541712 with a Size Standard of$6.5. This is not a request for bids, but notice that our intent to issue a Sole Source solicitation for this requirement. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. For further information, please contact Clarence Miller at 509-527-7215 or email: Clarence.a.miller@usace.army.mil.
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- Place of Performance
- Address: US Army Engineer District, Walla Walla 201 N. Third Avenue, Walla Walla WA<br />
- Zip Code: 99362-1876<br />
- Zip Code: 99362-1876<br />
- Record
- SN01740422-W 20090131/090129215807-fe4e452b88e4f72056f561fe38bea671 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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