Department of Commerce, NOAA, 200 World Trade Center, Room 209, Norfolk, VA 23510-1624

A -- MARINE MAMMAL DISENTANGLEMENT PROGRAM SOL 52EANF-8-00067 POC Michele McCoy, (757) 441-6879 WEB: EASC Homepage, http://www.easc.noaa.gov. E-MAIL: Contract Specialist, Michele.A.McCoy@noaa.gov. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Research Laboratories intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with The Center for Coastal Studies, Providenceton, MA to establish, maintain, and operate a program for responding to reports of entangled (alive or dead) whales and for dissemination of knowledge gained from the response effort. A cost reimbursement contract is anticipated. The proposed contract action is for research for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302. The Center for Coastal Studies is the only known source with the expertise, equipment and personnel available to provide the required research. Additionally, The Center for Coastal Studies has been the operating the Marine Mammal Disentanglement program for the last three years and possesses unique data pertinent to the continuation and expansion of this program. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement no later than May 15, 1998. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is soley within the discretion of the Governemnt. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. (See Note 22 and Note 26) (0121)

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