NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District intends to award a sole source contract to Associated Scientists at Woods Hole, Inc. – Marineland Right Whale Project – located at 289 Hatchville Rd East Falmouth, Massachusetts 02536- 4009.  The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 541690, Environmental Consulting Services.

Through a non-personal, firm fixed price, five-year services contract, Marineland Right Whale Project will conduct shore based and aerial surveys and reporting for endangered North Atlantic Right Whales between St. Johns County and Central Florida as part of a larger monitoring effort for endangered north Atlantic Right Whales.  The USACE Jacksonville District has the responsibility for maintaining a number of inlets between Fernandina and Cape Canaveral, Florida.  These inlets include Fernandina Harbor/Kings Bay (St. Mary's River entrance channel), Jacksonville Harbor (St. Johns River entrance channel), St. Augustine Inlet, Ponce de Leon Inlet, and Canaveral Harbor entrance channel.  The coastal waters off Southeastern Georgia and Northeastern Florida, where these inlets are located, are the only known calving and wintering grounds for the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.  The wintering and calving season for the Right Whale starts in December and extends through March which also happens to be the time the Corps dredges the inlets within this area to avoid impacts to sea turtles that frequent the channels during the summer.

The Contractor shall perform the Monitoring of Endangered Right Whales in Coastal Waters of Northeast Florida along the Northeast Coast of Florida between St. Augustine Inlet and Ponce de Leon Inlet from January through March.  This service will consist of four tasks:  Task 1 – Final Work Plan; Task 2 – Initiate Shore-based Monitoring Program with Volunteer; Task 3 – Interim Progress Reports; and Task 4 –  Final Report.  Each Task is described in the PWS.

Authority

FAR 13.106-l(b):  The urgent circumstances surrounding the Atlantic Right Whale migration behaviors has deemed only one source is reasonably available.

Reason for Sole Source

North Atlantic Right Whale Surveys are required to mitigate the risk of habitat disruption of this endangered species due to USACE dredging activities.  Provided that calving and wintering season begins in December this survey is needed urgently.

Marineland Right Whale Project has past experience, conducts boarder Atlantic Right Whale research, and is the South Atlantic Regional Biological Opinion (SARBO) contractor of choice.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.  Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future.

No solicitation will be posted for this requirement.  No telephone requests will be honored.

If you have any questions concerning this opportunity, please contact:  Ms. Florutha A Robinson at florutha.a.robinson@usace.army.mil or Mr. Gary R Weir at gary.r.weir@usace.army.mil.

Any potential source may contact the persons indicated above to discuss their ability to offer the required services for future acquisitions.