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Notice of Intent for Sole Source Award – North Atlantic Right Whale Surveys SOLE SOURCE ANNOUNCEMENT 1. Introduction U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District intends to award a sole source ... Notice of Intent for Sole Source Award – North Atlantic Right Whale Surveys SOLE SOURCE ANNOUNCEMENT 1. Introduction U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 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, United States. 2. Description of Services a. 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Jacksonville District has 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. b. 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, Task 4 Final Report. Each Task is described as follows: Task 1. FINAL WORK PLAN. The Contractor shall submit to the Corps a work plan for the work to be performed under this PWS. The work plan shall include details on dates and locations of volunteer training programs; details on organization of volunteers, including description of communications (e.g., phone tree) methods, standard observation and sighting protocols; listing of collaborating groups and organizations; and innovations and refinements to be implemented in the coming season. Over the course of the project, the contractor shall provide material and images (digital or hard copy) to the Corps as requested. The requirements associated with the Task 1 should be submitted year 1 and each of the 4 options years. Task 2. INITIATE SHORE-BASED MONITORING PROGRAM WITH VOLUNTEER LOOKOUTS. 2.1 Develop, maintain, and improve a volunteer sighting network to complement the existing aerial survey program to track right whales and to provide information concerning human impacts, and habitat usage. Surveys shall be conducted along the northeast coast of Florida between St. Augustine Inlet and Ponce de Leon Inlet from January through March. 2.2 Gather water temperature data to ground-truth satellite imagery and examine environmental correlates to whale distribution. 2.3 Collect vessel traffic and other human use of habitat to assess possible impacts on whales. 2.4 Develop educational programs for teachers and students. 2.5 Utilize photographic methods, including digital imagery and electronic transmission of imagery for cataloging and photo-identification of right whales. 2.6 Provide data products and submit required reports to the Corps. 2.7 Provide findings to the SE US Right Whale Recovery Plan Implementation Team. The requirements associated with Task 2 should be submitted year 1 and each of the 4 options years. Task 3. INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT. After completion of the whale surveys in March and on or before 31 May the Contractor shall submit an Interim Progress Report describing the work conducted. The Interim Progress Report shall include summary of times and locations when searches and monitoring occurred, summary of sightings, highlights of principal results during the field season, summary of interactions and collaborations with other groups and agencies, and preliminary summary of data disposition. The requirements associated with Task 3 should be submitted year 1 and each of the 4 options years. The NAICS code is 541990 3. Authority FAR 13.106-1(b): The urgent circumstances surrounding the Atlantic Right Whale migration behaviors has deemed only one source is reasonably available. 4. 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. 5. No solicitation package will be issued. This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. The Government will consider responses received by 3:00 PM Eastern Time on July 14, 2020. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to chad.d.manson@usace.army.mil, Martha.g.sequeira, and CC gerald.l.garvey@usace.army.mil. No telephone requests will be honored. 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.