Inactive

This Request for Information/Sources Sought is being published, for market research purposes only, to identify potential sources capable of supporting the Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land ... This Request for Information/Sources Sought is being published, for market research purposes only, to identify potential sources capable of supporting the Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with Wild Horse and Burro Mare Sterilization Methods. BACKGROUND The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (the Act) charged the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service with the protection and management of wild horses (also known as ¿mustangs¿) and wild burros on public rangelands in the Western United States. Because wild horses and burros are federally protected and have virtually no natural predators, populations can double every four years. Today, the BLM manages more than 88,000 wild, free-roaming, horses and burros across 29.6 million acres in 10 Western states; the BLM¿s target population level is approximately 27,000 horses and burros. The Act requires the BLM to manage wild horses and burros in a manner that achieves a thriving natural ecological balance. As resource conditions and other factors warrant, excess wild horses and burros are removed from the public lands and placed in private care through adoption or sales. The U.S. Congress, in recognition of the financial and political challenges of controlling wild horse and burro populations, noted in its 2019 Appropriations Act that ¿significant management changes need to be made within the near future in order to control costs, improve range conditions, and humanely manage wild horse and burro populations.¿ Congress explicitly directed the BLM to continue ¿¿researching and developing appropriate, humane protocols for fertility control methods, including sterilization¿¿ for wild horse and burro populations. The BLM Wild Horse and Burro program has determined that sterilization of free-roaming female wild horses and burros may be useful as one of many management actions that could reduce wild horse herd growth rates. In order to overcome barriers to the use of female wild horse and burro sterilization, BLM is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to learn more about practitioners who would consider opportunities to conduct sterilization procedures. BLM expects that the sterilization methods that practitioners may propose to use might include, but would not be limited to, the following: ovariectomy via colpotomy, ovariectomy via flank laparoscopy, ovariectomy via laparotomy, tubal ligation, and ablation or blockage of the oviduct. If mare sterilization takes place at a BLM facility, it could be reasonably assumed that conditions would include a covered barn with a padded, hydraulic squeeze chute, and that BLM staff would assist with animal care and handling required before and after sterilization procedures. Because of the public sensitivity of spaying mares it is possible that the public would be allowed to watch and photograph and/or film the procedure. This is only a Request for Information/Sources Sought Synopsis and is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). A solicitation is not being issued at this time and this notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. Responses to this Request for Information/Sources Sought Synopsis will be used for a market survey analysis to determine if parties are interested. Questions and responses are all for informational purposes only. There is no guarantee a solicitation will be issued or needed after BLM analysis of interest and capabilities. There will be no entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges to the Government as a result of contractor submission of responses. Request interested parties provide the following: 1. Company Name: Street Address: City, State and Zip Code: Point of Contact: Phone Number: Electronic Mail Address: 2. Responses to the attached Market Research Questionnaire. 3. Additional Capability Statement, if needed. Again, any information submitted by the respondents to this request for information/source sought synopsis is strictly voluntary. There is no entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs resulting from responses to this Request for Information/Sources Sought. Only electronic responses shall be accepted, and should be forward to tcoffenberry@blm.gov. Responses are requested by Monday, July 15, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. The BLM point of contact is Theresa Coffenberry, Contracting Officer, Phone (303) 236-5437.