Inactive

Solicitation Number: 140P019Q0010 Notice Type: Pre-solicitation Synopsis: The purpose of this synopsis is to provide notice to the public of the government's intent to sole source the award of a contr... Solicitation Number: 140P019Q0010 Notice Type: Pre-solicitation Synopsis: The purpose of this synopsis is to provide notice to the public of the government's intent to sole source the award of a contract to Great Lakes Ecological Services of Slinger, WI for the development of Breeding Bird Acoustic Monitoring program for Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Authority: DOI-NPS MWR MABO is issuing this notice in accordance with FAR Part 5.204 Pre-solicitation Notices. Description: This project addresses the development of a breeding bird acoustic monitoring program in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) that can be used by all 9 Great Lakes Network (GLKN) parks. The MISS covers an approximately 72 mile stretch of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, from Dayton through the Twin Cities to south of Hastings. Along this corridor public lands are present to varying degrees which are available for surveys and can potentially be managed and/or monitored for species of conservation interest. Preliminary information suggests that the MISS is home to over 200 breeding bird species. It is also a critical migration corridor for millions of birds and is essential to the ecological health of the North American continent. The Foundation Document for the MISS (April 2014) identifies several planning priorities addressing breeding birds, including: additional data needed to better understand their status and trends, an assessment of habitat conditions, a corridor-specific breeding bird census, climate change scenario planning, and a plan for annual comprehensive birds surveys. This project will develop a study design and protocol for acoustic monitoring of breeding bird species similar to a program already being implemented for frogs and toads within GLKN parks, with proof of concept. The proposed program differs from current practice in being able to overcome sample size limitations that constrain occupancy and trend analyses, by collecting hundreds of samples per year through automated recording systems. Developing such a program with excellent statistical rigor is important if breeding bird species status and trends are to be tracked for conservation and management, and potentially as ecological indicators of ongoing climate change. METHODS: Study Design - the study will be designed using multiple bird experts to identify a suite of breeding bird species of conservation interest within the GLKN parks. These will be birds that are likely to meet sampling objectives, and have unique acoustic signatures that will allow them to be pulled from the SD card data using recognizer files as well as manually using bird experts. Collect acoustic bird songs - Wildlife acoustic recorders will be programmed to take 10-minute samples at appropriate times of day, at frequencies suitable for target species, and mimicking existing breeding bird survey protocols for comparison to other programs. The surveys will focus on acquiring training files, and surveying new locations for further testing the protocol routines. Data Analysis - Following the protocols developed for frogs and toads, the research team will develop computer recognizer files to scan SD cards containing bird song recorded in the field. The data will be run through both the recognizer files and manually (by bird experts), to verify and document the results. Protocol Development - The final protocol will detail how to do sample collection, data management and analysis, and interpretation of results. A discussion of how the methods can be used for inventory (discovery of rare species), and for long term monitoring of climate sensitive species will be included. DELIVERABLES: A mid-term report detailing results will be delivered by 30 Sep 2019, followed by a final report summarizing methods and results. All survey locations will be georeferenced with Garmin GPS units, and acoustic data archived at MISS and with the NPS GLKN I&M group. Monitoring, conservation and management priorities will be addressed in the final report. A bird acoustic monitoring protocol will be produced and recognizer files developed for key species. Place of Performance: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Sole Source/Competitive Acquisition: This will be a non-competitive sole source acquisition set-aside for the small business: Great Lakes Ecological Services of Slinger, WI. Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price Period of Performance: Base Year - 5/1/2019 - 12/31/2020 Government-Furnished Property/Equipment: Equipment will not be provided by the Government. Expiration of this synopsis/notice: Close of business, 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, Apr 2, 2019. Release Date of the Solicitation: It is anticipated for Solicitation No. 140P019Q0010 to be released on or about Apr 3, 2019. Should complications arise resulting in a delay in the release of the solicitation; the Contracting Officer will provide an update through FedConnect at https://www.fedconnect.net/Fedconnect/ and/or the FedBizOpps website at http://www.fedbizopps.gov. Contracting Office Address: NPS, MWR - MWRO MABO 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha NE, 68102 US Point of Contact(s): Christopher Keck Contracting Specialist National Park Service, MWRO MABO 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE 68102-4226 402 661-1598 Phone 402 661-1607 Fax Christopher_keck@nps.gov