Natural Resources Support, Piute Pond, Edwards AFB | W9126G 20 2 SOI 3684

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 20 2 SOI 3684

Natural Resources Support, Piute Pond, Edwards AFB (W9126G-20-2-SOI-3684) is a U.S. Department of Defense opportunity, managed through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Fort Worth District), to identify a qualified non-federal partner to support the U.S. Air Force with natural resources and compliance work at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The project is tied directly to implementation of the base Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) under the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1), which encourages cooperative agreements to help military installations manage natural resources while meeting legal and mission requirements. The government anticipated about $267,897 in available funding and expected to make one award.

Eligibility is narrow and is a key gate for consideration: interested parties must already be a non-federal partner in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) National Network, specifically within either the Californian CESU (W9126G-13-2-0012) or the Colorado Plateau CESU (W9126G-14-2-0018). The award instrument was anticipated to be a cooperative agreement under the CESU framework, and the opportunity notes that CESU awards may apply the CESU Network indirect cost rate (IDC) of 17.5 percent, but only if both parties mutually agree and officially authorize its use.

The work itself is organized around two main tasks centered on the Piute Ponds Complex and Branch Memorial Park Pond. Task 1 focuses on continuing recurring, routine maintenance and management actions at these water bodies. Examples of the types of actions mentioned include vegetation control, dredging, and maintenance or repair of water control structures. Because these activities can affect cultural resources, the project emphasizes cultural resource follow-up at Piute Ponds. Although the complex has already been surveyed and many sites, features, and isolated artifacts have been recorded, prior work left incomplete determinations about eligibility. The selected partner would build on that existing record by revisiting previously documented locations, conducting condition assessments, and collecting enough additional information to support recommendations on eligibility (either for individual resources or potentially as part of a larger district) and to analyze whether the planned undertakings could cause adverse effects.

Task 2 is the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to support the management action plan for Piute Ponds and Branch Pond. The opportunity spells out several expected EA components: fully developing the Purpose and Need statement; preparing a clear Description of Proposed Action and Alternatives (often abbreviated as DOPAA); collecting and reviewing existing background information while identifying data gaps; describing unavoidable adverse effects and potential mitigation; publishing a notice of NEPA scoping in local newspapers and preparing press releases; and coordinating with relevant agencies. In other words, the partner is expected to carry the EA through the foundational planning, documentation, public-facing steps, and interagency coordination needed for NEPA compliance on the proposed pond management actions.

The timeline and structure are also clearly defined. This was issued as a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI), not a full proposal solicitation. The government planned to post the RSOI for 30 days before deciding which respondents to invite for full proposals. Statements of Interest were due by 5:00 PM Central Time on May 27, 2020, with the project intended to begin in 2020. Periods of performance were listed as 12 months from award for Task 1 and 18 months from award for Task 2, indicating the EA effort could extend beyond the routine maintenance and cultural resource assessment work.

For the initial submission, applicants were asked to email a short qualifications package (maximum two pages, single-spaced, 12-point font) rather than a technical proposal or budget. The requested information included basic organizational identifiers and contacts (name, organization, CAGE code, DUNS number, contact information) and a brief statement of qualifications. That qualifications statement needed to cover a biographical sketch, summaries of relevant past projects and clients, the personnel (staff, faculty, or students) available and their expertise, and any notable capabilities or facilities that would support successful delivery (such as specialized equipment, labs, greenhouses, or field facilities). The evaluation approach was similarly straightforward: a government review board would assess Statements of Interest based on how well the responder’s experience, capabilities, and credentials matched the project needs, and only the most suitable respondents would be invited to submit a full study proposal later.

Points of contact for submissions and questions were Alisa Marshall (Agreement/Contract Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District) and David Leptien (Project Manager, USACE Omaha District, Environmental Remediation Branch), with submissions directed via email to both listed addresses.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Natural Resources Support, Piute Pond, Edwards AFB" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 27, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 27, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $267,897.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W9126G 20 2 SOI 3684

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