Description
This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU) without competition under justification 505DM2.14 B. (4). DU and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (Service) Midwest Region will work cooperatively to restore and enhance the approximately 779-acre Navarre Marsh Unit, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, OH. Service has a long-term lease with land owner to manage the 779-acre coastal wetland complex surrounding the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Generating facility. DU will be awarded the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funds through a non-competitive cooperative agreement due to their unique collective technical expertise to perform the engineering, design, and habitat restoration services for the Service within this secure restricted access facility. The DU professional engineering resources and construction management staff can engineer, design, and restore the coastal wetlands and other habitats. DU assisted the Service in consultation and planning meetings with the land owner to answer engineering and design questions regarding potential project impacts to the land owners security and operations. DU has completed similar coastal wetland restoration projects at other locations around Lake Erie. DU provided the Service engineering drawing and plain views as examples of the proposed restoration infrastructure for meetings with the land owner. The Service's proposed scope of work includes water control structures that DU has previously engineered, designed, and constructed. No other entity has the collective expertise to perform all these task in cooperation with the Service given the security of the facility, previous engineering project plans, and critical engineering and wetland restoration experience within the Lake Erie marsh region. Competition for the funds is not practical due to the access restrictions and security protocols, time sensitive challenges to engineer and design the needed infrastructure that must be approved by land owner and complete construction management operations to restore the coastal wetland habitats utilizing GLRI funds. Substantial involvement on the part of the Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the activities to be funded. In particular, the Service will be responsible for the following: 1. The Service will serve as the lead agent coordinating and planning access into the secure facility and ensuring strict compliance with the security protocols and procedures to access the land owners facility. Service will develop standard operating procedures that partners and contractors must strictly follow to ensure compliance with Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Security Operations. The Service will be on-site daily to ensure the integrity of the agency's commitment to land owners lease agreement. 2. Service will meet with land owner representatives and project partners and contractors weekly, or as necessary, to evaluate marsh access compliance, assess construction time-lines, and evaluate issues or challenges with project completion. 3. The Service will develop NEPA, NHPA, ESA, and other environmental compliance documents including Clean Water Act permits for the restoration and enhancement work. 4. Service will review and approve DU engineering designs, permit applications, and other administrative documents needed to accomplish the cooperative project.