Description
This special notice informs the public that North Cascades NPS Complex intends to award a non-competitive requirements contract for fisher capture, care, and transportation services using a firm-fixed price schedule and paying for actual services received. A signed Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition is on file; the contents are provided herein. Send comments or questions to the C.O. prior to 9/6/17. JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION for SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS OVER $3,500 AND UP TO $150,000 (See FAR 13.106-1) Date: 6/8/2017 PR Number: R9471171139 BACKGROUND The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a medium-sized carnivore in the weasel family that was extirpated from the state of Washington, and is now listed by the state as endangered. Olympic National Park began fisher restoration in 2008, with the help of Conservation Northwest (CNW) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The current project, in collaboration with the same partners, reintroduced 69 fishers in and around Mount Rainier National Park (MORA) in 2015-2017 and the effort is now focused on bringing 80 fishers to North Cascades National Park Service Complex (NOCA). Proactive reestablishment of the fisher in Washington may help avoid formal listing under the federal Endangered Species Act and will aid in restoring ecological functions to each park through repatriation of a species to its former ecological niche. The project goal is to restore self-sustaining populations of fishers in the northern and southern Cascades (including NOCA and MORA) as identified in the Washington State Recovery Plan for the fisher. This will be accomplished by relocating approximately 160 fishers (40 each year for two years for each site) from British Columbia to the Cascades (including NOCA and MORA) and monitoring these released fishers to assess success of this restoration, as well as to learn about fisher ecology in the Cascades. Project success is defined as a self-sustaining population of fishers in a geographic distribution that allows for their persistence and resilience in Washington, including both parks, and into the foreseeable future (>100 years). This project is a large collaborative effort. WDFW and NPS are the lead agencies for the restoration and work collaboratively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (BCFLNRO), several local tribes and First Nations, and various non-governmental organizations like Conservation Northwest and Washington National Parks Fund. All operations in Canada for the first 69 fishers translocated to the Cascades were funded by Conservation Northwest, who maintains the infrastructure of licensed trappers, contractors, and veterinary services required to meet the project needs within the framework of all pertinent wildlife permits. 1. Nature and/or description of the item/service being procured and its intended use (include the anticipated cost): The Cascades Fisher Reintroduction Project (PMIS 195423) involves the capture, veterinary care, transport and temporary housing of up to 80 fishers (Pekania pennanti) in British Columbia, Canada, between fall 2017 and spring of 2019, before the animals are transported to Washington State for release in and around North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Fishers are listed as an endangered species by the State of Washington, but remain a harvestable furbearer in British Columbia. Fishers in Canada are captured for this project by independent fur trappers that have enrolled in the project program to humanely capture fishers in accordance with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources Operations (BCFLNRO) permit WL15-178739. The window to capture fishers is limited to four months each winter for the next 2-3 years. A team operating a temporary housing and care facility in Williams Lake, British Columbia, coordinates with each trapper to retrieve animals as they are captured, transport each animal to the housing facility, facilitate veterinary care and examination, and deliver the animals to the National Park Service at a transfer point in British Columbia. Each animal is examined, vaccinated, and implanted with a VHF transmitter by a veterinarian with specialized experience in treating fishers. NPS and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, hold the necessary permits to then transport fishers into the United States for reintroduction to their historical range. Operations for reintroduction in the United States are undertaken between the National Park Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife via a Memorandum of Understanding (Agreement Number G9450150004). Operations for capturing, veterinary care, and housing of fishers in Canada has thus far been accomplished through Conservation Northwest, who has provided the infrastructure to implement the international portion of the projects Detailed Implementation Plan. Conservation Northwest provided services for the first 69 fishers brought to the US (2015-2017) at no cost to the Canadian, US, or Washington state government. The costs for the next 50 fishers are the responsibility of the NPS. NPS will award a non-competitive requirements contract using a firm fixed price for each fisher delivered; payment will be made based on actual number of fishers received. NPS will authorize services for up to 10 fishers in the 2017-2018 capture season (maximum of $20,000), with an option to fund an additional 40 fishers (maximum of $80,000) in the 2018-2019 capture season. Total cost will not exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold ($150,000). The period of performance will be September 15, 2017 through April 30, 2018, with an option to extend to April 30, 2019, to capture and care for up to 40 more fishers. The price of $2000 per fisher includes the following services provided by Conservation NW: 1. Licensed capture of fishers through the project enrollment program 2. Project personnel and vehicles at Williams Lake, BC 3. Transport of fishers from trap location to temporary housing in Williams Lake, BC 4. Fisher care and housing for as many days as needed before transport to WA (as determined by the number of animals in holding and veterinary examination schedule) 5. Transport of fishers to/from Williams Lake Animal Care Clinic 6. Veterinary examination and vaccinations for fishers as described in the Detailed Implementation Plan 7. Fisher radio-transmitter implantation surgery by a qualified veterinarian 8. Return of disqualified animals to their original capture location 9. Transport of qualified animals to the NPS rendezvous point in BC (typically Spences Bridge, BC, depending on weather and road condition) 2. Sole Source Justification rationale (Check one and explain below): ___x__ Only one responsible source. ____ Urgent and compelling circumstances exist. ______ Other _____________________________________________________ Only one vendor, Conservation Northwest, has the unique relationships and infrastructure in place to produce the required services within the auspices of the issued wildlife permits and constrained timeline as set forth by BCFLNRO for capture, transport, and consultation involving this species. Conservation Northwest is a 501(c)3 and Washington state registered nonprofit organization based in Bellingham (1208 Bay Street #201, Bellingham, WA 98225-4304). 3. Market Research. Please explain the results or why one was not performed. State whether any other offers were received or anyone expressed interest: No market research was performed because all capture, handling, housing and related services are restricted under the permits issued by Canada for these operations. The selected organization is the only viable entity to provide these services with the personal, location, and expertise, given the urgent nature of the timeline to complete these services. Market research was conducted on the flexible element of veterinary services. Only one other qualified veterinarian with experience treating fishers was identified, but is employed by the BC government and stationed too far from our operations center to be of assistance on a daily basis for four months each winter. 4. If this is a determination for sole source, the Contracting Officer certifies: a. Only one source is available, or urgent and compelling circumstances exist. b. The anticipated price will be determined fair and reasonable using the price analysis techniques described in FAR Part 13.106-3(a). Prepared by Jason I. Ransom, Wildlife Biologist and Project Officer on 6/15/17 Signed by Sarah J. Welch, Contracting Officer on 6/15/2017 Approved by Rodney J. Roberson, Contracting Officer (Warranted Individual One Level Above Contracting Officer) on 7/11/2017.