NIGP 72686: Tracking Equipment, Wildlife (for Fish Locators See Class 120-37)

NIGP 72686 Tracking Equipment, Wildlife, an Item code, encompasses acoustic telemetry tags, GPS collars, and related receiver systems that state and local wildlife agencies deploy to monitor fish and ungulate populations in the field. State fish and wildlife departments are the primary issuing bodies under this code, soliciting equipment for research projects, population management, and species survival initiatives. Recent opportunities show procurement of injectable acoustic telemetry systems for salmon smolt tracking, GPS collars for bighorn sheep and other ungulates with satellite data service, and associated field monitoring hardware. The work is specialized and technically demanding — tags and collars must meet exacting biological and operational constraints, including small size compatible with target animal weight, extended battery life, reliable signal detection in challenging terrain, and integrated mortality and location-sensing features. Sole-source procurements dominate when only one vendor meets biological requirements; competitive bids emerge when multiple systems can satisfy functional needs and cost is a secondary factor.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department posted recent opportunities under this code. Oregon's August 2026 sole-source procurement (S6350000017735) targeted Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System tags and receivers from Advanced Telemetry Systems for the Umpqua Basin Smolt Survival project, valued at $116,000, with a protest deadline of August 18, 2026. Texas Parks and Wildlife posted an IFB (8022667618) on June 25, 2026 for 50 GPS collars suitable for bighorn sheep, mule deer, pronghorn, aoudad, and elk, with unlimited satellite data service and delivery through August 31, 2027, allowing bidder preference and veteran-owned business preference claims under Texas rules. Equipment specifications in both procurements were prescriptive, reflecting the critical role of these tools in wildlife management and research compliance.