B08_RFQ_140M0123Q0014_final.pdf

Solicitation No. 140M0120Q0014

SYNOPSIS:

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE

THAT WILL BE ISSUED. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

(BSEE), on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has a requirement for a research study of recreational usage and tourism of the Cook Inlet Area. The estimated period of performance for this requirement is forty eight (48) months from date of award.

The purpose of this combined synopsis/solicitation is to solicit quotes as described in the attached solicitation. The Government anticipates a Firm Fixed Price type award as a result of this solicitation. This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13.5, "Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items". The North American Industrial

Classification Systems (NAICS) code is 541620, Environmental Consulting Services, with a small business size standard of $19 million. This solicitation is being issued on an unrestricted basis.

All potential offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM)

(www.sam.gov) at the time an offeror of quotation is submitted.

The point of contact for this procurement is Jennifer Moreci, Contracting Officer, BSEE, Acquisition Operations Branch, 45600 Woodland Rd., Sterling, VA 20166. Responses to this solicitation must be submitted electronically via email to Jennifer.Moreci@bsee.gov no later than the closing date and time referenced in the solicitation. All email correspondence must reference “Solicitation No. 140M0123Q0014”.

mailto:Jennifer.Moreci@bsee.gov

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SECTION 1

PRICING

1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13.5 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures for

Certain Commercial Items and FAR Part 12 – Commercial Items. Under this Request for Quote (RFQ), the

United States Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on behalf of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), anticipates awarding a Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase

Order as detailed in the Statement of Work (SOW). The North American Industry Classification System

(NAICS) code for this requirement is 541620, Environmental Consulting Services.

1.2 CONTRACT LINE ITEM/PRICING

The specific details and description of the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) is described as follows

(Offeror shall fill in and provide information as part of their price quote):

CLIN DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT TOTAL PRICE

00010 Base Period 1 JOB $_____________

The Contractor shall provide all services necessary to complete work in Section 2.4 Scope of Work to accomplish the objectives in Section 2.3.

00020 Travel Costs $ ______________

Reimbursable at actual cost, no fee, (Not to exceed amount based in accordance with FAR Clause 31.205-46; on the Contractor’s approach)

This is a reimbursable line item that will be funded on an as needed basis as approved by the COR prior to travel up to the amount stated herein.

Total Not-To-Exceed Amount: $__________________________

CLIN 00010 is a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) line item that includes all costs required for performance, including but not limited to all personnel, facilities, equipment, material, supplies, and services, that will be reimbursed in accordance with the Partial Delivery Payment Schedule in Section 1.3.

CLIN 00020 is for long distance travel incurred in completion of this contract. Advance written approval must be obtained from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) prior to incurring any costs for travel.

The Not-to-Exceed (NTE) amount of each long-distance travel line item, if exceeded by the Contractor, is at the Contractor’s own risk and expense. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) Clause 31.205-46. No G&A or fee is authorized.

1.3 PARTIAL DELIVERY PAYMENT SCHEDULE FOR CLIN 00010

The Contractor may propose a partial delivery payment schedule (based on milestones and deliverables) as part of its offer. Payment shall be made once the following deliverables have been received and accepted by the Government in accordance with FAR Clause 52.212-4(i), Payments.

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Payment

No.

Deliverable / Milestone

Payment

Amount

1 Contractor Proposed %

Total Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) $TBD*

*Offeror is required to fill-in pricing where indicated as part of its quote submission.

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SECTION 2

STATEMENT OF WORK

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as amended, established a policy for the management of energy and minerals in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and for protection of the marine and coastal environments that support human lives and society, also called the human environment. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act authorizes scientific research in areas or regions where lease sales take place to determine the environmental impacts to the human environment from energy or minerals development. Responsibility for leasing these submerged federal lands belongs to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

BOEM develops Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments to comply with the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Complying with the NEPA requires a transparent public process, and the documents produced are generally referred to as environmental impact assessments.

NEPA requires BOEM to use information and data from the natural and social sciences for environmental impact assessments and decision making for federal permitting actions that could affect the human environment.

The OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 244 in 2017 leased 14 blocks in the Cook Inlet Planning Area, and exploration activities have occurred for some of those blocks. Lease Sale 258 occurred December 30, 2022 under the 2017-2022 National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The 2023-2028 national program may include additional lease sales in the Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area. BOEM requires data and other information for the Cook Inlet Planning Area for its future environmental impact assessments.

Alaska has the highest rate of participation in outdoor recreation in the United States overall (tied with

Montana) and specifically in the hunting and fishing categories (CED, 2019:4). In 2017, Alaska’s visitor industry accounted for 43,300 state-wide jobs, an increase of 20 percent from the previous ten-year period;

1.5 billion dollars in labor income, an increase of 32 percent from the previous period; and 4.5 billion dollars in economic output, also up 32 percent from the previous period (McDowell Group, 2018:1). During April through December of 2019, 2.4 million visitors to Alaska spent $2.2 billion in the tourism industry (Cuyno et al., 2022:94). Much of the Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area is located in the Southcentral region of the state, which had 20,700 jobs and $761 million in labor income in 2017 from the visitor industry (McDowell

Group, 2018:2).

BOEM is soliciting this research to help the bureau describe the affected environment and analyze and monitor potential impacts to recreation and tourism activities, experiences, and associated revenues from its future permitting activities in the Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area.

2.2 PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to provide current data and information about outdoor recreation and tourism in the Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area and adjacent coastal areas (i.e., the study area). Understanding how outdoor recreation and tourism may be affected by energy development is required when BOEM develops environmental impact assessments during the NEPA process. Impacts to recreation and tourism activities and experiences can occur when the public enjoyment of recreation resources and associated scenic landscapes are altered by an activity or action that conflicts with individuals’ desired or expected conditions and experiences. BOEM will use current outdoor recreation and tourism data from the study area to identify and understand changes to recreation and tourism from future energy exploration and development.

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The study area has many landscapes, settings, and specific resources important for recreation and tourism

(Cuyno et al., 2022). If federal actions in the OCS and coastal areas of Cook Inlet cause temporary or permanent changes to these places and resources, impacts may occur to recreation and tourism. Impacts to recreation, tourism, scenic landscapes, and resultant economic revenues may result from the construction and physical presence of infrastructure, equipment, and lighting used for energy development. Visual changes to the landscape, shipping traffic, small vessel transports, aircraft traffic, and associated congestion and noises have the potential to adversely affect recreation and tourism activities and experiences. Impacts could occur in the event of accidental oil spills, gas releases, or other externalities from development projects.

BOEM requires a baseline study to demonstrate the current importance and extent of outdoor recreation and tourism for residents of and visitors to the study area and to learn how associated amenities and the economy may be affected by future OCS lease sales, exploration, and development projects. A baseline would allow

BOEM to assess and measure potential changes to recreation and tourism and identify potential effects from its permitted actions. BOEM also needs new data and information about the types, extent, location, and seasonality of recreationists’ and tourists’ activities and experiences to understand where, when, and to what degree impacts to recreation and tourism could occur. Researchers are expected to produce results and products useful for describing the affected environment, analyzing potential socioeconomic impacts, developing and implementing mitigation measures, informing consultations and public engagement, and monitoring changes to recreation and tourism.

The study area encompasses portions of three Alaska boroughs: the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Lake and

Peninsula Borough, and the Kodiak Borough. Outdoor recreation and tourism are key sectors of the region’s economy (Cuyno et al., 2022; CED, 2018, 2019; McDowell Group, 2018). Previously viewed as a mature industry with large positive impacts but modest or negative overall growth, it is now seen as a fast-growing sector as visitors’ and residents’ interests and local opportunities continue to grow and evolve (Cuyno et al., 2022; CED, 2018, 2019; Kenai Peninsula Borough, 2019). Much of the emerging outdoor recreation and tourism is taking place on and near state and federal public lands, including the McNeil River State Game

Sanctuary and Refuge; Kachemak Bay State Park; Chugach National Forest; Kenai Fiords National Park;

Katmai and Lake Clark national parks and preserves; and Alaska Maritime, Kenai, and Kodiak national wildlife refuges (Figure 1).

Figure 1. The Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area, adjacent coastal areas, and public lands.

• Anchorage

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The upper Cook Inlet area hosts a mature offshore energy sector in waters managed by the State of Alaska.

After a two-decade hiatus (i.e., no OCS lease sales were held from 1996 to 2017), recent industry interest and investment have focused on the OCS federal waters of the lower Cook Inlet. This renewed activity raised concerns for the potential effects of OCS development on the region’s outdoor recreation and tourism sector, especially recreational activities and values that are dependent on or enhanced by the ocean; marine and coastal resources; and federal and state public lands in coastal areas (e.g., sportfishing charters, cruise ship tours, coastal train tours, whale watching, bear viewing, glacier viewing from boats, kayaking, and guided hunting).

Recreational value means the social, psychological, and economic importance, worth, and/or benefits of an activity in which people engage and invest for the purposes of leisure, sport, self-improvement, relaxation, enjoyment, well-being, and other experiences. In this context, value may be examined and measured in terms of attitudes, choices, motivations, expectations, desired experiences, benefits, outcomes, and/or monetary expenditures made for a trip or outing.

Baseline information has routinely been developed for recreation and tourism in areas outside Alaska.

Research in the Atlantic (Parsons and Firestone, 2018; Smythe et al., 2018.), Gulf of Mexico (Eastern

Research Group, Inc., 2014), and Pacific regions (Hoelting and Burkardt, 2017) has led to new insights on how OCS conventional and renewable energy projects, climate change, and oils spills in OCS regions could affect recreation and tourism (Industrial Economics, Inc., 2014). This information, including geographic information in the Marine Cadastre, has been important in environmental impact statements and marine spatial planning to prevent and reduce spatial and temporal conflicts and other effects https://marinecadastre.gov/. Developing similar information for Alaska-specific conditions in the study area would contribute to comprehensive OCS-wide data for the recreation and tourism sectors of the economy.

Some research has been conducted on the effects of energy development on recreation and tourism in Alaska, but these studies have been limited to certain activities (e.g., Kenai Peninsula sportfishing; Criddle, et al., 1998) or have focused on the effects of technological disasters such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill (Fall et al., 2001). The baseline information in these studies needs to be updated to capture changes that have occurred to the recreation and tourism sector in the last two decades. Ongoing, new, and emergent recreational activities, values, and experiences and tourist amenities need to be identified and documented for the study area.

2.3 OBJECTIVES

BOEM requires updated baseline information, including new/primary data, for the spatial, temporal, social, and economic dimensions of outdoor recreation and tourism in the study area. There are two broad goals for the research: (1) understand where, when, and how much recreation and tourism activities occur offshore in state and federal waters and onshore in coastal areas; and (2) demonstrate the value of recreation and tourism for Alaska residents living in or visiting the study area, nonresident visitors to the study area, and the regional economy. The research will focus on recreational and tourism activities, experiences, values, and expenditures that are dependent on or sensitive to coastal and marine resources and places. Specific study objectives include:

1. Establish a baseline of outdoor recreation and tourism activities, amenities, and associated expenditures; the baseline will be used to assess social and economic effects of future offshore energy development.

2. Assess and map where and which types of outdoor recreation and tourism activities are most prevalent in the study area, including when these activities occur; determine how much and which types of coastal- and marine-related recreation and tourism occur on public lands (e.g., state parks, national parks, and national wildlife refuges).

https://marinecadastre.gov/

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3. Identify what residents and visitors consider to be of value when making recreational choices and how these preferences might differ based on geographic location within the study area and between

Alaska residents and non-residents.

4. Compare and document activities, values, and trip-related expenditures between upper and lower

Cook Inlet areas for differences and similarities, exploring the influence of energy development in the upper inlet and the absence of energy development in the lower inlet.

5. Compare and document attitudes of residents and visitors about how infrastructure, vessel traffic, noise, oil spills, and gas releases from offshore energy development could alter recreation and tourism.

6. Develop and provide a framework with indicators and thresholds for monitoring the spatial, temporal, and economic impacts to recreation and tourism from ongoing energy development in state waters and coastal areas and current energy exploration and future development in federal waters and coastal areas of the state.

2.4 SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of this research includes review and synthesis of existing information and collection of new data.

The Contractor shall carry out the tasks described below by gathering and analyzing data from existing documents and other sources, particularly the Internet and public repositories.

The Contractor shall collect primary data from outdoor recreationists and tourists to the study area, including

Alaska residents and out-of-state visitors. The Contractor shall collect primary data as necessary from specialists and managers working on recreation and tourism in the study area. The Contractor shall travel to places in the study area for primary data collection. The Contractor shall speak directly with local, borough, state, tribal, and federal officials; recreationists and tourists; and community residents as needed to access and collect data that are not readily available elsewhere.

2.4.1 Task 1: Post-Award Meeting, Project Management, and Tracking

The Contractor shall prepare a draft Project Management Plan (PMP) for submittal no later than one week prior to the Post-Award meeting. In the draft PMP, the Contractor shall clearly and concisely describe project responsibilities; any proposed subcontracting arrangements; the frequency and media for communication and coordination both internally and with the BOEM project team; record keeping; interim and preliminary products, and scheduling of all tasks, subtasks, meetings, and deliverables.

At a minimum, the PMP shall include:

• Procedures for managing the project

• Criteria for assuring quality control and acceptability of the project deliverables

• Details regarding the schedule and coordination of the study

• Procedures regarding how the Contractor will review and approve interim, draft, and final work products prior to submission to the BOEM to ensure high quality and polished products are delivered

• A brief description of the required preliminary interim deliverables, including an outreach and communication plan for partners and stakeholders

• A description of how a monitoring strategy will be developed from secondary and primary data collected and analyzed in this study

2.4.2 Task 2: Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

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The Contractor shall initiate and maintain good communication and working relationships with recreation and tourism planners and managers at all levels of government, including tribes, and recreation and tourism specialists in the private sector, including Alaska Native corporations where appropriate. In years one and two, the Contractor shall conduct outreach to introduce the study to relevant stakeholders and partners before commencing primary data collection. The PMP shall include a one-page section that outlines a preliminary outreach and communication plan for informing and working with partners and stakeholders. The Contractor shall work closely with the BOEM study team and local partners and stakeholders to address their informational needs and to locate and compile relevant data that are not readily available online or at public repositories. Before collecting primary data on city, state, tribal, and federal lands and waters, the Contractor shall provide to the BOEM a letter of local agency support for the data collection project signed by an appropriate representative. Before sending written letters or other communications and correspondence to partners and stakeholders, the Contractor shall provide the draft correspondences to the BOEM COR one (1) week prior to release for review and possible revision.

2.4.3 Task 3: Compilation, Synthesis, and Interpretation of Existing Data

The Contractor shall establish a baseline of outdoor recreation and tourism activities, amenities, and associated expenditures from existing sources (see Section 2.4.11.2 for more details). The Contractor shall examine 3-5 years of existing data to set this baseline. At minimum, BOEM recommends the contractor to examine existing data for the years 2018, 2019, 2022, and possibly 2021, if appropriate, to establish the baseline. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in and spending on recreation and tourism in Alaska substantially dropped in 2020 (Cuyno et al., 2022) and was recovering during 2021, and therefore years

2020-2021 are not representative of the sector.

The baseline will be used by BOEM to assess social and economic effects of future offshore energy exploration and development for the Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area and adjacent coastal areas. For the baseline, the Contractor shall focus secondary data compilation and synthesis on where (spatial component), when (temporal component), and how much (estimate of amount of participation) recreation and tourism activities occurred offshore in state and federal waters and onshore in coastal areas in 2018, 2019, and 2022.

Secondary data are existing data. The Contractor shall include the economic contributions of recreation and tourism in the baseline, including tax revenues from the tourism industry as described by Cuyno et al.

(2022:96).

The Contractor shall develop a qualitative and quantitative baseline inventory of the current state of outdoor recreation and tourism for the study area. Qualitative information shall be organized and reported using narrative descriptions and maps or other acceptable means proposed by the Contractor. Quantitative data shall take the form of frequencies, totals, percentages, means and standard deviations (or other measures of central tendency), ranges in values, dollar amounts, or other acceptable numerical measures proposed by the

Contractor. Baseline information shall be displayed using appropriate text, charts, graphs, tables, figures, and maps. The Contractor shall include appropriate narrative in the text to fully describe the phenomena and metrics associated with all figures, graphics, maps, and other visual communication aids used in reports.

The Contractor shall deliver the data, including any geospatial data, used to establish the baseline and to produce maps, all databases and specific layers, a geographic footprint of the study area, and the metadata records to BOEM according to the specifications provided in Section 2.5, Meetings Reports and Other

Deliverables, Section 2.5.5, Establish a Baseline Using Secondary Data, and Section 2.4.11, Additional

Requirements. The Contractor shall produce databases and maps in North American Datum of 1983

(NAD83). The Contractor shall deliver all data products and maps at the time of delivery of the draft report, four (4) months prior to the end of performance for quality assurance and control by BOEM. If necessary, the

Contractor shall revise data products and maps according to the quality control review completed by GIS data experts, geographers, and cartographers at BOEM.

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The Contractor shall establish the baseline according to the following:

a. Assess and map where and which types of recreation and tourism activities are most prevalent in the study area, including when during the calendar year these activities occur.

b. Determine how much and which types of coastal- and marine-related recreation and tourism occur on public lands (e.g., state parks and national parks and wildlife refuges; see Section

2.2).

c. Determine the economic contribution of recreation and tourism by examining tax revenues, employment and jobs, and trip-related expenditures of outside visitors as described in

Section 2.4.11.2. The Contractor shall not examine equipment purchased outside Alaska or spending by local residents.

d. Clearly document what relevant information is not available to be used as part of the baseline, including a description of caveats, limitations, and missing data pertinent for establishing and understanding the baseline.

2.4.4 Task 4: Obtain OMB Approval for New Data Collection

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 35, et seq.) imposes a requirement on federal agencies to obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before collecting information from ten or more members of the public. The requirement applies to data collection efforts funded by federal agencies regardless of who collects the data. The Contractor shall prepare the necessary documents and follow the required procedures to make an information collection request to OMB for obtaining an approval number for standardized surveys and interview protocols (https://pra.digital.gov/). The Contractor shall develop an interim plan for sampling and survey administration for review by the BOEM COR before it submits draft research materials to the OMB for approval. The plan shall include 1) a strategy for sampling recreationists and tourists; 2) one or more standardized survey instruments or interview protocols; and 3) procedures for pretesting the survey instruments. The Contractor shall begin the OMB approval process in year one and obtain approval before the third quarter of year two and before initiating Task 5.

As practicable, BOEM’s Paperwork Reduction Act Liaison in the Headquarters Office in Sterling, VA will provide assistance to the Contractor to facilitate the OMB approval process. The process involves publishing details about the proposed sampling strategy and data collection techniques in the Federal Register for public review and comment and may take nine to twelve months or more to complete. The Contractor is directed to the following webpages for guidance and application procedures for information collection requests.

https://pra.digital.gov/ https://pra.digital.gov/clearance-process/ https://www.energy.gov/eere/communicationstandards/paperwork-reduction-act-surveys-and-user-research https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/reviewprocessfaq.htm https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/abstatement.htm

2.4.5 Task 5: Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation of New Data

The Contractor shall collect primary data to demonstrate the importance and value of outdoor recreation and tourism for Alaska residents visiting the study area, nonresident visitors, and the regional economy. The

Contractor shall measure importance and value in terms of attitudes, choices, motivations, expectations, desired experiences, benefits/outcomes, monetary expenditures, or some combination of these. After the

Contractor has obtained an approval number from the OMB, the Contractor shall collect primary data using the approved sampling strategies, methods, and instruments, which could include focus groups, surveys, https://pra.digital.gov/ https://pra.digital.gov/ https://pra.digital.gov/clearance-process/ https://www.energy.gov/eere/communicationstandards/paperwork-reduction-act-surveys-and-user-research https://www.energy.gov/eere/communicationstandards/paperwork-reduction-act-surveys-and-user-research https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/reviewprocessfaq.htm https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/abstatement.htm

Page 11 Solicitation No.140M0123Q0014 interviews, and workshops, or other methods determined by the Contractor and the BOEM to be most suitable.

The Contractor shall travel to hub cities, smaller communities, public lands, visitor centers, seaports, airports, and marinas to intercept recreationists and tourists and administer surveys or collect contact information for mail, telephone, or online data collection at a later date (Flint et al., 2016:105; McFadden, 1996). As appropriate, the Contractor shall use intercept surveys to get permissions to complete questionnaires, gather contact information, conduct face-to-face surveys or interviews, or briefly obtain relevant information that can later be used to construct a sampling frame and check for non-response bias. For onsite work, the

Contractor shall collect primary data during May through October during study year three to capture the peak season for recreation and tourism visits. If dictated by study design and timely with OMB clearance, the

Contractor may begin primary data collection at the end of year two and/or extend data collection into early year four. The Contractor shall budget for incentives and honoraria to reasonably compensate respondents and other research participants for their time and their information.

The Contractor shall use a probability sampling design to represent desired populations and subpopulations of recreationists and tourists. Probability sampling is a technique in which members of a target population have an equal opportunity to be selected based on the principles of randomization (i.e., random selection or chance). The Contractor shall also consider the utility of a non-probability sample if determined to be necessary for completing any part of Task 5. The Contractor is directed to review Etikan et al (2015), Etikan and Bala (2017), and Sharma (2017) for detailed information about the types of sampling relevant to this research. The Contractor shall follow its sampling plan to select an appropriate sample itself, purchase an appropriate sample from a professional sampling company, or use a combination of both. For quantitative surveys, the Contractor shall account and control for non-response bias and other types of sampling and respondent biases.

BOEM encourages creativity and flexibility regarding methodologies used to complete Task 5 to allow for innovation in social science and to ensure OMB clearance is obtained in a timely manner. The Contractor shall consider conducting primary data collection for Task 5 in two phases. For example, a series of focus groups or workshops with a purposive, non-probability sample and interviews could be conducted with recreation and tourism experts, key informants, or other knowledgeable residents and out-of-state visitors to elicit information to inform more in-depth questionnaires and/or semi-structured interview questions.

The Contractor shall complete primary data collection ideally by the end of year three. The Contractor shall consider combining a. and b. below into one survey instrument; BOEM has developed the scope of work for

Task 5 with some overlap in methods to capture different but related dimensions of recreation and tourism preferences and values and to learn how energy exploration and development may affect different values and experiences. The Contractor shall design measurement instruments to be efficient, non-redundant, and as burden free as possible. This may require the Contractor to combine subsections a. through c. into one or possibly two survey instruments.

a. Identify what residents and visitors consider to be of value when making recreational choices and how these preferences might differ based on geographic location within the study area and between

Alaska residents and non-residents. To accomplish Task 5a, the Contractor shall consider designing and conducting a type of a stated-preference survey, including contingent valuation or a choice experiment (see Bostan et al., 2020; Merino-Castelló, 2003; Parsons and Firestone, 2018).

b. Compare activities and trip-related expenditures of outside visitors (i.e., economic impact) between upper and lower Cook Inlet areas for differences and similarities, exploring the influence of energy development by the State of Alaska in the upper inlet and the absence of energy development in the lower inlet. To complete Task 5b, the Contractor shall consider an economic impact design, using a survey or focus groups with out-of-state and out-of-region visitors only to examine and compare

Page 12 Solicitation No.140M0123Q0014 economic impact relative to the spatial break in offshore energy development between the upper and lower reaches of Cook Inlet (all existing development occurs in state waters of the upper inlet). Local residents’ spending shall be excluded from Task 5b (Crompton, 2010). Economic impact attributable to a recreation or tourism opportunity relates only to new money injected into an economy by recreationists and tourists from outside the community or study area; only those visitors who reside outside the jurisdiction and whose primary motivation for visiting is to go to a place, attend an event, or participate in an activity, or who stay longer and spend more time and money there because of the opportunity, should be included in an economic impact study (Crompton, 2010:22).

c. Examine the perceptions, beliefs, and opinions (i.e., attitudes) of residents and visitors about how infrastructure, vessel traffic, air traffic, noise, oil spills, gas releases, and other technological disasters related to offshore energy development could alter recreation and tourism. For Task 5c, the

Contractor shall consider developing a quantitative survey instrument or a qualitative interview approach to measure attitudes (see Bautista et al., 2020; Carrasco and Lucas, 2015; Petty and

Cacioppo, 1996). The Contractor shall focus on the attitudes of recreationists and tourists toward energy exploration and development in the study area and how respondents perceive, judge, and evaluate impacts from exploration and development on their preferred activities and desired experiences (e.g., likelihood of the impact occurring and positive and negative evaluations of impacts).

The Contractor shall plan to complete primary data collections no later than the end of year three. In the latter part of year three, the Contractor shall begin data analyses and interpretations, finishing by the end of the second quarter of year four in preparation for report writing and presentation of results, implications, and recommendations.

The Contractor shall tabulate and store quantitative data in MS Excel and migrate to SPSS for analyses

(https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/SPSS-Statistical-Package-for-the-Social-Sciences). The

Contractor shall provide all quantitative and geospatial data, if appropriate, to the BOEM in accordance with

Section F. The Contractor shall compile and store all qualitative data as appropriate in MS Word and Atlas.ti for qualitative data storage and analyses and provide them to the BOEM (https://atlasti.com/interview-analysis-tools). In year four, the Contractor shall complete analyses and reporting according to Task 8 and

Section F. The Contractor shall submit all primary data and analysis products to the BOEM four (4) months before the end of performance with the draft report and shall include data appendices where appropriate.

2.4.6 Task 6: Develop and Provide a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

Based on the established baseline (Task 3) and other research results from Task 5, the Contractor shall develop and provide a monitoring and evaluation framework to be used by BOEM to understand and utilize appropriate indicators and thresholds to achieve, maintain, and monitor desired conditions for recreation and tourism in the study area. In the PMP, the Contractor shall provide a preliminary 1-2 page description of how it will work the results of Tasks 3 and 5 into the monitoring framework. The Contractor shall include three components in the monitoring framework: 1) key indicators, along with establishment of thresholds for each indicator; 2) guidance for how BOEM may conduct routine, systematic observations and data collection for the indicators over time; and 3) guidance for how BOEM may compare indicators to thresholds, document changes that approach or cross thresholds, and design mitigation measures accordingly (IVUMC, 2019).

The Contractor shall identify existing indicators and design new indicators, as necessary, that accurately reflect the nature and value of recreation and tourism activities and experiences in the study area. The

Contractor shall identify existing indicators through secondary research used to meet objectives 1-2. The

Contractor shall design new indicators based on results of the primary research used to meet objectives 3-5.

As Tasks 3 and 5 are nearing completion, the Contractor shall work closely with the BOEM study team, including NEPA analysts as appropriate, to define the most appropriate and feasible scope for the monitoring framework. Based on these discussions, the Contractor shall delimit the number of indicators and thresholds https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/SPSS-Statistical-Package-for-the-Social-Sciences https://atlasti.com/interview-analysis-tools https://atlasti.com/interview-analysis-tools

Page 13 Solicitation No.140M0123Q0014 needed to adequately monitor and mitigate potential impacts for high-value recreational and tourist activities and experiences in the study area. High-value activities and experiences shall be defined as those identified by the Contractor in Tasks 3 and 5 to have substantial participation and monetary expenditures and that are determined to be most vulnerable to potential impacts from ongoing and future energy exploration and development in the study area.

Task 6 shall be completed within the context of mitigating adverse effects. For BOEM, the desired conditions for recreation and tourism are to have no or minimal adverse effects occur from permitted exploration and development activities. Monitoring an indicator at specified intervals helps agency managers determine whether the trend is moving toward a desired condition (i.e., no/minimal impact) or away from a desired condition (i.e., moderate/major impact) and potentially nearing a threshold (IVUMC, 2019).

Indicators are specific attributes of a recreational setting or experience that can be measured to track changes in desired conditions over time so progress toward achieving and maintaining desired conditions can be assessed (IVUMC, 2019).

BOEM strives to achieve and maintain no or minimal adverse effects to recreation and tourism. The

Contractor shall identify indicators that are capable of being assessed objectively over time, so that managers can determine whether conditions have changed and, if so, how (IVUMC, 2019). A threshold is the minimally acceptable condition or degree of impact associated with an indicator. Energy exploration and development activities inevitably cause changes in natural resources and social and economic conditions that may affect recreation and tourism activities and experiences. Thresholds establish the point at which the effects of BOEM’s permitted activities on recreationists and tourists are anticipated to become enough of a concern that a mitigation is needed to achieve and maintain no or minimal adverse effects.

BOEM has the authority to develop and require industry to implement mitigation measures in the form of lease stipulations during the NEPA and permitting processes. Mitigation measures are designed to minimize, reduce, and/or avoid adverse impacts from the energy exploration and development activities BOEM permits. Based on the indicators and thresholds, the Contractor shall develop the monitoring strategy and provide implementation guidance in the context of mitigation of impacts, so the BOEM may compare potential impacts of its permitted actions against appropriate baseline indicators of recreation and tourism activities and experiences.

The Contractor shall provide a preliminary list of indicators and thresholds to the BOEM at the end of the first quarter of year 4. The Contractor shall provide a draft of the full monitoring framework four (4) months before the close of performance submitted with the draft report. The Contractor shall include the monitoring framework in the final project report as an appendix. BOEM recommends the Contractor review, utilize, and adapt, as appropriate, the principles outlined in the monitoring guidebook published by the Interagency

Visitor Use Management Council in 2019.

https://visitorusemanagement.nps.gov/Content/documents/508_final_Monitoring_Guidebook_Edition_One_I

VUMC.pdf

2.4.7 Task 7: Prepare Progress Reports

The Contractor shall prepare and submit regular progress reports every three (3) months and distribute progress reports via e-mail to the parties listed in Section 2.6. The Contractor shall submit progress reports to the BOEM COR via email fifteen (15) days after each federal fiscal quarter according to the schedule in

Section 2.6. The progress reports shall be in enough detail to describe all work accomplished and results achieved during the previous quarter and shall include a discussion of the planned actions for the next quarter. The Contractor shall prepare the reports in the Contractor’s format and on the Contractor’s letterhead and shall include a brief discussion of the following topics:

1) Brief summary of all preceding work and overall progress made against the schedule https://visitorusemanagement.nps.gov/Content/documents/508_final_Monitoring_Guidebook_Edition_One_IVUMC.pdf https://visitorusemanagement.nps.gov/Content/documents/508_final_Monitoring_Guidebook_Edition_One_IVUMC.pdf

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2) Brief summary of expenditures and milestones compared to the budget and payment schedule to date

3) Brief summary of any resolutions agreed to between the Contractor and BOEM regarding problems or challenges

4) Brief summary of significant technical, schedule, or cost problems encountered, including an assessment of their probable effects on meeting contractual requirements and provisions

5) List of all significant meetings held, or other contacts made in connection with the contract, including a brief summary of the participants, subject of the meeting, date, location, and outcomes.

BOEM will use the progress reports to monitor all aspects of the research and completion of contractual requirements.

2.4.8 Task 8: Prepare Draft and Final Reports and Technical Summary

The Contractor shall synthesize, organize, and interpret all substantive results from this study and write a draft report and a final report for the BOEM based on, but not limited to, Tasks 2 through 6. The Contractor shall organize the report by major sections, including the subtasks under Tasks 3 and 5. The Contractor shall describe in an analytic narrative the compiled and tabulated results of this study, using appropriate tables, figures, graphics, maps, and other visual aids as needed. The Contractor shall describe how the results can be used to evaluate and mitigate socioeconomic impacts to recreation and tourism from BOEM permitted activities in the Cook Inlet Planning Area. As warranted, the Contractor shall propose and discuss hypotheses based on study results that economists and social scientists could test in future studies or use to develop indicators for long-term monitoring in accordance with Task 6. The Contractor shall submit the draft report and technical summary a minimum of four (4) months before the end of performance for scientific and editorial review by BOEM. BOEM will return comments on and suggested revisions to the drafts within three (3) weeks of submission by the Contractor. The Contractor shall revise the draft report and draft technical summary per BOEM’s review comments and submit the documents within one (1) month of receiving feedback from the BOEM on the draft documents. The Contractor shall make the final report 508 compliant before submitting it to the BOEM (Section 3.14). Following review of the final documents, BOEM shall provide any additional comments to the Contractor and request minor revisions if necessary.

Once finalized, BOEM will make the report available to the public as a 508 compliant pdf file on a BOEM public-facing webpage.

2.4.9 Task 9: Prepare Presentation and Flier of Major Findings

The Contractor shall prepare and deliver an oral or poster presentation, using slides, graphics, and language that is easy to understand by a general audience. In the presentation, the Contractor shall clearly inform interested stakeholders and partners about the major findings of the research. The contractor shall briefly summarize the primary approaches and methods without complex and unnecessary details or complicated graphics. The Contractor shall focus on the application of the results for real world management, highlighting how the results and recommendations can be used to benefit the agency, the public, and those who are employed as managers and decision makers in the outdoor recreation and tourism sectors. The Contractor shall present the study to the public and the scientific community at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium or other professional conference approved by BOEM. The Contractor shall provide a copy of the abstract and slides or poster to the COR two (2) weeks before the conference for review. The Contractor shall present the study prior to the end of the period of performance. The Contractor shall prepare a two-page glossy brochure or flier summarizing the project and the main findings and insights for residents of hub cities in the study area or other local and regional groups. The Contractor shall provide the draft flier to the BOEM two (2) weeks before release for review and revisions. The Contractor shall coordinate electronic distribution of the flier with the BOEM and city, tribal, and borough officials and other partners and stakeholders.

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2.4.10 Task 10: Final Study Briefing for the BOEM

The Contractor shall prepare and deliver a final briefing to the BOEM Office in Anchorage, Alaska in person or virtually via webinar or an alternate method as determined by BOEM in consultation with the Contractor.

The Contractor shall provide the BOEM COR a copy of the presentation one (1) week prior to its delivery for review and comment. The Contractor shall deliver the final study briefing as an oral presentation to the

BOEM two (2) weeks before it submits the final report. For the final briefing, the Contractor shall provide a comprehensive presentation of the research project focused on the key findings and insights related to ensuring protection of the recreational assets, tourism amenities, and related experiences described in the final report. The Contractor shall clearly communicate to BOEM and BSEE leadership, decision makers, environmental managers, and subject matter experts in the audience the implications of the research findings for 1) conducting analyses of potential effects to recreation and tourism under the NEPA and 2) developing and implementing mitigation measures to avoid or minimize potential impacts to recreation and tourism in the Cook Inlet OCS Planning Area.

2.4.11 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

2.4.11.1 Standard Procedures

The Contractor shall design and administer the study to satisfy BOEM informational needs and conduct all phases of the study in collaboration with its subcontractors, the BOEM project team, relevant stakeholders, and partners as appropriate. Stakeholders and partners include recreation and tourism planners and managers at all levels of government, including tribes, and recreation and tourism specialists in the private sector, including Alaska Native corporations. The Contractor shall abide by conventional ethical guidelines and principles regarding the treatment of human subjects and the use of socioeconomic and sociocultural data throughout the course of the study and future reporting and publications. The Contractor shall allow for voluntary, prior, and informed consent from research participants prior to data collection and follow the

Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic where appropriate (IARPC, 2018). The Contractor shall budget for incentives and honoraria to reasonably compensate survey respondents and interviewees for their time and information. The Contractor shall review guidance found at https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/uploads/cms/documents/principles_for_conducting_research_in_the_arc tic_final_2018.pdf.

2.4.11.2 Baseline Data

BOEM anticipates a four-year study period (i.e., Federal Fiscal Years 2024-2027). In year one, the

Contractor shall assemble baseline data on the dimensions of marine and coastal recreation and tourism (i.e., activity, location, timing, the amount of participation, and the amount of money spent in conjunction with recreational trips and touring by outside visitors). Economic contributions of the tourism industry include direct spending; tax revenues; employment in lodging and food services; employment in arts and entertainment; employment and services in gaming/gambling; and employment and services for sightseeing, using boats and aircraft (Cuyno et al., 2022). The Contractor shall identify activities and locations of recreation and tourism that would be most sensitive or vulnerable to energy development activities in the study area. Researchers often measure recreation participation in participation-days, which are defined as the individual day that a person participates in an outdoor recreation or tourist activity. For example, a single boat trip to watch for whales for a single person for one day counts as one participation-day (CED, 2019:10).

To capture trip-related spending, researchers often examine what outside visitors spend on food and beverages, car rentals, gasoline, lodging, user fees, parking fees, guide fees, and other services purchased during recreational trips and tours. In this case, outside visitors are those originating from outside the study area, both Alaska residents and non-residents.

https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/uploads/cms/documents/principles_for_conducting_research_in_the_arctic_final_2018.pdf https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/uploads/cms/documents/principles_for_conducting_research_in_the_arctic_final_2018.pdf

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For year one, synthesis of existing information and secondary…