FL pelican island NWR black rail surveys

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking environmental consulting services to conduct Eastern black rail surveys at the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge in Okeechobee, Florida. The contractor must perform presence/absence surveys on two specific units - the Kissimmee Bend Unit (3,312 acres) and the Okeechobee Unit (1,864 acres) - using the "Eastern Black Rail Call-Response Survey Protocol, version 1.0, 2023" methodology. The contract requires the contractor to provide all labor, equipment, materials, and supplies necessary to complete the annual surveys, with deliverables including a comprehensive final report in electronic format with accompanying GIS data files. Evaluation will focus on technical experience specific to Black Rail Bird Survey Services, technical approach, management plan, and past performance, which are considered significantly more important than price. Critical dates include a mandatory site visit on September 18, 2025, and a proposal submission deadline of September 29, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 541620 (Environmental Consulting Services), with no incumbent contractors identified in the documentation. The contract structure is firm fixed-price with a one-year base period from November 1, 2025, to October 31, 2026, and includes three potential option years for extended services. While specific contract values are not disclosed in the solicitation materials, the scope covers surveying a total of 5,176 acres across the two designated refuge units. The work will be performed at the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge, specifically at 22845 NW 256 St, Okeechobee, FL 34972, with all field activities required to occur between sunrise and sundown. The anticipated contract award date is October 20, 2025, providing successful offerors with adequate time to mobilize resources before the performance period begins.