MI shiawassee NWR ethnographic assessment

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service seeks an ethnographic overview and assessment of Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan, with proposals due September 8, 2026. This is a total small business set-aside, firm-fixed-price contract.

Place of performance includes Shiawassee NWR in Saginaw, Michigan, with potential fieldwork at Michigan Islands NWR contingent on environmental conditions. The contractor must document ethnographic resources and traditional associations between Indigenous Peoples and other cultural communities with the refuge landscapes, with particular attention to ecosystem restoration areas. Fieldwork includes a minimum of one 5-day session at Shiawassee NWR. The contractor must demonstrate previous experience working with tribes and inter-tribal organizations.

Period of performance runs October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Key deliverables include a Draft Project Plan (day 20), Final Project Plan (day 35), Progress Report (two months), Draft Final Report (July 1, 2027), and Final Technical Report (September 30, 2027), plus a Restricted Addendum containing sensitive resource location information. The final report must synthesize existing ethnographic, archaeological, archival, and historical literature; identify data gaps; document historical and prehistoric resource uses; and assess potential impacts from proposed management actions. All informal consultations with community members remain confidential with automatic anonymity unless explicit written consent is provided.

Evaluation weighs technical conformance more heavily than price. The applicable wage determination is 2015-4865 (Revision 31) for Saginaw County, Michigan. NAICS code is 541620, Environmental Consulting Services. Questions and quotations should be emailed to jeremy_riva@ios.doi.gov. Contract administration is through FWS SAT 2 in Falls Church, Virginia.