Study for Annual Bowhead Whale Hunt.

This special notice is in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 5.2, Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Acquisition Operations Branch, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), has a requirement to purchase a noncommercial Study for Annual Bowhead Whale Hunt at Cross Island for year-to-year variability, in support of the mission of the U.S. DOI, Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM). Therefore, BSEE, on behalf of the BOEM, is the contracting office for this special notice. The purpose of this special notice is to announce the Government¿s intent to negotiate with and award a firm-fixed-price type of contract on a sole source basis to the contractor, Michael Galginaitis (Doing Business As: Applied Sociocultural Research), in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15 - Contracting by Negotiation.
The Liberty project includes an offshore gravel island with a pipeline to land. Hilcorp Alaska, LLC shall construct the island southeast of Cross Island from which Iñupiaq whalers from Nuiqsut launch their annual hunt for bowhead whales. The whalers are concerned about potential adverse effects to the bowhead whale hunt from operations at the Liberty site. The whalers¿ traditional knowledge informs their concerns that anthropogenic noises emanating from the Liberty site shall cause the whales to change their normal migratory patterns and behaviors. When this occurs, bowhead whaling is more difficult and dangerous thereby lowering their success.
The BOEM¿s purpose for the study is to monitor Cross Island whaling activities for potential impacts from oil and gas-related activities on the Outer Continental Shelf. Specific development and production activities of interest include marine vessel traffic, helicopter operations, construction activities, drilling, and processing. The primary goals are to (1) inform BOEM and BSEE about any temporal and spatial conflicts between subsistence whaling and development and production activities at Liberty and (2) inform future environmental assessments and environmental impact statements required under the National Environmental Policy Act.
The study requires a unique level of collaboration with Applied Sociocultural Research working in close cooperation with Alaska Native subsistence hunters & their supporting organizations including the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission & the Nuiqsut Whaling Captains Association. Applied Sociocultural Research has uniquely demonstrated the capability to work with Alaska Native hunters from Nuiqsut in past monitoring projects based on Government Award M08PC20029, has earned the necessary trust of the Nuiqsut Whalers and has extensive experience in the region with the logistics & methodologies required. The local whalers & the tribal council have been supportive of the study in the past. Applied Sociocultural Research is the only capable and responsible source based on its: 1) proven history studying & describing subsistence whaling; 2) traditional knowledge & extensive experience using GPS technology to identify and document the whalers¿ hunting patterns (i.e., established a unique systematic protocol for collecting GPS data with whaling crews); and, 3) excellent rapport with the regional and local experts established during decades of close cooperation. No other contractor has established the foregoing level of rapport, respect, & relationships with the local community which is essential to successful performance of a resulting contract. Thus, Applied Sociocultural Research is the identified sole source and the only source that possesses the unique knowledge, experience and innovative technology to continue the study of M08PC20029 without starting anew.
It is anticipated that a contract will be awarded before 9/1/2019 with a five-year period of performance. The applicable NAICS Code is 541720. This is NOT a request for competitive proposals. This special notice of intent to sole source is for informational purposes only. Nonetheless, any responsible sources/interested parties may submit a response/proposal of its capabilities to meet the requirements. A response will be considered by BSEE to vet purported capabilities if received in the e-mail inbox of Mario Gray, e-mail address: mario.gray@bsee.gov, by 7/11/2019 (reference Special Notice Number 140M0119R0016). A determination by the Government not to compete the requirements based on this special notice is solely within the discretion of the Government..