2022 deschutes fall chinook aerial redd surveys

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a helicopter and pilot to conduct aerial redd (spawning site) surveys for Fall Chinook salmon along the Deschutes River in Wasco County. The procurement, identified as RFP #Bid S-63500-00004219, requires a contractor to perform approximately two aerial surveys between October 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, covering the lower 100 miles of the river. Key requirements include providing a helicopter with specific airframe and navigational equipment, a licensed fuel truck and driver, and an experienced pilot who can safely conduct survey flights. The proposal evaluation will be based on a total of 100 points, with 30 points allocated to the cost sheet, 30 points for pilot qualifications, and 10 points for the proposer's understanding of the requested services. The proposal was due on September 14, 2022, at 3:00 PM PDT, with ODFW planning to issue a notice of intent to award on September 20, 2022. ODFW will provide up to three biologists as observers during the surveys, and the contractor's pilot will have final determination on flight safety and conditions.

The contract opportunity includes a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan, requiring offerors to describe efforts to solicit participation from certified minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and emerging small businesses as potential subcontractors. Offerors must list any such firms they have worked with in the past two years and indicate potential subcontracting opportunities. The solicitation was ultimately awarded to Leading Edge Aviation Inc. of Bend, OR, which received the highest total score of 284 points out of a possible 300 in the evaluation process. While no specific budget range was explicitly stated, the RFP included estimated quantities of 20 hours for helicopter and pilot services, 6 hours for ferry flights, 12 hours for a fuel/service truck driver, and 300 miles for the fuel/service truck. The state reserved the right to increase, decrease, or remove deliverables to meet budgetary constraints. Three companies submitted bids: Leading Edge Aviation, Lohman Helicopter, and APEX Helicopter, with Leading Edge Aviation emerging as the recommended awardee.