2024 Lower Columbia and Willamette River Angler Effort Aerial Survey

The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) is seeking a contractor to conduct aerial angler effort surveys on specific river segments in the lower Willamette and Columbia River regions during 2024. The procurement involves hiring a contractor to provide an approved aircraft, specifically a Cessna A185F or equivalent, along with an experienced pilot to perform comprehensive aerial counts of boat and bank anglers. The survey will cover the Willamette River from Willamette Falls to its mouth (including Multnomah Channel), the Clackamas River from its mouth to River Mill Dam, and the Columbia River from Herman Creek near Cascade Locks to Buoy 1. Pilot qualifications are stringent, requiring at least 1,000 total flight hours and 100 hours of low-elevation flight experience. The contract requires survey performance from March through October 2024, with peak activity expected between August and October. Proposals are due by March 15, 2024, with ODFW planning to issue a notice of intent to award by March 8, 2024. Evaluation criteria will focus on a combination of technical capabilities and cost factors, with specific scoring metrics outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP).

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the provided documentation. The RFP does not indicate preferences for minority-owned, women-owned, or veteran-owned businesses. While the contract is specific to aerial survey services, no information was provided about incumbent vendors or existing technological infrastructure requirements. The solicitation emphasizes technical qualifications and operational capabilities of potential contractors, with a focus on pilot experience and aircraft suitability. The contract term extends through October 31, 2024, suggesting a project-based engagement with defined performance expectations. While a precise budget range was not disclosed in the available documents, the comprehensive nature of the survey requirements implies a specialized contract likely requiring significant technical expertise and operational investment from the selected vendor.