Natural Resources Ecosystem Mgt Hawaii | W9126G 21 2 SOI 2771

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 2771

The Natural Resources Ecosystem Mgt Hawaii opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W9126G-21-2-SOI-2771) is a Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) to identify qualified investigators to support the U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii Natural Resources Program at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) and the Keamuku Maneuver Area (KMA) on the Island of Hawaii. The project is planned to start in 2021, with an anticipated base-period funding level of about $3,284,150, and the government notes that additional funding may be available in later fiscal years for follow-on work if the initial effort is successful. The intent is to obtain on-the-ground professional and technical capability that helps the Army meet its conservation and compliance responsibilities under the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1) and related requirements, including the Endangered Species Act and the installation’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP).

Eligibility is limited to non-federal partners that are members of specific Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) regions: Californian, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, Pacific Northwest, or Rocky Mountains. The award instrument is expected to be a cooperative agreement (not a procurement contract), emphasizing that the work must serve a public purpose consistent with the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreements Act. If awarded through the CESU program, the CESU Network indirect cost rate of 17.5% may apply, but only with mutual agreement and formal authorization by both parties.

The scope of work is broad and reads like comprehensive ecosystem and natural resources program execution for PTA and KMA, with onsite support personnel required at PTA. The botanical component centers on federally listed plants and includes field surveys to establish abundance and distribution, ongoing population monitoring to track trends and threats, and determining when to collect cuttings or fruit/seed. It also includes threat control work around rare plant populations and outplanting sites, potentially involving control of invasive vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. A major element is genetic conservation: acquiring, curating, and maintaining long-term genetic material collections for listed plants, managing viability and representation over time, and potentially sharing genetic material with other conservation agencies in Hawaii when available. The work also includes propagation at the Army Rare Plant Propagation Facility to support reintroduction and augmentation efforts both on-site and off-site.

The wildlife component focuses on surveys, monitoring, and management for federally and state-listed animals, explicitly naming species such as the Hawaiian hoary bat, nene (Hawaiian goose), io (Hawaiian hawk), Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel (uau), and band-rumped storm petrel (akeake). It includes developing and implementing specific management protocols for nene, conducting invasive vertebrate control within management units and near sensitive populations, and rapidly addressing newly introduced invasive animals (incipient populations). Another substantial requirement is maintaining large fenced management units designed to exclude ungulates like goats, sheep, and pigs, including scheduled inspections, coordination with the Army natural resources point of contact, and hands-on repair or replacement of fencing materials (fabric, posts, anchors, gates) to maintain fence integrity.

In addition, the project supports the USAG-PTA public hunting program, requiring coordination with the installation command, Range Control, and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources personnel. Expected tasks include scheduling and advertising hunts, administering the program, coordinating access to hunting areas, providing hunter education, and working with law enforcement coordination at PTA.

Invasive plant management and wildfire risk reduction are also core elements. The invasive plants program includes controlling introduced/invasive plant species and even microorganisms within management units and around rare species, using methods tailored to the situation and priorities set with the USAG-PTA natural resources lead. Fire pre-suppression and fuels work includes managing vegetation along priority fuelbreaks/firebreaks, coordinating with Range Control and the Installation Fire and Safety Office, and taking extra precautions in sensitive habitat to avoid impacts to rare species. The opportunity also calls for fuel cover assessments within established fuel monitoring corridors on a five-year cycle, with control actions triggered if fuel cover exceeds set thresholds. Beyond field treatments, the awardee is expected to provide technical wildfire support such as fire modeling, fuels analysis, and science-based recommendations to reduce wildfire impacts across PTA.

Data management is a dedicated workstream, reflecting the need to turn field work into usable, defensible information for planning and compliance. This includes developing and maintaining databases for listed plants and animals consistent with Hawaii Natural Heritage Program standards (or another appropriate standard), building algorithms that allow useful querying for planning, monitoring, and reporting, and maintaining geospatial databases to support the program’s operational needs. The awardee would also prepare maps and graphics in digital and print formats, with standards sufficient to share geodata with other Army programs and systems (including Integrated Training Area Management and DPW web mapping). The opportunity explicitly encourages modernization and efficiency improvements through new data collection and analysis methods such as remote sensing, UAV use, and satellite imagery analysis for operational and resource planning.

The solicitation also outlines ongoing technical support expectations, including responding to information requests from the USAG-PTA Natural Resources POC, the Command Group, and the Installation Fire and Safety Office on environmental issues and listed species. The awardee is expected to participate in meetings with local, state, and federal agencies as a subject matter expert and to provide recommendations and supporting documentation grounded in best available science and current management practices. Another key duty is supporting environmental planning and compliance documentation, including providing input for NEPA analyses (Records of Environmental Consideration, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, and similar documents) and supporting updates to installation SOPs and revisions to the INRMP.

Operationally, the project includes significant administrative and safety responsibilities. These include preparing and tracking budgets, conducting quarterly reviews of spending rates with the Army POC, supporting purchasing and subcontract management (examples mentioned include helicopter operations and fencing contracts), and handling purchasing and maintenance for field vehicles. The awardee must develop, update, and maintain the Natural Resources Safety Program, including safety plans, risk assessments, and SOPs that are staffed annually through the Army Safety and Mission Support element, and ensure required training and OSHA compliance. The solicitation also anticipates full human resources support to keep operations running, such as hiring, performance evaluation, corrective action processes, accident and injury reporting, and compensation claims. For animal control activities, the awardee must ensure compliance with Institutional Animal Care and Use requirements. Finally, the effort includes public outreach and education support related to natural resources management at PTA, potentially through displays, printed materials, activities, and presentations.

The period of performance is structured around an 18-month base period with mandatory tasks beginning July 31, 2021, with additional optional tasks and up to four subsequent option periods, each also described as 18-month periods with specific exercise deadlines (generally tied to July 31 each year from 2022 through 2026). This structure signals a multi-year program of work if performance and funding continue, rather than a short, standalone study.

For submission, applicants were asked to provide a Statement of Interest/Qualifications by email (5 to 6 pages maximum, single-spaced, 12-point font) rather than a full technical proposal or budget at this stage. The requested package includes organizational identifiers and contact information (name, organization, CAGE code, DUNS number, email) plus a concise qualifications narrative covering a biographical sketch, relevant past projects and clients, available staff/faculty/students and their expertise, and any capabilities that support successful delivery (equipment, lab/greenhouse resources, and field facilities). Statements were to be emailed to Alisa.Marshall@usace.army.mil and Gregory.W.Bonnell@usace.army.mil by 5:00 PM Central Time on May 14, 2021. The government indicated that statements would be reviewed by an evaluation board at the receiving installation/activity, and the strongest match to the objectives and required capabilities would be invited to submit a full proposal later.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Natural Resources Ecosystem Mgt Hawaii" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 16, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 14, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,284,150.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 2771

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