San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike Captive Breeding Project | W9126G 22 2 SOI 2166

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 22 2 SOI 2166

The San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike Captive Breeding Project is a Department of Defense-funded effort tied to Naval Base Coronado operations on San Clemente Island, California, specifically at Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island. The government is not asking for a full technical proposal or a detailed budget at this stage. Instead, it is issuing a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) to identify qualified non-federal partners who could carry out the work under a cooperative agreement. The project is supported by Commander, US Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) to provide professional and technical assistance for the installation's Natural Resources Program and to help the Navy meet requirements under the Sikes Act and related acquisition and delegation authorities referenced in the notice.

Eligibility is limited in an important way: applicants must be non-federal entities and must be affiliated with one of three Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) regions in order to be considered: the Californian CESU, Desert Southwest CESU, or Pacific Northwest CESU. In practice, that means the competition is aimed at qualified academic institutions, conservation organizations, or other non-federal research partners that participate in those CESU networks and can operate effectively in an on-island setting with the logistics and biosecurity considerations that come with work on a Navy installation.

The core purpose of the project is to provide on-site technical natural resource support focused on the captive management, breeding, and release of the San Clemente Island loggerhead shrike. The work is intended to support existing management plans, comply with regulatory mandates, and advance broader regional conservation objectives. The government is looking for a partner that can keep a captive population healthy and productive, generate juveniles for release, and integrate science-based management of the population through careful data collection and analysis.

The anticipated scope of work includes several recurring, hands-on operational tasks as well as planning and reporting responsibilities. Key activities include participating in a detailed project kick-off meeting and coordinating additional meetings as needed; maintaining organized data storage systems; producing analytical reports; and carrying out daily and seasonal care for the captive shrikes already on San Clemente Island. The project also calls for the production of juvenile shrikes suitable for release and implementation of supplemental diet and foraging plans to ensure the captive flock receives appropriate nutrition and enrichment. In addition, the partner is expected to support demographic, genetic, and population management for both captive and wild flocks on the island, which typically involves tracking survival, reproduction, lineage, and other population metrics to maintain genetic diversity and support recovery goals.

A major required capability is veterinary and pathology support for both chicks and adult birds. That includes providing necessary medical care and conducting pathology services when needed, which implies the partner must be able to respond to health issues promptly, manage disease risks in a captive setting, and document causes of morbidity or mortality to inform adaptive management. The detailed task list and performance expectations are provided in the project Statement of Objectives (SOO), which applicants are expected to follow for the complete set of required activities.

For schedule and funding, the base period of performance runs for 18 months from the date of award. Fieldwork is expected to occur for at least the first 12 months, with annual and cumulative analyses and reporting completed within the full 18-month window. The notice emphasizes these components are non-severable, meaning the government views the fieldwork and reporting as a single, integrated effort that must be delivered as a complete package. The announcement notes approximately $756,908 is expected to be available to support this project, and it also indicates that additional funding may be available in later fiscal years for follow-on work for the successful awardee. While the listing shows an award ceiling of $3,784,540, the near-term expectation described in the narrative is the roughly $756,908 amount for this project phase, with the possibility of future increments.

Administratively, this opportunity is posted by the USACE Fort Worth District under Funding Opportunity Number W9126G 22 2 SOI 2166 and CFDA 12.005, and it anticipates making one award. Statements of Interest were due by April 4, 2022, and the government planned to keep the RSOI open for at least 30 days before deciding whether to invite full proposals. Points of contact listed for questions and submissions are Sandy Justman (Grants Specialist) and Kathy Mitchell (Environmental Agreements Project Manager) at the USACE Fort Worth District.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike Captive Breeding Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 04, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 04, 2022. (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 $3,784,540.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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