Natural Resources Support, Edwards Air Force Base, California | W9126G 21 2 SOI 5131

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 5131

This opportunity is a Department of Defense cooperative agreement aimed at lining up a qualified partner to provide ongoing natural resources support for Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in southern California. The work is funded by the US Air Force and administered through the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with the immediate purpose of helping the Air Force carry out its responsibilities under the Sikes Act (16 USC 670c-1) and related environmental requirements. The government is not asking for a full technical proposal or budget yet; instead, it is requesting a Statement of Interest (SOI) that shows the applicant has the experience, staff capability, and relevant qualifications to do similar work. Based on these SOIs, the government plans to identify the most suitable investigators and then invite a full proposal from the top candidate(s).

The project is set at Edwards AFB, a very large installation of roughly 308,180 acres located in the western Mojave Desert across parts of Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. The base sits in the Antelope Valley region and supports a sizable workforce (about 13,400 military and civilian personnel), many of whom live on base or in nearby communities such as California City, Lancaster, Palmdale, and Rosamond. Because EAFB includes extensive federal lands and sensitive desert ecosystems, its natural resources program needs steady technical and professional support to ensure that mission activities stay compatible with conservation duties and legal compliance.

The core scope is to perform natural resource tasks on EAFB-managed federal lands and to produce written reports that document methods, findings, and outcomes. Deliverables are expected to be suitable for submission to key government points of contact, including the USACE Omaha Project Manager, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) Edwards Installation Support Section (ISS) point of contact, and the Edwards AFB natural resources point of contact. The support described is tied to major federal environmental statutes and implementing guidance, including the Endangered Species Act, the Sikes Act Improvement Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as Air Force Instruction 32-7064 covering Integrated Natural Resources Management. In practical terms, that means the selected partner should be prepared to assist with compliance-driven monitoring, management actions, documentation, and other technical services that help the installation meet these legal and policy obligations while continuing day-to-day operations.

Eligibility has an important limitation: applicants must be a non-federal partner in one of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU). The CESU framework emphasizes applied research, technical assistance, and education that draw on biological, physical, and social sciences, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary, ecosystem-scale problem-solving and collaboration among federal agencies and universities or partner institutions. This opportunity is designed to fit that model, so the government is specifically looking for an organization that can bring credible scientific and technical capacity, and can operate effectively in coordination with Air Force and USACE program managers.

The anticipated funding for the base period is approximately $851,000, with the possibility of additional funds in later fiscal years for added tasks or follow-on work, depending on funding availability and government need. The base period of performance is expected to be 18 months from the date of award. The notice also indicates that some tasks may include option periods: Task 1 includes one additional 18-month option, Task 4 includes up to four potential 18-month options, while Tasks 2, 3, and 5 do not list option periods. While the overall opportunity lists a much higher award ceiling in the system record, the immediate planning figure highlighted for the base period is the roughly $851,000 level, with growth possible through options and subsequent tasking.

Administratively, this is posted as an “Other” category opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, under CFDA 12.005, with the Fort Worth District of USACE as the issuing office. The solicitation is a Request for Statements of Interest and was required to remain open at least 30 days before the government decides whether to request full proposals. For this posting, SOIs were due by 5:00 PM Central Time on August 27, 2021. Points of contact listed are Sandra Justman (Grants Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District) and McCullough Wells (Project Manager, USACE Omaha District), who handle questions and receipt of responses.

• 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 "Natural Resources Support, Edwards Air Force Base, California" 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 Jul 24, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 27, 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 $25,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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