MODIFICATION
B -- Best Practices for Shellfish Mariculture and a Scientific Review of Ecological Effects in Drake's Estero Point Reyes National Seashore
- Notice Date
- 2/28/2008
- Notice Type
- Modification
- Contracting Office
- DSC-CS Contracting Services Division National Park Service, Denver Service Center 12795 W. Alameda Parkway Lakewood CO 80228
- ZIP Code
- 80228
- Solicitation Number
- N8074080026
- Archive Date
- 2/27/2009
- Point of Contact
- Rebecca Bizier Contract Specialist 3039692362 rebecca_bizier@nps.gov ; Brenda Karl Contracting Officer 3039876747 Brenda_Karl@nps.gov ;
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to Point of Contact above, or if none listed, contact the IDEAS EC HELP DESK for assistance
(EC_helpdesk@NBC.GOV)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This Presolicitation Notice amends the previous notice transmitted on February 20, 2008. The previous Announcement No. is A0800000119. The due date for responses is extended to 45 days from February 20, 2008. A Draft Statement of Work is provided below. General: The National Park Service, Department of Interior, intends to negotiate a sole source procurement with The National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, to acquire the below listed services as detailed in the attached Draft Statement of Work. The Government believes that the identified contractor is the only contractor capable of providing "an expert or neutral person for any current or anticipated litigation or dispute" as defined by FAR 6.302-3 (a)(2)(iii) for the required services. Firms that believe they can provide the required services described below are encouraged to identify themselves and give written notice to the Contracting Officer. Firms believing they can provide the required services must provide supporting evidence in sufficient detail to demonstrate the respondent's ability to meet the stated requirements. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes. All responses received within 45 days of the date of publication of Announcement No. A0800000119, transmitted February 20, 2008, will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquiries will only be accepted by FAX at (303) 987-6646, Attention: Brenda Karl. Responses should include the firm's Dun and Bradstreet number and identification of business size in accordance with the size standard for NAIC 541620 which is $6.5 million. Title of Project: Best Practices for Shellfish Mariculture and a Scientific Review of Ecological Effects in Drake's Estero Description: The work of this proposed contract action consists of two phases represented by two separate reports prepared by an independent scientific panel of experts. The first report is an evaluation that establishes what is known or can reasonably be surmised of the ecological effects of the existing commercial mariculture operation on the Drake's Estero ecosystem and whether the National Park Service derived the correct conclusions from existing related scientific studies. The second report, which is subject to funds availability, will assess the nature and degree to which commercial mariculture operations affect natural ecosystems more widely. The reports must be independent analysis of existing research, that is above reproach, and whose findings would be accepted without question and above dispute. Type of Procurement: A negotiated sole source cost reimbursable contract is anticipated. Range: First Phase: $200,000-$250,000; Second Phase: $200,000 - $250,000 Draft Statement of Work Solicitation No. N8074080026 February 20, 2008 Best Practices for Shellfish Mariculture and a Scientific Review of Ecological Effects in Drake's Estero, Pt. Reyes National Seashore, California ABSTRACT The National Park Service (NPS) requests that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) convene a committee to assess the nature and degree to which commercial mariculture operations affect natural ecosystems and to produce two reports based on that assessment. The first report will be a short report addressing the specific case of a commercial shellfish farm in Drake's Estero, which lies within Pt. Reyes National Seashore. This short report will include an evaluation of the existing body of scientific studies and a comparison of the committee's assessment of that body of scientific studies to an earlier assessment offered by the National Park Service in its public documents and statements. The committee's second report will assess the potential ecosystem effects of shellfish mariculture more broadly and will identify best practices needed to maintain ecosystem integrity in a system experiencing shellfish mariculture. To this end, the committee will examine how ecological effects vary in magnitude with the scale of the mariculture operation and with its duration, what uncertainties surround our understanding of these ecological effects, and what are the most important subjects for future research to minimize any environmental impacts that the assessment might identify. BACKGROUND Mariculture, a specialized branch of aquaculture, is the cultivation of marine organisms in the natural environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that aquaculture is the fastest growing form of global food production, accounting for about 25% of total world fish production. Aquaculture and mariculture operations depend upon natural ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services. This dependence of managed fish and shellfish stocks on natural systems raises questions both regarding whether aquaculture supplements wild fish stocks or contributes to the depletion of world fisheries and also regarding concerns about genetic diversity in hatchery-raised species compared to wild species, the effect of types of feeds used in mariculture operations, and the effects of mariculture operations on the natural systems within which they are conducted. To ensure effective incorporation of aquaculture into the longer-term outlook for managing the fisheries of the future, managers will need to have fisheries science analyze the trends in aquaculture and capture fisheries, examine their interdependencies, and assess their potential environmental effects. Past research has indicated that shellfish mariculture can have a range of effects on natural habitat, other marine species, and human health, some of which are considered positive and others that have raised concern about expansion of the mariculture industry. Some examples of changes to natural habitat include increased water clarity (oysters filter large quantities of water), habitat diversity (introduction of new substrate), introduction of nonnative species (both hitchhikers and cultured species), and change in the prevalence and types of shellfish diseases and parasites. There are also questions about how the scale and location of mariculture operations influence ecosystem-level effects (e.g., habitat types, hydrographic setting, carrying capacity, physical disturbance, species shifts, benthic deposition), relative health risks of wild and cultured shellfish (e.g., vibrio, PSP, heavy metal accumulation), and competition with wild stocks and fisheries dependent on those stocks (e.g., commercial harvesting of kelp for abalone aquaculture, natural geoduck beds versus exclusive permitting of geoduck bottoms for aquaculture). Drake's Estero lies within Pt. Reyes National Seashore, a unit of the National Park System. Drake's Estero is designated as potential wilderness pending expiration of a Reservation of Use and Occupancy (RUO) held by a commercial shellfish farm that expires in 2012. The Reservation of Use and Occupancy permits the commercial farm to operate an oyster and clam mariculture operation in the Estero using lands and waters within the boundary of the Seashore. There is disagreement regarding the nature of and degree to which the commercial operation affects the natural ecosystem of Drake's Estero and disagreement about NPS's assessment of recent studies of the Estero. To address these disagreements, NPS requests the NAS to conduct an evaluation that establishes what is known or can reasonably be surmised about the ecological effects of the commercial operation on the Drake's Estero ecosystem, to assess the NPS assessment in comparison to this evaluation, and to assess the nature and degree to which commercial mariculture operations affect ecosystems more widely. III. PLAN OF ACTION The requested NAS review is to include the following components: Statement of Task: NAS will convene an ad hoc committee to produce two reports on shellfish mariculture in coastal areas. In the first report, the committee will assess the scientific basis for NPS presentations and for various revisions of an NPS report ("Drake's Estero: A Sheltered Wilderness Estuary") regarding the ecological effects of the commercial shellfish farm operations on Drake's Estero, Pt. Reyes National Seashore in California. In carrying out this first task, the committee will address the following questions: " What is the body of scientific studies on the impact of the oyster farm on Drake's Estero, and what have they shown? " What effects can be directly demonstrated by research conducted in Drake's Estero itself? " What effects can reasonably be inferred from research conducted in similar ecosystems? " What conclusions can be drawn from the body of scientific studies, and how do they compare with what the NPS presented to the public? Have these conclusions affected NPS decision making? " What are the most important subjects for future research to better understand the ecological consequences of anthropogenic influences on the Estero, so as to inform NPS decision making? For the second report, the committee will look more broadly at the potential ecosystem effects of shellfish mariculture and will identify best practices that shellfish mariculture could use to maintain ecosystem integrity. To this end, the committee will address the following questions: " What are the ecological effects of mariculture and how do they vary in magnitude by duration, operation size, harvest intensity, species cultivated, habitat type, and geographic location (e.g., effects on carrying capacity, water clarity, physical disturbance, species shifts, diseases, benthic deposition)? " What are the uncertainties surrounding these ecological effects? " How do the ecological effects of mariculture compare with the harvest of wild populations? " Does shellfish mariculture reduce the harvest pressure on wild populations? " What are the risks for the spread of nonnative species and how could these risks be reduced? " What socioeconomic factors influence the size and location of shellfish mariculture activities (e.g., "not in my backyard" [NIMBY] issues, economic parameters [permitting/leases for seabed, price stability, labor, transportation], local traditions)? " What are the most important subjects for future research to better understand and manage the ecosystem responses to mariculture operations? This second report will use the answers to these questions as the basis for identifying best management practices that could be employed to enhance the benefits of shellfish mariculture and minimize any negative ecological effects. Funding for the second report is not awarded as part of the base contract, but is intended to be added via modification. Consideration of Balance: The NAS committee will represent a breadth of expertise and perspectives on shellfish mariculture issues, including marine ecology and marine resource management. The committee membership will be drawn mostly from around the United States, but one or two members may come from outside the United States. Preliminary Work Plan: NAS will appoint a committee of 8 members, including the chair. The committee will meet up to four times over the 18-month study period. The first report, on Drake's Estero, will be delivered to NPS nine months after contract award. Prior to the start of the study, the NAS will impress upon the sponsor (NPS) and the commercial shellfish farm (1) the role of the committee in conducting the scientific study and preparing reports; and (2) that decisions on commercial activities in Drake's Estero are not within the committee's purview. Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA): The Academy will implement its interim policies and procedures for Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. ? 15 regarding public access and conflicts of interest that are applicable to agreements under which the Academy, using a committee, provides advice or recommendations to a Federal agency. In accordance with these policies and procedures, the Academy shall submit to the government sponsor(s) following delivery of each applicable report a certification that the policies and procedures of the Academy that implement Section 15 of FACA have been substantially complied with in the performance of the contract with respect to the applicable report. Public Information about the Project: In order to afford the public greater knowledge of Academy activities and an opportunity to provide comments on those activities, the NPS expects the Academy to post on its website (http://www.national-academies.org) the following information as appropriate under its procedures: (1) notices of meetings open to the public; (2) brief descriptions of projects; (3) committee appointments, if any (including biographies of committee members); (4) report information; and (5) any other pertinent information.) Products: The committee will prepare two reports that will summarize its powerful, independent, and disinterested analysis and that will present conclusions expected to be accepted without question because of its position and reputation. These reports specifically will include analyses and conclusions that address the questions identified in the section on Statement of Task. The first report will be due nine months after contract award. The second report, funding for which is intended to be added via modification, will be due approximately 18 months after contract award, subject to funds availability. IV. POINTS OF CONTACT: Contractual: Contracting Officer (CO): Brenda Karl, 303-987-6747, brenda_karl@nps.gov Contract Specialist (CS): Rebecca Bizier, 303-969-2362, rebecca_bizier@nps.gov Technical: Contracting Officer's Representative (COR): John Dennis, 202-513-7174, john_dennis@nps.gov V. PAYMENT Progress payments to the Contractor shall be made on the basis of proper and acceptable invoices and shall be made in accordance with Section I of the Contract Clauses and as follows: The Contractor shall be reimbursed on the basis of actual travel costs and direct hours incurred. Travel costs shall be in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations. For other direct costs (ODC) the Contractor shall be paid on an at-cost basis. After completion of the work and as a prerequisite to the final payment, the Contractor shall furnish to the Contracting Officer a Release of Claims. Such claims as are asserted by the Contractor and excepted from operation of the Release shall be listed in spaces provided after the word "except" and shall be referenced to correspondence or other identifying data, together with monetary amount for each major claim item. Original invoices are to be mailed directly to the National Park Service, Denver Service Center, Attention: DSC-Contracting, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225-0287. For the furnishing of all supplies and services required to accomplish the services required under the proceeding scope of services, the Contractor shall be paid the not to exceed ceiling price of $ Payment shall not be made in excess of the ceiling price unless a revision in the ceiling price is authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer.
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- Place of Performance
- Address: Marin County, California
- Zip Code: 94956
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 94956
- Record
- SN01519802-W 20080301/080228224834 (fbodaily.com)
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