Management Species - Sea Turtle Nesting Surveys, Wake Island Airfield

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center and the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron, is soliciting Statements of Interest for a cooperative agreement under the Sikes Act, 16 USC 670c-1. This agreement will fund and support sea turtle nesting surveys and conservation work at the Wake Island Airfield, located on Wake Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This opportunity is exclusively open to organizations that are members of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program within the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii-Pacific Islands, or Californian regions. The project is focused on monitoring, protecting, and managing sea turtle nesting activities on Wake Atoll, a remote and environmentally significant location under U.S. Air Force administration. The main objectives of this project include monitoring nesting activities of various sea turtle species, protecting active nests to ensure hatchling survival, and conducting educational outreach for local personnel and stakeholders. Wake Atoll is part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and has seen intermittent sea turtle activity in previous years, with green and hawksbill sea turtles being the most recently documented species. The project builds on past monitoring efforts, some of which date back to 2010–2011. The selected recipient will develop and implement an updated survey protocol, assess nesting success, propose habitat management actions, and report findings in both draft and final forms. Deliverables will include a kickoff meeting, monthly and quarterly reports, educational materials, flagged nesting sites, and final survey data. Approximately $271,430 is available for the base period of the agreement, which will last for 18 months from the award date. Up to four additional follow-on periods of 18 months each may be funded depending on performance and availability of funds. The recipient is responsible for providing all necessary personnel, materials, and equipment, as the government will not supply computing devices or office space. A CESU indirect cost rate of 17.5% applies. All digital and physical data generated under this agreement will become property of the U.S. government and must meet specified data handling and reporting requirements, including security protocols related to Controlled Unclassified Information. Applications are due by 2:00 P.M. Central Time on 28 July 2025. Interested organizations must submit a Statement of Interest of no more than two pages detailing their qualifications, experience, and capabilities. Full proposals and budgets are not required at this stage. Direct questions must be submitted no later than 14 July 2025. To be eligible for award, applicants and any subcontractors must have an active NIST SP 800-171 DoD assessment performed within the last three years. The evaluation process will assess qualifications, relevance of experience, and capacity to achieve the outlined project goals. Organizations selected through this review will be invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants must have experience working in remote tropical or austere environments, and key personnel must hold degrees in biology or related scientific fields. All staff must also possess valid U.S. driver’s licenses. Participation in this project includes coordination with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff, who will provide relevant logistical, data, and review support. Fieldwork must comply with all site access procedures and security screenings as detailed in the Site Arrival Request form. Housing and food arrangements will be coordinated through the base contractor, but transportation and communications planning are the responsibility of the recipient. For further inquiries or to submit a Statement of Interest, contact Nicholas Aprea, Grants Specialist at Nicholas.A.Aprea@usace.army.mil or 817-886-1925, and David Leptien, Project Manager at David.B.Leptien@usace.army.mil or 402-889-5570. The U.S. Air Force Technical Point of Contact is Joel Helm at joel.helm.1@us.af.mil or 907-552-5230. All award management is governed by applicable federal regulations including 2 CFR 200 and compliance with CESU and Air Force standards is required.