2013 Cooperative Agreement for the Co-management of Polar Bears

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Headquarters Region 7 (Service) intends to award a single source Cooperative Agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2.14 (B) to the Alaska Nanuuq Commission (Commission). This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made 5 days after this notice. The purposes of this Cooperative Agreement between the Service and the Commission are to: 1) conserve polar bears in Alaska; 2) encourage comanagement of polar bears by involvement of subsistence users through the Commission; and 3) exchange information on polar bear population harvest, status and trends for the development of sound management practices integral to fulfilling the Commissions mission and the Services species oversight responsibilities. The proposed Cooperative Agreement and specific projects will implement Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA), as Amended (16 U.S.C. 1388) which calls for the Service to enter into marine mammal cooperative agreements with Alaska Native organizations. The Service will obtain reports and data pertaining to the implementation of specific projects identified in the Cooperative Agreement. The Commission will obtain information important to subsistence polar bear hunters.