Kelp Conservation and Restoration Plan

****NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) with Northwest Straits Marine Foundation (NWSF) to enable the development of a Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Restoration Plan. This will be for a Base Year and One Option Year. ****The sole source determination is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), need to enable the development of a Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Restoration Plan. The NWSF is a non-profit organization established to support the scientific, restoration, and education projects and programs of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative. The NWSF is the only entity in Puget Sound coordinating local kelp and bull kelp monitoring and conservation actions in Hood Canal, Snohomish County, San Juan County, Island County, Whatcom County and Skagit County. These areas are all critical for kelp conservation and recovery. The NWSF is the only entity with a comprehensive shoreline armor reduction program in cooperation with local landowners. This program may provide a viable method to conserve and recovery kelp within a conservation plan, and will enable comprehensive monitoring to continue to occur. The NWSF administers Sound-IQ - a continuously updated database of the nearshore and kelp in Puget Sound that is vital to developing a kelp conservation and recovery plan. The NWSF is the only entity to administer a derelict fishing gear reporting and retrieval program - this program may be an essential element of a kelp conservation and recovery plan. Also, the NWSF is the only entity to develop kelp monitoring protocols for citizen volunteers. This experience provides vital insight to monitoring methods that must be included in a kelp conservation and recovery plan. ***This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation package is available. However, firms that believe they can provide the space and service as described that fully meets the Government's requirements may submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact within 15 days after publication of this synopsis. Such documentation will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.