A--HORSESHOE CRABS

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Leetown Science Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia, plans to award a sole source contract to Frank Eicherley of Bowers Beach, Delaware, for conducting horseshoe crab fishing using dredges according to a specific research protocol. The contract requires the use of a boat at least 50 feet long, equipped with two side-deployed dredges each 8 feet wide, identical to the previous year’s setup to ensure consistent data collection for comparing relative abundances and catch rates of adult and juvenile horseshoe crabs. The contractor must be able to depart from Bowers Beach and hold or obtain the necessary state collecting permit in compliance with state laws. This procurement is not open for competitive proposals and falls under a Total Small Business Set-Aside with an estimated value below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold of $100,000. The announcement, issued on March 21, 2004, states there is no formal solicitation for this requirement and responses were due by March 18, 2004, indicating it is strictly informational. The contract is coded “No Solicitation Number 04ER06NoSolication” and is classified under NAICS code 541710. It emphasizes continuity in research methodology from the prior year to allow for reliable comparisons in horseshoe crab population studies. The award process is managed by the Office of Acquisition and Grants-National within the Department of the Interior, with the key contact being Karen Ohlhauser.