--HELICOPTER RENTAL -BIGHORN SHEEP TRANFER

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are jointly conducting a monitoring project focused on the federally endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep population in the Jacumba Wilderness area, spanning from the I-8 Island to the U.S./Mexico border across San Diego and Imperial Counties in California. The project involves aerial capture of these bighorn sheep using a helicopter and net-gun method, requiring specialized personnel and equipment. USFWS is responsible for contracting the aerial capture services for this effort in 2014, and Leading Edge is the sole contractor approved by CDFW authorized to perform the helicopter net-gun capture operations. The contract is intended to be awarded on a sole source basis without full and open competition as per the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, with Life Technologies as the designated awardee. This decision reflects the unique qualifications of the selected contractor for this specialized service. The contract, titled "HELICOPTER RENTAL - BIGHORN SHEEP TRANSFER," falls under the NAICS code 115310 and is managed by the Department of the Interior’s FWS Headquarters office located in Falls Church, Virginia. The notice indicates no further competitive solicitation will be posted, and inquiries related to the contracting process can be directed to Troy Mobley.