R -- Notice of intent to negotiate a sole source contract with Skagit System Cooperative

The Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service intends to negotiate a sole source contract with the Skagit System Cooperative (SKC) to support the management of Skagit River fall chinook salmon. The contract aims to maintain an exploitation rate indicator stock that represents this salmon population, enabling the measurement and documentation of fisheries impacts to improve resource management. SKC, a consortium of three Native American tribes with a nineteen-year history of salmon stock research, habitat protection, and enhancement efforts in the Skagit River drainage, is uniquely qualified to perform this work, with no other source deemed capable. This procurement is structured as a simplified acquisition with an estimated value below $100,000, emphasizing SKC’s specialized expertise and long-standing involvement in local salmon fisheries. The agreement underlines the importance of sustaining accurate biological indicators to facilitate informed management decisions that balance fisheries activities with conservation goals in the Skagit River ecosystem. The contract will be managed through the Department of Commerce office in Seattle, Washington.