Natural/Cultural Resources Program Sikes Act Support to United States JBSA Lackland, TX | W9126G 22 2 SOI 4203

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 22 2 SOI 4203

Natural/Cultural Resources Program Sikes Act Support to United States JBSA Lackland, TX is a Department of Defense funding opportunity (run through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, on behalf of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center) aimed at finding a qualified cooperator to support Air Force natural and cultural resources compliance work under the Sikes Act and related environmental laws. The request is not asking for a full proposal up front. Instead, it starts with a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) that the government will use to screen and identify the most suitable investigators or teams. After that initial screening, selected respondents may be invited to submit a complete technical proposal and budget.

At its core, the project supports AFCEC/CZTQ, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center office that serves as the Air Force subject-matter hub for natural and cultural resources management across installations. Air Force lands and activities have to comply with a wide set of federal statutes and regulations, and this opportunity is designed to provide technical capacity to help the Air Force keep pace with those requirements while reducing mission impacts on sensitive resources. While the project is tied to Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Lackland, the description makes clear the work is connected to broader Air Force-wide program management responsibilities that AFCEC oversees.

The legal and program drivers are spelled out clearly. The Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670 et seq.) requires the military to manage natural resources on installations through Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans (INRMPs). Those INRMPs must be reviewed and updated at least every five years, and the updates must be coordinated with, and signed by, both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the relevant state fish and wildlife agency. In parallel, the Department of Defense has annual reporting obligations to Congress, including reporting on INRMP Sikes Act compliance status and Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan (ICRMP) status through the Defense Environmental Program Annual Report. AFCEC is responsible for overseeing a large inventory of these plans, specifically cited here as 96 INRMPs and 117 ICRMPs. A key practical need identified in the announcement is maintaining and updating the Air Force "Master Tracker" INRMP compliance spreadsheet (an Excel-based tracker) to keep plan status and required dates current, which supports internal management and external reporting.

Funding is described in two layers. For the initial period of performance, about $1,362,201.19 is expected to be available for a 12-month base period. The notice also signals that additional funding may be available for follow-on work in later fiscal years for the selected recipient, suggesting the government anticipates this could become a continuing support relationship if performance and future needs align. Separately, the posting includes an "Award Ceiling" figure of $9,500,000, which typically reflects the maximum possible value over the full potential lifecycle of the agreement (including options or future increments), even though the base-year expectation is much lower.

The assistance mechanism is a cooperative agreement, and the activity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development. That usually implies substantial involvement by the government partner during performance (for example, coordination, review cycles, data sharing, and alignment with Air Force planning and compliance processes), rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity category is listed as "Other," which is common for specialized federal assistance announcements that do not fit standard grant buckets.

In terms of the work itself, the notice references a draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) that contains the major requirements and tasks, but it is not reproduced in the text provided. Even without that attachment, the description indicates the emphasis is on technical support for conservation and compliance programs, helping ensure federal and state regulatory requirements are met while minimizing impacts from Air Force operations. That usually includes plan development and updates, coordination support, tracking and documentation, and program management assistance tied directly to INRMP and ICRMP requirements and reporting.

The selection process is straightforward and qualification-driven. Statements of interest are reviewed by an evaluation board at the receiving installation or activity, and the government will decide which respondents best match the program objectives. The primary evaluation lens is the investigator's specific experience and capabilities in the areas tied to the study requirements, meaning respondents should be ready to demonstrate a track record with Sikes Act implementation, INRMP update cycles, interagency coordination (USFWS and state agencies), and the practical mechanics of compliance tracking and reporting. Because a full proposal and budget are explicitly not requested at this stage, the initial submission is meant to be a targeted capability statement rather than a complete project plan.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity number W9126G 22 2 SOI 4203, CFDA 12.005, and an anticipated single award (Expected Awards: 1). The posting was created July 11, 2022 and had an original closing date of August 12, 2022, with responses due by 5:00 PM Central Time on that date. Questions and responses were directed to the listed points of contact: Sandy Justman (Contract Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District) and Greg Bonnell (Project Manager, Regional Planning and Environmental Center, USACE), with the provided email for the project manager being Gregory.W.Bonnell@usace.army.mil.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Natural/Cultural Resources Program Sikes Act Support to United States JBSA Lackland, TX" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 11, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 12, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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