PURPOSE

The Kalispel Tribe of Indians Natural Resources Department (“KNRD”) is requesting quotes and qualifications from an external contractor (“Vendor”) to remove invasive American bullfrogs from Tribal lands. KNRD seeks vendors with previous experience conducting wildlife and/or fisheries fieldwork. Experience with amphibians and invasive species specifically is a plus.

 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Kalispel Tribe is a Sovereign Native American Indian Tribe located in what is currently Washington State. Tribal members have lived in this area for millennia. The Tribe operates under its own governmental system and has established its own Tribal court system.

 

More information on the Kalispel Tribe of Indians is available on our website at www.kalispeltribe.com.

 

OVERVIEW

Since American bullfrogs were introduced to western North America in the early 1900s, they have become highly invasive in areas outside their native range. Bullfrogs readily prey on and outcompete native amphibian species and are disease vectors for the fatal chytrid fungus, which they spread to other amphibian species while being unaffected themselves. Bullfrogs can lay thousands of eggs in a single breeding cycle and are capable of dispersing long distances to invade new sites, which makes them a highly problematic invasive species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (“IUCN”) lists bullfrogs as one of the top 100 worst invasive species worldwide and the Washington Invasive Species Council classifies the American bullfrog as a priority invasive species in Washington.

KNRD has spent almost three decades working to enhance and restore wetland habitat on Tribally owned lands. Bullfrogs have been found throughout Kalispel Tribal lands and threaten these restoration efforts, as well as the numerous native amphibian species that utilize these habitats. In Pend Oreille County, bullfrogs also contributed to the local extirpation of the northern leopard frog, a Washington State endangered species.

In 2022, KNRD began bullfrog removal on its Trimble Creek property (see attached map) with the eventual goal of reintroducing northern leopard frogs to this property. Bullfrog numbers need to be significantly reduced in order to make leopard frog reintroduction feasible; this will likely take multiple years of sustained bullfrog suppression work. In 2022, field crews removed approximately 1,500 bullfrogs from the Trimble Creek property and observed no decrease in catch per hour throughout the field season, demonstrating that additional removal work is needed.

KNRD is seeking a Vendor to remove as many American bullfrogs as possible from the Trimble Creek property from July through September 2023. Work will primarily be conducted at night as this has been found most effective, but other removal methods can also be discussed. Previous work on this property has found spotlighting frogs and dispatching them with a PCP .177 caliber air rifle with non-lead pellets to be the most effective method of euthanizing bullfrogs; however, other methods such as netting, gigging, shocking, trapping, and luring are allowed if they are effective and humane.

 

DUTIES AND SCOPE OF WORK

1. Conduct night work by using small watercraft and walking the shoreline to euthanize bullfrogs in Trimble Creek and adjacent ponds on Tribal property.
2. Accurately record numbers of frogs removed; collect data on demographics and stomach contents of euthanized frogs.
3. Collect chytrid test samples from euthanized frogs.
4. Minimize bycatch of native amphibian species.
5. Provide bi-weekly reports to Tribal Fish & Wildlife (“TFW”) Biologist and TFW Project Manager.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Bullfrogs must be euthanized as humanely as possible in accordance with the most recent American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for Euthanasia.
2. Bullfrogs must be euthanized on site; the transport of live bullfrogs off the Trimble Creek property is prohibited.
3. Any ammunition and fishing tackle used must be lead-free.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Vendor must be licensed to do business in the State of Washington and be competent in conducting night work in slough and wetland environments under artificial lighting. Vendor must be able to provide a crew of two people and must be able to correctly differentiate bullfrogs from native species such as Pacific tree frogs, Columbia spotted frogs, and western toads. Vendor must also show they are proficient in the following areas:

 

• Safely conducting fieldwork under potentially adverse conditions
• Operating small watercraft
• Accurately collecting data and samples
• Adhering to the highest standards of animal welfare
• Representing KNRD in a professional manner

 

Bidders who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be rejected as non-responsive and will not receive further consideration.  Any proposal that is rejected as non-responsive will not be evaluated or scored.

 

The qualifications section of the proposal must contain information that will demonstrate to the evaluation committee the Vendor’s understanding of the types of services proposed, the Vendor’s ability to accomplish them, and the ability to meet tight timeframes.

 

FUNDING

 

KNRD is seeking quotes from qualified vendors based on an estimated time commitment of 3+ nights of fieldwork per week, on average. The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Vendor of least cost, but rather to the Vendor whose qualifications most effectively and efficiently meet the objectives of this project. Any known qualified Indian owned contractors/vendors will be solicited for quotes or bids.

 

 

SUBMISSION FORMAT

General information

The proposal should provide the name of Vendor, title, address, phone number, email address, and website, if one exists.

Qualifications & Roles

The proposal must describe Vendor’s qualifications such as work activities, expertise, knowledge, and experience. Experience should include examples of similar work that Vendor has done for a tribe or tribes, if applicable. 

Some key qualifications that will be considered:

1. Education (degree(s) and/or certificate(s))
2. Fieldwork experience, particularly using watercraft and working at night
3. Experience working with amphibians or invasive species removal

References

Information regarding each reference should include the individual’s name, address, phone number and email address.

 

OWNERSHIP AND CONFIDENTIALITY

All data remains the sole property of KNRD. Vendor shall agree to keep information related to this process in strict confidence, including, but not limited to, the terms of the contract and any confidential business information or proprietary information that has been gathered on this project.

PROCESS FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION

Closing Submission Date

Proposals are due by June 20, 2023

Inquiries

Inquiries concerning this Request for Quotes/Qualifications (“RFQQ”) should be directed to mturnock@kalispeltribe.com

Conditions of Proposal

All costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFQQ are the responsibility of the bidder and will not be reimbursed by KNRD.

Submission Instructions

Proposals should be submitted via e-mail to mturnock@kalispeltribe.com. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the response is received by KNRD by the closing date and time. A response may be judged and excluded from further consideration if it is not received by the deadline or does not follow the format outlined above.

Right to Reject

KNRD has the right to reject all responses received in response to this RFQQ.

Confidentiality

If the bidder deems any material submitted to be proprietary or confidential, the bidder must indicate this in the relevant sections of the response.

Notification of Selection

It is expected that a bidder will be selected within one week of the closing submission date, although this timeline is subject to change. KNRD reserves the right to cancel the RFQQ at any time.

Conflict of Interest

The bidder must disclose any possible conflicts of interest that may result from the award of this contract or services provided under this contract. Except as otherwise disclosed in the proposal, the bidder affirms that to the best of their knowledge there is no actual or potential conflict between the bidder, a bidder’s team member working on the project or its family’s business, or financial interests and the services provided under this contract. In the event there is a change in either interest or the services provided under the contract, the bidder will inform KNRD regarding the possible conflicts of interest, which may arise because of such a change and agrees that all conflicts shall be resolved to KNRD’s satisfaction, or the bidder may be disqualified from consideration of this RFQQ.