Sea Otter comanagement with Alaska Natives

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The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Headquarters Region 7 intends to award a single source Cooperative Agreement as authorized by 505 DM 2.14 B. to the Indigenous Peoples Council on Marine Mammals. This notice is not a request for proposals and the Government does not intend to accept proposals. Award will be made 15 days after this notice. PURPOSE, The purpose of this Agreement is to transfer Federal funds to the Indigenous Peoples Council on Marine Mammals, IPCoMM. Established in 1992, IPCoMM is a state wide coalition of 17 Tribal marine mammal commissions, councils and other Native organizations formed for the purpose of identifying and addressing marine mammal issues of common concern. IPCoMM currently represents the interests of subsistence users and Native sea otter hunters when working with the government on the conservation of sea otters in Alaska. The proposed Agreement and specific projects, will serve to, 1. support sea otter conservation through the involvement of subsistence users, through IPCoMM in comanagement activities for the subsistence use of sea otters, and 2. implement Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as Amended, authorizing Marine Mammal Cooperative Agreements in Alaska, 16 U.S.C. 1388. OBJECTIVES, To hold a workshop with the Service and sea otter hunters and handicraft producers for information exchange and discussion of issues concerning the subsistence use of sea otters. The Service will present their conservation, research and management activities for northern sea otters in Alaska. Sea otter hunters and handicraft producers will provide information on issues concerning the sea otter hunting community for the conservation and comanagement of sea otters for subsistence use. REASON FOR SINGLE SOURCE, 1. Legislative intent. These funds qualify as exempt under the Department of Interiors Financial Assistance GRANTS, GRANTS.GOV FIND and regulation DOI 505 DM 2, Section 2.12,C., dated January 9, 2008. Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 16 U.S.C. 1388, allows the Service to enter into cooperative agreements with Alaskan Native organizations to conserve marine mammals and provide comanagement of subsistence use by Alaskan Natives. The language in the legislative history, 1997 Congressional Budget Appropriations, clearly indicates Congress intent for an ongoing comanagement relationship for sea otters to be established with representative Native groups. This agreement is entered into under the authority of Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, MMPA. Thus, funding received by the Service for this cooperative agreement is exempt from the GRANTS.GOV FIND announcement and competition policy. 2. Unique qualifications. Established in 1992, IPCoMM is a state wide coalition of 17 Tribal marine mammal commissions, councils and other Native organizations formed for the purpose of identifying and addressing marine mammal issues of common concern. IPCoMM currently represents the interests of subsistence users and Native sea otter hunters when working with the government on the conservation of sea otters in Alaska. The proposed Agreement and specific projects, will serve to, 1. support sea otter conservation through the involvement of subsistence users, through IPCoMM, in comanagement activities for the subsistence use of sea otters, and 2. implement Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as Amended, authorizing Marine Mammal Cooperative Agreements in Alaska, 16 U.S.C. 1388. IPCoMM is the only statewide coalition of Alaska Native marine mammal commissions and councils and other organizations that meet on a regular basis to address issues that affect conservation and subsistence use of marine mammals.

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