Heron Colony Monitoring

Scope of Work

The City of Bellingham is seeking a qualified consultant to: - Conduct annual monitoring of identified heron colonies, currently including Post Point and Little Squalicum Park, for up to five years beginning in October 2026. - Prepare a management recommendations document for the Little Squalicum Park colony, with a scope similar to the Post Point Heron Colony Management Recommendations Update (Eissinger 2019). - Perform event-based observation to monitor for disturbance, such as during the Ski to Sea event. - Complete work in multiple phases as needed. - Extend services to additional heron colonies if they form during the contract term.

Requesting Entity

The City of Bellingham is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP).

Background

This contract aims to ensure the ongoing monitoring and management of heron colonies within the City of Bellingham, with a focus on both established and any newly formed colonies over the contract period.

Contract Requirements

Interested consultants must be able to provide: - Annual monitoring reports for each identified colony. - A management recommendations document for Little Squalicum Park colony. - Event-based monitoring for disturbance at specified times. - Flexibility to add new colonies to the monitoring program as needed.

Submission Instructions

All proposals must be submitted electronically through the City of Bellingham's Bid portal, Procureware, at https://cob.procureware.com/ . The deadline for submission is 11:00 AM on May 26, 2026. Proposals received after this time will not be considered. Electronic sealed proposals will be opened and read after the 11:00 AM deadline. Solicitation documents are available for review on the City of Bellingham website at https://cob.procureware.com/ . Questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to the Purchasing bids email at bids@cob.org .

Additional Information

The City reserves the right to postpone the award, reject any or all proposals, or reject parts of proposals as may be in the best interest of the City.