Hanford Reach PIT-tagging Project

Closing Date: January 31, 2026

Position Details

The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) invites quotes for PIT tagging at the Hanford Reach field site on the Columbia River near Richland, Washington. This is part of a tagging project which CRITFC has operated since 1987.

We anticipate that the contractor whose proposal is the best solution for our project will be selected by February 14, 2026. Quotes must be valid through June 30, 2026. We will notify all Contractors whether they are disqualified, rejected, or unsuccessful although responsive.

Selection will be based on the ability of the proposed solution to meet the specifications below, and the anticipated price of the solution.

The project will be conducted along the Columbia River between Ringold Hatchery and Priest Rapids Dam. The project has been using the old Hanford townsite on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation (46°35’0.27″N, 119°22’29.66″W), which is run by the Department of Energy. While we hope to use that site, whether we can get approval is uncertain at this point. If we can continue to use the Hanford site, all personnel, prior to accessing the site, must obtain security clearance from Hanford Security by taking and passing their training. More information concerning Hanford site access can be found at http://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/VisitorControl

The PIT tagging portion of this project is expected to last for up to five consecutive days between May 26 and May 29. Note the project could run a week earlier or later depending on fish maturation rates. A decision on exact project timing is normally made in early May.

Historically, the juvenile fall Chinook being PIT tagged are smaller than those typically tagged with 12mm tags in the Columbia Basin, for example, in 2021 47.2% of the Chinook tagged were between less than 65 mm in length. The operation is conducted outdoors and contractors must be able to safely tag fish with minimal mortality with air temperatures that can approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Contractors must provide references demonstrating they can tag juvenile Chinook of the relatively small size of Hanford fish with minimal mortality. All tagged fish will be held overnight and, prior to tagging the following day, the contractor must recover any shed tags and remove them from any mortalities prior to release and remove them from tagging files submitted to PTAGIS.

Responsibilities

CRITFC will supply the following: electricity, river water, two tables under an awning, pre-tag holding and post-tag recovery troughs, and one person to assist in the operation.
In addition

• Contractor is expected to provide their own personnel.
• Contractor is expected to supply their own equipment.
• Contractor is expected to supply their own materials.
• Contractor is expected to supply enough 12.5 mm PIT tags for tagging 10,000 juvenile fall Chinook which are between approximately 55 and 90mm in length. Approved PIT tags can be found at http://www.ptagis.org/support/faqs#63ceb90d-19e6-68ee-a860-ff00000a783e under “How do I select a PIT tag to purchase”; the only approved PIT tag is the Biomark APT12.
• Contractor is responsible for uploading PIT tag data on juvenile Chinook released (after removing shed tags and mortalities) to www.ptagis.org as well as providing a summary of tagging activities to CRITFC.

Qualifications

• The contractor will be responsible for their employees’ federal and state payroll requirements, including, but not limited to, payroll taxes, payroll reports, workers’ compensation, and insurance.
• Contractor is also responsible for having liability insurance for protection against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from, or in connection with, the performance of the work.
• The successful contractor and their employees must pass a clearance test conducted by Hanford Security prior to accessing the site.

Pricing and Terms

• Quoted pricing to remain fixed for the duration of the term.
• All costs must be listed separately, clearly identified, and un-bundled.
• Pricing must fully represent all costs required to deliver the entire solution.
• Contractor will agree that Contractor is an independent vendor with respect to CRITFC and Contractor shall not be entitled to any fringe benefits (health, life or accident insurance benefits, paid vacation, or any other employee benefit); Federal Social Security; Worker’s Compensation; or Unemployment Insurance benefits.
• Contractor is responsible for paying any tax due as a result of this agreement.

Tribal Preference

• CRITFC reserves the right to consider Indian Preference in the selection process. Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 47)

Supervision

Working Conditions

CRITFC Motor Vehicle Policy