A15-_Redacted_Justification_for_Name_Brand_Products_GLCA_ElectrofishingEquipment_Redacted_1.pdf

Justification for Brand Name Products

Date: 1/29/2024

Project: Purchase of Electrofishing Equipment for Nonnative Fish Removal – Colorado River

1. Identifications

a. Agency: National Park Service

b. Contracting Office: AZ Major Acquisition Buying Office

2. Description of the action being approved:

The National Park Service (NPS) shall be soliciting ETS Electrofishing Systems, LLC in Madison, Wisconsin. The documents included with the solicitation call for specific brand name products that are peculiar to one manufacturer. This written justification provides approval for limiting competition to the listed brand name products as authorized by the Federal

Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

3. Description of supplies and services:

Boat electrofishing control box unit: (0-300/600 V peak dual range pulsed DC output) - Quantity 3:

• MBS-1DP-90-COS, PULSED-DC

• 90 amp peak output

• 30 amp main shut of breaker and emergency shut off button

• Fully adjustable and independent rate, duty, and voltage control

• Digital backlit meters and resettable min/sec. time

• LED lamps indicate when there is voltage output and footswitch(s) are closed.

• 240 VAC input via 10-3 SOOW, Pig-tail from control box terminated in L14-30P plug. Pig-tail exits from RIGHT side of box. Lenth of cable to be specified.

• Standard WI-style 4 slot twist lock receptacle, Pass & Seymour 7410, or equivalent for high voltage output located on RIGHT side of box. 2 slots W & Z carry return from boat hull.

• 2-pin Amphenol receptacle 97-3102A-16-11P located on RIGHT side of box. 2 wires serve either safety pad or footswitch.

No reset required at box…output power is disconnected only temporarily until pad or footswitch is stepped on again

• Splash resistant controls.

Add Quadrapulse bursted waveform – Quantity 3:

• Quadrapulse bursted waveform

Add additional receptacle for separate footswitch connection – Quantity 3:

• Adds an additional 97-3102A-16-11P 2-pin Amphenol receptacle located on RIGHT side of box. 2 wires serve either safety pad or footswitch. No reset required at box…output power is disconnected only temporarily until pad or footswitch is stepped on again. Note: pad and footswitch are wire in series.

Add dummy interlock plug for alternate footswitch/pad receptacle – Quantity 3:

• Adds a chained 2-pin dummy interlock plug 97-3106A-16-11S that can be plugged into the alternate footswitch/pad receptacle when only one control device is needed (either pad or footswitch).

Heavy duty cast aluminum foot switch – Quantity 3:

• Wired and ready to attach to box. 144” cord.

Output junction box – Quantity 3:

United States Department of the Interior

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

INTERMOUNTAIN REGION

CONTRACTING PROGRAM

• 2 receptacles for attachment of Bulgin boom plug and cathode cord. Includes 23” cathode cord terminated in ¼” lug for attachment to boat hull. Junction box to generator pigtail is 32”. CO twist output plug.

Custom boom, Grand Canyon Type – Quantity 7):

• 6’6” long X 1 ½” fiberglass pole with adjustable length stainless steel sphere dropper. Grand Canyon 12” 12” sphere gauge DLO cable length is 140”. Bulgin plug to attach to junction box.

Manual – Quantity – 1:

4. Authority:

a. 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1): Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

b. FAR Part 11.105: The Brand Name products are essential to the Government’s requirements, and market research indicates other companies’ similar products do not meet and cannot be modified to meet the agency’s needs.

c. FAR 6.302-1: The use of the name brand products are essential to the Government’s requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company.

5. The description of the product’s unique qualifications or the unique nature of the acquisition:

Sampling fish populations in the Colorado River (Glen and Grand canyons) require specialized motorboats and electrofishing equipment. To meet the rigorous demands required to operate in Glen and Grand canyons, both the U.S. Geological Survey – Grand

Canyon Monitoring and Research Center and Grand Canyon National Park own several 16-foot aluminum expedition white water motorboats that are specifically built to unique specifications. Fifteen years were spent designing data collection, river trips, and science solely on these custom crafted motorboats with compatible and interchangeable electrofishing equipment. All equipment, tools, and spare parts were custom made to be interchangeable between boats and between agencies. All agencies work cooperatively, and boats and parts must be interchangeable between agencies.

River conditions below Glen Canyon Dam have changed dramatically over the past several years due to region-wide drought. This has led to lower water levels in Lake Powell and warmer water temperatures in the river below Glen Canyon Dam. As a result, warm water nonnative fish species have begun to colonize the river. Many of these nonnative fish species prey on other fish and threaten native fishes downstream in the Grand Canyon…especially the Federally threatened humpback chub. This electrofishing equipment is needed to help reduce the growing threat these nonnative fish pose to the Colorado River ecosystem. The electrofishing equipment must be compatible and interchangeable with other electrofishing equipment already owned by USGS and NPS. If Glen

Canyon were to go with another company, we would have to spend and additional + to reoutfit boats and replace equipment that has already been purchased. In addition, the whitewater boats used for electrofishing are custom-made for this brand of equipment.

Efforts to obtain competition:

a. Efforts to ensure offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable:

For acquisitions over $25,000 the solicitation will be issued on the Government’s Point of Entry, sam.gov.

b. Presolicitation notice per FAR 5.2:

For acquisitions over $25,000 a presolicitation notice shall be posted on the Government’s Point of Entry, sam.gov unless the exception noted at FAR Part 5.202(a)(13) applies.

6. Determination that costs will be fair & reasonable:

The electrofishing equipment quoted from ETS Electrofishing Systems, LLC are comparable to other electrofishing equipment of this type.

7. Description of the market research conducted:

Fifteen years were spent designing data collection, river trips, and science solely on this type of electrofishing equipment. All current equipment, tools and spare parts have been custom made to fit our existing whitewater electrofishing boats dimensions and capabilities. All agencies work cooperatively, and boats and parts must be interchangeable between agencies. No other sources contacted. No other sources known with comparable specifications. The monitoring and research on the Colorado River is the only known location where non inflatable hard hulled boats with this type of electrofishing equipment occurs. It would be a huge safety concern to go with another electrofishing equipment design (where balance, equipment placement, and weight distribution have not been tested) when ETS equipment has already been proven reliable through 15-years of experience.

Other facts supporting other than full & open competition: