B01_Notice_of_Intent_to_Sole_Source_2026_OLYM_Mule_Purchase_0001.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

CONTRACTING OPERATIONS - WEST

1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT

RE: 140P8326Q0015

Pursuant to FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), the National Park Service, Olympic National Park (OLYM) in Port Angeles, Washington, intends to issue a sole source award to Fred Snook, who manages an annual mule and horse sale event in Salmon, ID, known as “Salmon Select Sale” that OLYM trail crew will be attending from April 10-11, 2026. The anticipated award price will be less than $50,000.00, depending on prices of mules and/or horses selected for purchase during the sale event. OLYM trail crew staff intends to inspect and evaluate the mules and horses according to the evaluation criteria as listed in the Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition, attached to this notice. The Government anticipates being able to choose from 100+ mules and horses that will be sold by individual sellers/owners attending the event, however, all sales will be processed through Fred Snook, Salmon Select Sale, LLC.

This notice is not a request for quotations and no solicitation will be issued. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 112920, Horse and Other Equine Production with a small business size standard of $2.75 million.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NPS Contracting Staff are currently undergoing an active email address migration. All responses MUST be sent to both email addresses for Contracting Officer Michael Abner at:

1. michael_abner@nps.gov

2. michael_abner@ios.doi.gov

Failure to do so may result in your response not being received.

Previous Sources Sought Notice:

This is a Sources Sought Notice seeking market research information to be used for acquisition planning purposes. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR QUTOES AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS NOTICE. Any quotes in response to this notice will not be evaluated. The purpose of this notice is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities and qualifications of various members of the Small Business Community, which includes Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 112920, Horse and Other Equine

Production. The Small Business Size Standard is $2.75M. The Olympic National Recreation Area, National Park Service, may have an upcoming request to solicit and may award a firm fixed priced contract for the purchase and delivery of 4-6 mules.

Large Businesses for NAICS 112920 that are interested are also encouraged to submit their Capability Statement in accordance with the instructions below.

Important Notice:

Businesses registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) must update their SAM registration in order to have their small business status updated based on the new size standards effective March 17, 2023. Until the SAM registration is updated, the SAM profiles will continue to display the small business status under the old size standards.

Olympic National Park utilizes mules to support trail maintenance, backcountry structure maintenance, ranger and crew operations, and resource management research throughout the park. Mules can be expected to travel more than 30 miles a day with loads exceeding 140 pounds in the performance of pack support. When selecting mules for work, load capacity, reliability, health, temperament and life expectancy of the mules are critical factors that will ensure reliable and safe pack support. The minimum requirements are as follows:

1) Acceptable Coggins Certificate and Vaccination Record

2) Minimum height: 14/2 hands

3) Max Age: 12

4) Previous pack and saddle training

5) Positive response to human interaction

6) Mild temperament

7) Minimum weight 1000 lbs.

8) Hoof structure and sound anatomy

9) Fluid gait and pace

Capability Statements

Responses to this Sources Sought Notice should demonstrate the contractor's ability, capability and responsibility to provide mules in accordance with the listed minimum requirements above.

In response to this notice, interested parties shall submit a written Statement of Capability limited to 2 pages and shall include the following information:

1) Contractor's name, address, point of contact, phone number, and email address.

2) Contractor's interest in providing a quote, should the solicitation be issued.

3) Contractor's capability to meet the requirements.

4) Contractor's Unique Entity ID. The Unique Entity ID is a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by SAM.gov.

5) Contractor's business size.

6) Contractor's small business type (if a small business) and whether they qualify for a socio-economic category (i.e. 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB, etc.)

Be sure to note the Sources Sought Notice #140P8326Q0015 in the subject line of your email.

Email this information to michael_abner@nps.gov by March 2, 2026, 9:00 am Pacific Standard Time.

Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. Reimbursement is not authorized for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice, or any follow-up information requested. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government may cancel this solicitation/acquisition in its entirety.