2014Special_Notice.docx

NOTICE OF THE INTENT TO AWARD OF A SINGLE SOURCE PURCHASE ORDER

Solicitation Number: AG-04M3-S-14-0039 This announcement is a notice of intent to award a sole source purchase order to National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), Inc. under the requirements of FAR Part 13 and FAR 6.302-1," Other Than Full and Open Competition - one responsible source". The applicable NAICS code 541620 Environmental Consulting Services with a size standard of $14 million.

USDA Forest Service intends to issue a single source, non-commercial item purchase order for the analysis and summarization of elk diet composition data and the publication of these findings that were collected over the last 8 years for the PNW Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory. This purchase order is being awarded under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c) (1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 - "Only one responsible source" as the only viable course of action that provides for the analyzing and compilation of the data found during a8-year collaboration on the long-term study of effects of elk and cattle herbivory on vegetation and ungulate nutrition in forest understories at Starkey Experimental Forest and Range near La Grande, OR (referred to as Starkey Ungulate Herbivory Study).

NCASI services to be performed include all data summaries, final analyses, reports, and follow-on manuscripts and publications to complete the elk component of the Starkey Ungulate Herbivory Study. These services build directly on, and depend on, prior field work conducted by NCASI scientists as part of the 8-year collaboration between NCASI and PNW Research Station on the elk component of the study. The prior field work required the use of tame elk by NCASI scientists to collect data on elk diets needed for the elk component of the study. Use of these tame elk for field research required unique skills and experience possessed by these NCASI scientists.

Other contractors could not provide the same level of service. See justification attached.

This notice of intent to award is not a request for competitive proposals. However, Forest Service will consider any capability statements received by 4:30 PM PST on Monday, 23 June 2014. All responses shall be emailed to Andrea Stanbro, Contracting Officer, at astanbro@fs.fed.us.

Capability statements would normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Any respondent companies must be a small business.