J_A-_SAM_Posting_1.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

https://www.blm.gov

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR ACQUISITIONS UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES

This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) &(2).

1. Contracting agency and activity.

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Utah State Office Natural

Resources Division, requests the Utah State Office, to contract on a sole source (including brand name) basis.

2. Nature and/or description of action being approved.

This requirement is for a new five-year sole source contract with the University of Utah, Natural

History Museum of Utah, also referred to as the Utah Museum of Natural History (UMNH), located at 201 Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, UEI LL8GLEVH6MG3.

3. Description of supplies or services.

Temporary curation of BLM Utah owned archaeological collections in a climate controlled, secure facility, overseen by qualified curation staff, meeting Department of the Interior policy. The services include temporary curation, freezing for pest management purposes, general management of the curation facility, protection from unauthorized access to the materials, access for qualified

BLM Utah personnel to work with the curated collections (including providing all equipment necessary to facilitate BLM’s work at the facility), and access for Contractor’s staff to work with the collections under other BLM Utah contracts.

4. Estimated dollar value.

The total dollar value for the base year is $7,546.20. The cost for each option year will be calculated based on the same fee structure to account for boxes that have been removed from the loan for long-term permanent curation at a repository. The total estimated dollar value will is $40,000 over the five-year period of performance.

5. Statutory authority.

__X__41 U.S.C. 1901 – Simplified acquisition procedures (use when the simplified procedures for purchases of property and services for amounts (1) not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold

____41 U.S.C 1903 – Special emergency procurement authority (applies when in support of a contingency operation as defined in section 101(a) of title 10 or to facilitate the defense against or recovery from nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack against the

United States).

https://www.blm.gov/

6. Rationale supporting use of the authority stated in paragraph 5.

Facilities/Repositories performing curation for federal agencies and collections must conform to

36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 79-Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered

Archeological Collections-as stated in 36 CFR 79.6(b) and 36 CFR 79.9.

The Contractor meets the requirements stated above and is an approved Department of the Interior

(DOI) repository, as described in DOI policies and directives found at https://www.doi.gov/museum/policy/ (See specifically Directive 14, Facility Checklist for Spaces

Housing DOI Museum Property and Department Manual 411). As required for any facilities/repositories holding federal collections, the Contractor has been approved to hold federal collections via the procedure outlined in the Directive and Manual above. The Contractor’s facility is state-of-the-art, ensuring the collections are sufficiently cared for during the duration of the contract.

Furthermore, 36 CFR 79.6(b)(1) states that, "When possible, the collection should be deposited in a repository that...(ii) Stores and maintains other collections from the same site or project location;

or (iii) Houses collections from a similar geographic region or cultural area." Additionally, 36

CFR 79.6(b)(2) recommends that collections "should not be subdivided and stored at more than a single repository unless such subdivision is necessary to meet special storage, conservation, or research needs." Finally, the two components of these collections - material remains and associated records - "should be deposited in the same repository to maintain the integrity and research value of the collection." Except in those instances where non-federally owned material remains are retained and disposed of by the owner [36 CFR 79.6(b)(3)].

The Contractor permanently curates multiple collections for BLM Utah as well as other federal bureaus and agencies, demonstrating that the Contractor is well equipped to suitably care for the materials being temporarily curated, as exhibited in the facility features, staff expertise, and history of care for important archaeological collections. Additionally, the Contractor is excelling in their ability to appropriately care for BLM Utah owned museum collections and facilitating

BLM Utah’s request for access of the boxes that are currently being held at the Contractor’s facility.

Location of the collection in Salt Lake City, Utah is also a priority for this contract, as BLM

UTSO staff will need access to the collections quickly and easily throughout the contract. The

Contractor’s facility is in proximity to the BLM UTSO, making it possible to easily access the facility, ultimately reducing travel costs and time in transit. In addition, the Natural History

Museum of Utah has performed exceedingly well facilitating BLM Utah’s access to the collections currently being temporarily curated for necessary work lasting for both short periods of time and for durations lasting many months. These two factors are crucial to BLM Utah’s continued access to the collection and overall success of the contract.

Additionally, the Contractor requires ongoing access at their facility to the BLM Utah Museum property under this contract for other ongoing contracts with BLM Utah. This contract, and access to the museum property as described above, would still be required regardless of any other BLM

Utah contracts involving the Contractor.

Based on all the information presented above, the Natural History Museum of Utah is the most appropriate entity to curate the collections needing specialized, short-term curation care in Salt

Lake City, Utah.

7. Other information.

As BLM Utah works with repositories in other areas of Utah, the BLM UTSO is aware that the rate for temporary curation at the Natural History Museum of Utah is significantly less than paying a box fee to accession materials in any other repository in the state. Additionally, not all repositories are interested in allowing a federal bureau to temporarily curate artifacts in their curation facility under a loan agreement and only accept objects that are formally accessioned for permanent curation. Proximity of the Contractor’s facility to the BLM UTSO will save the government a significant amount of money by negating the need for travel outside the city to access the collection for day-to-day duties associated with managing the collection. Market research shows that the Natural History Museum of Utah is the most advantageous place to temporarily curate BLM Utah owned museum collections. Furthermore, the museum property to be cared for under this contract is already being temporarily curated at the Natural History

Museum of Utah under a current version of this contract and relocating the museum property would be unacceptable as it would significantly increase time and costs for this contract as well as other ongoing contracts with the Contractor that require access to the museum property.

8. The efforts to identify additional sources including the market research conducted.

Market research conducted by the requestor resulted in prices that were well over $500 per box for curation in a facility that meets the DOI standards previously mentioned.

9. Future plans to permit competition.

The BLM will continue to perform market research as needed prior to exercising option years to ensure that this temporary curation arrangement remains advantageous to the Government.

10. Certification

The ordering activity Contracting Officer’s certification that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of the Contracting Officer’s knowledge and belief and evidence that the supporting data that form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by technical/program personnel.

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this justification and which form a basis for this justification, are complete and accurate.

__// Signature on File //_________________

Diana Barg

Curator and NAGPRA Coordinator

Contracting Officer’s Representative

11. I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief:

__// Signature on File //_________________

Temujene H. Makua

Contracting Officer