JA for_RPA NatureServe_Redacted.pdf

This is a Decision to Restrict Competition document from the United States Department of Agriculture authorizing the Forest Service PNW Research Station to award a contract on a restricted basis under simplified acquisition procedures.

The acquisition (Requisition Number 1169375) involves procuring services for the production of terrestrial, aquatic, and forest-associated terrestrial species-level information at HUC-8 watershed scale for the continental United States (CONUS) and Alaska. The services will generate national-scale biota inventories for both terrestrial and aquatic species, including imperilment status assessments and updates to current inventories to support Resource Planning Act reporting and Forest Sustainability reporting requirements. NatureServe has been identified as the sole source contractor due to its unique qualifications as the authoritative source for this analysis type in North America, its collaboration with over 60 network organizations and nearly 1,000 conservation professionals, and its proprietary Biotics 5 System—a customized information management system that sorts data by element, occurrences, managed areas, conservation sites, scientific names, references, and contacts. The market research confirmed that no other vendors can provide analysis at the required spatial scale or meet the mandatory reporting requirements. Technical/Requirements Personnel Certification was dated 04/20/2026, and the Contracting Officer's Certification approving the justification was dated 08/05/2026.