P06 1116237 SS_(FY24-FPAC-J016)_18Dec23_ss_Redacted.pdf

Template for Single Source or Brand Name Justification under SAT, March 2019

Single Source/Brand Name Justification United States Department of Agriculture

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – Simplified Acquisitions

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting office.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Boise State Office, Snow Survey Dept., Boise, ID.

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

NRCS Snow Survey proposes to procure snow measurement services by means of other than full and open competition.

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

NRCS Snow Survey maintains an extensive automated (SNOTEL) and manual (Snow Course) data collection network in the Western United States and Alaska. Combined, the network encompasses nearly 2,000 remote snow measurement sites in mountain snowpack zones.

Congress mandated NRCS (then the Soil Conservation Service) in the mid 1930’s “to measure snowpack in the mountains of the West and forecast the water supply.” NRCS Snow Survey now provides reliable and efficiently collected data needed to produce water supply forecasts and to support resource management activities across the Western US. The high-elevation watershed locations, broad coverage, and real-time operation of the network provide important data to farmers, researchers, river and reservoir managers, emergency managers for natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and for power generation. In some remote locations, private local contractors have been utilized to conduct critical manual snow measurements. In these rare instances, the contractors have the wherewithal (over-snow travel equipment, snow samplers) and knowledge of local terrain in order to complete work in a timely manner.

Additionally, local surveyors have many years of experience using a federal snow sampler, calculating snow-water-equivalent, and communicating results to the main NRCS Snow Survey office. Lastly, data continuity between years is key to making NRCS Snow Data most useful and to decrease data uncertainty (error). Year-to-year data continuity is best achieved by utilizing the same surveyors as long as possible.

4. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was not conducted due to the uniqueness of Snow Survey work, there simply is no market to research.

FY24-FPAC-Justification-016

Template for Single Source or Brand Name Justification under SAT, March 2019

Estimated price, including all options, if applicable.

Recommended source(s).

Certifications

Supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel and which form the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

The information contained in this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.106-1(b)(1), I hereby determine the circumstances described above deem only one source, or limited sources, reasonably available and competition is precluded for the reasons indicated in this document.

FY24-FPAC-Justification-016