Sole_Source_Justification_2.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, plans to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. The U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center requests award of a noncompetitive procurement to Vertebrate Systems LLC of Chesterfield, Missouri, USA for GPS transmitters.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. USGS requires information to assess cumulative impacts on red-throated loons due to potential disturbance and displacement around offshore and inshore industrial facilities, ecological changes in nearshore environments, or accumulation of contaminants exposure. GPS transmitters are needed to obtain location data on red-throated loons to provide fine-scale resolution of loon feeding habitat. The location data from GPS transmitters will identify important feeding areas of loons during nesting and chick rearing prior to industrial development. These transmitters will also collect accelerometer data, as well as data on dive depth and duration to determine energy expenditure of loon foraging bouts. Due to the remote areas where red-throated loons breed in northern Alaska, UHF base-stations will be used to communicate with transmitters and download the data. Without these pieces of equipment and the capability they bring we will be unable to assess red-throated loon habitat use in marine waters prior to oil and gas development and dynamics of predator-prey relationships of loons and their prey to evaluate the sensitivity of loon reproductive success to fish prey type and availability. This work contributes to information needs of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is funded by the USGS Outer Continental Shelf Program and Changing Arctic Ecosystem Initiative.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – only one source reasonably available.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. The GPS transmitters provided by Vertebrate Systems LLC have at least one unique feature which are required to meet the USGS’ need. They are the only known GPS transmitters with time-depth recorder (TDR) functionality which will collect data on diving duration with a time stamp of each event, diving depth (pressure), and water temperature. From this information, the USGS will be able to determine essential information on depth and duration of Red-throated Loons. The transmitters also have a highly efficient solar charger that works well in low light conditions and the memory capacity to store up to 130,000 GPS positions. These loggers automatically switch into GPS interval every 6 hours and data transmission every 24 hours when the power drops below 3.8V and stop all activities when power drops further to prevent loss of data. The GPS-GSM/GPRS-UHF telemetry units enable maximum flexibility for data retrieval and programming. When the units are within range of a handheld or fixed receiver, data are downloaded and stored on a computer.

When units are within range of telecommunications networks, data are transmitted via GSM/GPRS to online control panel, email, or movebank.org account. We have also already purchased 12 UHF base-stations from Vertebrate Systems LLC for prior years of this study.

Base-stations are only compatible with transmitters manufactured by the same company;

therefore, using transmitters and base-stations from Vertebrate Systems LLC will improve continuity of data and reduce the cost by not having to purchase additional base- stations.

7. Other Information. N/A

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Vertebrate Systems LLC is the only company with these specific transmitters operating within the United States. No other sources are known to process the unique and essential qualifications outlined in this justification. The recommendation of the Alaska Science Center in support of this noncompetitive justification is made in recognition of the fact that the competition must be obtained to the maximum extent practicable.

In addition, RFI, 140G0322Q0148, was posted for eleven days on SAM.gov with one response received, which was determined to be not technically acceptable because the devices provided are too heavy (>20g), not completely waterproof (loons are diving birds), do not have time-depth recorders, and require triple AAA batteries to run.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition. Future acquisitions of this nature are not anticipated at this time. However, future requirements will undergo market research and be competed to the maximum extent practical.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a sole source basis and certify the above statements are true and accurate.

11. Certifications from the Contracting Officer:

a. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – only one source reasonably available. The Government anticipates receiving a fair and reasonable price by basing it on one or more of the allowable options indicated in FAR 13.106(a)(2).

b. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

12. Approvals