NRCS - Southern California National Resources Inventory (NRI) Data Collection Services

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under the Department of Agriculture's Farm Production and Conservation division, is seeking a contractor to provide data collection services for the Southern California National Resources Inventory (NRI) on grazing lands throughout southern California. The contractor must supply qualified personnel, equipment, and materials to collect comprehensive inventory data including landscape information, soil determinations, ecological site assessments, rangeland health evaluations, plant identification and census data, and disturbance indicators from approximately 276 data collection points across selected sample segments in Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino, and adjacent counties. Key personnel requirements include a team leader with a degree in range management or related discipline and a minimum of one year of specialized rangeland inventory experience, along with crew members possessing at least two years of undergraduate training in biological or earth sciences; all personnel must complete mandatory annual NRCS training and confidentiality agreements. Award will be made using a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation methodology based on three technical factors—Personnel Qualifications and Technical Capability, Compliance/Capacity and Management Capability, and Past Experience—followed by price evaluation. The solicitation number is 12FPC326Q0007, quotations are due April 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET, and this announcement constitutes the only solicitation notice that will be issued.

This acquisition is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 541620 (Environmental Consulting Services) with a small business size standard of $19.0 million, and no incumbent contractor is identified in the available documentation. The contract will be awarded as a firm-fixed-price agreement with a base period from April 15, 2026, through January 31, 2027, followed by four optional one-year periods extending through January 31, 2031, with data collection occurring annually between March 15 and July 31. Historical data from the 2024 California NRI program indicates approximately 83 percent data collection success rates, and payment will be made only for completed points that meet quality standards and are successfully uploaded to the Iowa State University server at unit rates specified in the quotation, with Service Contract Labor Standards wage determinations (including an Environmental Technician minimum of $33.56 per hour) applicable to the contract. The Government will furnish specific equipment including a Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro smartphone with CASI software and a Bad Elf Mini GPS unit, while the contractor must provide all other materials including survey equipment, soil testing kits, plant identification keys, transportation, and internet access for data transmission.