NRI - Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection - Southern California

The United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Bureau is conducting market research to identify potential contractors for a National Resources Inventory (NRI) grazing land on-site data collection project in Southern California. The project requires two-person data collection teams to gather detailed field data on rangeland resources within Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino, and potentially adjacent counties. Key qualifications include having team members with Bachelor's degrees in Range Management and soil science, with experience in rangeland management. Contractors must be prepared to collect GPS coordinates, soil observations, landscape parameters, ecological site information, rangeland health indicators, conservation practices, and vegetation measurements using specific protocols and equipment. Responses to the Sources Sought Notice are due by January 10, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST, with capability statements limited to 5 pages and to be emailed to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist.

The procurement is classified under NAICS code 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services) with a size standard of $19.5M, and there is currently no specific set-aside designation. The contract is anticipated to be a firm-fixed price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with one base year in 2025 and four potential option years. For the base year, contractors will be responsible for collecting data from approximately 144 inventory segments containing up to 288 sample points, with each segment covering roughly 160 acres. The project requires annual data collection between March and July, with electronic data transmission required within 15 days of collection. Contractors must also attend a 3-day NRCS National training session for technical leaders and participate in local training and calibration. While the government will provide certain equipment like soil testing kits and GPS units, contractors must supply their own field measurement tools and transportation.