Remote Sensing Analyst Services

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), intends to award a sole-source contract to Patrick Willis to acquire  technical services with expertise in NASS’ remote sensing based Cropland Data Layer (CDL) program methodology, derivation of acreage estimates, and disaster assessments for official NASS Agricultural Production Reports.  The data products and estimates are produced within the confines of NASS computing infrastructure on a monthly schedule between June and December, while disaster assessments products are produced ad-hoc within 48 hours of data acquisition.  The following services are required to prepare the CDL for production and area estimates; geospatial ground reference data preparation, satellite image downloading and processing, land cover CDL classification, and accuracy assessment metadata services to deliver timely acreage estimates and document results, as published in the SOW.  Additional imaging services for public domain dissemination includes preparing the following national products:  CDL, Confidence Layer, Crop Frequency Layer, and Cultivated Layer image mosaics. Processing of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) datasets are needed for identifying and quantifying inundated or burned agricultural disaster areas on an ad-hoc basis for disaster assessments.  These technical services are unique and required so that the Agency can produce high quality, timely, accurate, and useful official U.S. Agricultural Statistics.

Mr. Willis has a vast knowledge of NASS remote sensing methods and practices, data types, and software applications used to create CDL and disaster assessment products.  Mr. Willis has a thorough knowledge and demonstrated capability meeting the Agency’s production lead times and deadlines. 

Mr. Willis has a detailed and thorough understanding of the CDL standardized work flows needed to produce and periodically enhance the CDL Program.  Previous experience with the NASS CDL image processing methodology is necessary to handle the following methodological changes, that can occur annually or periodically; ground reference processing relating to changing data formats or grower practices (i.e., crop rotations or disaster prevention), new satellite missions and platforms, integration of additional or new ancillary input data layers (i.e., National Land Cover Dataset), ability to reengineer the classification processes, and expand the program scope by processing additional states while meeting publication deadlines.

Mr. Willis has over 20 years of multi-disciplined experience working on remote sensing programs at NASS.  Mr. Willis is profoundly knowledgeable of both legacy and current NASS data and processing systems.

The anticipated Period of Performance is:

Base Year:    02/07/2020 through 02/06/2021

If exercised:

Option I:       02/07/2021 through 02/06/2022

Option II:      02/07/2022 through 02/06/2023

Option III:     02/07/2023 through 02/06/2024

Option IV:     02/07/2024 through 02/06/2025

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.  This notice is for informational purposes only and is not be construed as a commitment by the Government.  Vendors that believe they can provide the services listed above are invited to submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified Point of Contact.  Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.  Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.  A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government.