Yakama Nation Site Monitoring

This is a special notice prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 5.2
“Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District intends to negotiate a sole source award, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 2304(c)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.106-1(b) only one responsible source and no other vendor will satisfy agency requirements, to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (Yakama Nation) to gather information that can assist in the development of long-term cultural resource management decisions. The following actions provide background and context in which the Corps makes decisions:

• Observation, documentation, and reporting on the physical  dynamics involved in the erosional or depositional processes occurring at monitored sites.
• Recording site conditions in an effort to provide information from which future changes such as sediment loss, topographic change, vegetation change, human and animal use impacts, soil disturbance, and vandalism can be quantitatively determined.
• Monitoring for looting, vandalism, and burial desecration at designated sites and ensuring the notification of proper authorities.
• Accurate documentation of the variation and diversity of potential impacts and causal factors at the site.
• Providing recommendations for treatment of monitored sites including recommendations regarding future monitoring frequency.
• Providing tribal insight about the religious and cultural significance of sites.

Background:  The Corps and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) (Agencies) are jointly responsible for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) under the terms of the 2009 Systemwide Programmatic Agreement for management of historic properties affected by operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). The Corps manages the Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day Projects, which are part of the FCRPS. The FCRPS Cultural Resource Program works closely with interested and affected tribes, state historic preservation offices, and other agencies for cultural resource management in compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA.

Justification:  The Yakama Nation possesses unique knowledge of its ancestral artifacts, village sites, prehistoric burial areas, and areas of traditional cultural properties and resources that exist within and overlap the project area.

Impact:  Failure to utilize the Yakama Nation’s knowledge of its archeological sites and traditional resources would delay the Corps in being able to make required long term management strategies for the area and impact compliance with Section 106 of NHPA under the terms of the 2009 Systemwide Programmatic Agreement for management of historic properties affected by operation and maintenance of the FCRPS. Furthermore, the government-to-government relations with the Yakama Nation would be negatively impacted.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Alternatives: There are no known alternatives for these services that possess the knowledge of the Yakama Nation tribal history or could speak on the Yakama Nation’s behalf.

A SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE POSTED. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS OR QUOTATIONS.

All responsible sources may submit a capability statement to the contracting officer before the notice end date. If no
affirmative written responses are received by 10:00 AM Pacific time on 04 April 2025, the
Contracting Officer will proceed with the sole source action. Oral communications are not acceptable
in response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed
requirement is solely within the discretion of the Government. Electronic responses and questions
shall be submitted via email to BOTH POCs listed, below. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not
responsible for any costs incurred by responding to this notice.