SAM #West-JA27-001

Idaho NRCS Snow-Course Measurement Services

USDA is seeking snow-measurement services to support NRCS snow-data collection and water-supply forecasting in Idaho. - Government buyer: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Boise State Office, Snow Survey Department; the FPAC Business Center Acquisition Division is also identified in the notice. - Services: Conduct 11 scheduled snow-measurement events at Camp Creek, Kilgore, Irving Creek, and Webber Creek. The work involves manual measurements, snow-water-equivalent calculations, and reporting results. - Requirements: Follow Agriculture Handbook No. 169 and the specified seasonal measurement windows; obtain prior approval for work outside those windows. Surveyors should have appropriate over-snow equipment, snow-sampler experience, knowledge of local terrain, and familiarity with site-specific data requirements. Return government-provided equipment before payment and provide data promptly when needed for publication deadlines. - Procurement context: The notice is for market research and does not request quotes. The attachment describes restricted competition and the importance of continuity with experienced surveyors; it says no capable vendors were found in the immediate area and an unnamed California vendor was not interested in work in Idaho. - OEMs and vendors: No companies are named. Although the notice metadata and attachment filename refer to helicopter services, the described work is snow measurement and does not specify helicopter services.

Description

This is a sources sought notice ONLY.  Quotes are not to be submitted nor will they be accepted at this time for this requirement.  The government is seeking interested vendors that are in the site areas listed below, or vendors that are able to provide the below services in the site areas listed below. 

All snow survey measurements are to be in accordance with the snow measurement sampling guide, Agriculture Handbook Number 169. Erroneous measurements and wide variations in density indicating inaccurate sampling cannot be accepted or reimbursed.

Schedule of Snow Courses to be Completed:

Site Name      Jan-1     Feb-1     Mar-1     Apr-1

Camp Creek    X             X            X            X

Kilgore             X             X            X           X

Irving Creek                                   X           X

Webber Creek                               X           X

Measurements are to be taken as near to the first of each month as possible.

Scheduled Date     Acceptable Window

1-Jan                     Dec 27 - Jan 1

1-Feb                    Jan 27 - Feb 1

1-Mar                     Feb 24 - Mar 1

1-Apr                     Mar 27 - Apr 1

1-May                    Apr 26 - May 1

1-Jun                     May 27 - Jun 1

Measurements taken outside the specified dates will not be accepted or reimbursed unless approved by the Boise Snow Survey Office prior to making the measurements. All government-provided equipment, including the snow sampling set, must be returned to the nearest NRCS Field or State Office when measurements are completed before payment can be processed.

To meet publication deadlines, snow measurement data may be provided by phone, fax, or preferably email if original notes cannot reach the Boise Snow Survey Office by the SECOND DAY OF EACH MONTH.

Upon completion of the snow survey measurements, submit an invoice online via www.IPP.gov. Additional details will be provided in the contract documents.

NRCS Snow Survey maintains an extensive automated (SNOTEL) and manual (Snow Course) data collection network in the Western United States and Alaska. Combined, the network encompasses nearly 2,000 remote snow measurement sites in mountain snowpack zones. Congress mandated NRCS (then the Soil Conservation Service) in the mid 1930's "to measure snowpack in the mountains of the West and forecast the water supply." NRCS Snow Survey now provides reliable and efficiently collected data needed to produce water supply forecasts and to support resource management activities across the Western US. The high-elevation watershed locations, broad coverage, and real-time operation of the network provide important data to farmers, researchers, river and reservoir managers, emergency managers for natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and for power generation. In some remote locations, private local contractors have been utilized to conduct critical manual snow measurements. The contractors have the wherewithal (over-snow travel equipment, snow samplers) and knowledge of local terrain to complete work in a timely manner. Additionally, local surveyors have many years of experience using a federal snow sampler, calculating snow-water-equivalent, and communicating results to the main NRCS Snow Survey office. These surveyors are unique in terms of the combination of location, equipment, and willingness. Lastly, data continuity between years is key to making NRCS Snow Data most useful and to decrease data uncertainty (error). Year-to-year data continuity is best achieved by utilizing the same surveyors as long as possible. 

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