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United States Department of Agriculture
Decision to Restrict Competition under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold Identification Number:

In accordance with the Revolutiona1y Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) FAR 12.102 (a), the following documents the decision to restrict competition for this acquisition. (1) Mission Area and Contracting Activity.

Requisition Number:
Requesting Activity Agency:
Contracting Activity:

27-019 (Purchase Request Number from AD700)
U.S. Depaiiment of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Boise State Office, Snow
Survey Dept., Boise, ID.
FPAC-BC, Western Section

ated Value
(3) Brief Description of Supplies or Services
NRCS Snow Survey proposes to procure snow measurement services by means other than full and open competition.

(4) Justification for Restricting Competition and the Basis for that Decision.

A. Explain the unique qualifications/chai·acteristics of the proposed contractor or product and why no other contractor or product/service can meet the Government's need. 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 neai·ly 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 suppo1i resource management activities across the Western US. The high-elevation watershed locations, broad coverage, and real-time operation of the network provide impoliant data to fa1mers, 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 tenain to complete work in a timely manner. Additionally, local surveyors have many yeai·s 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 te1ms of the combination of location, equipment, and willingness. Lastly, data continuity between years is key