Description
NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITIONSOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION Requesting Agency: McFaddin National Wildlife RefugeContracting Agency: Division of Contracting and General Services (Region 2)Action to be approved: Sole Source Purchase of 18 gram Solar PTT (Platform Transmitter Terminal) radios with a ground track option.Supplies Required: This document justifies the noncompetitive acquisition of 18-gram solar PTT (Platform Transmitter Terminal) radios with a ground tracking option, to aid in additional monitoring of mottled ducks on the Texas Chenier Plain Complex and surrounding private lands. These radios will provide up-to-date information on survival rates, habitat use, and movements of this waterfowl species enabling managers and biologists to better plan habitat management actions across the complex. Statutory Authority: FAR 6.302-1 - Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 1. The radios described above will be acquired from Microwave Telemetry, INC., a business located in Columbia, Maryland without competition because the proposed company is the only supplier available to meet the needs of the Refuge. Microwave Telemetry, INC. manufactures 18-gram solar PTT radios with a ground tracking option. While there are additional solar PTT radios on the market available from other vendors; Microwave Telemetry, INC. is the only manufacturer with this type of radio that has the capability of transmitting a UHF ( ultra high frequency) signal that can be picked up by our current radio telemetry equipment, while maintaining a less than 20-gram weight limit. North Star Telemetry Systems can manufacture a dual package (i.e., solar PTT and very high frequency [VHF]) however; the package will weigh over 20 grams. North Star Telemetry Systems also offers a smaller radio package, that would meet weight specifications of the species, however it has a smaller battery which means the life expectancy of the radio and transmission capabilities may be shortened. Radios may only be attached to mottled ducks when the radio will maintain < 3% of the total body weight. Our average body weight for mottled ducks ranges from 650-850 grams, which means that radios must weigh less than 19.5 grams for birds weighing 650 grams or less (i.e., the lighter the radio package the more candidate mottled ducks available for transmitter attachment, and less stress on the birds over the long term). The UHF capability within the transmitter is necessary to be able to retrieve mortalities within the field. This will enable biologists assess mortality sites and gather additional important ecological information on this species. The UHF option will also allow biologists to track birds that remain on the Refuge Complex and gather finer tuned biological information on the birds, such as triangulated positions within the marsh and real time habitat and movement data. The PTT option is also an important component of the radio because it will allow biologists to gain knowledge on emigration and immigration rates of mottled ducks to and from Refuge lands, and allow them to track long-term movements across the landscape. We currently have 15, 18 gram Solar PTT (Platform Transmitter Terminal) radios with a ground track option deployed on the Texas Chenier Plain Refuge Complex. In order to maintain scientific integrity of current data and avoid radio biases in current and future data analyses, we need to deploy identical radio models in consecutive field seasons. Please see attached radio specifications. Microwave Telemetry, INC. is the only manufacturer of an 18-gram solar PTT satellite radio transmitter that will meet this species biological requirements (i.e., weight restrictions) while maintaining a large battery giving the radio a full life expectancy of 2-5 years. 2. Competition was attempted by surveying the market for other vendors which supply this type of radio transmitter; however, no other businesses with this capability were found (see attached documentation). 3. The total estimated cost for this procurement is $73,000 4. Every attempt will be made in the future to obtain full and open competition for this type of purchase by utilizing market surveys, etc.