This is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract and is not a request for competitive proposals. The government intends to solicit a proposal and enter into a contract with OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY KERR ADMINISTRATION B306, CORVALLIS, OR 97331-8507, a large business to provide a water analysis for the Yukon Charlie/ Gates of the Arctic National Park, Fairbanks, AK 99709 This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, the Government shall consider all responses received prior to the close date of this announcement. Written responses to this notice shall contain sufficient documentation to establish bonafide capability to fulfill the requirement. A solicitation is not available. Please-mail contract specialist, Jordan Gunn with responses or questions regarding this requirement at
[email protected]. JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (or SOLE SOURCE) Background: The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program was established to provide robust scientific information regarding the status and trends of critical natural resources in the National Parks. There are 32 multi-park networks in the I&M Program. The Central Alaska Network (CAKN) consists of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and covers 22 million acres, or 25% of all land administered by the National Park Service nationwide. In order to track the condition of our parks, Central Alaska Network scientists have chosen 37 key indicators, or "Vital Signs," to represent the overall health of the network. Each Vital Sign falls into one of 4 categories: physical environment, plant life, animal life, or human use. 15 vital signs relate to animal life, 12 relate to the physical environment, 4 relate to human use, and 6 relate to plant life. Underlying these 4 vital sign categories is a focus on habitat change. This focus allows us to predict and possibly model future variations on the landscape. With some idea about predicted change, managers can develop better strategies for resource protection. Natural resource monitoring is conducted primarily for two purposes: (1) to detect significant changes in resource abundance, condition, population structure, or ecological processes; or (2) to evaluate the effects of some management action on population or community dynamics or ecological processes. Monitoring data are most useful when the same methods are used to collect data at the same locations over a long time period (e.g. more than 10-12 years). The CAKN Inventory and Monitoring Program is being designed to last for well beyond this time frame. Three of the CAKN Vital Signs relate directly to stream and rivers, and include water quality, stream and river flow, and the distribution and abundance of freshwater fishes. These three Vital Signs are interrelated and represent different ways of examining change in these important ecosystems. To fully evaluate any of the various aspects of stream ecosystems, how those ecosystems may be changing, and what those changes mean requires an accurate and ongoing appraisal of the water chemistry of the systems (that is, what are the concentrations of various important dissolved compounds such as nutrients). Because the streams of the Central Alaska Network are relatively pristine (unpolluted), the natural levels of many of these compounds are very low. This means that in order to accurately monitor these ecosystems, we must be able to accurately quantify very low concentrations of these compounds. Very few water chemistry vendors are able to repeatably and accurately detect the low levels we require, because highly specialized methodologies are required to attain that level of data quality. The Cooperative Chemical Analytical Laboratory (CCAL) was established over 30 years ago specifically to carry out these kinds of specialized analyses. The CAKN flowing waters program and the CAKN shallow lakes program have relied on CCAL to analyze water chemistry samples since 2006. 1. FAR Statutory Authority cited: 6.302, Circumstances Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition. Per FAR 6.302-1(B)(1)(i) the Cooperative Chemical Analytical Laboratory at Oregon State University, is the only laboratory that can provide the services required due to the level of testing needed and continuity in data. 2. Nature and description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs: Chemical analysis of water for the following constituents (methodologies and required detection limits and precisions in parentheses): 1. Total Nitrogen (APHA 4500-NO3 F; APHA 4500-P J., detection limit 0.01 mg/l +/- 0.01 mg/l) 2. Total Phosphorus (APHA 4500-P B; APHA 4500-P E; EPA 365.2. Modifications: microwave digestion 60 minutes, 50 ml analysis volume, Ascorbic acid method, detection limit 0.002 mg/l +/- 0.002 mg/l) 3. Orthophosphate (APHA 4500-P E; EPA 365.2. Ascorbic acid method, detection limit 0.001 mg/l +/- 0.001 mg/l) 4. Nitrate/nitrite-N (APHA 4500-NO3 F; EPA 353.3. Cadmium reduction method, detection limit 0.001 mg/l +/- 0.001 mg/l) 5. DOC (APHA 5310 B, detection limit 0.05 mg/l +/- 0.05 mg/l) 6. Ammonia-N (APHA 4500-NH3 G; EPA 350.1, detection limit 0.01 mg/l +/- 0.003 mg/l) 7. Silica (APHA 4500-SiO2 E; Technicon industrial method 105-71W/B, detection limit 0.20 mg/l +/- 0.05 mg/l) 8. Sodium (APHA 3111 B; flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, 0.01 mg/l +/- 0.01 mg/l) 9. Calcium (APHA 3111 B; flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, 0.06 mg/l +/- 0.06 mg/l) 10. Magnesium (APHA 3111 B; flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, 0.02 mg/l +/- 0.02 mg/l) 11. Potassium (APHA 3111 B, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, 0.03 mg/l +/- 0.03 mg/l) 12. Sulfate (APHA 4110 B; EPA 9056A, 0.02 mg/l +/- 0.02 mg/l) 13. Chloride (APHA 4110 B; EPA 9056A, 0.01 mg/l +/- 0.01 mg/l) 14. pH (APHA 4500 H; Calomel reference electrode, glass pH electrode, temperature compensator, 0.1 pH units +/- 0.1 pH units) 15. Alkalinity (APHA 2320, titrate to pH 4.5. Modifications: Use 0.02N Na2CO3 and 0.02N H2SO4, 0.2 mg/l +/- 0.02 mg/l) 16. Specific conductance (APHA 2510; Wheatstone bridge, 0.4 microS/cm +/- 2%) 17. Total Dissolved Nitrogen (APHA 4500-NO3 F; APHA 4500-P J., detection limit 0.01 mg/l +/- 0.01 mg/l) Laboratory specifications: a. The laboratory must be experienced in the analysis of low-level nutrient concentrations in water samples from oligotrophic systems. b. The laboratory must conform to EPA surface water chemistry criteria. c. The laboratory must participate in the USGS Standard Reference Water Survey Program. d. The laboratory must provide a detailed Quality Assurance Plan to CAKN. e. The laboratory must use prepared NIST-traceable calibration standards. f. The laboratory must, when sample volume allows, run duplicate analyses for 10% of samples per analysis. g. The laboratory must be located in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest to minimize transit time for shipment of frozen samples. 3. A demonstration that the proposed contractor is the only source available to provide these services or goods (i.e. unique qualifications, proprietary rights etc.): The Central Alaska Network has selected this laboratory to analyze its water samples because CCAL is capable of detecting extremely low levels of the chemical constituents found in Alaskan waters. Unlike most water chemistry labs, which specialize in the analysis of wastewater or water from polluted locations, CCAL specializes in the analysis of nutrient research samples from natural lakes, streams, precipitation and groundwater in unpolluted areas. Our samples are collected in pristine streams with extremely low nutrient concentrations; as such, we require the low detection limits provided by CCAL. CCAL has more than 30 years experience analyzing these kinds of water samples. CCAL is also capable of dealing with the high concentrations of DOC often found in streams in Alaska. The highly colored nature of water from these systems can compromise the accuracy of measurements and many labs are not equipped to deal with the required color corrections.CCAL has a well-developed Quality Assurance Plan that insures delivery of precise and accurate results. CCAL laboratory techniques conform with EPA surface water chemistry criteria and CCAL participates in the USGS Standard Reference Water Survey Program, an external interlaboratory QA Program, to monitor the accuracy of analytical procedures. Participation in the USGS Standard Reference Water Survey Program insures that measurements made in different laboratories will be of comparable quality and in principle will be directly comparable. Data produced by CCAL from a standardized set of protocols allow direct comparisons among diverse studies, creating a legacy of data that grows with each new study. This conformity increases the value of data collected by the CAKN flowing waters monitoring program and allows us to compare our data directly with that collected by other monitoring networks. This in turn increases our power to detect environmental change on a regional level. By standardizing detection and measurement of the chemical and physical properties of water, and by eliminating the need and expense of establishing duplicate facilities, CCAL operations are beneficial to both cooperative and individual research projects. For these reasons CCAL continues to be the least expensive lab operating under a good Quality Assurance Plan capable of measuring the low concentrations that we require. CCAL is also being used by the CAKN shallow lakes program, as well as by other I&M networks, including the Southwest Alaska Network and the Pacific Northwest Network. Another important reason we selected CCAL was due to its relatively close proximity to Alaska. The water samples we collect must remain frozen until they are analyzed. It is not feasible to ship samples cross country as we risk the samples thawing and thus compromising the quality of the data. CCAL is located in Oregon and we can easily transport samples to the lab before the samples thaw and begin to degrade. When shipping from remote areas such as Kotzebue or Nome samples often arrive in Oregon partially thawed. It is important we have a lab that is close to Alaska. The success of the CAKN flowing waters monitoring program depends upon the ability to detect and quantify subtle changes in natural processes with confidence. CCAL has demonstrated for the past three years that they are capable of providing us with the high quality data we require. 4. A description of the market research that was conducted and the results, or a statement of the reason a market research was not conducted: A sources sought was submitted to the National Business Center with no vendors responding that were able to test to all the required levels. In 2006 a market evaluation was completed of laboratories in Alaska and Pacific-Northwest. We also requested quotes from labs throughout the US. At that time CCAL was identified as the best source. 5. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition: N/A 6. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required. Preparer: Trey Simmons AKN Aquatic Ecologist Approved:Joy C. KucinskiContracting Officer