66--NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, Division of Biological Resources, Bloomington, MN intends to award a sole source firm fixed price order under authority of FAR 6.302-1, Other than Full and Open Competition procedures, and FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition procedures to Frontier Precision Inc., Maple Grove, Minnesota. This requirement is for a purchase of Trimble/Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS R10 supplied by Frontier Precision Inc. R3 water resources staff currently own two Trimble RTK receivers and one controller that are used to conduct elevation surveys associated with water resource infrastructure, water monitoring, restoration, topography and analysis of water-related legal issues. It is critical that these data are collected as efficiently and accurately as possible to help meet and protect the National Wildlife Refuge System mission of conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, plant resources and their habitats. The Trimble R10 receiver and controller will be used to couple and communicate with these existing receivers to provide a reference base station when a network is not available. The ability to couple/pair receivers and communicate via a controller is dependent upon the brand of RTK equipment already in use. Purchase of other brands would not be compatible with our current equipment and software. Without the `push-button RTK GPS technology, water resources staff would need to manually survey points relative to a known datum; a process which could take days to weeks longer, with potentially lower accuracy, using manual methods as opposed to the time required to complete the same work with an RTK GPS. The survey data and interpretation provided by water resources staff helps inform managers and staff on National Wildlife Refuges and Wetland Management Districts across R3 on water level management, hydrologic restorations, infrastructure design, flood protection and legal-issues regarding flood impoundment and drainage. The North American Industry classification (NAICS) code is 334511, and the size standard is 750 employees. This notice is not a request for competitive proposals; however, firms with expressed interest and capability are encouraged to respond. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. /.