B -- B - Announcement of A-76 Streamlined Maintenance Study Decision, Region 9

A study was conducted to assess the maintenance activities for buildings, grounds, fleet, roads, and trails within the Allegheny National Forest, involving the equivalent of 1.79 full-time employees. This assessment was carried out using the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76, which evaluates whether certain government functions should be performed in-house or outsourced. Following the evaluation completed on September 29, 2003, the decision was made to retain the maintenance tasks within the existing government organization rather than contracting them out. The work will continue under current performance guidelines, utilizing the in-house workforce. The contract pertains to the Eastern Region of the USDA Forest Service, specifically managed from their Milwaukee, Wisconsin office. This announcement formalizes the choice to maintain internal government performance for these maintenance activities rather than pursue private sector competition. The decision supports continued management and upkeep of key forest infrastructure by current staff, ensuring continuity of service without change to contracting or organizational arrangements.