Sole Source Announcement ARTICLE I – BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The NRCC is a non profit entity whose purpose is further research and science in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. NRCC's programs gather scientific data to provide a well rounded, reliable body of biological and social knowledge for improving conservation in natural resource. The Greater Yellowstone Network is an NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program with responsibility for monitoring the vital signs and indicators of natural resource condition in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. The NPS Greater Yellowstone Network (GRYN) wishes to work with the NRCC to carry out cooperative projects that support the mission of the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program in providing park managers with early warning of resource condition and to interpret the status and trends of natural resource monitoring data to the public. The NRCC is uniquely qualified in programs related to resource conservation and is willing to cooperatively implement Inventory & Monitoring projects with the assistance of the NPS. A cooperative agreement with NRCC to help communicate natural resource data collected through the Inventory & Monitoring program will provide park managers and the public with easy to understand scientific results. Communication products that interpret the condition of natural resources and highlight the key results in simple terms clearly represents public benefit as most public are challenged with scientific manuscripts that focus on statistical methods. ARTICLE II -AUTHORITY 16 U.S.C. §1g provides that the NPS may enter cooperative agreements that involve the transfer of NPS-appropriated funds to non-profit organizations for the public purpose of carrying out NPS programs pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 6305; 16 U.S.C. §5934 – National Parks Omnibus Management Act of 1998 - NPS Inventory & Monitoring Program.