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Source Justification Data
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General Information
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Requesting Agency:
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Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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Commodity Specialist Reviewer:
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Jason Hildebrandt
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Material or Service:
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Services: 1. Information Management and Services: Contractor staff will maintain PNHP’s primary database, (Biotics geodatabase) and data management workflow, including information on Elements, Element Occurrences, References, Sites, and managed Areas gathered from many sources such as the Field Information Networked Database (Find), reports from contractors, Jurisdictional Agency spreadsheets and databases, articles, etc. and entered into a standardized format according to NatureServe data standards. Contractor staff will gather and incorporate information for the approximately 1,900 Elements currently tracked in the Biotics geodatabase (approximately 32,000 total records as of 2025, with approximately 500-1,500 new records added each year and 500-900 existing records updated annually). Contractor staff will provide quarterly updates to the PA Conservation Explorer (PACE) for all Elements that have been designated by the Jurisdictional Agencies (DCNR, PFBC, PGC, and US Fish and Wildlife Service) to be included in the Environmental Review for Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Permits.
2. PA Conservation Explorer (PACE) environmental review tool: Contractor Natural Resource GIS (NR-GIS) specialist will oversee management and maintenance of the PACE environmental review tool, including oversight and implementation of the hosting and maintenance software contract with the vendor (NatureServe), PACE databases as well as implementation of quarterly updates from the PNHP Biotics geodatabase.
3. Environmental Review: The Contractor staff will provide DCNR with Environmental Review Specialist (ERS) services including review of plant, plant community, terrestrial invertebrate and significant geological feature conflicts. ERS staff will coordinate conflict resolution for projects having anticipated impacts on species and resources of special concern. ERS staff will provide technical assistance and training as needed to Department personnel related to native plant conservation. ERS staff will also conduct field surveys, as needed, to locate, identify and map plant populations as required to resolve environmental reviews. ERS staff will provide technical assistance regarding procedures, issues, status of reviews, as well as general information regarding species of special concern and PACE as well as PNHP and respond to information requests about resources of special concern within designated project areas.
4. Field Inventories and Surveys: Contractor staff will perform inventories and surveys of the ecological resources of the Commonwealth for the purposes of documenting endangered, threatened and special concern resources (i.e., plant, animal and funga species classified as rare, tentatively undetermined or candidate as well as other taxa of conservation concern, significant natural communities, special concern populations (plants) and unique geological features). The Contractor will develop management recommendations as requested in the context of specific survey and inventory projects.
5. PNHP Statewide Natural Heritage Areas: The Contractor will provide services in the development and support of the Statewide Natural Heritage Areas geodatabase for delivery through the PA Conservation Explorer conservation planning and environmental review tool in a web-based interactive GIS format to the public.
6. Inventories and surveys of DCNR lands: The contractor will coordinate inventory and survey efforts with the Bureau of Forestry Ecological Services Section for rare, threatened and endangered species and other species and ecological resources of special concern on DCNR lands.
7. Classification of Species of Special Concern: Contractor staff will provide data and expertise as requested to assist state agencies (DCNR, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) in determining the status of Pennsylvania species and ecological resources with regards to listing as threatened or endangered, species of special concern or other status as defined by the jurisdictional agencies.
8. Ecological Monitoring: Contractor staff will identify species and ecological resources requiring monitoring. They will also collect field data and information from secondary sources to assess status and trends relative to Pennsylvania’s ecological resources.
9. Conservation Planning Polygons: The Contractor staff will provide services to DCNR and other Jurisdictional Agencies in the ongoing development of Conservation Planning Polygons, including the further development of specifications for Core Habitat Polygons and the drawing of the Core Habitat Polygons as required.
10. Environmental Review Polygons: The Contractor will provide services to DCNR and the other Jurisdictional Agencies in the ongoing maintenance and developments of Environmental Review polygons (as of 2020, approximately 19,000 environmental review polygons are used in the PA Conservation Explorer tool).
11. Plant Community Classification and Mapping: Contractor staff will gather information to classify and map the plant communities, ecosystems and other ecological units of Pennsylvania. Contractor staff will develop fact sheets for the Commonwealth’s plant communities using agreed upon formats to allow incorporation into the PNHP web site, as well as develop longer “abstracts” to provide more in-depth information concerning each plant community.
12. Climate Change: The Contractor will continue to assess Pennsylvania threatened, endangered and other species and resources of special concern for exposure and sensitivity to climate change impacts through the Climate Change Vulnerability Index developed by NatureServe or other means as appropriate. The Contractor will initiate or continue established climate change monitoring efforts, with the consultation and approval of DCNR PNHP Director. The Contractor will utilize PNHP data to perform climate change analyses and modeling and develop other products as requested by DCNR to inform agency climate change planning.
13. Conservation Planning: The Contractor will develop conservation planning products, supply consultation, and provide other services as requested by DCNR, utilizing PNHP data and other resources.
14. iMapInvasives: The Contractor will provide management and support of the PA iMapinvasives program including administration of the iMapInvasives tool, gather and manage information on the distribution and trends with invasive aquatic species and, as requested, assist in the development of management plans and prioritization of sites, conduct trainings and other activities necessary to develop and implement invasive species control programs.
15. Pennsylvania Plant Conservation Alliance (PPCA) Program: The contractor will provide staff to assist the DCNR PPCA Coordinator with the development and implementation of rare species recovery plans, fieldwork related to PPCA projects, and germplasm collections or rare, threatened and endangered plant species.
16. Land and Water Conservation Program: The contractor will provide staff with a working knowledge of Pennsylvania recreational grant programs. Familiarity required with the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act of 1965. Under Title 36, Part 59 in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 36, Chapter 1, Part 59 Land and Water Conservation Fund Program of Assistance to States, Pennsylvania is responsible for compliance and enforcement of the Post Completion Compliance Responsibilities for both state and locally sponsored recreation and conservation projects. DCNR is providing project review services to PennDOT to ensure compliance with the Act. DCNR relies upon WPC contract staff to perform these reviews.
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E-mail:
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jahildebra@pa.gov
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Proposed Supplier:
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Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
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Request Type(s):
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Sole Source; Single Source (Professional Expert); Feasibility
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Description:
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The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) purpose for this project is to continue the services of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to perform a variety of functions and activities in relation to Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) services. The program will provide services necessary for DCNR and other Commonwealth agencies in the inventory, survey, identification, and classification of plant, animal and funga species and other issues related to conservation as well as stewardship of Pennsylvania’s native wild plants throughout the Commonwealth. The contractor shall convey continuity of PNHP services without interruption or diminished effectiveness including the provision of Threatened and Endangered Species data and information critical for permit environmental review by DCNR and other state and federal natural resource agencies, as well as inventory and survey of the ecological resources of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the species of which they are comprised, land conversion reviews for PennDOT projects and other items related to conservation. The contractor shall provide analyses and elucidation of the results of these surveys, and the provision of information on these ecological resources in a convenient form for reference. PNHP provides scientific information, technical expertise and assistance to support the conservation and stewardship of biological diversity. All work performed will be approved by DCNR program staff.
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Date Submitted:
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12/30/2025
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Review Information
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ID:
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55126
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Review End Date:
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Approval Status:
CS Approved:01/07/26
Submitted: 12/30/2025
Accepted: 12/30/2025
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Approval/Disapproval Date:
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Execution Date:
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