99 -- APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY OF SPLAT-GM

NOTICE OF SOLE SOURCE AWARD Sole Source Acquisition from ISCA Technologies to Demonstrate Application Technology and Efficacy of their Product, SPLAT GM The USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, Forest Health Protection intends to offer a sole source opportunity to ISCA Technologies, Riverside, CA, to apply SPLAT GM on approximately 21,500 acres in the states of Virginia, Minnesota and Wisconsin. This offer requires the demonstration of both the efficacy of the EPA registered product, SPLAT GM , for control of low-density gypsy moth populations and the utility of the application technology for use on large scale more than 100,000 acre mating disruption projects. SPLAT - GM is an amorphous polymer matrix that has the consistency of toothpaste. It contains 13% by weight active ingredient,disparlure the gypsy moth pheromone, and is generally applied undiluted at doses of 6 or 15.2 grams active ingredient per acre, g ai/ac. Interested parties are required to supply all equipment, product and appropriately licensed personnel necessary to complete the applications within specified biological timeframes as follows: one 8,700 acre block in Smyth County, Virginia must be treated at the 6 g ai/ac dose within a 3 day period in mid to late June; eleven small study plots totaling 742 acres located in Rockbridge and Augusta counties, Virginia must be treated at doses ranging from 0.1 to 15.2 g ai/ac in a 2 day period in mid to late June; two study plots totaling 124 acres located in Vilas and Oneida counties, Wisconsin must be treated in a single day at a dose of 6 g ai/ac in mid to late July; and one 12,000 acre block in Cook County, Minnesota must be treated at the 15.2 g ai/ac dose within a 4 day period in late July. This product has presented substantial application challenges in the past. Therefore, if there are any other interested parties that respond they must provide documentation that their application technology has already been used to successfully apply SPLAT GM on a minimum of 500 acres in a single day. Documentation must include a description of the application equipment and references for the work accomplished. Please contact Karen Welch at karenwelch@fs.fed.us no later than March 14, 2008.