Alaska - Pre-Commercial Thinning

This notice is modified to extend the response date to Friday, December 7, 2018. ********************************** REQUEST FOR INFORMATION United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service Tongass National Forest - Alaska Pre-Commercial Thinning Special Notice No.: 19-AK-PCT-RFI RFI Issue Date: October 16, 2018 RFI Response Due: November 29, 2018 NAICS Code: 115310 1.0 Description 1.1 The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Region 10 Alaska in support of the Tongass National Forest is seeking information from interested contractor who are capable of performing the requested pre-commercial thinning work as stated below. 1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service of any kind. Further, the USFS is not seeking proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the USFS will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will likely be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website (www.fbo.gov). It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this prospective requirement. 2.0 Background This RFI is for Pre-commercial thinning in Alaska. The purpose of pre-commercial thinning is to reduce stand density, improve forest health and better achieve the potential yield capability of these sites by removing undesirable trees and retaining dominant and codominant trees of the best quality. 2.1 Location While work may be throughout Alaska, the most likely locations for contract award in 2019 are located on Prince of Wales Island and Kuiu Island on the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. 2.2 Climate Southeast Alaska has a cool and moist maritime climate. This maritime climate results in cool summers, moderate winters, considerable precipitation distributed throughout the year, and a high percentage of overcast days. Precipitation amounts vary widely throughout Southeast Alaska, and annual precipitation of over 100 inches is common. 2.3 Logistics Logistics pose a special challenge on the Tongass National Forest. Gaining access into remote work areas requires considerable planning and research into local conditions. Contractors are advised to learn about the transportation systems of Southeast Alaska. Of special concern are locations that may require a contractor to use small boats to access a work area. Boating can be dangerous any time of year in Southeast Alaska, particularly in the fall, winter and early spring. The cities of Petersburg, Wrangell, Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka are all full-service communities and are linked to Seattle, WA via Alaska Airlines. These cities, in addition to the limited-service villages of Kake, Hoonah, and Tenakee Springs, are served by the Alaska Marine Highway System out of Bellingham, WA. Local flight and barge services are also available. 2.4 Access/Remoteness Project area(s) may be remote and not connected to any communities by road. All supplies and equipment to be utilized by the Contractor may need be transported to the work sites by water or by air. The Government does not guarantee vehicle access or continued vehicle access to project areas by road. 2.5 Communication Telephone service may be unavailable on or anywhere near work sites. Having access to reliable communications is essential on the work site. Cell phone coverage in SE Alaska is not consistent. 2.6 Wildlife The wildlife that may be encountered is diverse and can be considered potentially dangerous. Wildlife may include black bears, brown bears, moose, elk, deer, wolves, wolverine etc. 2.7 Terrain The surface of the ground may be extremely broken with some slopes becoming abruptly steep or having rock outcrops and bluffs of various sizes. Wind throw may occur along some sections of the boundary. Brush can be extremely thick in many areas, especially in areas with lower tree stocking. Old logging cable and debris may be present. Tree heights, diameters, and densities vary as site productivity conditions change over the project areas and may also exhibit variable areas of muskeg and thick hemlock and spruce competition. 2.8 Planned Production/Work Description: Due to the fairly steep and rugged terrain and limited access, methods for accomplishing this work are limited to chain saws and hand tools only. The work consists of tree thinning, slash treatment, and related work. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, housing, subsistence, supervision, transportation, operating supplies, and incidentals. 2.8.1 Estimate of 2300 acres for pre-commercial thinning on the Tongass National Forest. It is anticipated that the site(s) will be thinned continuously with no unreasonable time lag in between. 2.9 Anticipated Delivery Period Recommended Contract Time - Subject to industry input Desired Date for Starting Work - Subject to industry input 3.0 Compliance 3.1 Service Contract Act (SCA) and Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA) Compliance with the SCA and CWHSSA are material conditions of any awarded contract. 3.2 Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act Compliance with Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act is a material condition of any awarded contract. 3.3 Eligibility of Workers. Contractors will be required to provide a completed e-Verify form for each employee prior to receiving a notice to proceed. 3.4 Farm Labor Certificate (FLC): Transportation Transportation of workers is a material condition of any awarded contract as stipulated by the MSPA and as approved by DOL. 3.5 Housing Suitable housing of employees is a meaterial condition of any awarded contract as stipulated by the MSPA and as approved by DOL. 3.6 Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) and Safety Plan Contractors are subject to all applicable State and Federal OSHA rules and regulations. Work sites may be remote, and advance planning with regards to safety and emergency evacuation is crucial. Contractors will be required to submit a safety plan. 4.0 Requested Information 4.1 According to FAR 15.201(e), RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. We request pricing information related to the services as stated and your capabilities to perform the work. 5.0 Responses 5.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a capability statement. 5.2 Capability Statements in a common format are due no later than November 29, 2018, 14:00 AST. Responses shall be submitted via e-mail to Laurie Moore, Contract Specialist at lauriemoore@fs.fed.us or Mari Meiners, Contracting Officer at mmeiners@fs.fed.us Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. 5.3 Section 1 of the capability statement shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: 5.3.1 Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact. 5.3.2 Industry recommended contracting strategy including answering the following questions: a. Has your firm ever performed PCT work in Alaska? If yes, please describe. b. How much time after award would your firm need to obtain a crew of eligible employees and be ready to begin work in Southeast Alaska? Explain the process of obtaining employees for this type of work. c. How many acres would be required on a contract in Southeast Alaska to make it economically feasible for your company to be interested in the work? d. Is your firm capable of obtaining or currently have a Farm Labor Certificate? e. What do you see as the biggest challenge for obtaining workers to perform work in Alaska? f. What do you see as the biggest challenges to mobilizing to and working in an area like Kuiu Island? g. Should mobilization and other direct costs be separated from the per acre cost? h. What would be your suggestion on contract type, i.e. Firm Fixed Price/Labor Hour/etc? i. How do you determine your price to ensure workers are paid the required wage? j. Do you pay employees by the acre or the hour? k. Does your firm perform similar work in the commercial market? If yes, What ais the standard commercial terms? 5.3.3 Ensure your response includes your DUNS number. 6.0 Industry Discussions Forest Service representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors. Such meetings would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially cost or performance risk involved in this type of work. 7.0 Questions Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing via e-mail to the contact names on this announcement as an inclusion to your response. 8.0 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to collect information and identify potential sources that can provide performance of pre-commercial thinning on the Tongass National Forest. The USFS has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.