Arivaca Mines Survey

The contract, titled "Arivaca Mines Survey" (Solicitation Number 127EAV26Q0008), issued by the Department of Agriculture’s CSA Southwest 5 USDA Forest Service office in Albuquerque, NM, involves a comprehensive cultural resource survey aimed at remediating physical safety hazards at 60 abandoned mine features within the Arivaca Abandoned Mine Lands Remediation Project in the Nogales Ranger District, Coronado National Forest, Arizona. Covering roughly 300 acres including specific sections in T22S R10E and R11E near Arivaca, the project requires extensive pedestrian archaeological survey work, identification, documentation, and evaluation of historical and cultural resources related to these mining features. The contractor is responsible for all labor, equipment, permits, and permits-related compliance, delivering field documentation, draft and final cultural resource reports, digital imagery with minimum resolution, and geospatial databases conforming to USDA Forest Service Region 3 standards (FSH 2309.24), as well as federal historic preservation laws and guidelines such as 36 CFR Part 60 and National Register Bulletins. This procurement is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 541620 (Environmental Consulting Services) with a size standard of $19 million and follows a firm-fixed-price structure based on one line-item covering survey of 300 acres. The evaluation criteria follow a Best Value trade-off process emphasizing technical capability, past performance, and price, with technical compliance demanding 100% adherence to survey and reporting standards. The period of performance is 140 days after receipt of order, with FOB Destination terms, placing inspection and acceptance responsibilities on the Government at the field site. The contract includes extensive FAR clauses addressing ethics, subcontracting limits, labor standards, security and supply chain prohibitions, whistleblower protections, and socioeconomic considerations specifically requiring adherence to small business policies including Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification. Proposals are to be submitted electronically in three volumes—technical, price, and representations—and are due by December 19, 2025. Contact for the project is Ernest Hernandez, who oversees deliverable acceptance and technical oversight. Notably, no price data or contract value is provided in the solicitation; offerors must submit pricing as part of their proposals. The contract mandates the use of GIS-compliant data formats, biweekly progress reporting, and full documentation to support the heritage-focused remediation effort, ensuring cultural resources are preserved and recorded while addressing physical safety hazards within the AML project area.