Baker City Watershed (BCW) & WUI - Non-Commercial Thinning and Hand Pile - Wallowa Whitman National Forest

The contract is a Firm-Fixed Price award for Non-Commercial Thinning and Hand Pile services across approximately 1,919 acres within the Baker City Watershed and Wildland-Urban Interface areas of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Oregon. The work focuses on reducing hazardous fuels by thinning ponderosa pine and juniper stands, hand-piling slash and woody debris, and preparing sites for future prescribed burns to mitigate wildfire risks to natural resources and nearby private property. Performance must meet strict operational standards including pile dimensions of 6’x6’ to 8’x8’, spacing of at least 10 feet from residual trees, and adherence to the USDA Forest Service Quality Control Plan FP-03 153.02. A minimum of 70% of base acres must be completed by November 30, 2026, with full completion required by November 30, 2027. The contract requires submission of a detailed Contractor Work Plan, Safety Plan, Fire Plan, Quality Control Plan, and Equipment and Materials Storage Plan within 14 and 7 days of award respectively, along with key personnel identification and ongoing compliance with environmental and safety protocols. This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 115310 with a 500-employee size standard, governed by a Best Value – Non-Tradeoff award methodology where technical excellence is the primary determinant for contract award. Proposals must be submitted as three PDFs—Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price—via email to anthony.salas@usda.gov by May 28, 2026. Past performance is evaluated on an acceptability scale with an Unacceptable rating resulting in automatic disqualification. Price must be determined fair and reasonable but does not compete against technical merit. The contract includes extensive FAR and AGAR clauses covering small business utilization, subcontracting limitations, Buy American requirements, labor standards under the Service Contract Act, anti-discrimination and DEI compliance, trafficking in persons, cybersecurity, and security prohibitions. Offerors must be SAM-registered with a UEI and certify small business status, while also complying with strict ethical and reporting obligations including disclosure of payments to influence government decisions and affirmation of non-use of prohibited equipment. All performance occurs in Oregon, with access via designated Forest Service roads from Granite and Haines, and the Government retains full authority for inspection and acceptance based on unit-specific specifications and