Baker City Watershed (BCW) - Non-Commercial Thinning and Hand Pile #2 - Wallowa Whitman National Forest

The Baker City Watershed (BCW) Thin & Handpile #2 project, administered by the Wallowa Whitman National Forest under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rocky Mountain Research Station, seeks non-commercial thinning, hand piling, and sectioning services across approximately 1,009 base acres and 75 optional acres for a total of 1,084 acres within the Whitman Ranger District in Oregon. The primary objective is hazardous fuels reduction to mitigate wildfire risk, with work to be performed under a firm-fixed price contract that will be awarded as a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 115310. The base period of performance runs from June 15, 2026, to November 30, 2026, with an amendment extending the anticipated end date to November 30, 2026, and work must be structured to achieve 100% completion by that date unless award is delayed, in which case completion percentages will be negotiated. Offerors must demonstrate technical capability through a feasible operations plan that minimizes soil damage and retains desired vegetation, particularly by preserving 25% of five-inch and greater diameter material within 20 feet of all stream channels, while adhering to strict environmental constraints including prohibiting handpiles within 30 feet of springs and seeps and within 10 feet of streams. The contractor must submit a comprehensive work plan within 14 days of award, including safety, fire, and quality control plans aligned with FP-03 153.02, along with documentation for key personnel and a contractor property plan. All proposals must be submitted electronically to anthony.salas@usda.gov no later than June 1, 2026, in three separate PDF attachments covering technical capability, past performance, and price. Evaluation will be based on the most advantageous approach to the government, with technical approach as the primary factor, followed by fair and reasonable pricing and acceptable or neutral past performance—all of which serve as mandatory pass/fail gates. Option pricing that is significantly unbalanced will render a proposal unacceptable. The contract incorporates numerous FAR clauses including 52.212-4 Alternate I for commercial services terms, 52.203-17 whistleblower rights, 52.222-50 Alternate I for combating trafficking in persons, and 52.232-39 for un