C -- Cabbage Palm WRP Wetland Restoration Plan

The Natural Resources Conservation Service - Florida announces a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Architect and Engineering firms interested in contracting for A&E Services for preparation of a wetlands restoration plan for the Cabbage Palm Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) site in Martin County, Florida.The firm shall consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Florida Water Management District in the development of the wetlands restoration plan and obtain appropriate permits from the local, state, and Federal agencies. The wetlands restoration plan shall consider the Endangered Species Act and the protection of cultural resources. Engineering services required may include but are not limited to design of earthen dikes, water control structures, and other conservation practices, surveying, hydrology and hydraulic modeling, preparation of construction plans (drawings), preparation of construction specifications, preparation of cost estimates, preparation of bid schedules, preparation of design reports, related studies, and all associated engineering services for the planning, design and construction of the wetlands restoration plan. The firm will be required to perform engineering design activities in accordance with NRCS standards and certify that designs meet NRCS standards. A quality assurance plan will need to be prepared for construction activities. The preparation of construction and design documents shall be in electronic format and using approved NRCS computer software. All design drawings shall be submitted using AutoCAD, version 2000 or later or other similar CAD software that is directly convertible to AutoCAD. The Cabbage Palm WRP site (also known as Four Winds Ranch), is located approximately nine miles north of Indiantown on SR 710, Martin County, Florida. The site covers an area of approximately 506 acres. The project's purpose is to restore wetlands on the property to its natural condition to the maximum extent practicable by restoring the pre-drainage hydrology which includes time, depth, and duration. The proposed design concept involves installing water control structures, dikes, earthen blocks, etc., to maintain the water level in the wetlands at higher elevations for longer periods of time. The design must evaluate on-site and off-site hydrologic effects and not create adverse on-site and offsite impacts. The estimated starting date is May 1, 2004, and the expected delivery date of the design plans and specifications is November 1, 2004. The expected completion date for the contract is April 30, 2005, after the project is constructed. The A&E contract will be a firm-fixed price contract. The estimated value of the construction is between $100,000 and $250,000. Funding is through the NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program. PRESELECTION CRITERIA. Project manager must be a Registered Professional preparation of Engineer licensed in the State of Florida. Those firms that meet the requirements described and wish to be considered must submit an SF330 (form SF254 and SF255 may be submitted in lieu of an SF330) to Lynn Merrill, Contract Specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2614 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606-6611. It must be received in this office no later than 4 p.m. on the 30th calendar day after the date of appearance of this announcement in FedBizOpps. Should the due date fall on a weekend or holiday, the SF330 (or Form SF254 and SF255) will be due the first workday thereafter. The SF330 (or Form SF254 and SF255) must clearly indicate the office location where the work will be performed and the qualifications of the individuals and subcontractors proposed to work on the contract and their geographical location. Firms responding to this announcement before the closing date will be considered for selection, subject to any limitations indicated with respect to size and geographic location of the firm, specialized technical expertise, or other requirements listed. Selection of firms for negotiation shall be through an order of preference based upon demonstrated competence and qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the type of professional services required. All firms responding to this announcement will be evaluated on the following factors which are shown is descending order of importance. 1. Professional capabilities; 2. Specialized experience and technical competence, including soil mechanics, hydrology, hydrologic modeling, hydraulics, surveying, structure design, construction oversight, wetland restoration, wetland ecology, and other as required; 3. Capacity to accomplish work in the required time considering current contract work orders and services being provided to other clients; 4. Past performance on contracts with respect to cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules; 5. Quality control experience; 6. Geographical location in relation to the work assignment and knowledge of the locality of the project, provided that the application of the criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project; and 7. Experience with NRCS standards and specifications. Firms must provide a customer reference list with addresses and telephone numbers, and bidding records (low bid vs. estimate) for all projects listed as related experience, and a project workload schedule showing proposed team members for the project period.