Cape Fear Locks & Dams Vegetation Control

The contract pertains to vegetation control services at three Cape Fear Lock and Dam sites in Bladen County, North Carolina, requiring the contractor to furnish all labor, equipment, vehicles, and materials necessary for hillside vegetation clearing and herbicide applications to shoreline rip rap and lock esplanades. Work is limited to the period between May 15 and September 30 each year, with a base performance year beginning July 1, 2026, and extending through May 14, 2027, and four optional one-year extensions through May 14, 2031. Vegetation must be cut to specific heights—herbaceous vegetation no more than ten inches and woody vegetation less than four inches above ground—with herbicides applied only to cut stumps using non-restricted use products. A written herbicide application plan, subject to COR approval, must detail treatment areas, rates, methods, frequency, and safety measures near waterways. Compliance with USACE Safety and Health Requirements Manual EM 385-1-1, manufacturer specifications, and all applicable federal and state laws is mandatory. Work must be performed Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST, unless otherwise approved by USACE personnel, and all personnel must adhere to strict security protocols, including NCIC-III and TSDB vetting for unescorted access, antiterrorism training, and compliance with Force Protection Conditions. The solicitation, identified as W912PM26QA034, is a simplified acquisition under FAR Part 12.201 for commercial items issued as a Request for Quote with a response deadline of June 29, 2026. It is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 561730, requiring all offerors to be SAM-registered with no active exclusions and to hold a current North Carolina Department of Agriculture Pest Control Division certified applicator license. Proposals must be submitted electronically to two designated email addresses and include both a price quote in Excel format and a technical proposal in PDF format, with file names following a specified convention. The technical proposal must include documentation of past experience involving at least two and no more than five similar projects, each with contract details, descriptions, and points of contact. The award will follow a lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) approach, where offers failing any pass/fail gate—including SAM registration, applicator license,