Chippewa National Forest, Blackduck Ranger District, Everton Creek Timber Sale Preparation

This solicitation, identified as 12443926Q0187, is a combined synopsis and Request for Quotation issued under FAR Part 12 for commercial services related to the Everton Creek Timber Sale Preparation on the Chippewa National Forest’s Blackduck Ranger District in Minnesota. The work involves approximately 413 acres of commercial thinning targeting red pine, spruce, and balsam fir across payment units 10, 11, 14 through 27, with an estimated volume of 5,500 CCF. Key tasks include boundary layout and GPS-based polygon creation, marking of cut trees and boundaries using Forest Service-approved tracer paint, and sample tree cruising to assess timber volume. The cruiser of record must be Forest Service Qualified Cruiser Certified, and all marking must adhere to strict technical specifications including paint color, size, placement, and visibility standards, with batch numbers tracked on cruise cards and summary sheets. The contract is a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 115310, with a size standard of $11.5 million, and requires all offerors to be registered in SAM and certified as small businesses. The period of performance runs from August 31, 2026, to August 30, 2027, with offers due by 2359 Eastern Daylight Time on August 9, 2026. Technical proposals must demonstrate the offeror’s plan for meeting all performance requirements, including personnel qualifications, past performance in timber sale preparation, and pricing consistent with the solicitation’s format. Quotations will be evaluated based on technical approach, past performance, and price reasonableness, with award going to the highest technically rated offeror whose price is deemed fair and reasonable and whose past performance is acceptable or neutral; no tradeoffs will be conducted. Inspection and acceptance are governed by rigorous government oversight, including a final check cruise requiring a minimum 85 percent overall compliance and 80 percent per element, with failure leading to re-cruising at the contractor’s expense. Payment is tied directly to inspection results, with only work achieving 90–100 percent compliance eligible for full payment. The contract incorporates multiple FAR and agency-specific clauses, including requirements for compliance with Federal anti-discrimination laws and DEI certification under AGAR 452.203-71, adherence to Service Contract Labor Standards at $19