F -- Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation, Pot Peak Fire Fertilization

WAGE DETERMINATIONS: The following Wage Determinations are applicable to this solicitation: Wage Determination Number 1977-0209, Revision 30, dated 07/26/2004; Wage Determination Number 1995-0222, Revision 17, dated 05/27/2004; and, Wage Determination Number 1994-2565, Revision Number 21, dated 09/02/2004. SET--ASIDE: Cascading Set-Aside is changed as follows: This acquisition is subject to a Cascading Set-Aside. All potential offerors may submit a proposal for this acquisition. However, set-aside procedures will be used in evaluating offers for an award. Evaluation for award will be conducted in the following set-aside order: 1) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns, 2) Certified HUBZone Small Business Concerns, 3) Small Business Concerns, and 4) Large Business Concerns. In the event two (2) competitive offerors are not received from eligible Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns, or if one offer is received from a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern and cannot be awarded at a fair market price, the Contracting Officer may evaluate offers received from certified HUBZone Small Business Concerns. In the event all pricing proposals received from HUBZone Contractors are more than 20 percent above the Government estimate, the Contracting Officer will evaluate them to see whether the prices offered are fair and reasonable. In the event that they are all considered outside the range of prices that are considered fair and reasonable, the Contracting Officer may evaluate offers received from Small Business Concerns. If a minimum of two competitive offers from eligible small business concerns are not received, any award from resulting from this combined solicitation and synopsis will be made based on full and open competition from all responsive and responsible business concerns submitting an offer. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation R6-17-05-13 is issued as a Request for Proposal. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-01. NAICS CODE: is 115112 and small business size standard is $6 million. STATEMENT OF WORK: This is a Performance Based Statement of Work Entitled: Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation, Pot Peak Fire Fertilization. SCOPE: The purpose of this solicitation is for the application of contractor-furnished fertilizer for fire rehabilitation on an estimated 3500 acres of designated areas of the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. All work incidental to furnishing and applying the Contractor-supplied fertilizer, such as transporting and storing, supplying and maintaining the application equipment and fertilizer applicators, and providing supervisory personnel will be part of the offered price. The project sites are located in North Central Washington near Chelan, WA. North Central Washington is accessed from the south via Washington State Highway 97. Central Washington is also accessed from the east or west via Interstate Highway 90. Offerors are advised there may be a separate ongoing heli--mulching project in the same proximty and timeframe for this work. The Contractor shall apply fertilizer to mountainous terrain with elevations ranging from 1100 to 6000 feet above sea level. Terrain consists of forested and open hills, valleys, cliffs, and steep mountainous slopes. Potential locations of loading sites are located on mountaintops, roads, or valleys, and may have trees or brush surrounding them. Winds and weather are subject to local terrain features and may be very unpredictable. Equipment and supplies are to be delivered initially to mutually agreed site(s) for eventual deployment of fertilizer on project areas. The Initial location may be negotiated with the Contractor Officers representative, prior to equipment and supplies arriving. The Forest Service will approve subsequent work locations on national forest lands. The Contractor will do appropriate coordination for using staging areas not on national forest lands. The Contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal, State, and Local regulations. The Contractor may leave its equipment at the work site. However, the Contractor shall be responsible for the equipment if it should be lost, stolen, vandalized or damaged. The Contractor shall provide all labor, transportation, tools, and equipment necessary to perform the requirements of this contract. Contractor shall provide a communication system so that contractor personnel engaged in the project at different locations can communicate at all times with each other, and so the Contracting Officers Representative may communicate with the contractor at any time to discuss performance matters. WEED CONTROL: To mitigate the spread of noxious weeds, all equipment entering the site shall be cleaned thoroughly. Equipment will be inspected prior to entrance onto Federal lands by the Contracting Officer's prior to entrance onto Federal lands. Equipment shall proceed directly to the job site following the inspection. CAMPING: The contractor shall be allowed to camp on National Forest Land at sites approved by the Contracting Officer's Representative. The contractor shall keep the campsites area clean and obey all applicable rules and regulations. The fourteen-day camping limit will be waived for the contractor, if necessary. Any ground or aerial hazards that would pose a danger to Contractor's personnel or operating equipment must be identified and mitigated by the Contractor prior to commencing operations. Warning signs will be placed on roads leading to the operations and shall be installed by the contractor. APPLICATION: The Contractor shall evenly distribute the designated fertilizer at the rate specified of 167 gross lbs / ac. Equipment that cannot perform the specified work shall be modified or replaced by the Contractor within two calendar days. Application equipment shall be equipped for carrying fertilizer with distribution mechanism including release, shutoff, and spreading device which can be calibrated for spreading fertilizer at the prescribed rate in an acceptable manner and uniform pattern. Application system will be checked prior to start of fertilization operations. The application rate per acre will be checked periodically and maintained at prescribed rates. Application equipment will be capable of electronically capturing coordinates using a Global Positioning System (G.P.S.) that show route(lines) locations to ensure that fertilizer is being applied evenly, completely and at the specified rates within the contract location. The government will provide the contractor with the electronic data files in a shape file configuration with the base coordinates system being UTM Zone 10 Datum 1927. The contractor will provide daily electronic data files for review for completed acres. This electronic data will be in shape file format with the coordinate system being UTM Zone 10 Datum 1927. A computer base GIS software program either Arcview or Arcmap will be used for reviewing of accomplishments. A buffer strip of at least 300 feet, on each side of perennial streams, (as shown on project map) shall be left untreated. No fertilizer shall be applied to streams with flowing water. Additional buffer strips may be designated by the CO as a means to protect other sensitive areas. FERTILIZER: Fertilizer shall be in the agricultural grandular form and size. Fertilizer used must contain 75% Ammonium Nitrate and 25% Ammonium Sulfate to get a 30-0-0-6 (N,P,K,S) blended mixture. Applied at the rate of 167 pounds per acre. Fertilizer must contain at least thirty percent (30%) actual nitrogen and at least six percent (6%) sulfur. Contractor is responsible for any loss of fertilizer or any damage to product in storage or transit, or lost through application error, and in addition shall be responsible for any damages or claims filed against the Government by reason of application errors or losses of fertilizer onto lands not owned or authorized by the government. Contractor is responsible for cleaning up any spills of fertilizer, and petroleum products, all of which is considered hazardous materials. If a spill occurs, the Contractor will assume all liability and responsibility for clean-up to meet EPA and Washington State water quality standards. A written plan for dealing with such spills will be provided to the Contracting Officer prior to start work. The Fertilizer must be kept dry and protected from dew and precipitation before it is applied. No government facilities are available for fertilizer storage. METHOD OF INSPECTION: Fertilizer openings of the distribution mechanism shall be inspected at sufficient intervals to insure proper functioning and even distribution of Fertilizer. Where skips or insufficient application are documented during on the ground inspections by the COR, re-treatment will be required at no extra cost to the Government. ACCEPTANCE: Acceptance will be based upon the satisfactory completion of the requirements in Application Section. The COR and the Contractor will agree daily upon the quantity of fertilizer used/acreage Fertilized and both sign-off on the inspection form. PAYMENT: Payment for fertilizing will be based on the actual number of acres fertilized, and applied according to the contract specifications within designated project boundaries and in accordance with the Specific Tasks of the solicitation. Payment will be made on the completed acre basis. UPLAND FERTILIZATION SPECIFICATIONS: Listed below is the fertilizer prescription for the upland aerial erosion control treatments. The application fertilization should increase vegetation cover and thereby better protect the soil resource from accelerated erosion. FERTILIZER PRESCRIPTION: Ammonium Nitrate Sulfate, Gross lbs/ac is 167, N lbs/ac is 50, acres Treated is 3,500. Use 75% Ammonium Nitrate and 25% Ammonium Sulfate to get a 30-0-0-6 (N,P,K,S) mixture. Apply at the rate shown above. Fertilization should occur in early spring once seeded grasses are established. MAPS: The Vicinity Map and Project Location Maps identifying areas to be fertilized (attached) are a part of this solicitation and any resulting contract. CONTRACT TIME: Anticipated start date is April 18, 2005 and all work shall be completed within 10 calendar days from start of work. The Pricing Schedule and Drawings are incorporated as part of this solicitation and can be downloaded at link: http://www.eps.gov. SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES: The following provisions apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), website is http://www.arnet.gov/far/. FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (Jan 2005), FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation--Commercial Items (Jan 1999) [Evaluation will be based on Technical Capability including experience and equipment, Past Performance, and Price. Technical and Past Performance when combined are approximately equal to cost or price. Technical Criteria includes: 1) Past performance information from the last five previous and relevant projects performed with clients name and phone numbers, experience of personal who will perform the work, 2) Type and description of equipment used to complete the work, 3) Detailed safety plan for this work, and 4) Explanation how work will be performed. Offerors who do not submit this information will not be considered.] FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items (Jan 2005). The following clauses apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998), website is http://www.arnet.gov/far/. FAR 52-204-7 Central Contractor Registration; with 252.204-7004 ALT A (Nov 2003) Note: Lack of registration in the Central Contractor Registration will make an offer ineligible for award., FAR 52.209-6 Protecting the Governments Interest when Subcontracting With Contractors Debarred, Suspended or Proposed for Debarment (Jul 1995), FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (Oct 2003), and FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items (Jan 2005) under para (b), the following clauses are incorporated: (1) 52.203-6, Restriction on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Jul 1995), (2) 52.219-3, Notice of Total HUBZone Set-Aside (Jan 1999), (3) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (Jan 1999) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer) (15 U.S.C. 657a), (5) 52-219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Jun 2003), (7) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (May 2004), (9)52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Dec 1996), (13) 52.219-27, Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (May 2004), (14) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (Jun 2003), (16) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999), (17) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Apr 2002), (18) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam ERA and Other Eligible Veterans (Dec 2001), (19) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998), (20) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era and Other Eligible Veterans (Dec 2001), (21) 52.222-39, Notification of Employee Rights Concerning Payment of Union Dues or Fees (Dec 2004), (25) 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases (Dec 2003), and, (30) 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Central Contractor Registration (Oct 2003), under para (c), the following clauses are incorporated: (1) FAR 52.222-41 Service Contract Act of 1965 as amended (May 1989), (2) FAR 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (May 1989) [Equivalent Rate applicable to this acquisition is Helicopter Pilot, GS-2181-11, $24.22 per hour]. FAR 52.233-3 Protest after Award (Aug 1996). SUBMISSION OF OFFERS: Offers are due March 29, 2005 by 3:00 P.M. Local Time. Offers may be faxed to Grant Furulie at +1 (555) 000-0000 or mailed to USDA, Forest Service, Eastern Washington Acquisition Group, Colville National Forest, Attn: Grant Furulie, 765 South Main, Colville, WA 99114. Submit the following items with offer: 1) Pricing Schedule, 2) Completed Representations and Certifications, as required in FAR 52.212-3 (accessible at http://www.arnet.gov/far/, and 3) Technical Submittal. Questions regarding this announcement must be addressed in writing to Grant Furulie by fax at +1 (555) 000-0000 or by email at contact@example.gov.