Finley Flats Fuels Reduction - Lolo National Forest, MT

(I)This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized in FAR Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (II) This solicitation is issued as a request for proposal (RFP). Submit written proposals on RFQ Number AG-82B1-S-09-0050. (III) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-33. (IV) This solicitation is being issued as a Total Small Business Set-Aside. The associated NAICS code is 115310, Support Activities for Forestry. The small business size standard is $7 Million. (V) This combined solicitation/synopsis is for purchase of the following commercial item/services: (a) CLIN 0001: Finley Flat pre-commercial thinning, 104 Acres (b) CLIN 0002: Finley Flat hand piling slash, 104 Acres (c) CLIN 0003: Finley Flat capping piles with burnable water-repellent paper., 104 Acres (d) CLIN 0004: Camp Salvage slashing, 43 Acres (VI) Detailed description of requirements is included in attached statement of work and exhibits. The following is a general description of the services to be performed: The objective of this project is to reduce hazardous fuels on National Forest System lands in order to lower the risk of catastrophic wild fire. Fuels reduction will be accomplished through slashing and pre-commercial thinning treatments and hand piling of slash on approximately 147 acres in the Finley Flat area and the Camp Creek drainage, Sanders County, Montana. Finley Flat Thinning - The Contractor shall perform pre-commercial thinning of trees less then 6 inch dbh. Species preference shall be given to ponderosa pine, western larch, western white pine, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and grand fir. Seventy-five percent of the stand shall be thinned to an approximate 10-foot to 12-foot spacing (302-430 tpa). Tighten to 6-foot spacing on the remaining 25 percent of the stand to maintain a clumping effect that will provide vertical screening between future campsites. Clumps shall include from 3 to 12 trees. Leave-trees need not always be the tallest trees. Select varying heights to aid in screening campsites. Remove all submerchantable conifers within 33 feet of live Aspen. Thinned trees shall be cut below the lowest live limb except when prevented by natural obstacles. All live limbs below the cutting point shall be removed. Trees shall be completely severed from the stump. Stump height shall not exceed 2 inches above ground level or 4 inches above natural obstacles. Do not cut brush or hardwood species. All conifer trees 12 inches high or taller not selected for a leave-tree shall be cut. Finley Flat Plot Inspections - The Contractor shall maintain a plot system that provides an unbiased sample of thinning quality, and that represents the entire area treated. The Contractor shall sample at least 1 percent of the treated area. A 1/50th-acre plot size shall be used during inspection. The Contractor shall provide written inspection data, by unit, that meets requirements of the agreement, and a sketch map with plot locations. To show compliance with the Contract specifications, 65-85 percent of the plots should result in 6-9 trees less than 6 inch dbh. The remaining 15-35 percent of plots should reflect the tighter spaced clumps of trees and have 9-16 trees less than 6 inch dbh. Finley Flat Piling of Slash - The Contractor shall hand pile pre-commercial thinning slash. The slash shall be piled so when it is burned, it will not damage residual leave-trees. Hand piles shall be located 10 feet or more from individual and groups of live Aspens. All piled material shall be placed parallel in the piles as much as practicable and constructed to facilitate full consumption when burned. Minimum pile size shall be 4 feet high x 4 feet in diameter. Maximum pile size shall be 10 feet high x 10 feet in diameter. Approximately 10% of acreage will involve re-bunching of existing piles. The Contractor shall cover piles with burnable water-repellent paper, provided by the Contractor. Paper shall be placed within the pile such that - of the diameter of the pile is covered and held firmly in place by heavy slash on top of it. The burnable water-repellent paper to be used for pile covering shall be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer. Camp Salvage Slashing - The Contractor shall slash all species except western larch to facilitate future underburn. Slash all conifers 5 inches dbh or less. Slashed trees shall be cut below the lowest live limb except when prevented by natural obstacles. All live limbs below the cutting point shall be removed. Trees must be completely severed from the stump. Stump height shall not exceed 8 inches above ground level or 4 inches above natural obstacles. Lop all created slash to within 12 of the ground. Camp Salvage Plot Inspections - The Contractor shall maintain a plot system that provides an unbiased sample of slashing quality, and that represents the entire area treated. The Contractor shall sample at least 1 percent of the treated area. A 1/50th-acre plot size shall be used during inspection. The Contractor shall provide written inspection data, by unit, that meets requirements of the agreement, and a sketch map with plot locations. To show compliance with the Contract specifications, 90 percent of the plots should show no trees less than 5 inches dbh other than western larch. (VII) Date(s) and place(s) of delivery and acceptance: The project is located in two separate areas of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District. The first project area is 104 acres in the Finley Flat area, located in Sections 27 and 34, Township 23 North, Range 30 West, P.M.M. Access Finley Flat from Mt. Highway 200 approximately 9 miles northwest of Thompson Falls, Montana. The second project area is 43 acres in Camp Creek. To access Camp Creek, travel approximately one mile west of Thompson Falls, turn southeast on Prospect Highway #7, then turn on NFSR #352 and go approximately 11 miles to a unit located in the NE - of Section 22, T.20N., R.29W. and the NW - of Section 23, T.20N., R.29W., P.M.M. Project areas are former cutting units. Unit boundaries will be delineated with flagging by the Forest Service. Period of Performance: All work shall be completed by September 30, 2010. (VIII) FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items (June 2008), applies to this acquisition. See Addendum for additional instructions. (IX) Offers will be evaluated on their past performance, their technical capability to successfully complete this project, and the price quoted. (a) The Government will award the contract to the offeror(s) who (a) asserts to the terms of the RFP, and (b) has the best combination of experience, past performance, and price. Experience is a matter of the number of opportunities an offeror has had to do similar work and to encounter the kinds of problems that the Contractor is likely to encounter in the performance of this contract. Past performance is a matter of an offeror's reputation for integrity and customer satisfaction. Quality control and the understanding of the work is a matter of the offeror's familiarity with the nature of the work and with the kinds of problems the Contractor is likely to encounter during performance. Award(s) may be made without further discussions. Proposals should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms, from a technical and cost standpoint, which the offeror can submit to the Government. However, the Government may, after evaluation of the proposals, conduct further oral or written discussions as appropriate with all offerors whose proposals are within the competitive range. (b) Award will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal, conforming to the solicitation, is determined to be the best value to the Government, technical and price factors considered. (c) Each offeror's proposal will be evaluated with respect to the past performance, technical, and price factors. The non-price factors, when combined, are approximately equal to cost or price. (d) Price will contribute significantly to the source selection decision and will be evaluated as to completeness, realism and reasonableness. The importance of price will increase as the degree of technical merit differences between competing proposals decreases. If technical proposals are considered to be essentially equal in technical merit, price will become the determinative factor in making an award. (X) The offeror must submit a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (June 2009), with its quote or complete the Representations and Certifications on line at HTTP://ORCA.BPN.GOV . (XI) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items (Mar 2009), applies to this acquisition (XII) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (June 2009), Alternate I applies to this acquisition. The following clauses under subparagraph (b) apply: 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 39. The following clauses under subparagraph (c) apply: 1 This solicitation is issued under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and all requirements of the Act apply. The appropriate clauses are included under subparagraph (b) above. (XIII) The following clauses are also applicable to this acquisition: None (XIV) Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating does not apply. (XV) Quotes are required to be received in the contracting office no later than 4:00 P.M. MT on August 26, 2009. All quotes must be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to the attention of Paul Pierson. The fax number is +1 (555) 000-0000 and email address is contact@example.gov. Hardcopy proposals may be sent to USDA Forest Service - Intermountain EROC, 740 Simms St. Lakewood, CO 80401. Proposals may be on the Offerors letterhead and must state the solicitation number (AG-82B1-S-09-0050) on the cover page and in the subject line of faxes and e-mails. Be sure to include the information requested in (VIII) above (to include information provided in the addendum) with your proposal. (XVI) Any questions regarding this solicitation should be directed to Paul Pierson at +1 (555) 000-0000, email address contact@example.gov.