Green Mountain National Forest – Summer Landscape Maintenance

This contract covers summer landscape maintenance services at the Rochester Ranger Station in Vermont under the Green Mountain National Forest, USDA Forest Service, with a base performance period from May 18, 2026, through April 30, 2027, and four optional one-year extensions through April 30, 2031. The work includes weekly mowing, trimming, leaf blowing, spring cleanup by June 1, biannual weeding, annual mulching, tree and shrub pruning completed by September 30, and debris removal from walkways and infrastructure to meet USDA Forest Service standards for safety, accessibility, and professional appearance. All services are performed during the growing season, and the contract is structured as an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity type with fixed quantities per service but unpriced line items, indicating that bids must provide unit rates without a stated total value. The contract is set aside entirely for small businesses under NAICS code 561730 with a $9.5 million size standard, and proposals are evaluated based on past performance, equipment availability, and personnel qualifications in a highest technically rated non-tradeoff process, with award contingent upon acceptable or neutral past performance and fair and reasonable pricing. The contractor is required to comply with multiple labor standards including Service Contract Labor Standards, paid sick leave under Executive Order 13706, employment eligibility verification, and equal opportunity requirements for veterans and workers with disabilities, while also adhering to OSHA safety regulations and specific USDA directives. The contract mandates full compliance with federal DEI restrictions under new provisions prohibiting race or gender stereotyping, with material noncompliance risking termination and forfeiture of payments. All personnel must undergo USDA Personal Identity Verification (PIV) through the LincPass system, and the contractor must appoint a PIV compliance representative. The place of performance is FOB destination at the Rochester Ranger Station, with inspection and acceptance handled exclusively by the government. The solicitation requires submission of the SF-1449, Schedule of Items, Project Map, Wage Determination 2015-4139, and an Experience Questionnaire, with all proposals due by May 4, 2026, via email to the designated contracting officer. Regulatory clauses for whistleblower rights, anti-trafficking, cybersecurity safeguards, electronic payments, and Buy American preferences are included, but no packaging, labeling, or preservation requirements are specified.