F--PA ERIE NWR INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL WET

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through FWS SAT Team 3, has awarded a small business set-aside contract under NAICS code 541620 for invasive aquatic plant control within the Sugar Lake Division of the Erie National Wildlife Refuge in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The contract requires a Pennsylvania Certified Pesticide Applicator (Category 9: Aquatic Pest Control) to apply herbicides—specifically Rodeo or AquaNeat on approximately 27.25 acres and Aquathol K on 12.5 acres—to eradicate Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, and Spatterdock across four designated wetland sites. Work must occur between June 15, 2026, and September 30, 2027, with all treatments conducted by boat or airboat under strict environmental conditions, including wind speed limits of 10 mph or as per herbicide label specifications and no application if more than a 10% chance of rain is forecast within a 24-hour window following application. A minimum of 75% coverage of mapped infestation areas must be achieved via foliar spray or subsurface injection, and all operations must comply with OSHA standards and federal hazard communication regulations. The contractor is obligated to submit detailed documentation including an electronic application plan with herbicide labels, SDS links, license copies, and a spill response plan; a daily spray log recording dates, times, crew, chemicals, rates, and weather conditions; and GIS deliverables in NAD83 Pennsylvania State Plane North projection within four weeks of completion, containing attributes for treatment date, applicator, herbicide, and acreage treated. Proposals must include a technical narrative outlining procedures and schedule, a management plan identifying key personnel, and three verified examples of past performance on similar federal, state, or local government projects complete with references and scope comparisons. Attendance at a mandatory site visit and active, eligible SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity Identifier are required for responsiveness. Evaluation prioritizes technical capabilities and past performance significantly over price, with unbalanced option pricing potentially rendering an offer unacceptable. Payment must be submitted electronically via the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform, and the contractor must carry liability insurance covering pesticide application. The contract includes flow-down clauses for labor standards, combating human trafficking, ethics, whistleblower rights, and accelerated payments to small business subcontractors, with all work performed FOB destination and administered by the office located at 5275 Le