F--Precommercial Thinning, Atchafalaya NWR, LA

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting quotes for precommercial thinning and mastication of approximately 430 acres of bottomland hardwood stands at the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. This 100 percent small business set-aside is conducted under FAR Parts 12 and 13 with NAICS code 115310. The project is divided into two units, consisting of 216 acres in Unit 1 and 214 acres in Unit 2. The scope of work involves cutter-select thinning to favor desirable species such as oaks, pecans, persimmon, green ash, and cypress, ensuring the best trees are left every 20 to 30 feet. All remaining slash and debris must be masticated to no more than one foot from ground level using forestry mulching machines with a maximum ground pressure of 5.2 psi. The period of performance runs from September 21, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Award will be based on best value, where technical capability and past performance are weighted more heavily than price. Technical evaluations will focus on the management approach and the requirement for key personnel to possess at least five years of relevant experience. Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management and use the Invoice Processing Platform for payments. Quotes must be submitted as a firm fixed price and include a technical narrative limited to 10 pages and past performance questionnaires. The deadline for quote submission is September 14, 2026, at 2:00pm EDT.