Ship Island Dune Construction

Correction: The place of performance is Harrison County, Mississippi. Synopsis: This is a Market Research and Sources Sought Notice for information on capability and availability of potential contractors to harvest, grow, and install vegetative plantings and sand fencing on Ship Island as part of the Dune Construction Phase of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Mississippi Barrier Island Restoration Project. Ship Island is located in the Mississippi Sound, approximately 13 miles south of Harrison County, Mississippi. The project work area is located within the boundaries of the National Park Service (NPS) Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS). The planting units and sand fence shall be installed on existing sandy fill material placed in the Camille Cut breach that separated East and West Ship Island (known as Camille Cut) to support habitat restoration and facilitate retention of the newly placed sand. This is a SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS and is not a solicitation announcement. The purpose of this Market Research and Sources Sought Notice is to gain knowledge of potential qualified Small Business firms. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, anticipates a future procurement to harvest, grow and install approximately 320,000 to 335,000 vegetative planting units and install approximately 17 miles of sand fence in staggered configurations. The specific types of plants, and the approximate quantity of each, are listed in Table 1: Table 1: Approximate plant quantities for Ship Island, MS Sources Sought solicitation. Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) 90,000 - 95,000 Bitter panic grass (Panicum amarum) 140,000 - 145,000 Gulf bluestem (Schizachyrium maritimum) 90,000 - 95,000 The total cost to harvest, grow and install the number of plants shown in Table 1, fertilize/treat soil at the time of planting, and purchase and install sand fence arrays is expected to be approximately $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 (five to ten million dollars). Sources are being sought for firms with a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code of 237990 with a Small Business Size Standard of $36.5 million. METEOROLOGICAL BACKGROUND: Coastal Mississippi is characterized by a mild and humid climate. Coastal areas of Mississippi typically experience mild temperatures. The coldest air temperatures occur in January, and the warmest occur in July or August. Based on monitoring records of the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SRCC), the average maximum temperature in July varies from 89.6 to 90.9'F, and the average minimum temperature in January varies from 41.2 to 43.3'F. Localized variations in temperature occur due to the varied influences of proximity to the land/water interface. Long-term rainfall records maintained by SRCC for Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula document that the region receives in excess of 65 inches of rainfall annually, with monthly averages generally ranging from 5 to 6 inches. The highest monthly rainfall totals typically occur during July and August. The relatively even distribution of rainfall accumulations may be attributed to the occurrence and frequency of winter frontal storms balanced against thunderstorm events during the wetter, summer months. Prior characterizations of wind conditions in the project area indicate that prevailing nearshore surface winds are from the south from March to July, gradually shifting to more easterly in August and September. During the winter months, prevailing winds are from the north and are associated with frontal systems (USEPA, 1986). SPECIFIC PLANTING REQUIREMENTS: All plants may be required to undergo inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and/or any other Municipal, State, or Federal entities. Plants being transported across Mississippi state boundaries shall be inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and/or any other Municipal, State, or Federal entities upon leaving and re-entering the State of Mississippi. Plants shall be temporarily stockpiled and successfully installed in a barrier island environment that is void of a controlled water supply; however, plants will need to be watered immediately after installation. A slow release gel type fertilizer, water retention gel, and/or other appropriate soil treatment to be determined by USACE shall be required at the time of planting. Transportation of irrigation water and any equipment associated with the irrigation (sprayers, tanks, etc.) shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Installation of dune plantings shall occur between the months of November and March (during daylight hours). Planting Unit Source, Option A This option shall require that the source material for all planting units, except for sea oats, shall be limited to vegetative cuttings for plant propagation. Source material for sea oats shall be either seeds or vegetative cuttings. Plant stocks shall only be collected from the western and eastern portions of Ship Island, Sand Island (DA-10), and/or Horn Island, which are a part of the National Park Service (NPS) Gulf Islands National Seashore Barrier Islands in Mississippi. The term 'planting unit' is defined as a viable nursery grown plant installed into a hole with specified watering and fertilizer. Sufficient stands of the specified plants will be identified by an NPS and USACE representative prior to the contractor's mobilization for harvesting. Planting Unit Source, Option B Under this option, the geographic origin of the plant stock supplied for this project shall be Mississippi, Alabama, the northwest panhandle of Florida, and/or southeast Louisiana. Plant stock originating outside of this geographical region may be considered for use if it has a proven track record of survivability and performance on projects with conditions similar to those that exist on Ship Island, Mississippi. All efforts shall be made to utilize releases developed by the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Program under this option. If a sufficient quantity of USDA-NRCS releases cannot be located to meet the requirements of this project, an equivalently performing plant adapted to Mississippi Gulf Coast conditions shall be utilized. USDA-NRCS tested plant material releases identified for this project are - Caminada' Germplasm Sea Oats, - Fourchon' Germplasm Bitter Panicum, and - Timbalier' Germplasm Gulf Bluestem. Plants growing within the fill template of the project shall not be harvested by the Contractor. Seeds collected specifically to supply plant stock for this project shall be collected from lands that are managed/permitted by a State or Federal Agency. Under this option, the harvesting of native plants for this project or for future use shall in no way increase the cost of the project to the Government above what a typical job of this magnitude would cost if all of the plants were obtained through commercial sources. Planting Unit Size Requirements Sea Oats shall have at least five (5) stems that meet the specified stem length requirement. Stem lengths shall be greater than twelve (12) inches. Sea Oats shall be provided in 4-inch pots with a root ball that fills the pot but is not root bound. Gulf Bluestem plants shall have a 12-24 inch stem length. Plants must have at least two (2) live stems that meet the specified stem length requirement. Bitter Panicum potted plants shall have a six (6) inch minimum stem length with a minimum of two (2) nodes. Rooted cuttings (runners or tillers) with an upper shoot shall also be acceptable. Sea Oats, Gulf Bluestem, and Bitter Panic shall have a root ball with a volume of approximately six (6) cubic inches unless otherwise specified. Sand Fencing The sand fence material shall have a fence porosity (defined as the ratio of the open area to the total projected area of the fence) between 40% and 60%. The sand fence assembly shall be 4 feet in height with slats spaced 1.75 inches (+- 0.25 inches) or as necessary to meet the specified porosity requirements. Sand fence slats shall be 2 inches wide by 3/8 inch thick. Sand fence wood slats (pickets) shall be decay free, unpainted and untreated, #1 Aspen, Cedar, or Spruce wood. Wooden posts for fence support shall be at least 3 inches in diameter and made from untreated, unpainted black locust, spruce or cedar. Wooden support posts shall be at least 8 feet long and shall be set at least 4 feet in the sand and no further than 10 feet apart. Wooden support posts shall be decay free, unpainted, and untreated. Wire, nails, and staples used in the manufacture and installation of the sand fence shall be galvanized. Sand fence shall be manufactured with 14-gauge wire. Warranty Criteria The contractor shall warrant all planting units for a period of 365 days from the end of the planting installation and acceptance by the Government. A survival rate of at least 80% within each acceptance section shall be required for this project. In addition to warranty survival, any planting unit that does not survive ten (10) days immediately after installation shall be replaced. Sand fence shall be warranted for replacement due to faulty craftsmanship and/or installation. Sand fence shall be inspected, and faulty units replaced as necessary, twice within the 365 day warranty period. Access Considerations for Harvesting The use of a UTV or other motorized equipment may be limited during plant stock harvesting. Boat access may be restricted to piers and docks managed by the NPS on the western end of Ship Island and on Horn Island. Draft limitations and seasonal conditions may apply and should be considered for the eastern end of Ship Island and Sand Island (DA-10). Environmental Considerations The presence of sea grass beds in the vicinity of the project work area should be considered and may limit boat access within the GUIS boundaries. The Contractor shall be required to comply with all applicable State and Federal permit terms. Harvesting and construction activities shall be subject to seasonal and migratory restrictions for threatened and endangered species and environmental monitoring may be required. Additional conditional restrictions may be imposed by the NPS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Information about the threatened and endangered species that may influence the project may be found on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) IPaC portal: https://ecos.fws.gov/ipac/. SPECIFIC INFORMATION REQUESTED: Contractors' responses should clearly indicate which option their information is being submitted in response to. Contractors should also clearly indicate if they are not capable of performing one of the options. The contractor shall submit the following, in addition to the information requested for each option: 1. Past performance and capabilities for projects similar in scope and magnitude of this project. 2. Qualifications of the project manager(s), site superintendent(s), and any other relevant site supervisor(s) that shall be employed for this project. 3. Documentation of the contractor's ability to inspect/replace faulty sand fencing units within the warranty period. Option A 1. Documentation of the methods that shall be employed to mobilize, harvest, grow, and plant the specified quantity of seeds/ plants that will meet the specifications described in this document. 2. Location of the plant nursery(ies) or greenhouses that shall be utilized to grow the plants required for this project and documentation of the nursery's past performance and capabilities to grow the number and type of plants that are required for this project. 3. Documentation of the applicable Municipal, State, and/or Federal permits/licenses/certifications required to grow plants for commercial use. Option B 1. The current inventory of plant stock that meet the requirements listed above as well as the growth/production rate of stock that will meet the requirements by the time of planting. 2. Documentation of the origin of each plants' stock and whether it originates from a USDA-NRCS release, native plant harvest, or some other previously referenced source. 3. Documentation will be required to show that plants originate from a USDA-NRCS tested plant material release identified for this project (Caminada' Germplasm Sea Oats, - Fourchon' Germplasm Bitter Panicum, and - Timbalier' Germplasm Gulf Bluestem) or an equivalently performing plant adapted to Mississippi, Alabama, the northwest panhandle of Florida, and/or southeast Louisiana conditions, if the contractor posits that they are such. 4. Documentation demonstrating plant survivability and performance to include the rate of survival on similar projects, the length of time over which the plants obtained that survival rate, as well as any relevant factors that may have contributed to the plants' success (or failure). 5. Documentation of the plant nursery's applicable Municipal, State, and/or Federal permits/licenses/certifications required to grow plants for commercial use. 6. If plant stock is currently available, submit documentation of the appropriate harvesting permits that were used to collect seeds/plants source material for this project. 7. Documentation of the source location for any seeds that would be used for this project and the applicable permit that was obtained for their collection. 8. Documentation related to plant stock installation and harvesting methods, if applicable. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses, which shall not exceed a total of fifteen (15) pages, are requested with the following information: 1. Contractor's name, address, points of contact with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. 2. Business size/classification to include any designations as Small Business, HUB Zone, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Women-Owned Small Business and 8(a) shall be indicated on first page of submission. 3. Bonding capability for a project of this magnitude. 4. Description of capability to perform the proposed services, manage subcontractors, prepare and comply with various environmental permits, and capacity to execute this project with other ongoing contracts. 5. Past performance/experience on projects of similar scope, describing no more than three (3) projects that are at least 50% complete within the past five years of the issue date of this Notice. The past performance information should include project title, location, general description services performed to demonstrate relevance to the proposed project, the Contractor's role, dollar value of contract, and name of the company, agency or government entity for which the work was performed with contact information (reference name, phone number and e-mail address). NO RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED BY FAX. ALL RESPONSES MUST BE E-MAILED to: Thomas.l.cochran@usace.army.mil AND Drenna.l.thompson@usace.army.mil. Submittals are due no later than close of business (COB) 6 October 2017. Submittals will not be returned. Telephonic responses will not be honored. This is not a Request for Proposal, only a Request for Information. No award will result from this Sources Sought. This notice does not constitute any commitment by the Government.