U -- Graduate-level academic courses in the fields of silviculture, landscape ecology, and forest management

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has a requirement for The USDA Forest Service is in need of four graduate-level academic courses to enhance the knowledge and abilities of mid-level career resource professionals in the fields of silviculture, landscape ecology, and forest management. The four course series will take place over a period of approximately 1- years. Offerors may consider one, two, three or all of the courses. The option years provide an opportunity for a new four-course series to start each year if there are sufficient students. The Landscape Ecology course is intended to provide advanced education in the science of landscape ecology including understanding how ecosystems function at the landscape scale, ecological implications and management applications, and decision support tools. Participating students specialize in a variety of resource management areas such as wildlife, fisheries, ecology, silviculture, recreation and scenery management, geology and soil, fire and fuels management. The courses in Ecological Systems, Inventory and Decision Support, and Advanced Silviculture are intended to provide advanced education in silviculture, ecology, and forest management such that the students can analyze forest condition and trends, identify treatment alternatives, and effects of treatments. Students will primarily be those specializing in silviculture employed with forest land management agencies. See Solicitation AG-3187-S-06-0011, Section C, C.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES/WORK for additional information. It is contemplated that a firm fixed price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract will be issued as a result of this solicitation. ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES MAY SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR CONSIDERATION. Prospective offerors are hereby on notice that any amendment(s) issued to this solicitation will be published in FedBiz OPs. It is the Offerors responsibility to visit the FedBiz Ops frequently for updates. If an amendment is issued and the Offeror does not acknowledge it, the offeror may be considered nonresponsive to the solicitation. All amendments must be acknowledged. The USDA FS will not be liable for any cost associated with the preparation of responses to the RFP, nor reimburse or otherwise pay any costs incurred by any party responding to this announcement. The Government may award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offers conforms to specifications and will be the most advantage to the Government. Questions regarding this acquisition must be submitted in writing no later than July 11, 2006. Fax to: (703) 605-5100 or email: Mr. Jaeger rjaeger@fs.fed.us. Proposals are due by 1:00 Eastern Standard Time on July 31st, 2006 and are to be mailed to: USDA Forest Service, 1621 North Kent Street, RM707, ATTN: Mr. Jaeger, Arlington, VA 22209 (include solicitation number).