A002 B-H IRSC_QandA_2.pdf

1. Pricing Structure / Treatment Units The Schedule of Items specifies pricing by unit (e.g., ton, acre, each), and we understand those items must be completed as provided. In addition, would the Government allow pricing to be proposed on a per treatment unit basis as part of the proposal approach? If so, would this need to be submitted strictly as an alternate proposal?

This option has been considered, however, pricing will remain on a per ton basis.

2. Bridge Weight Restrictions Are there any specific bridge load limits or restrictions within the project areas that should be incorporated into haul planning?

This area was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, and many bridges were washed out and impacted. There have been temporary bridges installed for access and a lot are being replaced with permanent unrestricted bridges. There are multiple haul routes to the mills from different routes to avoid restricted bridges. If there are any bridges that have load limits, they are posted on the bridges themselves.

3. Helicopter Yarding Measurement & Payment Helicopter yarding is identified as a ton-based pay item in the solicitation.

• Can you confirm whether payment will be based on helicopter daily weight scale reports versus truck load scaling?

Yes, see A001 Q&A for additional information

• At the site visit, it was discussed that trucking may be used for determining loads, which appears inconsistent with the solicitation. We would appreciate clarification on the intended basis of measurement for payment.

Load count will be the system used to validate payment for hauled products, see Appendix A, Section V.

4. Road Surfacing / Graveling Requirements For roads listed under surfacing (graveling), if those roads are not used at all for hauling or access to treatment areas, would the surfacing still be required, or is it contingent on actual use?

If a road is not used or needed for operations then maintenance would not be required to be performed.

5. Operating Season / Work Windows

• Can contractors self-regulate yarding and landing operations year-round, including December–March, based on site conditions?

• The “Non-Operating Season” of December 15- March 15 Annually in the “Supplemental Stewardship Requirements” has been removed per A002. All operations, inclusive of hauling, may occur throughout the year provided that sufficient conditions exist so as to not create unnecessary resource damage, rutting, etc.

• Are similar flexibilities allowed for hauling operations, or are hauling activities subject to fixed restriction dates regardless of terrain and road conditions?

o See response above.

6. Aerial Seeding Requirement Page 20 references aerial seeding as part of the Technical Approach evaluation. Can you confirm whether aerial seeding is required for this project, or if this is a typo?

Aerial seeding is no longer part of the contract. A001 removed this language from the solicitation.

A. DOCUMENT CONSISTENCY (MATERIAL)

1. Solicitation number discrepancy: The SF1449 and the main IRSC document reference Solicitation 12363N26R4012, while Attachment 1b (Supplemental Stewardship Requirements) and Attachment 1c (BioPreferred Products) reference Solicitation 12363N26R4009 throughout. Please confirm that 12363N26R4012 is controlling and that Attachments 1b and 1c apply in full to this solicitation, or issue corrected attachments.

Solicitation 12363N26R4012 is the controlling solicitation and attachments 1b and 1c apply in full. There is no other solicitation number tied to this project.

2. Please confirm there are no other terms, quantities, or attachments keyed to 12363N26R4009 that offerors should disregard or that require correction.

There are no other terms, quantities or attachments keyed to 12363N26R4009. This project started with this solicitation number and was replaced with 12363N26R4012.

B. SUBMISSION LOGISTICS & FORMAT

3. Please confirm the submission mechanism: should offers be emailed to the Contracting Officer, uploaded via SAM.gov, or submitted through another portal? Please provide the exact submission address and the number/format of electronic copies required for the separate Technical and Price volumes.

Offers shall be emailed to Matt Daigle at matthew.daigle@usda.gov and Ingrid Anderson at ingrid.anderson@usda.gov Technical and Price Proposals shall be submitted via email as two separate documents.

Only one electronic copy required.

4. The instructions specify per-section page limits but do not state a required font, font size, margins, or page size. Please confirm whether any page-format requirements apply, and whether tables/graphics and cover/transmittal pages count toward the stated page limits.

mailto:matthew.daigle@usda.gov mailto:ingrid.anderson@usda.gov

There is no required font, font size, margin or page size. No page-format requirements apply.

Page limit requirements are stricken per this amendment (002) and no longer apply.

C. OPERATING PLAN / SCHEDULE

5. Section L states the Timing response is 'NOT a request for a detailed operations plan' (1 page), while the Supplemental Stewardship Requirements (Schedules and Reports table) lists a 'Proposed Operation Plan (Overall Schedule)' as due 'with proposal for Mandatory Work.' Please clarify whether a Proposed Operation Plan must be submitted WITH the offer, and if so, in which volume and whether it counts against the 1-page Timing limit.

A Proposed Operation Plan (Overall Schedule) must be submitted with the offer. The intent of this document is to illustrate an order of operations and general plan for how this work will be completed within the contract period of performance. This counts against the 1-page Timing limit.

D. PRICING & TIMBER REMOVAL

6. Please confirm whether the minimum acceptable offer rates for timber and product removal are published to offerors (e.g., in Appendix B), or whether offerors propose removal rates subject to those minimums, and how the unbalanced-pricing evaluation will treat the timber-removal line items relative to the service items.

Offerors are to submit pricing for timber in the Mandatory and Optional Timber/Product Removal Price Schedules. The minimum acceptable offer rates in the schedules are the minimum rates the government will accept. Offeror’s may propose any rate that is equal to or greater than the stated minimum.

Pricing in the Timber/Product Removal Price Schedule is that rate that the Offeror pays the government for the timber which may be used to offset contract costs and is separate in consideration of unbalanced pricing evaluation as timber values are not linked to service work item pricing.

7. Regarding the Excess Timber Value provision: please confirm the method and timing by which any excess timber value (where timber value exceeds the value of mandatory work) is reconciled and paid by the contractor, and whether that obligation is considered in the price evaluation.

As removal of timber products is by scale using estimated weights, actual weight determinations will be on-going as products are hauled and reported. Final weights for removed timber products will not be realized until the last load removed has been accounted for. If this value exceeds the value of mandatory and ordered optional work activities, then a bill will be sent to the contractor for payment after all volume has been recorded and all work activities that will be exercised have been completed. There is no way to know at time of evaluation if this will be the case, so this is not considered in the price evaluation.

E. FIELD / OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS

8. The Supplemental notes that timber/product quantities are Forest Service estimates only, and Appendix B reflects substantial defect (approx. 50% net scale) on storm-damaged material. Please confirm how product-volume variance between estimated and actual recovered tonnage is handled for payment, and whether quantities will be adjusted if field conditions materially differ at the time of performance.

When timber removal is by scale, the Contractor will only pay for the weight removed using the load-count method. The Forest Service estimates are shown in the schedules and table A2 of Appendix B. The Contractor will not be required to pay for products not removed, nor will the Forest Service pay for tonnage not removed. If quantities exceed estimates, any increase will be bilaterally agreed to via modification.

9. Please confirm any helicopter landing-zone, staging, airspace, or flight-window constraints (e.g., proximity to populated WUI areas) that offerors should reflect in their landing layout and helicopter operations approach.

The Forest Service is not aware of any flight restrictions for the project area. The project area is near homes and there are numerous overhead powerlines that will need to be taken into consideration when planning detailed logging plans for each unit. Contractors will be responsible for compliance with all FAA regulations.

10. Please provide a definition and expectation for the removal of small roundwood that may be delivered to three mentioned locations (appendix A). Is this only applicable for conifer material with the areas of; Vineyard, Chunky Gal, and Davenport.

The definition of small roundwood for this contract follows the specifications listed in Appendix B, A.2 – Volume Estimates and Utilization Standards. This applies to both hardwood and conifers. The expectation is that all material meeting these minimum specifications shall be removed.

11. Are there limitations to working hours / days.

No limitations to working hours/days.

12. Are there any slash requirements for treetops or small diameter material that will remain in place, as a result of the material being less than the minimum diameter required for helicopter yarding.

There are no slash requirements for the harvest units. Only material meeting utilization standards in Appendix B is required to be removed. There is slash requirements for landings.

This amendment (002) adds – C6.7 Slash Requirements to See Appendix B for slash treatment requirements.

13. Given the steep mountainous terrain of the project area, there is a significant difference between the 2D planimetric “map acreage” and the actual topographical surface acreage being physically clearing. Please clarify how an acre should be calculated.

Unit acres stated in Appendix A were determined using GIS and are authoritative for this contract action, no adjustment factor was utilized for slope.

14. Please confirm if Item B6.42 (e.g., in Appendix B) applies for development of landing zones or does this apply to material removal areas. (e.g., CO4f_5A) calls out Tractor – Buck for Vineyard, Chunky Gal, and Davenport Areas.

Only applies to tractor ground – which is Buck.