QUESTIONS FOR SOLICITATION 12443926Q0069 Ottawa National Forest Silver Branch Plant Survey 3.pdf

QUESTIONS FOR SOLICITATION 12443926Q0069 Ottawa National Forest Silver Branch Plant Survey 3

Q1. The RFQ lists the Period of Performance as June 1, 2026 to September 15, 2026, with delivery by September 15, 2026. However, the schedule language also states that all surveys must be completed by September 15, 2027 and paperwork submitted by October 15, 2027. Could the Government please clarify the required completion year and final deliverable deadline?

A1. The period of performance should be through October 15, 2027. As stated on Page 1 of the Statement of Work, “All surveys should occur between May 15 and September 15, in 2026 and/or 2027.”

Q2. The RFQ states that at least three weeks must pass between consecutive surveys in a stand. Are two or more surveys required for every stand, or only for stands where target species phenology, habitat conditions, or inconclusive first-pass results warrant a follow-up survey?

A2. As stated on page 1 of the Statement of Work: “All 350 stands (7,992 acres) must be visited at least once. In addition, at least 105 stands (30%), totaling at least 2,398 acres (30%) must be visited a second time.” The contractor chooses what stands deserve the second visit, following criteria described in 3.2.3.

Q3. Could the Government confirm where the complete target species list is provided?

Specifically, are all target Regional Forester’s Sensitive plants, Michigan listed plants, plants of viability concern, priority non-native invasive species, and culturally significant plants identified in Attachment B, Attachment D, and/or Attachment E?

A3. There are three target species lists:

01 - 2026 ONF Rare Plants List for Silver Branch 3.pdf

02 - ONF25NNIPList.docx

04 - Instructions for Reporting Plants of Cultural Significance 2026.docx

As stated in 3.2.1, they total 162 rare plants, 38 invasive plants, and 36 plants of cultural significance. How much reporting is done for each species is described in the contract specifications. RFSS and State-listed plants require an MNFI Special Plant Form. Some species just require a GPS point.

Q4. Does the Statement of Work require complete pedestrian/meander surveys of each stand, targeted habitat surveys within stands, transect-based surveys, or another defined survey method? If survey intensity varies by stand or habitat type, could the Government clarify the expected level of effort?

A4. This is described in the Statement of Work section 3.2.2. If the contractor judges an area to have higher potential for rare plants, we suggest a greater level of effort, such as coming back for one of the second surveys. I also offer this screen shot, which shows GPS tracks from a past successful plant survey contract on the Ottawa:

Gray lines are stand boundaries. Dashed red line is GPS tracks.

Q5. Are all stands accessible by existing roads, trails, or two-tracks, or should the Contractor anticipate off-road foot access to some stands? Are there known access limitations, gates, seasonal road closures, wetland crossings, or private-land access issues within the project area?

A5. Anticipate off-road foot access to many stands, including some wetland crossings. I am not aware of any seasonal road closures that would affect the surveys. Some roads have gates; we can offer the contractor a government key to open gates, but assume it would seldom be needed. When I do surveys like this, I seldom drive through gates. What kinds of vehicles (passenger or OHV) can ride on what roads is shown in our motor vehicle use maps:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/ottawa/maps-guides

All stands can be accessed without crossing private land. There may be cases where crossing private land would make access easier.

Q6. Could the Government clarify the required final deliverables, including whether completed stand trackers, Michigan Special Plant Forms, NNIS forms, photo logs, GIS files, GPS tracks, and a final written report are required for each bid item or for the project as a whole?

A6. We prefer one submission for the project as a whole, if one contractor receives all the bid items.

Q7.For stands where no target species are observed, what level of negative survey documentation is required? Is a completed stand form sufficient, or is narrative documentation required for each stand?

A7. There is no “stand form.” There is a stand tracker. The Bundle Forms document includes Stand Tracker Instructions. Do write something for each stand. Do not take the time to report negative results for each stand. If you don’t report any rare, invasive, or cultural plants from a stand, we’ll know you found none there.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fs.usda.gov%2Fr09%2Fottawa%2Fmaps-guides&data=05%7C02%7Cchristopher.j.hamilton%40usda.gov%7C4aad3ea560fb4bd1643a08deb1e8077c%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C639143807288318883%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7fWV4tyV2SHuOL1RAaWeAEqMm7vOCeqokyyOLxExtpY%3D&reserved=0

Q8. How are plants of cultural significance identified for this project, and are there confidentiality, data handling, or reporting requirements for culturally significant plant observations?

A8. We worked with local Tribes to come up with the list in the “Instructions for Reporting Plants of Cultural Significance.” There are no special confidentiality or data handling instructions. Do report the plants of cultural concern you find, following the instructions.

Q9. What Government-furnished property or data will be provided to the Contractor? For example, will the Government provide stand boundaries, target species lists, prior survey records, known rare plant locations, NNIS data, aerial imagery, GIS templates, or field forms?

A9. See Section 5 of the Statement of Work.

Q10. Will prior botany survey data, known rare plant locations, prior NNIS records, or previous project survey results be made available to the selected Contractor before fieldwork begins?

A10. Yes, as described in the Government Furnished Property. Generally, these areas have not received a plant survey before, so we have no survey results. The stand tracker includes a column with some silvicultural notes for many of the stands.

Q11. Are subcontractors permitted for botanical field surveys, QA/QC, GIS, or reporting? If so, should subcontractor qualifications and experience be included in the technical capability statement and Experience Questionnaire?

A11. Yes, subcontractors are permitted. And yes, subcontractor qualifications and experience should be included in the technical capability statement and Experience Questionnaire. Do not just say you will subcontract with qualified people.

Q12. The RFQ states that the Government intends to make one award and that contractors must submit pricing for all items. Will the Government evaluate the total combined price for Items 0001–0003, or will individual line item pricing also be evaluated for reasonableness?

A12. The Solicitation does say on page 13, “The Government intends to make one award from this solicitation. Therefore, to be considered responsive, contractors must submit pricing for all items.” However, upon reviewing the bids, we may make more than one award, if it is the best interests of the government. That is why the work was split into three bid items. Note that Page 1 of the Schedule of Items says, “To avoid being awarded more work than can be accomplished within the contract period, quotes may be qualified to limit the maximum number of bid items that will be accepted. To avoid being awarded less work than desired, quotes may also be qualified to limit the minimum number of items that will be accepted.”

Q13. Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past.

A13. This will be a new contract action for this.