C05 12444726Q0053 QA.pdf

12444726Q0053

Green Mountain Finger Lakes Invasive Species Map and Control

Questions and Answers

1) Why does the Appendix B table in the SOW only total 76.54 acres instead of the listed 174.38 acres?

Answer: Appendix B reflects only the 76.54 acres of confirmed NNIP. Some locations require multiple treatment types on the same ground, so acreage appears in more than one treatment category (e.g., foliar herbaceous plus woody cut-stump). This causes treatment-task totals to exceed the physical acreage but accurately represents the level of effort required.

2) Is Rocky Hollow missing acreage in the table, and could that be causing the discrepancy?

Answer: Rocky Hollow was removed from the SOW but was mistakenly left on the site maps. It should be ignored. Thank you for noting the discrepancy.

3) Are the Rake Branch northern and southern landing acreages missing, and should they be included (possibly beyond the 1.8 acres listed for Rake Branch)?

Answer: The acreage is not missing. The values shown in the table are correct as listed.

4) What are the correct acreage amounts for all treatment sites, especially considering the extra 100 acres?

Answer: Please refer to the updated Appendix B posted with the amendment on SAM.gov.

The revised table reflects the correct acreage for all treatment sites.

5) What species are in those additional acres?

Answer: There are no additional species included in those acres.

6) Are those additional acres accessible by vehicle?

Answer: The populations in treatment categories 1.1 and 2.1 are accessible by vehicle.

The populations in treatment category 1.2 are not.

7) Please confirm revised quantities: CLIN 0001 76.54 acres, 0002 49.10 acres, 0003 48.74 acres, 0004 71 acres, and 0005 one lump sum. Are overlapping treatment/survey areas separately payable?

Answer: Yes, the revised quantities are correct. Overlapping treatment/survey areas are reflected in the CLIN structure and are payable as listed.

8) Are overlapping treatment/survey areas separately payable?

Answer: They should not overlap unless the work involves different species being controlled. In those cases, the overlapping areas are treated as separate payable items.

9) Are acreage figures gross unit footprints or measured infestation areas? How are completed acres verified, accepted and adjusted?

Answer: Acreage figures reflect gross unit footprints, with infestation percentages used to estimate affected areas. This approach ensures level-of-effort is represented accurately. Verification and acceptance follow the Statement of Work, which outlines how acres are reviewed, measured, and approved in the field.

10) Are boundaries, access points, densities, species, methods and map layers final? Will editable GIS polygons and site instructions be available before offer or after award?

Please provide common bidding assumptions if later.

Answer: The boundaries, access points, densities, species, methods, and map layers provided in the solicitation are the current available information and may be refined if needed. Editable GIS polygons and detailed site instructions are expected to be provided after award. Offerors should base bids on the information contained in the solicitation and the Statement of Work.

11) What activities and return visits must be covered by mobilization CLIN 0005, and when is it payable?

Answer: Mobilization includes travel to each site, transport of equipment, and pre- and post-work meetings. Payment for CLIN 0005 is made in accordance with the solicitation’s payment provisions after mobilization activities are completed.

12) Please identify known gated/seasonal access, closures, wetlands, slope, timber harvest conflicts, staging restrictions, early unit deadlines and other site-specific cost drivers.

Answer: All sites are part of timber sale areas; Catamount Cobble is additionally a prescribed-burn location. The COR will notify the contractor if active timber operations or prescribed burns are scheduled. Most sites have straightforward roadside access. Site-specific notes are as follows:

• Benson Road: Park along the local road; a gated forest road is present but not needed.

• Boy Blue: Populations run along Forest Road 71; multiple pullouts available but may be muddy.

• Catamount Cobble: Access via gated Forest Road 260; key provided after award. High-clearance 4WD needed.

• Greendale Road: All populations along the road; park at the end. Avoid private property—boundaries provided post-award.

• Rake Branch:

– North: Park at FR 71 / FR 325.

– South: Park at FR 71 / FR 326.

• White Hill East: Parking at Potter Rd/Ip Rd (ATV or walking required) or at the end of Cobb & Reed Rd.

• White Hill West: Park on Waite Rd. Gate key provided post-award. Some ATV or walking access are required.

Wetlands and slope features will be mapped post-award. There are no formal staging restrictions, but the COR must be notified and approve staging plans to avoid conflicts with landowners or other operations.

13) Is a Government site visit planned or required? How can offerors access sites before quotations close?

Answer: Yes. A site visit will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM ET at:

USFS Manchester Ranger Station Green Mountain National Forest 2538 Depot Street Manchester Center, VT 05255 Attendance is optional, not required for submitting a quote. This site visit is the recommended method for viewing project conditions before quotations are due.

Independent site access is not provided.

14) What herbicide products/formulations are approved? Are substitutes allowed by advanced consent? Identify aquatic buffers, permit requirements and more restrictive label/site constraints.

Answer: Approved products are Glyphosate, Glyphosate (aquatic use), Sethoxydim, Triclopyr, Clopyralid, Aminopyralid, Imazapyr, and Fluoridone. Any formulation of these products is acceptable; substitutions are not allowed. Aquatic buffers must be applied around NNIP populations near water, according to product labels and pesticide buffer guidelines. All herbicide use must comply with label requirements, and the more restrictive condition (label or site) always applies. The contractor and onsite supervisor must hold a current Vermont commercial pesticide applicator license, and a licensed applicator must be present during all treatments.

15) How will treatment method (cut-stump, basal-bark, foliar) be assigned? Include expectations for slash/debris, cleanup, repeat passes and retreatment.

Answer: The contractor may propose the treatment method, subject to COR approval.

Methods are flexible and may vary based on species biology, phenology, and site conditions. Some sites may require repeat visits if different species are best treated at different times of year. The need for repeat passes will be determined post-award with COR coordination. Retreatment is required only if the initial treatment does not pass quality control.

16) Please confirm performance and inspection metrics, including the requirement for >85% treatment effectiveness, <10% nontarget mortality, cure and reinspection periods, and when contractor-funded correction is required.

Answer: These metrics are confirmed as stated. Treatment effectiveness must exceed 85%, non-target impacts must remain below 10%, and cure/reinspection periods follow the SOW. Contractor-funded correction is required when work does not meet these performance standard.

17) What GIS coordinate system, precision, attributes, file formats, photographs and digital submission methods are required? Will Government Field Maps/Survey123 access be provided?

Answer: The Forest uses NAD83 UTM 18N, but contractors are not required to use this system as long as coordinate precision is reported. A datasheet with required GIS attributes will be provided post-award, and the same attributes will be available in Survey123. The Government will provide access to Field Maps/Survey123 after award.

Acceptable file formats include online GIS spatial files or shapefiles, based on contractor preference. Photographs are not required.

18) Specify Vermont applicator licensing categories, on-site presence/supervision rules and documents required at proposal versus performance.

Answer: A current Vermont commercial pesticide applicator license is required for the contractor and for anyone supervising herbicide treatments. A licensed applicator must be onsite at all times during herbicide application. At proposal, contractors must submit proof of Vermont pesticide certification, including core exam documentation, category-specific certifications, and a valid pesticide business license for commercial services. Additional documentation will be required prior to field performance as outlined in the SOW.

19) Specify insurance policies, minimum limits, pollution liability if applicable, additional insurance endorsements and certificate deadlines.

Answer Offerors must submit a written safety plan including:

• Procedures for first aid and chemical exposure

• Spill response procedures

• Evidence of an active safety-training program

• OSHA citations/actions from the past 3 years and corrective measures Subcontractors must provide the same safety information.

For right-of-way treatments, applicators must meet additional safety requirements (Type II vest, vehicle high-intensity light, and “Road Work Ahead” sign placed 500 ft before the work area).

20) Are any bid/performance/payment bonds, surety, licenses, permits or other authorizations required? Identify amounts and deadlines.

Answer: No bonds or additional authorizations are required beyond the standard licensing and insurance specified in the solicitation.

21) May a prime contractor that performs only contract administration and quality oversight—but does not apply pesticides—satisfy the Vermont commercial pesticide applicator licensing requirement through a properly licensed Vermont subcontractor and its certified applicators? If the prime contractor must also hold a company license or employ its own certified applicator, please confirm the requirement and indicate when evidence must be provided. Additionally, may the subcontractor’s relevant project experience and personnel qualifications be used to support the technical and past-experience evaluation?

Answer: The prime must hold a Vermont pesticide business license or employ its own certified applicator, and a licensed applicator must be onsite during all treatments.

Documentation is required at the time of treatment. Subcontractor experience may be used in evaluations if that subcontractor will perform the on-site work.

22) Please confirm the revised acreage for Items 0001–0004 (76.54 acres, 49.10 acres, 48.74 acres, and 71 acres) plus one mobilization item. Do the treatment quantities represent separately priced treatment categories that may overlap geographically, and how will complete acreage be measured and accepted?

Answer :Yes, the revised quantities are correct. The line items represent separate treatment categories, which may overlap geographically. Each category has its own spatial polygon (provided as shapefiles or online GIS files). Acreage is measured and accepted site by site. For example, if a 1.8-acre site requires two treatment types, each treatment counts separately, resulting in 3.6 payable acres upon completion.

23) The SOW requires treatment of infestations extending beyond 30 feet from roads, trails, or utility corridors. Is all such work already included in the revised acreage? If additional acreage is identified, will it require written authorization and a price/quantity adjustment, or must it be included in the fixed price regardless of extent?

Answer: This acreage is not included in the revised totals because it cannot be reliably estimated in advance. If field-verified boundaries result in a material change to the gross treated acreage, adjustments will be handled through COR approval and, if necessary, a formal contract modification.

24) The treatment narrative lists thresholds of 90–95% area coverage, 85–90% target kill, and no more than 10–15% non-target mortality, while the QA table specifies 100% project-area treatment and less than 10% non-target mortality. Please confirm the controlling acceptance criteria and the timing for final effectiveness inspections and any re-treatment requirements.

Answer: The QA table values control: 100% area coverage and <10% non-target mortality. COR effectiveness inspections must occur within 3 days of treatment completion. Retreatment is required if work does not meet these acceptance standards.

See SOW pp. 8–9 for details.

25) Could you provide the work-area boundaries in an ArcGIS-compatible format (such as shapefiles or a geodatabase) or grant access to the ArcGIS Online project so bidders can review the revised treatment and survey areas and prepare accurate pricing?

Answer: ArcGIS-compatible boundaries (shapefiles or online spatial data) will be provided post-award. Offerors should base pricing on the maps and information included in the solicitation.

26) The updated SOW explains that 76.54 physical acres are counted across multiple treatment categories to total 174.38 treatment acres. However, it also states that “overlapping treatment areas are not separately payable.”

Please confirm whether each required treatment will be paid under its corresponding pricing-sheet item when different treatments occur on the same physical acre. Are the full quantities listed under Items 1–3 payable upon satisfactory completion, even where those areas overlap?

Answer: Yes. Each required treatment is payable under its respective CLIN, even when treatments occur on the same physical acres. The listed quantities represent separate treatment categories, and acreage is measured and accepted per treatment type.

12444726Q0053