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RFI LOG
Project Name: Barrillas Peak & Encino Vista Lookout Tower Restoration
| Solicitation No. | 127EAX26Q0069 |
| Solicitation Date 11 September 2026 | RFI Close Date 1 October 2026 |
| RFI # |
| DESCRIPTION |
| RESPONSE |
| 001 |
| Please confirm the governing October12 quotation deadline: SAM displays2PM Pacific while the solicitation refers to local time. |
| Quote submission due date and time is 2:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on 13 November 2026. |
| 002 |
| Please also confirm whether the September23 and24 optional visits labeled10AM MST are at10AM Mountain daylight time locally, and identify any advance RSVP/access deadline. |
| Original site visits were canceled due to weather related issues, they were since rescheduled and conducted. |
| 003 |
| Attachment 2 is titled "IGCE" but every unit price and total cell is blank, and no estimated magnitude of construction appears anywhere in the solicitation. Please disclose the Government's estimated magnitude of construction for this project, stated as the applicable price range in accordance with FAR 36.204, for the Base Bid and for Bid Option A. |
| Attachment 2 Excel tab renamed SOI. |
Disclosing project magnitude is no longer a requirement per Revolutionary FAR Overhaul.
| 004 |
| SF 1442 Block 2, Type of Solicitation, is blank; neither the Sealed Bid (Invitation for Bid) box nor the Negotiated (Request for Proposal) box is marked. The solicitation text refers to the submission as a quotation, cites FAR 12.203 and 12.204 as the evaluation authority, and incorporates FAR 52.212-1 and 52.212-4, while the SF 1442 refers throughout to sealed offers and public opening. Please confirm whether this acquisition is being conducted as a Request for Quotations under simplified acquisition procedures or as a negotiated Request for Proposals, amend SF 1442 Block 2 accordingly, and confirm whether a submission will be treated as a binding offer the Government may accept unilaterally. |
| SF 1442 Block 2 Type of Solicitation is blank because: |
Sealed Bid (Invitation for Bid) uses RFO Part 14 Negotiated (Request for Proposal) uses RFO Part 15 127EAX26Q0069 is a Request for Quote using techniques from RFO Part 12.
The submission/award will be treated as binding after selected and qualified offeror signs SF1442, page 2 blocks 30(a)(b)(c) then the Contracting Officer counter signs SF1442, page 2 blocks 31(a)(b)(c) (bilateral).
| 005 |
| Solicitation page 18 states that a 20 percent bid bond is required to be submitted with the quote package, and SF 1442 Block 13b is marked to require an offer guarantee. Please confirm whether the 20 percent bid guarantee is computed on the Base Bid total alone or on the combined Base Bid and Bid Option A total. |
| 20% bid guarantee is required. |
100% Payment Bond is required.
100% Performance Bond is required.
20 percent bid guarantee is computed on the combined Base Bid and Bid Option A total.
| 006 |
| The solicitation states the submission method and deadline and identifies the minimum technical information required, but establishes no volume structure, page limits, font, or margin requirements. Please confirm whether any format or page limitations apply to the technical approach and past performance submissions. |
| Under the President’s Executive Order, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, the Federal government undertook the first-ever comprehensive overhaul of the FAR. |
This initiative returned the FAR to its statutory roots, rewrote it in plain language, and remove most non-statutory rules. Follow submission instructions as detailed in solicitation 127EAX26Q0069 and attachments.
| 007 |
| Solicitation page 17 establishes Technical Approach, Price and Past Performance as evaluation criteria and provides for award to the highest technically rated offeror, but the relative importance of those criteria is not stated. Please state the relative importance of the evaluation factors. |
| The relative importance of the technical approach need not be more detailed than technical (capability of the products or services offered to meet the agency’s needs), price, and past performance. |
| 008 |
| The Technical Approach evaluation at Solicitation page 17 requires all offerors to provide "Certification of NEC and State approved commercial electric skills and expertise" with their quotations. Please confirm whether this requirement attaches to the offeror as prime contractor or may be satisfied by the qualifications of the electrical subcontractor that will perform the work, and identify the certifying authority, license type, or documentary evidence the Government will accept as satisfying it. |
| It is not a requirement that the primary contractor carry all required certifications. It is the responsibility of the primary to ensure any/all subcontractors carry the required certifications and/or licensure for specialized work per any/all applicable Federal and/or local building codes. The USFS will review all certifications submitted for compliance. |
| 009 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §8.0, repeatedly directs material quantities and selections to a document referred to as "the ROM," including cab floor, wall and roof structural members "as outlined in the ROM," the handrail and guardrail assembly "per ROM," windows "(12 ea. per ROM concept)," lightning protection clamps, brackets and connectors "per ROM," the grounding ground ring, ground rods, conductors, bus bars, inspection wells and ground enhancement material "per ROM bill of materials," and access road rock "per ROM pricing options." That document is not among Attachments 1 through 6. Will the Government release the referenced ROM and bill of materials by amendment prior to the date offers are due, and if it will not, please confirm that offerors are to establish all material quantities from the performance requirements in Attachments 1 and 3 alone. |
| Offerors are to establish all material quantities from the performance requirements in provided contractual documents. A ROM will not be provided. |
| 010 |
| Because Attachment 3, Specifications §8.0, keys material quantities to a document not provided to offerors, please confirm how a variance between the quantities an offeror assumed at bid and the quantities established during the 30, 60, 90 and 100 percent design phases will be handled — whether such variance is at the Contractor's risk within the fixed price or will be addressed by equitable adjustment. |
| Any quantity discrepancies outside of the standard range set forth for Federal Contracts will be treated as unforeseen conditions, quantified and addressed by equitable adjustment. |
| 011 |
| No plans, elevations, sections, site plans, or existing-conditions drawings accompany the solicitation for either the Barillas Peak or the Encino Vista site. Will the Government issue drawings of the existing towers, the existing cab, the compound layout, or the utility and septic locations by amendment prior to the date offers are due, and if it will not, please confirm that offerors are to price the work from the Statement of Work and Specifications alone and that the organized site visits on 09/23/2026 and 09/24/2026 are the Government's intended means for offerors to establish existing conditions. |
| A “historic” set of drawings for Barillas Peak does exist but it’s accuracy is unknown. This document can be provided but it shall not govern/confirm site conditions. It will be provided and shall be used alongside a site visit if one is rescheduled. If a site visit is no longer an option, offerors shall price work solely from attached contract documents. Additional supporting documents for the Encino Vista Tower will be provided via this amendment. If site visits are not rescheduled, proceed as directed above. |
| 012 |
| Attachment 1, SOW §IV, identifies FAA Tower Inspection Reports, Existing Site Layout and Location Maps as example documents the Government will attempt to provide, without guarantee, and Attachment 3, Specifications §2.0 Phase 1, requires the Contractor to assess the extent of the fire damage to the existing Barillas Peak tower and to document its current condition and material properties. Please provide any tower inspection reports, structural condition assessments, incident reports, damage assessments, photographs, or engineering evaluations the Forest holds documenting the current condition of the Barillas Peak and Encino Vista towers and the extent of the fire damage at Barillas Peak, or confirm that none exist. |
| The extent of what the USFS has for reports and/or similar documents will be provided. |
| 013 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §6.0 and §7.0, require both towers to meet ANSI/TIA-222-H as a minimum with wind, ice and equipment load calculations based on proposed loading, and Specifications §2.0 Phases 2 and 4 require the Contractor to perform a structural analysis confirming the existing Barillas Peak tower can carry the new canopy together with the off-grid solar equipment, the davit arm and winch, and the clean water storage and delivery loads. A TIA-222-H analysis of the existing superstructure and its foundation requires the original design basis — member sizes and configuration, steel grades and material properties, the design loads the tower was originally built to, and the as-built dimensions, depth and reinforcement of the existing tower footings and anchorage — none of which is provided in the solicitation. Please provide the original tower design drawings, structural calculations, shop drawings, mill certifications, and foundation as-built or record drawings for the Barillas Peak and Encino Vista towers. If those records do not exist, please state the assumed values offerors are to use for bidding purposes — including assumed steel grade and allowable stresses, assumed footing dimensions, depth and reinforcement, and assumed allowable soil bearing pressure — and confirm how the Contractor is to establish the existing foundation configuration, whether by exploratory excavation priced within the Base Bid or by another means the Government will direct. |
| As mentioned in a previous response, historic drawings for the Barillas Peak LO tower will be provided. Additionally a structural analysis report has been generated and the USFS will provide that document as a part of this response package. Any information that is not able to be obtained by the documents that will be provided via the response package, will require on site exploratory work, specifically for establishing required knowledge pertaining to the existing foundation(s). |
| 014 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §1.4.a, requires a geotechnical report in the closeout package and §2.a.9 requires detailed tower drawings within 30 days after the geotechnical report is received, but no subsurface information is provided for either site. Please confirm that the geotechnical investigation at both Barillas Peak and Encino Vista is the Contractor's responsibility and is to be included within the Base Bid and Bid Option A design items respectively, and provide any existing subsurface data, boring logs, or soil survey information the Forest holds for either site. |
| Geotechnical report shall be priced as an incidental cost under “Item Number 2” on both Base Bid and Option A Bids. |
The USFS will provide any and all relevant documents that we have in efforts to supplement the unknowns from existing conditions.
| 015 |
| NAICS Code Confirmation: Please confirm the applicable NAICS code assigned to this procurement. |
| Yes, NAICS 236220 – Commercial and Institutional Building Construction is applicable to this requirement. |
| 016 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §2, Existing Tower Removal (if required), sets performance measures for removing a tower and foundation to 18 inches below grade as specified by the COR and for disposal or relocation of an existing tower to a location specified by the Government. Neither the Statement of Work nor the Schedule of Items includes removal of a tower structure at either site; the Base Bid removes the existing cab only. Please confirm that no tower or tower foundation removal is required under this contract and that Specifications §2, Existing Tower Removal, is not applicable. |
| At this time, the removal of a tower and foundation to 18” below grade is not required in this contract. |
| 017 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §8.0, lists appliances to be supplied and installed including a "(small electric water heater-currently not priced)." Please confirm whether the small electric water heater is within the scope of Base Bid item 3 and is to be included in the offeror's price, or is excluded from this procurement. |
| Contractor shall include a small 4 gallon electric water heater in item 3 of the base bid. |
| 018 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §8.0, describes a bottom-of-stairs access gate as provided "if directed by USFS," while Attachment 2 Base Bid item 11 includes "access gate @ bottom of steps" within the priced miscellaneous site work. Please confirm that the access gate is required and is to be included in the offeror's price for item 11. |
| An access gate at the bottom of the steps shall be included in offerors bid on item 11 of the base bid. |
| 019 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §8.0, requires ohm testing and third-party certification by TEDS, and elsewhere requires ground resistance values per the TEDS design report. Please identify TEDS and confirm whether any qualified independent testing agency performing the three-point Fall of Potential method is acceptable in its place. |
| All offerors shall bid based on utilizing the TEDS method and design based on that report. |
| 020 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §1.6.c.12, requires a serviceable truck or trailer equipped with a firefighting tanker unit of not less than 100 gallons with hose reel, pump, nozzle and accessories, conditioned on the Contracting Officer stating so "If applicable to the Task Order." This is a standalone contract and no task order exists. Please confirm whether the firefighting tanker unit is required under this contract and, if so, at which site or sites and during which periods. |
| All offerers shall be prepared to follow the required guidance per USFS Fire Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest unless otherwise specified. |
| 021 |
| Attachment 3 contains provisions written for a task-order and shelter-based requirement that do not correspond to this standalone construction contract, including Specifications §8.0 conditioning antenna substitution rules on antennas "stated in the task order," Specifications §8.0 referencing Heliax cable "specified in the Tower Request Form," and Specifications §1.1.1.f requiring quality control audits "at a minimum of two intervals per shelter: at hand-off of shelter to the contractor from USFS at the staging area." Please confirm which of these provisions apply to this contract and how each is to be performed in the absence of a task order, a Tower Request Form, and a shelter. |
| Refer to the SF1442 for applicable provisions and clauses. This is being solicited as a single award firm-fixed price construction project. |
| 022 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §2.b.2 and §2.b.6, establish performance measures requiring a detailed Air Lift safety plan with maps, load plans and number of flights within 60 days prior to the event, and reporting of each airlift event including copies of flight plans, flight time logs and fuel logs. No airlift or helicopter item appears on Attachment 2 and no lift method is specified for placing the new cab on the Barillas Peak tower. Please confirm whether helicopter operations are contemplated for this contract, that the Contractor is responsible for furnishing and paying for all aviation services, and which Attachment 2 line item is intended to carry that cost. |
| Aviation services and/or installation via air lift are not required for this project. The site is accessible by vehicle and materials can be driven up to the site for construction onsite. If offerors are considering this method for material delivery that is they’re choice and that will be incidental to mobilization. At that point §2.b.2 and §2.b.6 shall be adhered to. |
| 023 |
| On Attachment 2, both the Base Bid and Bid Option A carry a lump-sum mobilization item at item 1 with the Unit Price cell pre-filled "N/A" and the Total cell left open. Please confirm that offerors are to enter a lump-sum total for mobilization on each schedule, and confirm whether demobilization, the equipment cleaning and Forest Service inspection obligations at SOW §VII, and the 48-hour advance mobilization notice to the COR are to be priced within that item or elsewhere on the schedule. |
| Contractors are to enter a lump sump cost for mobilization/demobilization in item 1 of both Base Bid and Option Bid. Equipment cleaning upfront shall be incidental to mobilization if it is a cost incurred by the contractor, however additional money will not be paid if equipment does not pass initial inspection and equipment is turned away for additional cleaning. It is the contractors responsibility to mobilize equipment suitable for the job and in compliance with regulations. |
| 024 |
| On Attachment 2, the Base Bid items are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 10, 11, with item 18 appearing between items 8 and 10 and no item 9 present, and the Bid Option A items are numbered 1, 2, 5, 4. The header of the same attachment identifies the USDA Forest Service Carson National Forest at 208 Cruz Alta Rd, Taos, while the solicitation places the work on the Santa Fe National Forest. Please confirm the intended item numbering and the correct forest and issue a corrected Schedule of Items, or confirm that offerors are to price the items as printed and that no item has been omitted from either schedule. |
| These are typos and they will be corrected as a part of this response package. |
| 025 |
| Attachment 1, SOW §IX, states that erosion control measures are an incidental requirement of any US Forest Service contract, shall be taken at no additional cost to the Federal Government, and shall not be included in the contractor's bid, while the same paragraph makes installation of check dams, sediment fences or other erosion control devices and their removal on completion the Contractor's responsibility. Please confirm how offerors are to treat the cost of furnishing, installing, maintaining and removing erosion control devices — excluded entirely from the priced items, or included within Base Bid item 11 notwithstanding the instruction that it not be included in the bid. |
| For equal bidding purposes, contractor shall make the cost of the minimum erosion control requirements incidental to the mobilization line item for both Base Bid and Option a as applicable. |
| 026 |
| Attachment 2 carries totals lines reading "Total Base Contract with Tax" for both the Base Bid and Bid Option A. Please confirm that offerors are to include applicable New Mexico gross receipts tax within the priced line items and the schedule totals, and state whether the Forest Service will issue a nontaxable transaction certificate or other tax exemption documentation applicable to this contract or to the Contractor's purchases of materials incorporated into the work. |
| A contractor is not subject to FAR 52.229-10 under a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract because the clause by definition requires a cost-reimbursement vehicle. For FFP contracts performed in New Mexico or elsewhere, different tax rules (such as FAR 52.229-3 Federal, State, and Local Taxes) apply instead, meaning fixed-price contractors generally build applicable state and local taxes directly into their fixed price rather than breaking them out or paying them via cost-reimbursement accounting. |
| 027 |
| Attachments 5 and 6 furnish General Decisions NM20260028 for San Miguel County and NM20260026 for Rio Arriba County, both of Construction Type: Building. The scope includes tower work, a buried ground ring with exothermic welds, trenching for water and DC power runs, access road rocking, turnaround and parking improvements, and revegetation, which would ordinarily fall under a Heavy construction determination. Please confirm that the Building determinations furnished are the only wage determinations applicable to all work under this contract at both sites, or issue the additional determination that applies. |
| Heavy construction wage determination, C05 Attachment 7 WD NM20260011 Mod 2 included in solicitation. |
| 028 |
| FAR 52.228-5, Insurance-Work on a Government Installation, is incorporated at Solicitation page 6, and Attachment 3, Specifications §1.0, requires the Contractor to obtain requisite insurance sufficient to support the individual construction of towers, but no coverage types or minimum limits are stated. Please state the minimum insurance types and limits the Government requires for this contract, including whether aviation liability insurance is required and at what limits where helicopter operations are used to place materials or equipment at either site. |
| The Government clarifies that the insurance requirements for this firm-fixed-price construction contract are those required by applicable law and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, including FAR 52.228-5, Insurance—Work on a Government Installation. The Contractor is responsible for obtaining and maintaining insurance for its own operations and for the operations of its subcontractors, including any subcontractor performing helicopter operations. Accordingly, aviation liability insurance is required when helicopter operations are used to transport or place materials, equipment, or personnel at either project site. The aviation liability policy must cover the helicopter operations associated with this contract, including loading, transport, placement, lifting, and related operations, as applicable. If those operations are performed by a subcontractor, the Contractor shall ensure that the subcontractor maintains the required aviation liability coverage and shall provide evidence of that coverage upon request. |
The required limits are minimum limits and do not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for obtaining any additional insurance required by applicable law, the aircraft operator’s contractual requirements, the helicopter owner or lessor, or the Contractor’s commercial risk-management practices. The Contractor remains responsible for all loss, damage, and liability arising from its performance to the extent provided by the contract and applicable law.
General liability.
-The contracting officer must require bodily injury liability insurance coverage written on the comprehensive form of policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence.
-Property damage liability insurance must be required only in special circumstances as determined by the agency.
-Aircraft public and passenger liability. When aircraft are used in connection with performing the contract, the contracting officer must require aircraft public and passenger liability insurance. Coverage must be at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, other than passenger liability, and $200,000 per occurrence for property damage. Coverage for passenger liability bodily injury must be at least $200,000 multiplied by the number of seats or passengers, whichever is greater.
| 029 |
| Attachment 3, Specifications §2.0 and §4.0, establish design submittals at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 100 percent with USFS approval required at each phase gate, and Specifications §10.0 makes design acceptance contingent on that approval, but the solicitation does not state how long the Government's review of each submittal will take. Please state the Government review duration and the number of review cycles anticipated at each design gate, and confirm whether that review time is included within or excluded from the 548-calendar-day period of performance stated at SF 1442 Block 11. |
| The design and construction phase will be discussed with the project awardee. The review time is included in the 548-calendar-day period of performance. |
| 030 |
| The period of performance is fixed at 548 calendar days after Notice to Proceed and is stated as mandatory at SF 1442 Block 11, covering the complete design, review and implementation of all phases per SOW §V. Within that period the Contractor must complete a five-gate design cycle at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 100 percent with USFS approval at each gate and Professional Engineer stamping at 100 percent; obtain a geotechnical report and then produce detailed tower drawings within 30 days of receiving it; procure long-lead items including a fabricated hot-dip galvanized cab, roll-down shutters, a CL100-type hatch, PV modules with a 48 VDC battery bank and inverter, a propane generator with auto start and stop, and an ANT150F2 antenna with LDF4-50 Heliax; and perform all field work within access windows that SOW §VIII describes as suitable for ground excavation only from the end of May through September, subject to monsoon rain and flash flooding from June through August, snow that may not fully melt until May or June at elevations between 9,000 and 10,000 feet, wildlife restrictions that may limit demolition dates and will be stated in the Notice to Proceed, and Hoot Owl restrictions that may terminate high fire risk operations at 1300. Please state the Government's anticipated award and Notice to Proceed dates, confirm that the Government considers 548 calendar days sufficient to accommodate the design review cycle together with the two separate accessible construction seasons this sequence requires at both sites, and confirm that delays attributable to Government design review, to wildlife or fire restrictions imposed after award, and to seasonal access closures will be treated as excusable delay supporting a time extension under FAR 52.212-4(f) and the suspension of work provisions at FAR 52.242-14. |
| Communication, review of project schedule, and ordering material with potential long lead times will be paramount. |
The provisions and clauses are provided in the solicitation.
| 031 |
| Site visit reschedule. Date, time and meeting location. 2-day. |
| Site visits were rescheduled and have since been conducted. This is no longer applicable. |
| 032 |
| Please confirm that Attachment 2 correctly identifies the project as Santa Fe National Forest. The spreadsheet header currently states Carson National Forest. |
| See RFI 024 |
| 033 |
| Please provide the referenced Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) concept, pricing options, drawings, bill of materials, and any other ROM documents cited throughout Attachment 3. |
| ROM will not be provided. |
| 034 |
| Please confirm that bidders must price every Base Bid and Option A line item and that omission of any individual line item may make the quotation nonresponsive. |
| Refer to the SF1442, page 17. |
| 035 |
| Please correct or confirm the Schedule of Items numbering, which skips Item 9 and identifies Communications and |
Technology as Item 18.
See RFI 024
| 036 |
| Please confirm whether gross receipts tax is to be included in each line item or shown only in the “Total Base Contract with Tax” and option totals. |
| Refer to RFI 026. |
| 037 |
| Please confirm whether the 20% bid bond is calculated on the Base Bid alone or on the combined Base Bid and Option A amount. Please also confirm the required performance and payment bond amount after award. |
| Refer to RFI 005. |
| 038 |
| Please confirm the quotation deadline time zone. SF 1442 states 2:00 PM local time on October 12, 2026, while the questions deadline is stated in Pacific Time. |
| Refer to RFI 001. |
| 039 |
| Please confirm whether permits, plan-review fees, utility approvals, and inspections are required, and identify which party is responsible for applications and fees. |
| FAR 52.236-7 (a), Permits and Responsibilities, the Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work. |
| 040 |
| Please confirm whether the 548-calendar-day period includes all Government review time for the 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100% design packages, and provide the Government’s anticipated review duration at each submission. |
| Refer to RFI 029. |
| 041 |
| Please provide a complete pre-award and post-award submittal register, including required due dates, review durations, and required formats. |
| It will be discussed at the Pre-Work meeting with Awardee. |
| 042 |
| Please confirm whether weekly and monthly reporting are separate requirements and provide any required Forest Service templates for reports, invoices, quality checklists, and closeout. |
| It will be discussed at the Pre-Work meeting with Awardee. |
| 043 |
| Please confirm that Wage Determination NM20260028 applies to Barillas Peak in San Miguel County and NM20260026 applies to Encino Vista in Rio Arriba County. Please also identify the appropriate wage classification for tower climbers, tower erectors, riggers, antenna installers, solar installers, and grounding technicians when |
those classifications are not expressly listed.
Refer to RFI 027.
| 044 |
| Please state the required warranty periods for the cab, structural work, coatings, solar panels, batteries, inverter, generator, electrical work, plumbing, lightning-protection system, antenna system, and civil improvements. |
| FAR 52.246-21, Warranty of Construction is applicable to this contract. |
Department of Agriculture Forest Service