B09_-_Solicitation_Amendment_-_140F1B23Q0005_-_RFQ_Vendor_Questions_and_Government_Responses_0001.pdf

FWS – Vegetation Removal and Mastication Services – RFQ Questions

Solicitation (RFQ) Questions and Responses:

1. So the unit is months? So 10 months of work? Is that every workday to be on call or working?

See your looking at mastication, but still confused to what you’re requesting.

The solicitation has been amended to change the quantity to 1 and the unit of measure to lump sum (LS). Please provide a breakdown in your proposal as well as the lump sum in the Quote Schedule.

2. Will there be a job walk?

Yes, the site visit will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST.

3. Who? And what are the specs that decide if the mastication material needs to be hauled away?

The Refuge Manager, Jeff Beauchamp, but will only be in areas with very dense vegetation and the vegetation removal will be less than 5% of total mastication work, if any.

4. Are we creating a separate bid number for the picking up, hauling and disposal of materials?

Please provide a breakdown in your proposal.

5. My concern is just mastication price is a lot less then a price that includes mastication, picking up debris, hauling and disposal of debris. How are you wanting us to show those pricing cause they are not the same?

Please see the response to # 4.

6. Is there a job walk for this project? Date/time/place?

Please see the response to #2.

7. Quote / unit of measure. Can we use acreage as a unit of measure and acreage price?

Please see the response to #1.

8. We see that solicitation 140F1B23Q0005 CA FWS SRNWR Veg Removal and Mastication is listed under NAICS CODE 115310 (Support services for forestry) and size standard of $10 million is listed. Under that code, there is a sub‐size standard for fuels treatments which is now $30.5 Million. We think this project includes fuels treatments and therefore should be under that size standard. Please advise if we are correct in our thinking, and if so can you please amend the size standard.

The solicitation was amended to include Exception 2 of NAICS code 115310 for Fuels

Management Services of $30.0 Million.

9. Do you have any geo‐referenced maps or shape files for the above named project? if so can you please email them to me?

No

10. Regarding the above referenced project (Vegetation Removal and Mastication at Sacramento River NWR) it is apparent that there is not going to be a bid tour. We would like to know therefore how we can access the project area to look at the work ahead of the bid date? We will need to get through access gates, etc.

11. Is there a local contact person to talk to close to the sites involved?

Jeff Beauchamp, Refuge Manager.

12. Also in regards to bidding, the Quote Schedule provided states that the Unit of Measure is by the month (per attached) while Part 5 of the Performance Work Statement states under 5.1 that "Quotes will be accepted on a dollar/acre estimate". Our question then is, how are you expecting bids for this project to be submitted? If it is truly to be by the month, are we to submit by the month per worker (or by the equipment provided)?

Please see the responses to #1 and #4.

13. Lastly, in regards to this last solicitation the units identified in the first solicitation did not show up on the Attachment 7.2 Site locations map provided at the end of the current PWS. Have they been dropped from the project?

The previous solicitation was cancelled. The units identified in the PWS of this solicitation are correct.

14. I have a equation about how you would like this job bid. The SOW states (in part 5 "specific tasks"). That you would like a price per acre. But your quote schedule shows that you would like a price per month. Would you like us to take the price per acre x 117acre and divide that by 10 months? Which would give you a price per month. Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

15. The Quote schedule asks for $ per month, and the Scope of Work part 5 asks for $ per acre.

Which would you like submitted on the Quote Schedule?

16. Would you just like the Quote Schedule submitted or would you also like a Statement of Qualifications?

The Quote Schedule is required, but the Statement of Qualifications is optional. Please see the responses to #1 and #4.

17. How will you like the quote. By fax,pdf or mail. Also I have guys that are ready to get to work on this project.

Please send responses to this solicitation to Christina Mann, Contract Specialist, via email at Christina_Mann@fws.gov.

18. I noticed that you are looking to get bid prices based on months, instead of acres completed. Is there a reason as to why you're looking for a price per month instead of per acre? I've yet to see a RFP based on months instead of acres so I'm just a little confused. For instance, an outfit running multiple machines could get the 117 acres done faster than ten months, however that monthly cost would be much higher than say someone running a single machine, which would take much longer. Also, if the project was finished in say 6 months, would the contractor receive pay for 6 months or for the full 10?

19. The solicitation mentioned the masticated material would either be left in place, or in some areas may need to be hauled away. Could you guys upload a map with the specified areas the material will need to be hauled off? If not the map could you describe in what areas hauling away the material would be necessary? Hauling away the material, depending on how much could drastically affect the price.

Please see the response to #3.

20. Is there any chance there will be a site walk with a point of contact who's familiar with the expectations of the contractor? If not, is there any way for contractors to visit the site and get access to the work areas so we can check stand densities, topography, access, etc?