B09_Amd1_-_Construction_Admin_Camp_QA_(only)_DEVA_318717_0001.pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP) No.140P2025R0082, Amendment 0001.

DEVA 318717 – Rehabilitate Furnace Creek and Cow Creek Areas, Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems at Death Valley National Park (Inyo County, California)

Construction Admin Camp Q&A.

1. May I construct a construction camp (camp)?

• Yes, a camp may be constructed at the RV park on Salt Pan Vista at Cow Creek.

2. How many people may stay at the camp?

• Up to 50 people may be housed at the camp.

3. How many RVs or facilities are allowed at the camp?

• There is no specific limit. Camp population shall not exceed manufacturer’s recommendations or applicable codes for occupancy of facilities. Similarly, the maximum number of facilities is limited by safe and code compliant wiring, plumbing, and similar. Generally, one RV or facility is permitted per site, and there are 8 full hook-up sites and one site without functioning hook-ups available. The camp area is about 3 acres to allow parking and limited outbuildings for quality-of-life amenities.

4. Is parking allowed at the camp?

• Yes. All parking shall be within the boundary of the camp and shall be orderly. Parking areas shall be designated in the camp construction plans. Parking areas shall be sufficiently marked and signed that motorists safely park according to the plan. Vehicles shall be in good working order, kept clean (at a minimum, free of invasive species), legal to operate on public roads in California, and free of leaks.

• Contractors and sub-contractors, their workers, regulatory inspectors, camp guests, or similar, shall not park at the Government-owned dorms, DVNHA, or along Salt Pan Vista.

5. May I have an office trailer, mess hall, washhouse, or other specialty facilities at the camp?

• Yes, however, the dimensions of the camp shall not exceed the RV park boundary.

6. Do I have to sign a lease or similar document?

• Yes, the Contractor shall sign a lease with the Housing Program at Death Valley National Park, renewed yearly.

7. What is the RV park boundary?

• The RV park is an approximately 3 acre area around sites 28-37 at the Salt Pan Vista RV park. Sites 38-39 are not included. The area is bounded to the north by Salt Pan Vista, the east by site 38, the south by a wash, and the west by the mixing table road, see polygon below depicting the approximate boundaries.

8. What is the cost of renting the camp?

• Renting the camp from the Death Valley National Park Housing program costs about $284.60 per month per site

(about $2,500/month in total). Water, sewer, and domestic trash are included in the site rental. If a camp is established by the Contractor, the Contractor shall rent the entire camp year-round (about $31,000/year for all 9 sites), regardless of seasonal variations in occupancy. Rent increases annually based on consumer price index and every 4 years based on a regional housing survey. The Contractor shall pay electrical by transferring billing to their name/account with Southern California Edison.

9. Are there limitations on utilities included in the rent?

• Yes, water, sewer, and trash services included in the rent are limited to normal domestic use. Construction water and waste shall be governed by the contract specifications and obtained/disposed outside the camp. Water intensive activities are prohibited, such as, car or equipment washing; pools, hot tubs, landscape water features, slip-n-slides, or other recreational water use; watering plants other than limited numbers of small house plants kept indoors; large area misters; or similar. Misters may be allowed, with written approval from the DEVA Superintendent and Housing Program Manager, in small areas used for rest and relaxation provided they are only used when the area is occupied and the system is kept in good working order to prevent leaks.

10. May I use the camp year-round?

• Yes. The campground may be used year round. However, most RVs, mobile homes, and similar have insufficient cooling for summer in Death Valley. The Death Valley National Park Housing Management Plan only allows RVs October through May. The facilities the Contractor provides must be safe for occupancy, which includes redundant cooling systems (if occupied in the summer) and a heating system (if occupied in the winter) which can keep the facilities between 65- and 85-degrees Fahrenheit regardless of exterior conditions.

11. Are there administrative requirements for occupying the camp during the summer?

• Yes, annually before April 1st, the Contractor shall submit a written request for information (RFI) to the Government. The RFI shall request approval from the DEVA Superintendent to house workers in the camp during the summer months. The RFI shall verify that all cooling systems and camp facilities are in good working order, state the population of the camp and dates of occupancy, and guarantee that workers shall be evacuated if cooling system fail to keep sleeping areas under 85° F. The DEVA Superintendent may disapprove the request at their sole discretion. If the request is approved, the approval must be filed with the DEVA Housing Program Manager by the Contracting Officer or their designee. The DEVA Superintendent, at their sole discretion, may revoke permission to occupy the camp during the summer if there is evidence sufficient cooling is not being provided.

This evidence may include, worker complaints, drowsy driving, civil disturbances, increased illness from pre-existing medical conditions, or heat illness.

12. May I improve the camp?

• Some improvements are allowed. Hook-ups may be upgraded to meet power demands (e.g., increasing a 30-amp connection to a 50-amp connection) and shall be improved when required by applicable law, code, or policy.

Increasing electrical service capacity from the transformer is allowed when it replaces the existing service in-kind saving the increase in capacity. The camp may be graded as necessary to allow parking and safe access, but grading shall not be expanded by grading or borrowing-from the wash to the south of the camp. The Contractor shall provide shop drawings for review and approval, and as-built drawings upon completion of any improvements that change topography or may remain after construction. The Government will not approve any construction that requires lift stations, pumps, or similar. All improvements shall be completed at no additional cost to the Government.

• Some improvements are not allowed. No improvements that include landscaping, watering, swimming pools, or similar that require additional water or power beyond domestic use. No site lighting, including porch lighting, that exceeds 2200K color temperature, is not completely shrouded, or otherwise does not meet Dark Sky (Refer to Question 25 for a description of dark skies) requirements. No improvements that cannot be undone, saving those specifically described as allowed above.

• All camp improvements shall be submitted following the standard submittal procedures as outlined in the specifications. The Government may disapprove of any improvement for any reason.

13. May I leave camp improvements after the project?

• In some specific circumstances. Utility improvements and regrading, inherently, shall remain after the camp is demobilized. Some manufactured facilities may also be allowed to be transferred to the Government. The Government may unilaterally accept, or not accept, any improvement. If the Government does not accept an improvement, the site shall be restored to the pre-construction conditions by removing any improvements and regrading any changes to topography. Please notify the Government as early as possible if the Contractor intends to leave any improvements after construction to allow adequate time for review, approval, and transfer.

• The Contractor may donate or sell camp facilities to private parties or the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.

14. Are any improvements to the camp required?

• Yes. A temporary privacy fence shall be erected along the south side of Salt Pan Vista and between the last contractor site and the first non-contractor site. The fence shall be at least 8 feet tall or 1 foot taller than facility windows (whichever is greater), capable of withstanding high winds (gusts to 110 miles per hour), extremes of heat and cold, precipitation, be resistant to sunlight/UV, be of an opaque material, and shall not penetrate the ground surface (including uprights and foundations). The fence shall be removed upon vacating the camp.

15. If I have a camp, are additional submittals required?

• Yes. In your pre-construction submittals, you shall provide a camp plan, including a map of the camp, occupancy, engineered drawings of improvements, and catalogue cut sheets (or similar) of any improvements that will remain. An O&M manual and Government-required documents for property transfer shall be submitted prior to final payment.

16. May camp residents use Park recreational facilities?

• Camp residents may recreate in any part of the Park that is open to the public. Residents who meet eligibility requirements may be able to rent a post office box at the Post Office at Furnace Creek. Residents may use the Inyo County Library. Camp residents may use the Cow Creek pool and beach volleyball court, however, the Government may revoke this privilege at any time and for any reason. All other Government-owned facilities are closed to camp residents unless escorted by an NPS employee.

• There is no cost associated with using the facilities mentioned above if a resident meets all eligibility requirements.

17. Are there administrative rules for camp residents?

• Yes, tenants are subject to the Death Valley National Park Housing Management Plan. Additionally, contractors are reminded that Death Valley National Park is 3.4 million acres with a very small staff and high visitation.

Camp residents shall not be a burden on NPS staff or resources. The Cow Creek community is small and tight knit. A camp resident that causes strife in the community, engages in lewd behavior, displays signs of public drunkenness or intoxication, is violent or threatens violence, or engages in criminal behavior will be trespassed from the Park and prosecuted when applicable. Contractors are encouraged to remove problem employees prior to Government or law enforcement intervention. Failure to do so may result in eviction of the entire camp or the Government or law enforcement removing the problem employee(s) from the park.

18. Is drinking permitted in camp?

• Death Valley National Park is not a dry facility, however increased alcohol use may increase the chances of violating the Housing Management Plan. Illegal drugs, including marijuana, are not permitted.

19. Are pets allowed in camp?

• Allowing or not-allowing pets is at the discretion of the Contractor or their camp manager, though the Government may revoke the privilege for the Contractor to allow pets at its sole discretion. The Superintendent may require removal of individual pets, evict individual pet owners, and/or evict the Contractor and their camp for violating pet policies. Pets are governed by the Death Valley National Park Housing Management Plan. Pets are required to be leashed in Death Valley National Park, and they are not permitted off roads, on trails, or in the backcountry. All pet waste shall be collected by the owner and disposed of in domestic trash.

20. Is the Housing Management Plan available for review?

• Yes, the tenant handbook, chapter 7 of the Death Valley National Park Housing Management Plan, is included in the solicitation documents. The full Housing Management Plan and supporting documents are available upon request.

21. May I use the Government’s fueling station?

• No, contractors are not permitted to use the Government-owned fuel station at Cow Creek.

22. May I construct a fueling station in the camp?

• No, no storage or transferring of fuel or hazardous materials beyond normal household products in domestic quantities are allowed in the Camp. Fueling operations and storage of fuels or other hazardous materials at laydowns or construction areas is governed by the contract.

23. May I install photovoltaic panels to reduce energy costs?

• PV may be installed on rooves or via ground-mount to recharge batteries or power facilities. The PV shall not have foundations that penetrate the ground and shall be restrained sufficiently to not create a hazard in winds up to 110 miles per hour. PV systems shall be installed following all applicable laws, codes, and policies, including interconnection agreements with Southern California Edison.

24. Do I have to maintain the camp?

• Yes, all maintenance responsibilities for the camp fall on the Contractor. This includes facilities maintenance, site maintenance and housekeeping, dust control, and damage to Government-owned infrastructure.

25. What are dark skies and how do I protect them?

• Dark skies are an important natural and cultural resource that connect people to ancient navigation techniques, the beauty of the natural world, allow birds and other animals to safely navigate, and allow people to dream of a future amongst the stars. Protecting them is everyone's responsibility, not just to preserving Death Valley's Dark Sky certification, but to allow this and future generations to enjoy these amazing resources and experiences. To learn more about dark skies, visit the Dark Sky International website and the DEVA dark sky website. In addition to using engineering controls like dark-sky approved luminaires with 2200K lamps that give a narrow spectrum, more common sense approaches also help, for example, turn off lights when they aren't needed, for example, when buildings or work areas are unoccupied, once everyone is in/out for the day/night, and using motion detectors and dimmers that keep lights on only when needed.