Contractor_Question_and_Answer_4.docx

140P4225R0013– SHEN Meadow Run Liming – Proposals Due 8/29/2025 Contractor Q & A

1. Are there weight limits on the Skyline Drive and is a permit required?

Possession of waivers to the load limits identified in the Superintendent's Compendium are not required for Meadow Run Liming Contract proposal submittals. Offerors should use the planning numbers in the Superintendent's Compendium to build their proposals. Unlike traditional oversize permits, there is no cost to these waivers. To better understand the factors under consideration for the waiver, the information requested is as follows:

Reason for GVW Waiver The approved Park project which requires this type of equipment:

Alternatives identified:

Hauler:

Vehicle Info:

Type Braking System:

# of Axles:

Weight:

Route:

Total Number of trips:

Total Trips per day per truck:

Number of Trucks:

Total Number of Days:

Item(s) Hauled:

Safety procedures for the protection of visitors, staff, and resources:

Liability limits and copies of a current insurance policy The winning offeror can submit an application for a waiver after award. Because this is a park management activity, the Contracting Officer, Debbie Coles, or Contracting Officer's Representative, will be the point of contact for getting waivers to the Superintendent's Compendium, as stated in the Statement of Work.

2. Would it be possible to add the Doyles River overlook to the list of available staging areas?

The NPS considered this but will not add Doyles to the list of available staging areas. Adding this staging area will complicate visitor use management and require limiting access to or completely closing several additional areas of the park, particularly popular backcountry areas, because visitors will loose access to the trailheads along Skyline Drive.

3. Will it be possible to obtain a permit/waiver to use a drone to visually verify the uniform application of the lime on the ground as the work is completed?

Yes, the Superintendent can approve, in writing, the administrative use of uncrewed aircraft by commercial entities conducting operations for the NPS, i.e. to fulfill the requirements of this contract, provided such entities are in compliance with all applicable Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Interior requirements. As stated in the solicitation, the proposal should detail any such equipment, and how it will be employed to fulfil the requirement in the Statement of Work.

4. Will it be possible for the NPS to request a cooperators agreement through the regional aviation manager to obtain an Office of Aviation Service carding inspection (OAS card) for this Department of Interior contract?

The NPS is soliciting for an end-service requirement, limestone application, not aviation services. As such, no cooperator agreement or contract carding for aircraft is needed.

5. What will be the weight for each run of limestone?

Per 36 CFR §4.11, there are always weight limits on park roadways. The Superintendent’s Compendium for Shenandoah National Park (link provided below) identifies weight limits that do not require a special permit or waiver, i.e. 40,000 pounds between May 1 and November 30 and 20,000 pounds between December 1 and April 30 of each year. Further, the Compendium outlines the waiver/permitting requirements to exceeded these limits and provides maximum load limit guidelines for planning purposes. Offerors should use the planning numbers to build their proposals. The Superintendent often approves waivers for heavier loads that follow the guidelines. The winning offeror can submit an application for a waiver after award.

https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/management/compendium.htm

There is no minimum or maximum weight defined in the requirement for the application equipment. The requirement is to operate safely, legally, and apply the limestone at the required dose in a systematic and uniform manner.

6. Is there a specific type of [application equipment] requested?

The NPS is open to any piece of equipment or combination of equipment that meet the needs of the Statement of Work (including compliance with the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact), can operate safely and within the legal limits of that equipment, is configured and operated in a manner that it can apply the limestone at the required dose in a systematic and uniform manner, and captures the data to document that fact.

7. Is there a set number of runs across the national park for this project, or will it be continuous until deemed finished?

There is no set number of runs or trips for this project. This aspect of the project is limited solely by calendar dates due to seasonal conditions in the park, both visitation numbers and state of the ecosystem being treated. The dates are clearly defined in the Statement of Work for both staging activities (when loads of limestone can be brought into the park) and application operations (along with time of day). The intent is to not conduct application operations on weekends or holidays, and there is the understanding that weather and road conditions will limit activities. This should be reflected in the detailed project schedule submitted in the Work Plan, showing the ability to complete application for the entire project area within those dates while taking these risks into account.

8. We would like to know if the NPS will accept a bid for the [application] portion of the Meadow Run project exclusively, omitting the turnkey scope.

Offers should address all aspects of the requirement. The NPS has considered an array of approaches to complete this project. After examining the complexity of the logistics involved with the limestone application and the impacts on project performance risk as a whole,--including but not limited to: operations safety, schedule, personnel and resource availability, and sufficient project documentation--it was determined it was in the government's best interest to contract for the 'turnkey scope' as detailed in the Statement of Work with this solicitation. A quote that provides only for the application of limestone is unlikely to provide best value to the government when compared to other quotes, particularly when evaluating the technical factor.