InterestedVendorLetter.docx

United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Idaho Montana Acquisition Team Nez Perce National Forest 104 Airport Road Grangeville, ID 83530

South Township Integrated Resource Stewardship Project

This letter is notification that the Nez Perce National Forest has advertised the South Township Integrated Resource Stewardship Project, Solicitation Number AG-02RC-S-11-0930. This letter contains important information for contractors who are interested in submitting a quote on this project.

General Background:

Federal law authorizes the Forest Service to enter into stewardship contracts in order to achieve agency land management objectives and meet community needs. Some of the features of this authorizing legislation include allowing the Forest Service to apply the value of timber removed as an offset against the cost of services received and select contractors on a “best value” basis.

The Forest Service executes stewardship contracts using one of two contract vehicles: 1) the Integrated Resource Timber Contract (IRTC) or 2) the Integrated Resource Service Contract (IRSC).

· IRTCs are used when the anticipated value of the timber to be removed exceeds the costs of the services to be rendered to the Forest Service, resulting in net income to the Government.

· IRSCs are used when the anticipated cost of the services to be rendered exceed the anticipated value of timber to be removed, resulting in a net expenditure from the Government to pay for the services rendered that were not covered by timber value.

While IRTCs are handled much like traditional timber sales, IRSCs are administered by the Government as procurements (i.e. the purchasing of services). Consequently, a different process is used by the Government to advertise and award IRSC contracts. Please note that these contracts are not awarded using “Sealed Bid” procedures. The names of the firms that respond to this solicitation and prices quoted for the timber removal and service work required are classified as “Source Selection” materials and are not recorded at a Public Bid Opening or releasable to the public.

Project Information:

The South Township Integrated Resource Stewardship Project is located on the Red River Ranger District on the Nez Perce National Forest in very close proximity to Elk City, Idaho. The project is primarily a hazardous fuels reduction project with sawtimber and non-sawtimber removal from approximately 169 acres with approximately 1.1 miles of temporary road construction and subsequent obliteration in order to facilitate timber removal. The estimated sawtimber volume is 4948 tons and the estimated non-sawtimber volume is 5560 tons. The service work requires reconstruction of approximately 2.79 miles of access road. This work must be completed prior to commencement of timber haul.

This project was presolicited in the summer of 2011 and the full solicitation was posted on the FedBizOpps (FBO) website today, March 6, 2012, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations as supplemented by the U.S. Forest Service. Responses to this solicitation are due April 4, 2012 at 4:00 PM, PST. A pre-bid conference will be held on March 23, 2012 at 1:00 PM at the Nez Perce National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 104 Airport Road, Grangeville, ID. Please see solicitation provision AGAR 452.237-71 Pre-Bid/Pre-Proposal Conference on page 93 of the solicitation. The information that follows is provided to assist you in submitting a quote on this project if you should choose to do so.

· Recommended Action #1: Visit http://www.fbo.gov website and enter the project solicitation number in the Keyword/Solicitation # field. This will take you to the project advertisement where you will find the full project solicitation with complete instructions on how to submit a quote and technical proposal as well as all associated solicitation attachments (construction plans, maps, etc). You may choose to sign up as an Interested Vendor and receive automatic updates regarding solicitation amendments, pre-bid meeting notes, award information, etc via your email.

· Suggested Action #2: If you are interested in receiving automatic notifications of other new procurements from FBO, you can create a profile that is specific to your needs on the FBO website. There are a variety of ways to tailor your profile, including type of work, location of work, or federal agency. For example, you could tailor your profile to receive information only on U.S. Forest Service “Logging” projects (NAICS code 113310) or “Support Activities for Forestry” projects (NAICS code 115310).

· Suggested Action #3: If you are interested in other contracting opportunities, contact your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). The nation-wide PTAC website is http://www.aptac-us.org. Click on the “Find-a-PTAC” link to locate a PTAC office in your state.

Business Preparation Activities: In order to prepare your business to compete for, and possibly receive a federal contract award, several administrative tasks must be accomplished. Please note that your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) can also help you with these tasks.

· Get a D-U-N-S number (unique number that identifies your business).

· Register in the Central Contractor Registration database (CCR). The Forest Service cannot award a contract to you if you are not registered and active in this database, since it facilitates a variety of requirements, including payment to the contractor.

· Register in the On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA) database. These certifications are also required in order to be eligible for a contract award.

See the attached brochure entitled “How to do Business with the Government” for additional information.

If you have questions regarding this letter, I may be contacted at (208) 983-5144.

Sincerely, /s/ Karen Ruklic

KAREN RUKLIC

Contracting Officer

Enclosures (1)

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