final prebid notes.docx

Contract Pre-Bid Meeting Documentation May 12, 2010

Meeting attendees and contacts:

1. Bruce Blackburn, USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region-Regional Office, 626 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee ,WI 53094, 414-297-3800, bmblackburn@fs.fed.us

2. Leon LaVigne, USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region-Regional Office , 626 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53094, 414-297-1313. llavigne@fs.fed.us

3. Carol Boll, USDA Forest Service, Huron-Manistee NF, 1755 S. Mitchell St., Cadillac, MI 49601, Telephone Conferencing, 231-775-5023 x-8756, ceboll@fs.fed.us

4. Larry Knutson, Penn Trails LLC; Telephone Conferencing, 9 Dogwood Drive, Newville, PA 17241, 717-486-4455, larry@penntrails.com

5. Bryce and Susan Metcalfe, Metcalfe Forestry, 402 Chestnut Street, Grayling, MI 49738, 989-348-3596 or 989-619-7086, metcalfeforestry@yahoo.com

6. Christopher J. McCrimmon, LCM Surveying and Engineering LLC, P.O. Box 408, 225 E. Main St., Marion, MI 49665, 231-743-3000 or 888-223-4235, cmccrimmonicm@aol.com

7. Rex Clark, Clark and Clark Surveying and Engineering, 100 E. Pitt St., Suite 305, Bedford, PA 15522, 814-285-6201, rclarkpls@embarqmail.com

8. Henry Southham, Rogina & Assoc Ltd, 93 Caterpillar Dr., Joliet, IL 60436, (815) 729-0777,41.5205 -88.1469, hsoutham@rogina.com

9. Don Callen, KEPA Services, Inc., 741 Waverly park Dr., Mars, PA 16046, 414-581-8845, pherbert.kepa@gmail.com

10. Adam Holder, Fehr-Graham & Associates LLC, 221 E. main St., Suite 200, Freeport, IL 61032, 815-235-7643, aholder@fehr-graham.com

11. Gerald Lira, Inland Seas Engineering, Contacted by telephone after meeting, 1755 Barlow Street, P.O. Box 6820, traverse City, MI 49696, 231-933-4041, jml@inlandseaseng.com

12. Allan Pruss, Monument Engineering Group Assoc., LLC (MEGA), Contacted by telephone after meeting, 638 S. Grand Ave., P.O. Box 1039, Fowlerville, MI 48836, 517-223-3512, apruss@monumentengineering.com

Questions, Answers, and Clarifications from the meeting:

TRACS Related Questions:

1. Will the TRACS training for the project allow the person to operate at a journeyman level? Yes. The provided (if needed) training will allow the person(s) collecting the data to operate at the level needed for this project. The data will be collected up to the point of making trail management recommendations. Trail management recommendations are not required for this project.

2. Who on each Forest will approve the data that will be collected? There is one Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the project and each Forest will have Inspectors that are knowledgeable that will be able to check the data that is collected. This information will be provided at the Pre-Work meeting for each Forest.

3. Is there software from the Forest GPS units (Trimble) that can be transferred to other makes of GPS units (Topcon)? Yes. The files can be transferred for those Forests that are using the GPS units to collect the information. These files will be made available at the Pre-work meetings for each Forest.

4. Will we need the entire Data Dictionary that is in the TRACS User Guide? No. The Data Dictionary in the TRACS User Guide is applicable to the entire Forest Service. You will be given the Data Dictionary sections that are applicable to the Forest you are working on at the Pre-work meeting.

5. Can e-TRACS be made available to download on to laptops so that data collected in the field can be inputted directly into e-TRACS instead of using paper forms to collect the data? NO . E-TRACS is not available and paper forms will have to be used to collect the field data.

6. What is the accuracy required for GPS in Horizontal and Vertical? See page 7-2c of the Scope of Contract.

7. Do we need to use a wheel (Cyclometer) or can we use a GPS unit for measurements. GPS units are allowed on trail Class 2 and 3 trails in the contract. GPS units can be used on Trail Class 4 trails providing they and meet the accuracy requirements of the trail wheel for the Trail Class 4 trails.

8. Pictures of trail features or trail areas of concern can be taken with a digital camera and the Lat. and Long. recorded on a TRACS form photo log or a GPS unit with photo capabilities to correct for multipath errors.

9. All GPS data submitted will have multipath error correction complete.

10. Do we have to use the exact TRACS form to record and submit the collected data? No. The exact form does not have to be used as long as all of the required information is collected and compatible with TRACS.

11. Before the contract is awarded who do we contact on the Forest for Information? If you need information you are to contact Leon LaVigne (414-297-1313 or llavigne@fs.fed.us) with your request and he will contact the Forest and get the information for you.

12. When do we collect the data on the cross-country ski and snowmobile trails? The data for the 2 Forests that have winter trails (Allegheny and Huron-Manistee NFs) can be collected in the snow free months.

13. When will we receive the Trail Management Objective (TMO) forms for the trails receiving TRACS surveys? Every trail that will be surveyed has or will have a completed Final or Draft TMO by the time the TRACS data collection starts for each Forest. The TMO forms address information about each trail. Two examples of TMO forms are on the FedBizOps site for this contract.

14. Where can we use full size vehicles, ATVs, and mountain bikes to travel on while collection the TRACS data? A chart has been posted on FedBizOps showing what specific mode of transportation is allowed on each trail in the survey. The name of the document is; “Transportation Type Allowed On Trails”.

15. If there are long distances of the trail that are in Wilderness Areas or long stretch of trails between roads, will we be able to camp in the Forests? Yes and No. Three of the four Forests have Wilderness Areas. The Wayne NF is the only National Forest in this contract that does not have any Wilderness Areas. All of the Wilderness areas are small in size and may not require overnight stays to complete the TRACS data collection. Dispersed camping is allowed on all four Forests. Dispersed camping is not allowed in any Developed Recreation Area. In Developed Recreation Areas camping is only allowed in Developed Campgrounds. A document has been posted on Fed Biz Ops showing each of the Forests’ rules for dispersed camping. The document is titled: “Dispersed Camping on National Forest System lands”.

16. Is there a standard progress rate for miles per day of TRACS survey accomplished? No. For several reasons there is no standard rate of progress. Rate of progress is different for different Trail Classes. Because you collect less information on a Trail Class 1 trail than you do on a Trail Class 4 trail it will take longer to survey a Trail Class 4 trail. Topography, weather, insects, trail conditions, and trail surface types will have an effect of the progress rate for data collection.

17. What is the surface material type for Trail Class 3 trails? Usually native surfacing is used for Trail Class 3 trails, but they can have crushed aggregate, pit run gravel, or river rock as a surface type. The TMO form should let you know what the surface type will be on each trail.

18. How often should data be submitted to the Forest Service? The data should be submitted every 15 working days.

19. Some of the trails on the Huron-Manistee NF trails maps are color coded. Are these trails part of the TRACS survey? Yes. All of the trails on the maps are part of the survey. Different colors show the different trail systems.

20. Are turning in shape files required? Yes. The Forest Service wants shape files for all trails.

21. How many miles of trail are in each Wilderness Area on each Forest? Three of the four Forests have Wilderness Areas. The Wayne NF is the only National Forest in this contract that does not have any Wilderness Areas. This information will be posted on FedBizOps when it becomes available.

Labor/Administrative Related Questions:

1. How will the contract award be made? The award will be made to the lowest technically acceptable quote for each National Forest.

2. Can the selected contractor sub-contract the work to other qualified individual/contractors? Yes. Because this project is 100% set aside for small businesses, the contractor is limited in the amount it can subcontract. The prime contractor must perform at least 50% of the cost for labor with its own employees.

3. For this Service Contract, what are the equivalent wage rates because none are listed for Forestry Tech. positions? GS-4 Forestry Technician at $15.77/hr.

4. Can the completion date of the contract be adjusted if additional time is needed to complete the contract (this may be needed if the optional bid items are selected and added to the contract or if there are delays due to adverse weather conditions)? It depends: The following paragraph is from FAR 52.212-4 Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items which is included in the contract by reference:

“(f) Excusable delays. The Contractor shall be liable for default unless nonperformance is caused by an occurrence beyond the reasonable control of the Contractor and without its fault or negligence such as, acts of God or the public enemy, acts of the Government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, fires, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, unusually severe weather, and delays of common carriers. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing as soon as it is reasonably possible after the commencement of any excusable delay, setting forth the full particulars in connection therewith, shall remedy such occurrence with all reasonable dispatch, and shall promptly give written notice to the Contracting Officer of the cessation of such occurrence. “

5. Does this ARRA project have different requirements for labor/pay rates? ARRA does not change the requirements and/or laws for labor and pay.

6. When will optional bid items be awarded? If funding allows they will be awarded at the time of the contract award. However, they may be awarded at a reasonable later time if funds become available.

7. Are bid option items at the vendors’ discretion? No. If you bid the base items for an a series of Items you must bid the option items as well.

8. Will we be held to a standard 40 hour work week? There is no Federal limit for the maximum number of hours per week or the number of hours per day. If there is overtime (over 40 hours per week) overtime will be paid at 1 ½ times the base rate. Keep in mind that excessive time working can lead to fatigue which is an unsafe working condition for which the FS can stop work.

9. Is it possible that additional funds will become available to do optional bid items or additional work that is not listed as part of this contract? There is a good chance that funds may become available for optional Items after award, however, it is less likely that additional work not currently included in the RFQ would be added after award.