STATE OF IDAHO

DIVISION OF PURCHASING

FOR

DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME

Amendment 1 - Invitation to Bid (ITB) # 727

Selway WCSL Thinning Project

Amended: February 3, 2025 Date of Issuance: January 13, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITB Administrative Information

Division of Purchasing Alex.Limber@adm.idaho.gov

(986) 256-1822

Submit electronically via IPRO:

Electronic Submission IPRO Powered By LUMA

Pre-Bid Conference:

Pre-Bid Conference Location:

Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 9:00AM Mountain Time

Microsoft Teams

PURPOSE

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (“IDFG”) through the Division of Purchasing (“DOP”), is requesting Bids from qualified Vendors for the purchase of wildlife habitat restoration and forest fuels reduction services in accordance with the specifications provided below.

GENERAL INFORMATION, solicitation instructions and standard terms and conditions This Solicitation is issued by the state of Idaho (the “State”) via IPRO: IPRO Powered By LUMA. The ITB Lead is the only contact for this Solicitation. All correspondence regarding this ITB shall be in writing. In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this ITB, amendments will be posted at IPRO. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to monitor IPRO for any updates or amendments. Any oral interpretations or clarifications of this ITB shall not be relied upon. All changes to this ITB must be in writing and posted at IPRO to be valid. Alternate Bids are not allowed.

INQUIRIES

Questions or other correspondence must be submitted in writing to the ITB Lead listed below. QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59:59 P.M. Mountain Time ON THE DATE LISTED IN THE ITB ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION. Written questions must be submitted using Attachment 1 - Bidder Questions. Official answers to all written questions will be posted on IPRO as an amendment to this ITB.

ITB Lead: Alex Limber Phone: (986) 256-1822 E-mail: Alex.Limber@adm.idaho.gov

Any questions regarding the State of Idaho Standard Contract Terms and Conditions found at (State of Idaho Terms and Conditions) must also be submitted in writing, using Attachment 1 - Bidder Questions, by the deadline identified in the ITB Administrative Information. The State will not consider proposed modifications to these requirements after the date and time set for receiving questions. Questions regarding these requirements must contain the following:

1. The rationale for the specific requirement being unacceptable to the party submitting the question (define the deficiency).

2. Recommended verbiage for the State’s consideration that is consistent in content, context, and form with the State’s requirement that is being questioned.

3. Explanation of how the State’s acceptance of the recommended verbiage is fair and equitable to both the State and to the party submitting the question.

Bids which condition the Bid based upon the State accepting other terms and conditions not found in the ITB, or which take exception to the State’s terms and conditions, will be found non-responsive, and no further consideration of the Bid will be given.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE

All parties interested may attend the optional virtual pre-bid conference. Parties interested in attending this conference should notify the ITB Lead no later than one (1) business day prior to the date of the pre-bid conference. The written request should specify the name and title of each person who will be attending. An invite to the Microsoft Teams meeting will be provided upon receipt of a written request.

Failure to attend the optional pre-bid conference shall not relieve the Bidder of meeting the requirements of this ITB.

BACKGROUND

This project will be conducted under the IDFG Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) partnership with the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. Primary focus is to execute strategies that will reduce hazardous fuels and restore or improve wildlife habitat and watershed conditions in the Lower Salmon Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape (WCSL). The IDFG will have a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for this project, and the USFS will have a designated Point of Contact. The selected Contractor will work directly with both agencies to ensure project compliance and desired outcomes.

SPECIFICATIONS

See Attachment 3 - Scope of Work.

QUANTITY

Seven Hundred-Sixty (760) Acres on the Moose Creek Ranger District of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.

COST

Provide your fully burdened Total Cost on Attachment 2 – Bid Schedule.

BILLING PROCEDURE

The Contractor must provide a signed invoice after acceptance of the work provided. Invoices shall be submitted no more than twice monthly and will include a description of services completed during the period being invoiced. Invoices submitted without the required reports/documentation will be returned to the Contractor for resubmission.

The Contractor must provide the following information with each invoice:

Invoices and reports are to be submitted to:

Agency Contact Person: Tara Ball – Regional Biologist, GNA Lead Agency Name: Idaho Department of Fish and Game Address: tara.ball@idfg.idaho.gov

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Bid Schedule Provide your cost information on Attachment 2 - Bid Schedule. Do not submit your Bid on any other form. Submitting your Bid on a form different than the Bid Schedule may cause your Bid to be rejected as non-responsive.

State of Idaho Signature Page The State of Idaho Signature Page must be completed and submitted as part of your Bid. The State of Idaho Signature Page is attached in the Questions tab within IPRO.

Bid Submission Methods Bids must be submitted electronically via IPRO. Do not fax or e-mail your Bid. Your Bid must be received at the Division of Purchasing by the date and time specified on the IPRO header document. The official time, for bid closing purposes, is the Division of Purchasing’s time clock.

11.1 Electronic Submission via IPRO

When submitting electronically via IPRO, upload all of the Required Bid Submission Items (See Section 10) and enter your cost in IPRO for each line item; as the “Total Cost” on the Bid Schedule.

Upload all Required Bid Submission Items using Microsoft products such as Word and Excel. Do not submit items in .pdf format, unless provided otherwise in this ITB.

When submitting via IPRO, be advised that that the Bidder for Bid evaluation and award purposes is the entity profile under which submit in IPRO, which must be the same legal entity presented in your uploaded response materials. If the entity identified on the state supplied Signature Page differs from the entity under which you submit your Bid in IPRO, the information provided on the Signature Page prevails.

All Bidders participating in a Solicitation issued through IPRO must establish an account in the IPRO system as it is necessary in order to process and/or award the resulting Contract(s). It is free to establish an account and only takes a few minutes.

Bidders are further advised to upload response materials with descriptive file names, organized and consolidated in a manner which allows the State to efficiently navigate the Bidder’s response; as the State will print uploaded documents for evaluation in the manner received via IPRO.

Trade Secrets If your Bid contains trade secret information which you have identified, you must also submit a redacted copy of the Bid (in electronic format, with the word “redacted” in the file name) with all trade secret information removed or blacked out; as well as a separate document containing a complete list (per the instructions in the three (3) paragraphs directly below) of all trade secret information which was removed or blacked out in the redacted copy.

Paragraph 28 of the Solicitation Instructions to Vendors describes trade secrets to “include a formula, pattern, compilation, program, computer program, device, method, technique or process that derives economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons and is subject to the efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.” In addition to marking each page of the document with a trade secret notation (as applicable; and as provided in Paragraph 28 of the Solicitation Instructions to Vendors), Bidders must also:

Identify with particularity the precise text, illustration, or other information contained within each page marked “trade secret” (it is not sufficient to simply mark the entire page). The specific information you deem “trade secret” within each noted page must be highlighted, italicized, identified by asterisks, contained within a text border, or otherwise clearly delineated from other text/information and specifically identified as a “trade secret.”

Provide a separate document entitled “List of Redacted Trade Secret Information” which provides a succinct list of all trade secret information noted in your Bid; listed in the order it appears in your submittal documents, identified by Page #, Section #/Paragraph #, Title of Section/Paragraph, specific portions of text/illustrations; or in a manner otherwise sufficient to allow the State’s procurement personnel to determine the precise text/material subject to the notation. Additionally, this list must identify with each notation the specific basis for your position that the material be treated as exempt from disclosure.

AWARD

Award will be made to the responsive responsible Bidder with the lowest Total Cost, as provided on the Bid Schedule.

Inspection and Acceptance The Forest Service POC (or designated inspector) will make regular inspections while work is in progress to ensure that work is proceeding satisfactorily. Upon receipt of required written information detailed in section 9 and/or completion of the fieldwork, the Forest Service will inspect work completed by the Contractor for contract compliance. IDFG will notify the Contractor within 14 calendar days regarding acceptability of the inspected work. The Contractor will have 14 calendar days from the time of notification to correct unsatisfactory work.

Contract Monitoring The IDFG Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will administer the contract as required in all specifications. The Forest Service Point of Contact (POC) will make regular inspections and make recommendations to IDFG for contract compliance. Project status check-ins will be required to ensure work is completed satisfactorily. Contractor will work directly with IDFG/Forest Service staff to communicate periodic updates and address any issues or concerns.

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Compliance with The Contractor shall follow specific project design criteria to minimize effects to resources. Refer to Attachment 3 - Scope of Work, Section 5. Environmental Compliance.

Insurance Requirements See Appendix B – Insurance Requirements located in the Questions tab in IPRO powered by LUMA.

Records Maintenance Contractor shall maintain or supervise the maintenance of all records necessary to properly account for all payments made to the Contractor pursuant to the Contract. These records shall be retained by the Contractor for at least three (3) years after the Contract terminates, or until all audits initiated within the three (3) years have been completed, whichever is later.

Audit Rights The Contractor agrees to allow State and Federal auditors and State purchasing staff access to all the records relating to this Contract, for audit, inspection, and monitoring of services or performance. Such access will be during normal business hours or by appointment.

ATTACHMENT 1 – BIDDER QUESTIONS

ITB 727 - Selway WCSL Thinning Project

PLEASE DO NOT IDENTIFY YOUR NAME OR YOUR COMPANY’S NAME OR PRODUCT NAMES OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN YOUR QUESTIONS.

ADD ROWS BY HITTING THE TAB KEY WHILE WITHIN THE TABLE AND WITHIN THE FINAL ROW.

The following instructions must be followed when submitting questions using the question format on the following page.

1. DO NOT CHANGE THE FORMAT OR FONT. Do not bold your questions or change the color of the font.

2. Enter the ITB section number that the question is for in the “ITB Section” field (column 2). If the question is a general question not related to a specific ITB section, enter “General” in column 2. If the question is in regards to a State Term or Condition or a Special Term or Condition, state the clause number in column 2. If the question is in regard to an attachment, enter the attachment identifier (example “Attachment A”) in the “ITB Section” (column 2), and the attachment page number in the “ITB page” field (column 3).

3. Do not enter text in the “Response” field (column 5). This is for the State’s use only.

4. Once completed, this form is to be e-mailed per the instructions in the ITB. The e-mail subject line is to state the ITB number followed by “Questions.”

ITB 727 Selway WCSL Thinning Project Page 12 ITB 727 – Selway WCSL Thinning Project

Attachment 2 – BID SCHEDULE

This completed Bid Schedule must be submitted with your response.

Total Cost

Do you meet the specifications provided in Attachment 3 – Scope of Work? YES ☐ NO ☐

Please provide the number of acres you propose to treat each field season. Acres

Please provide additional details as needed below:

Company Name of Bidder:

Contact Name/Phone:

Contact E-mail:

ATTACHMENT 3 – SCOPE OF WORK

1. OVERVIEW

This project will be conducted under the IDFG Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) partnership with the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. The primary focus is to execute strategies that will reduce hazardous fuels and restore or improve wildlife habitat and watershed conditions in the Lower Salmon Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape (WCSL). The IDFG will have a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for this project, and the USFS will have a designated Point of Contact (POC). The selected Contractor will work directly with both agencies to ensure project compliance and desired outcomes. (See Table 2)

1. PROJECT LOCATION

The Selway Winter Range Improvement Project is located on the Moose Creek Ranger District within the Lower Salmon Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. The project is located in the Selway River Corridor of Idaho County, approximately 32 miles southeast of Kooskia Idaho. Approximately 760 acres will be treated by the Selway WCSL Thinning contract.

1. Selway WCSL Thinning Units Vicinity Map, PG 13

1. Selway WCSL Thinning Units Recent Aerial Imagery Map, PG 14

1. Selway WCSL Thinning Units Georeferenced Map, PG 15

1. Selway WCSL Thinning Units Georeferenced Vicinity Map, PG 16

1. ACCESS

The Selway WCSL Thinning units are very remote and access is difficult in steep, rugged, brushed-in terrain. Depending on winter conditions, access to the top of the units and Coolwater Ridge Road (FS 317) may be inaccessible due to snow from November – May.

From Kooskia, ID travel east 22 miles on Highway 12 to the Selway River Corridor, where the Selway and Lochsa rivers join. Follow Selway River Road (FS 223) southeast for 9 miles to Rackliff Campground. Selway River Road (FS 223) is the only open, motorized county road that accesses the project area. The Selway Corridor offers 13 campgrounds with restrooms.

Thinning units are located on a steep ridge between Rackliff and Nineteenmile Creek drainages. The Rackliff Trail (FS 702) intersects the units and is accessed at the base of the ridge by Selway River Road (FS 223) or at the top of the ridge by Coolwater Ridge Road (FS 317). See Table 1. for all road and trail descriptions. The Rackliff Trail (FS 702) is a moderately difficult climb, 6 miles in length. It begins at Rackliff campground at 1610 feet in elevation and ends below the Coolwater Lookout at 6650 feet.

Table 1. Road and Trail Access to Selway WCSL Thinning Units.

1. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The Contractor must furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, tools, material, supplies, transportation, and incidentals necessary to complete the work according to this contract.

3. BOUNDARIES

Thinning units are identified on project maps which will be provided to the Contractor in a geo-referenced PDF format. These areas will not be delineated on the ground. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to identify treatment boundaries and areas of resource concern (see environmental compliance below).

3. THINNING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor must cut all deciduous shrubs and trees (e.g. mountain maple, Sitka alder) greater than 2 feet in height. Trees and shrubs greater than 5” dbh (diameter at breast height) may be girdled rather than felled. The Contractor must not cut Pacific dogwood. The Contractor must not cut Coniferous trees (firs, pines, larch, etc.).

3. SLASH MANAGEMENT

The Contractor must lop all slash to a height of less than 2 feet. All cut vegetation shall be scattered to a height of less than 2 feet throughout the unit. There will be no piling of cut vegetation.

3. GAME TRAIL CLEARANCE

The Contractor must clear all Forest Service trails, and visible big game trails to facilitate decomposition and ease of movement for wildlife and people. If preexisting game trails are not visible, the Contractor must cut out a walking trail on a 200ft contour interval through the entirety of the unit.

3. EQUIPMENT

The Contractor must complete all work using hand tools. No ground-disturbing machinery is permitted.

3. COMMUNICATIONS

Project status check-ins will be required to ensure work is completed satisfactorily. The Contractor must work directly with IDFG/Forest Service staff to communicate periodic updates and address any issues or concerns.

3. MONITORING (Preferred, but not required) The Contractor may establish photo points for post-treatment assessment. This includes the selection of specific locations within treated areas to monitor treatment effectiveness. The Contractor may provide periodic progress reports with photos and video.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

The Contractor must follow specific project design criteria as identified in the Selway Winter Range Improvement Project Decision and 2024 Sufficiency Review, to minimize effects to resources, which are:

4. Rare Plants: The Contractor must avoid cutting Pacific dogwood. Contractor must immediately notify the IDFG/Forest Service if its operations disturb or damage any known/identified Threatened or Endangered plant species/area. A qualified botanists will be consulted, and management activities may be altered if necessary to implement proper protection measures.

4. PACFISH/INFISH Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCAs): No thinning is to occur within 300 feet of fish-bearing streams, 150 feet of perennial non-fish bearing water, 150-foot slope distance from the edge of Ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands greater than 1 acre, and 100-foot slope distance from seasonally flowing or intermittent streams, wetlands less than 1 acre, landslides, and landslide-prone areas. The Contractor must take all reasonable precautions to prevent possibility of fuel spills.

4. Cultural Resources: Previous inventories have adequately covered the project area, and no historic properties are present, the proposed activities are not ground disturbing in nature, or the project area is identified as having a low probability for the presence of historic properties, Traditional Cultural Properties, or Native American religious sites. In the event new cultural sites are discovered, the Contractor must immediately notify the IDFG/Forest Service. A qualified archaeologist will be consulted and the appropriate mitigation identified, as needed, to avoid/protect these sites.

4. Wildlife: If any threatened, endangered or sensitive species are located during implementation, the Contractor must immediately notify the IDFG/Forest Service. A qualified wildlife biologist will be consulted, and management activities may be altered if necessary to implement proper protection measures. During nesting season, trees with cavities identified as being actively occupied by primary cavity nesting birds, or actively occupied raptor nests are retained where safe to do so. If a goshawk or bald eagle nest is identified, the Contractor must immediately notify the IDFG/Forest Service. Management activities may be altered if necessary to implement proper protection measures. No known nests are currently located within the contract area boundary.

4. Soils: The Contractor must conduct operations reasonably to minimize soil erosion.

4. Noxious Weeds: Contractor must remove all mud, soil, and plant parts from “Off-road equipment” prior to initial mobilization and any subsequent mobilizations, to limit the spread of noxious weeds.

4. General Resource Protection: Contractor must exercise extreme care to prevent damage to existing facilities including roads, trails, erosion dips, barriers and drainage, developments, streams, and other identified resources in all aspects of the contract work.

1. GENERAL SAFETY

The Selway WCSL Thinning units are very remote and access is difficult in steep, rugged, brushed-in terrain. Wildland fires have burned over some of the project area. Areas designated for treatment or used for access, pass through previously burned areas. Standing dead trees are common throughout parts of the project area. Downfall across trails may occur at any time and pose unanticipated obstacles to travel. Windy weather conditions will increase the risk of falling trees, especially where wildfires have burned previously. The Contractor is hereby advised to not camp where there are standing dead trees. A chainsaw will need to be used to remove fallen trees on trails. The Contractor, and the Contractor’s employee(s), are responsible for the safe use of a chainsaw(s) and following Forest Service safety guidelines. Chainsaw safety equipment, including, but not limited to, eye protection, ear protection, and chainsaw chaps are required.

1. WILDFIRE EVENT

Wildfires requiring a suppression response may occur in the project area. The Government may restrict access and close roads or trails to the public for safety reasons at any time during a fire incident. The restrictions may apply to the Contractor depending on fire behavior, extent, safety concerns, and weather conditions. These closures may remain in effect for an extended time period.

1. PRE-WORK MEETING

Prior to commencement of work, the Contractor must attend a joint meeting with the IDFG Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Forest Service Point of Contact (POC) to discuss the contract terms, work performance requirements, and safety. At this meeting items such as work plan, production schedule, quality control, access plan, monitoring establishment, and project prioritization shall be confirmed. Meeting location will be provided by the IDFG COR.

1. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION:

The IDFG will have a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and the Forest Service will have a Point of Contact (POC) for this project. Contact information and responsibilities of each are outlined in Table 2. Disputes between the IDFG COR and Forest Service POC will be resolved by the IDFG Contracting Officer, Jonathan Oswald (jonathan.oswald@idfg.idaho.gov). The IDFG COR and Forest Service POC have the option to select a project inspector to perform field inspections and make recommendations on quality of work. If an inspector is chosen for this project, their information will be provided to the Contractor.

Table 2. IDFG COR and Forest Service POC for the Selway WCSL Thinning Project.

Tara Ball, GNA Lead tara.ball@idfg.idaho.gov 208-750-4219

· Administer the contract as required in all specifications.

· Process invoices for payment.

Dustin Decker, Fuels AFMO dustin.decker2@usda.gov 208-926-8949

· Decide questions of fact in regard to quality and acceptability of work performed.

· Make recommendations to IDFG for invoice payment.

1. ANTICIPATED STARTING DATE & ESTIMATED TIME FOR COMPLETION

Contract work may commence after May 1, 2025, and once the Contractor has received a signed copy of the contract and has had a pre-work meeting with the IDFG/Forest Service contract representatives. All work must be completed by August 15, 2029, and in compliance with all contract terms, clauses, and special provisions.

1. CONTRACT PAYMENT

Payment will be made to the Contractor upon satisfactory completion of fieldwork at the rates set forth in Attachment 2 - Bid Schedule. Itemized invoices must be sent via email to Tara Ball – tara.ball@idfg.idaho.gov. Invoices shall be submitted no more than twice monthly and will include description of services completed during the period being invoiced. Payments for correctly submitted invoices will be made within 60 calendar days by IDFG in accordance with Idaho Code, Section 67-2302.

Map 1: Selway WCSL Thinning Units Vicinity Map

Map 2: Selway WCSL Thinning Units Recent Aerial Imagery

MAP 3: SELWAY WCSL THINNING UNITS

Georeferenced Map

MAP 4: SELWAY WCSL THINNING UNITS

Georeferenced Vicinity Map image1.png image2.jpg image3.png image4.emf

Selway Rd

4019 ft

3854 ft

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N in et ee n m ile

C r e e k et ee nm

Cr

Sel way River

420038

3400 360

00 22

2 6

0 2000

2600 2600

Montana State Library, Esri, TomTom, Garmin, SafeGraph,Selway WCSL Thin Units

Idaho Fish and Game GNA Nez Perce-Clearwater NF

Moose Creek Ranger District

Thinning Units

Rackliff Trail (702)

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B al l 1

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0 0.1 0.2

Miles 1 inch equals 1,962 feet

Spatial Reference Name: GCS WGS 1984

GCS: GCS WGS 1984

Datum: WGS 1984 Map Units: Degree image5.emf

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Coolwater Lake

COLDWATER R IDGE

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Selw ay Ri ver

Se lway Rd

Selw ay

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4215 ft

Selway WCSL Thinning Project Idaho Fish and Game - GNA

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Moose Creek Ranger District

Legend

WCSL_Units

Esri, NASA, NGA, USGS, FEMA, Montana State Library, Esri, TomTom, Garmin, 0 1 20.5 Miles