B01__Pre_Solicitation_Notice_Letter_1.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

July 25, 2023

Memorandum

Subject: Pre- Solicitation Notice

Notice Type: Pre-Solicitation, FAR 5.201 Pre-Solicitation Notice 140P2123Q0199

Synopsis:

The National Park Service (NPS) Historical Preservation Training Center (HPTC) is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) for Forest Restoration

Place of Performance: Catoctin Mountain Park Place of Performance Postal Code: Thurmont Maryland 21788 Place Of Performance Country: U.S.A.

This procurement action is being solicited as a 100% Small Business Set Aside Type of Contract: Firm Fixed Price (FFP)

Period of Performance: Base, plus five (5) Task options

The NAICS code is 115112, Soil Preparation, Planting and Cultivating with a size standard of $9.5M.

The Product Service Code (PSC) is F010, Natural Resource\Conservation-Seeding Production and Transplanting.

This pre-solicitation announcement is not a solicitation document, but pre-notice of an upcoming solicitation. Specific instructions on submitting your proposal will be contained in the solicitation documents to be issued on or after the date listed below.

Proposed Solicitation Issue Date: Estimated on/about August 14, 2023.

This requirement shall be procured in accordance with FAR 12, FAR 13, FAR 19

General Information:

This is a non-personnel services contract to provide forest restoration services. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

Description of Services/Introduction: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform forest restoration as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

Background: Forested areas of the park have become invaded by non-native plants and have lost canopy cover due to emerald ash borer. In these areas, NPS has mowed the non-native shrubs using a drumhead masticator and has prepared the sites by using herbicide to kill resprouts. The area is currently open, allowing for maneuverability for skid steer, pedestrians, and UTV, and is ready for planting of trees.

Objective: Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO) in Thurmont, MD is soliciting forestry services to perform forest restoration in targeted areas of the park.

Scope: These services will include planting 1-gallon size containerized deciduous native trees and shrubs in areas that have recently been cleared of exotic species. Work will include soil analysis, species selection, development of a planting plan, treating non-native species with herbicide, and tree shelter and stake installation. Work will also include maintenance of the planted area for 3 years from April – October, including treating non-native plants with herbicide, hand weeding vegetation inside the shelters, and rehammering/replacing broken stakes.

In addition to the base requirement this requirement also has several options, all of which are subject to available funds. These options include using a skid steer mounted drumhead masticator to mow additional acres and 7 months of non-native plant maintenance in addition to the base requirement.

Staging area for the storage of materials, trees, and equipment will be provided by NPS in the ballfield, see Exhibit 1. Manahan Road may be closed to traffic to allow the contractor to block the road while delivering supplies and trees to the work site, as decided by the COR.

Masticator work is not permitted between May 1 and August 31 to protect the habitat of the Northern Long Eared Bats, which are listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, and nesting birds – quote accordingly.

UTV’s and skid steers are permitted to drive within the project area, but no trucks are permitted to be off the asphalt or gravel roads. Skid steers are required to have rubber treads, no tires.

Skid steer is not permitted within the project area during wet conditions and will only be permitted during dry or frozen conditions to prevent excessive soil disturbance. The COR will monitor soil conditions and will stop work if excessive soil disturbance is occurring. COR will stop work if equipment damage to existing live trees is found. Repair all ground damage incurred during the performance of operations to the satisfaction of the COR (i.e., ruts, holes, etc.). Staging area will be in the ballfield, see exhibit 1. Due to the scope of this project, it is highly encouraged that contractors attend the site visit in order to fully understand the magnitude of work to be completed.

This work involves performing work as defined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) that will be provided when solicitation is issued. Detailed requirements and/or specifications will be listed within the solicitation. A Firm Fixed Price award is contemplated from this solicitation with an award to the offeror(s) providing the best value, based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the solicitation once issued.

Evaluation of interested firms will be based on the following in the Solicitation:

1) Project Approach and Schedule

2) Proposed Personnel and Qualifications

3) Past Project Work

4) Price

The solicitation package will include the Solicitation Forms (SF1449), Performance Work Statement and other attachments as required. Documents will be posted to SAM.gov | Contract Opportunities about 8/14/2023

Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to participate in this requirement. The SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov. Payments will be made via Electronic Funds Transfer using the data within the SAM registration database. You are also required to have a Unique Entity Id (UEI) in order to conduct business with the Federal Government.

Contracting Officer and Point of Contact information for this requirement is:

Bureau: Department of Interior, National Park Service Contracting Officer: Ruth Pagan Email: ruth_pagan@nps.gov

All inquiries and questions shall be submitted in writing; no verbal questions will be accepted.

DISCLAIMER

“THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS

NOT A “REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)” TO BE SUBMITTED. IT DOES NOT

CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A

COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT

OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A

CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE

AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS

ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO

THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. RESPPONSES

WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO THE RESPONDER. NOT RESPONDING TO THIS

NOTICE DOES NOT PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE REQUEST

FOR QUOTE (RFQ) OR INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) OR REQUEST FOR

PROPOSAL (RFP), IF ANY ISSUED. IF A SOLICITATION IS RELEASED, IT WILL

BE SYNOPSIZED ON THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE POINT OF ENTRY (GPE). IT IS

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF POTENTIAL OFFERORS TO MONITOR THE GPE FOR

ADDITIONAL INFORMMATION PERTAINING TO THIS REQUIREMENT.”