B09_Questions__Answers_Final.docx

NV RIPARIAN & WETLAND AIM

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. Have the AIM plots been selected and are they all new or a mix of new and established plots? If they have been selected, to understand the amount of travel time that will be required between sample points, approximately how far apart from each other will the points in each district be located?

The AIM plots have not yet been selected. Per the PWS Table 2, a geodatabase of point locations will be provided to the contractor no later than March 15, 2026. Since the plots have not yet been selected, it is uncertain as to how many plots will be new plots versus established plots. However, it is anticipated that most plots will be new plots. Plots could be located anywhere on BLM lands where riparian or wetland conditions exist within each District. Therefore, plots could be spread out across an entire District, or some plots may be located in proximity to one another depending on the needs of the District. The BLM will provide the locations, as well as oversamples in case of plot rejections. The contractor will be responsible for site evaluation, which could result in office rejections of points that do not meet the criteria for sites as described in Technical Reference 1735-3. Please see section 3.2.4 of the PWS for more information.

1. For the purposes of the technical approach, how many sample hitch schedules should the contractor prepare? One per district or is a single hitch schedule sufficient?

One single example hitch schedule is sufficient.

1. Is the Early Season Quality Control Meeting intended to be a field review, or would the meeting be held at a district BLM office and/or via Teams? What is the anticipated length of each of the quality control meetings?

The early season quality control meeting will be a virtual meeting via Teams. The length of these meetings is usually 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

1. Are Survey123 forms available for all AIM methods required for this scope of work, and if so, will they be provided to the contractor?

Yes, the BLM will provide all Survey123 forms necessary for data collection. Please see section 6.1 of the PWS.

1. In the clauses and provisions, under Evaluation, Section i “Technical”, item number 2, it states, “The offeror shall detail having specific knowledge of lotic systems and lotic AIM methods, or similar methods related to measuring streams and rivers, as outlined in the PWS.” Should this be “lentic systems”?

This sentence is a typo; it should instead state “The offeror shall detail having specific knowledge of riparian and wetland systems and riparian & wetland AIM methods, or similar methods related to measuring lentic systems, as outlined in the PWS.”

1. The evaluation criteria state that the project plan shall not exceed 6 pages, is there an overall page limit for the technical proposal?

There is no overall page limit for the technical proposal.

1. In Section 9, “Travel” of the performance of work statement, it states “The contractor is responsible for travel coordination and expenses for its personnel as required to support the tasks at the performance locations stated in this PWS.”, and “The price for travel authorized by Federal and DOI travel regulations shall not include overhead, G&A, nor profit.” The offeror assumes that travel will be based on GSA per diem rates found at https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates and that flights and rental vehicles costs can be estimated. Is this the correct approach for costing purposes?

The project should be quoted as a firm fixed price for all costs associated with completion of the project, including any associated travel that may be required. GSA per diem rates and estimated travel costs could be used as a basis for the required travel.