Intent_to_Award_Sole_Source_Contract_1_(1)_1.pdf

Pre-Solicitation Intent to Sole Source Notice

TITLE: Vega State Park Wildland Fire Management Project

PURPOSE AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Bureau of Reclamation Acquisition Management Division, Western Colorado Area Office (WCAO) issues this special notice of its intent to award a sole source service request to Colorado State University, Service to oversee tree hand and machine thinning work performed by contractors, as Reclamation does not have forestry expertise on staff. The primary goals are to decrease hazardous fuels (remove the dead and beetle infested trees) and to reduce the future wildland fire risk potential. Secondary goals are to increase overall forest health, vigor and structure of the forest stands to maintain and improve habitat diversity for wildlife and migration corridors and improve forest aesthetics.

BACKGROUND:

In June 2012, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), with the assistance of the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), developed a Forest Management Assessment and Recommendations Plan, across 1,842 acres at Vega State Park. This Plan analyzed Vega State Park for forestry conditions and developed a baseline inventory of the main forest vegetation types. The primary goals of this plan were to identify fire hazard risks and prioritize possible treatments, to create a long-term fuels management and response plan, and to educate the surrounding community on wildlife issues.

In 2020, CSFS performed treatment through a private contractor on approximately 90 acres at Vega State Park. This project was separated into three treatment areas that have been broken into seven units. In the aspen treatment area, the contractor removed high-risk trees along a main hiking trail and park road while also improving forest health by reducing the understory fuel load (42 acres). The oak treatment area has two different prescriptions covering five units. One unit was located along the main road (64 6/10 Rd) where a fuel break was completed (20 acres). In the remaining four units (28 acres), the contractor masticated oak stems into a mosaic pattern.

This type of management reduced fuel loading and fire intensity while renewing vegetation for wildlife and aesthetics. In the third treatment area, the contractor created defensible space around the five-state park rental cabins.

Based on the success of the project completed in 2020, this project will be a continuation of fire hazard mitigation and promoting forest health.

LOCATION: Vega State Park, Mesa County, CO and multiple units within the park boundary.

NAICS AND SIZE STANDARD: The NAICS code for this project is 115310– Support Activities for Forestry with a small business size standard of $11.5 Million.

COMPETITION: Solicitation 140R4026Q0068 is anticipated to be awarded as a sole source FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement.

INTENDED SOURCE:

Colorado State University 601 S Howes ST Fort Collins, Colorado

80521, USA

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION: This requirement will be procured using FAR 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement.

The CSFS places substantial emphasis on fuels mitigation to reduce wildfire hazards and on wildfire prevention education with the objective of reducing risks to people and communities, while simultaneously improving forest condition. The CSFS partners with numerous agencies and organizations throughout Colorado to provide the most current information so landowners can make informed decisions about how best to achieve their stewardship objectives, including fuels mitigation and wildfire prevention.

CSFS is the only contractor capable of carrying out large-scale, funded tree-thinning on Colorado’s public forest lands because it:

1. Holds formal authority under state and federal laws (GNA, stewardship contracting)

2. Manages and implements thinning on State Trust Lands and national forests

3. Has administrative structure and contracting ability that private entities lack

Without CSFS in that role, these essential forest health and wildfire mitigation efforts simply wouldn’t happen at the necessary scale.

SOLICITATION RELEASE DATE: It is not anticipated that the solicitation will be released via the GPE.

SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM, www.sam.gov): All interested respondents must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is a Federal Government owned-and-operated FREE website located at SAM.gov.

POINT-OF-CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS: The Point of Contract for this solicitation is the Contract Specialist Nayda Gonzalez email: nayda_gonzalez@ios.doi.gov. Any communication regarding this procurement must be made in writing and forwarded via email and must identify the solicitation number, company name, address, email address, phone number including area code, and point of contact. Emails shall be addressed to the Contract Specialist.

NOTE: This is not a request for competitive quotes, bids, or proposals, and a solicitation will not be issued. Responsible sources may identify their interests and/or provide a capability statement as a response to this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this Notice.