RFI_P2481002,_Salmon_Carcass_Removal.pdf

State of California – Natural Resources Agency GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE CHARLTON H. BONHAM, Director

Fisheries Branch P.O. Box 944209 Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

NOTICE TO INTERESTED VENDORS

June 20, 2024

RFI Number and Name: P2481002, Salmon Carcass Collection and Disposal RFI Due Date: July 5, 2024

1. Introduction The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites you to review and respond to this Request for Information (RFI) to obtain feedback from experienced vendors regarding the proposed Salmon Carcass Collection and Disposal Services

2. Background Many California rivers have large dams on the river which block access to historic spawning and rearing habitats by anadromous populations of Salmon and steelhead trout. For each CDFW Operated Anadromous Fish Hatchery, the fish hatchery helps manage the population of the anadromous fish in the appropriate river by propagating hatchery raised fish to supplement the number of anadromous fish that would otherwise propagate in the wild. CDFW personnel take all necessary eggs and sperm from such fish returning to the hatchery to meet hatchery production goals. While returning some of the surplus anadromous fish carcasses to the river may benefit the ecosystem, some CDFW Operated Fish Hatcheries are prohibited from returning such surplus anadromous fish carcasses to the river, and in other instances, too many surplus carcasses may be produced at the hatchery in a relatively short amount of time and returning that volume of surplus carcasses would not benefit the ecosystem.

CDFW is in need of experienced vendor(s) to remove surplus anadromous fish carcasses from CDFW operated anadromous fish hatcheries. These services will be performed at the following locations:

• Iron Gate Fish Hatchery - 8638 Lakeview Road, Hornbrook, CA 96044, Siskiyou County and Fall Creek Fish Hatchery - 19631 Copco Road Hornbrook, CA 96044, Siskiyou County

• Trinity River Fish Hatchery - 1000 Hatchery Road, Lewiston, CA 96052, Trinity County

• Feather River Fish Hatchery - 5 Table Mountain Blvd, Oroville, CA 95965, Butte County

• Nimbus Fish Hatchery - 2001 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, Sacramento County

• Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery – 25800 McIntire Road, Clements, CA 95227, San Joaquin County

3. Purpose CDFW’s purpose of this RFI is to solicit information and best practices from the vendor community. CDFW intends to use feedback and responses provided by vendors to help determine what is currently available in the marketplace and to gather information that may be useful in further developing an efficient and effective Scope of Work (see Attachment I, Draft Scope of Work, attached to this RFI). Interested vendors should provide responses based on knowledge and experience with other organizations and initiatives of this kind.

4. Key Action Dates Below are the key action dates and times by which actions will be taken or completed. If CDFW finds it necessary to change any of these dates, an addendum to this RFI will be posted to the RFI’s event page on the State’s Cal eProcure website.

Request for Information (RFI) released: June 20, 2024

Final date for question submission: June 27, 2024

Estimated date for State response to submitted questions: July 1, 2024

Final date for RFI submission: July 5, 2024

5. Responding to the RFI Responses to this RFI are due by the date and time stated in the KEY ACTION DATES section. Responses must be submitted to the State’s Contract Official identified in Section C below.

A. Responding to the RFI Questionnaire

1) Responses must be Microsoft Word or PDF. All text, tables, and drawings must use the Microsoft Office Suite (2015 or later) and be provided in readable formats.

2) Responses should be concise and straightforward. Respondents may provide narrative, diagrams, pictures, and any other available means to convey their comments or answer to each specification or question, and any additional recommendations that the respondent might find relevant to this RFI.

3) CDFW recognizes that not all respondents may be able or willing to respond to all issues addressed in the Questionnaire. While not required, respondents are encouraged to answer all questions.

4) Respondents may provide any additional information not specifically requested that the respondent might find relevant to the RFI.

5) Include an e-mail subject line of: “Response to RFI P2481002”

B. Questions

1) Respondents requiring clarification of the intent or content of this RFI and applicable documents or on procedural matters regarding the process may request clarification by submitting questions to the Contact Official listed in Section C below.

2) To ensure a response, questions must be received by the final date for question submission listed in the Key Action Dates section above.

3) Questions and answers may be provided to all respondents without identifying the submitters. At the sole discretion of the State, questions may be paraphrased by the State for clarity. Responses to questions will be posted to the RFI’s event page on the State’s Cal eProcure website.

4) When submitting a question, include the following information:

a. An e-mail subject line of: “Questions to RFI P2481002”

b. Vendor name and contact, telephone number, and e-mail address

c. The question and/or discrepancy found

d. RFI Section, page number, or other information useful in identifying the specific problem or issue stated in the question

C. Contact Official: All correspondence and questions related to this RFI must be directed to:

Contact Name: Kelsey Frost Email Address: Kelsey.Frost@wildlife.ca.gov

6. Disclaimer A. This RFI is for information gathering and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. A response to this RFI is not an offer and cannot be accepted by CDFW to form a binding contract. Questions received after the established due date may be addressed at the State’s discretion.

B. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

C. Participants are advised that the responses to this RFI will become public record and may be subject to the Public Records Act. Do not include any proprietary information in response to this RFI.

D. Responding to this RFI creates no obligation on the part of any participant to CDFW. Conversely, issuing this RFI and considering the responses creates no obligation on the part of CDFW to any participant.

mailto:Kelsey.Frost@wildlife.ca.gov

E. Submitting a response to this RFI will not enhance the review of that respondent’s proposal/bid(s) to any future solicitations. Not submitting a response to this RFI will not prohibit a response to any future solicitation, nor disadvantage the evaluation of a response to any future solicitation. By submitting a response to this RFI a participant is implicitly agreeing with these conditions.

F. CDFW may contact participants to seek clarification regarding any inquiry received. CDFW may respond to questions directly to the respondent or if deemed necessary, release an addendum or updated RFI.

G. CDFW asks willing respondents to share non-binding budgetary information. Any budget provided in response to this RFI will not be considered a proposal/bid on the part of a respondent.

H. The information collected from this RFI may be used to complete an Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) solicitation. Any resulting solicitation will be publicly posted on Cal eProcure; in addition, those who submit a response to this RFI may receive an email notification when the solicitation is available.

https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

RFI Questionnaire Vendor Information and Questions for Submittal

Before responding to the questions below, see Attachment I - Draft Scope of Work

Provide a detailed response to each of the following items:

Section I – Vendor Information

1. Identify company name, address, city, state, and zip code, email address, and telephone number.

2. Indicate if your company is a California certified small business and/or a disabled veteran business enterprise.

3. Identify the name, title, address, phone number, and email address of the primary contact person for this RFI.

4. Provide a brief overview of your company including number of years in business, number of employees, nature of business, description of clients, services offered, and any relevant information.

Section II – Questions for Submittal

CDFW would like your feedback on the following questions:

1. Would any of the requirements listed in the draft Scope of Work make it difficult or deter you from bidding on a resulting solicitation? If so, please explain and describe how you propose revising the requirements.

2. Can your company perform these services statewide at the fish hatcheries/counties as listed in the Scope of Work? If not, which fish hatcheries/counties within California can you provide the services?

3. How will your company utilize the surplus carcasses, alternative beneficial uses including donation of carcasses fit for human consumption to non-profit food banks, rendering, or disposal or combinations thereof?

4. Are there any additional permits/licenses/requirements you believe are necessary to complete the contract work that are not included in the draft contract’s Exhibit A, Scope of Work?

5. Are there any revisions, additional information, or clarifications that you recommend adding to the draft contract’s Exhibit A, Scope of Work?

6. Approximately what total budget would you require to complete the work described in this RFI by each fish hatchery listed for which you can provide the services?

7. Approximately what timeframe would you need to prepare and submit a proposal that meets the requirements described in this RFII?

California Department of Fish and Wildlife RFI P2481002 Attachment I – Scope of Work Salmon Carcass Collection and Disposal

(CDFW EXA Revised 07/2021)

Attachment 1 Draft Scope of Work Anadromous Fish Carcass Collection and Removal

1. Introduction of Services

The Contractor agrees to provide, to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), anadromous fish carcass removal in accordance with the specifications, terms, and conditions contained herein.

2. Location of Services

The services will be performed at the following locations:

Location 1 – Iron Gate Fish Hatchery

8638 Lakeview Road Hornbrook, CA 96044 Siskiyou County and

Fall River Hatchery 19631 Copco Road Hornbrook, CA 96044

Location 2 - Trinity River Hatchery 1000 Hatchery Road Lewiston, CA 96052 Trinity County

Location 3 - Feather River Fish Hatchery 5 Table Mountain Boulevard Oroville, CA 95965 Butte County

Location 4 - Nimbus Fish Hatchery

2001 Nimbus Road, Suite F Gold River, CA 95670 Sacramento County

Location 5 - Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery 25800 North McIntire Road

Clements, CA 95227 San Joaquin County

3. Service Schedule

Contractor will provide the services throughout the term of this Contract, subject to the 24-hour advance notice, as described in Section 5.B.

4. Project Officials

CDFW Contract Manager Contractor Project Director Name: Kenneth Kundargi Name:

Phone: 916-508-7788 Phone:

Email: Kenneth.Kundargi@wildlife.ca.gov Email:

Either party may make changes to the Project Officials by giving written notice to the other party. Said changes will not require an amendment to this Agreement.

CDFW Anadromous Fish Hatchery Facility Managers are listed below:

Feather River Hatchery Iron Gate Hatchery Name: Mary Noel Name: Patrick Brock Phone: 530-538-2222 Phone: 530-4753420 Email: Mary.Noel@wildlife.ca.gov Email: Patrick.Brock@wildlife.ca.gov

Mokelumne River Hatchery Nimbus Fish Hatchery Name: William Smith Name: Gary Novak Phone: 209-759-3383 Phone: 916-358-2821 Email: William.Smith@wildlife.ca.gov Email: Gary.Novak@wildlife.ca.gov

Trinity River Hatchery Name: Amy Knabe Phone: 530-778-3931 Email: Amy.Knabe@wildlife.ca.gov

5. SCOPE OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Many California rivers have large dams on the river which block access to historic spawning and rearing habitats by anadromous populations of Salmon and Steelhead Trout. Each CDFW Operated Anadromous Fish Hatchery helps manage the population of the anadromous fish in the appropriate river by propagating hatchery raised fish to supplement the number of anadromous fish that would otherwise propagate in the wild.

CDFW personnel take all necessary eggs and sperm from such fish returning to the hatchery to meet hatchery production goals. While returning some of the surplus anadromous fish carcasses to the river may benefit the ecosystem, some CDFW Operated Fish Hatcheries are prohibited from returning such surplus anadromous fish carcasses to the river, and in other instances, too many surplus carcasses may be mailto:Kenneth.Kundargi@wildlife.ca.gov produced at the hatchery in a relatively short amount of time and returning that volume of surplus anadromous fish carcasses would not benefit the ecosystem. CDFW requires the services of vendors experienced and the collection and disposal of anadromous fish carcasses.

B. WORK TO BE PERFORMED

1. The Contractor will provide CDFW with the following:

Task 1: Removal of Anadromous Fish Carcasses

Contractor will remove surplus anadromous fish carcasses from CDFW Operated Anadromous Fish Hatcheries after receiving notification from the CDFW at least 48 hours before any scheduled transfer. Contractor will remove such surplus salmon carcasses by 3:00 PM on the scheduled day of transfer. If more surplus carcasses are available than anticipated, then other arrangements will be made for transfer as agreed upon by the CDFW and Contractor. Contractor will notify the CDFW by 3:00 PM a minimum of 24 hours in advance if unable to remove surplus carcasses.

The Contractor will provide vehicle(s), totes, and personnel necessary to handle, collect, and transport surplus carcasses for disposal. Contractor will provide a forklift driver, when requested, with adequate license and insurance as specified in Section 5.C. below, to better handle and collect the surplus carcasses.

Objectives and Deliverables:

• Contractor will collect anadromous fish carcasses during the spawning season from September through December at anadromous fish hatcheries and remove carcasses from the facilities for alternative beneficial uses including donation of carcasses fit for human consumption to non-profit food banks, rendering, disposal, or combinations thereof.

• For surplus carcasses intended for donation to non-profit food banks the Contractor will provide vehicle(s), totes, ice, and/or refrigeration equipment, and personnel necessary to handle and maintain the quality of surplus carcasses after the transfer.

• Contractor will coordinate with anadromous fish hatchery staff who will arrange pickup times for tribal entities who may collect anadromous fish carcasses for ceremonial and food purposes prior to Contractor removal of surplus carcasses from the hatchery facilities.

• Contractor will coordinate with anadromous fish hatchery staff who will oversee tissue sampling, coded wire tag collection, and other scientific research on anadromous fish carcasses prior to Contractor removal of surplus carcasses from the hatchery facilities.

• Contractor will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081, subdivision (a) with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The purpose of this MOU is to lawfully authorize possession (as defined by Fish & and Game. Code, § 86) of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Upper Klamath-Trinity River spring-run Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act. (CESA; Fish & G. Code § 2050 et. seq.).

Task 2: Records and Reporting

CDFW will maintain a record of the number, and an estimate of the overall weight of, each day’s transferred surplus carcasses, and will assign each day’s load of surplus carcasses a tracking number. Contractor will maintain a similar record of the number, an estimate of the overall weight of each day’s accepted surplus carcasses, tracking number for each load of surplus carcasses, and a record of the number of pounds of surplus carcasses ultimately distributed for human consumption in California, rendered, or disposed.

Objectives and Deliverables:

• Contractor will submit a copy of records to the CDFW Contract Manager listed in Section 4 by February 1st of each year of this agreement.

C. REPORTS

The report will include the following narrative sections:

• The CDFW will maintain a record of the number, and an estimate of the overall weight of, each day’s transferred surplus carcasses, and will assign each day’s load of surplus carcasses a tracking number. Contractor will maintain a similar record of the number, an estimate of the overall weight of each day’s accepted surplus carcasses, tracking number for each load of surplus carcasses, and a record of the number of pounds of surplus carcasses ultimately distributed for human consumption in California.

The CDFW Contract Manager will have 15 days to compare CDFW records to Contractor records and provide comments to the draft report, after which a final report must be prepared. The Contractor will produce a final report no later than February 30.

Any report deadlines may be adjusted if CDFW deems it necessary. All changes to deadlines and scheduling must be agreed upon in writing by the Contractor and CDFW Contract Manager.

The CDFW Contract Manager may accept the draft report as the final report. The report will not be considered final until accepted and approved by the CDFW Contract Manager.

D. SCHEDULE OF COMPLETION DATES

Activity Date Draft Records and Reporting February 1 Final Records and Reporting February 30

6. CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATION/REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor must maintain throughout the entire term of this agreement all appropriate licenses, registrations, and certificates as required under all Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations. This includes, but is not limited to, a Motor Carrier Permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as current vehicle registration for all vehicles providing services under this agreement.

B. The Contractor must have personnel certified to operate a forklift. Contractor’s forklift operators must be certified per OSHA regulations 29 CFR 1910.178.

C. The Contractor must comply with and ensure that all employees, subcontractors, and agents comply with all requirements of the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations regarding waste transportation under this contract. Information regarding complete compliance with these regulations must be carried on transport vehicles and maintained at facilities where wastes are received, stored, or handled during transportation.

7. INSURANCE

The Contractor will be required to maintain the following insurance coverage throughout the duration of this agreement and must supply proof of coverage upon request by CDFW.

Insurance must be in accordance with the Exhibit D CDFW Additional Provisions.

A. Commercial General Liability (limits not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 annual policy aggregate)

B. Automobile Liability (limits not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident)

C. Workers Compensation and Employers Liability (limits of $1,000,000 are required.

The waiver of subrogation endorsement must also be provided).

The above policies must each be endorsed to include “the State of California, its officers, agents and employees as additional insured but only with respect to work performed under the Contract”.