RFP 325-415 7-Mile FHT-Harvest-RFP.pdf

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION

REQUEST FOR BID PROPOSALS

RFP 325-415 7-MILE FOREST HEALTH THINNING CONTRACT HARVEST

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (State Parks) is soliciting bids from contract harvesters, logging firms, operators of logging equipment, or any qualified firms, businesses, or individuals for the thinning of trees and contract harvesting on approximately 382 acres. The selected harvester will be expected to access, cut, yard, load, and haul logs from Riverside State Park in Spokane County, Washington. The site can be reached by heading west on 7-mile Road from HWY 291 for approximately 0.8 miles, then turning right onto Riverside Park Road and proceeding 0.7 miles to the trailhead. FPA No. 3027124.

Bids are due: Wednesday, November 13, 2024, by 1:00 PM, PST.

ELECTRONIC BID RESPONSES ONLY: Bid responses will only be accepted electronically via Email/Email Attachment to BidBox@parks.wa.gov. (PDF scan encouraged). See Section 5.1 –

Submission of Responses for expanded details.

Procurement Coordinator: Jacob Eckmann, contracts@parks.wa.gov

Email Inquiries to: contracts@parks.wa.gov

• See also (special communication instructions) §2.1, §2.3, §2.4.

WA State’s Official Bid Notification System: Bidders are responsible for properly registering in the Washington’s Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS) system, https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ and downloading the solicitation document and all appendices and incorporated documents related to this solicitation. WEBS Registration Information:

https://des.wa.gov/services/contracting-purchasing/doing-business-state/webs-registration-search-tips.

WEBS is the system of record for this competition. Alternatively, you can also access the bid documents for reference purposes at www.parks.wa.gov/contracts by clicking on the State Purchasing link. However, please note that the official channel for notifications and updates is through WEBS and any RFP addenda, amendments or Bidders’ questions-&-answers will only be provided to those bidders who have registered with WEBS. Failure to do so may result in a Bidder having incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise inadequate information.

It is each Bidder’ responsibility to fully read and understand all provisions of this RFP. If a Bidder does not fully understand any portion of this RFP, the Bidder should contact the Procurement Coordinator.

It is the responsibility of each Bidder to carefully read, understand, and follow all of the instructions contained in this RFP and all amendments hereto.

mailto:BidBox@parks.wa.gov mailto:contracts@parks.wa.gov mailto:contracts@parks.wa.gov https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ https://des.wa.gov/services/contracting-purchasing/doing-business-state/webs-registration-search-tips http://www.parks.wa.gov/contracts

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT

1.1 ACQUISITION AUTHORITY

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROCUREMENT – AWARD A CONTRACT

1.3 PRE-BID FIELD TOUR

1.4 ESTIMATED LOG VOLUMES AND APPRAISED VALUE

1.5 LOG DELIVERY AND ROAD WORK REQUIREMENTS

1.6 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

1.7 REQUIREMENTS

1.8 WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCES

2 DEADLINES, PREBID CONFERENCE, QUESTIONS AND SCHEDULE

2.1 COMMUNICATION REGARDING THIS COMPETITION

2.2 Prebid Conference

2.3 QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

2.4 COMPLAINT PERIOD

2.5 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

3 SPECIAL TERMS

3.1 ADVANCED PAYMENT PROHIBITION

3.2 PAYMENT FOR WORK

3.3 BUSINESS STRUCTURE & EMPLOYEES (Compliance with Law)

3.4 THE RESULTING CONTRACT AND ITS TERMS AND CONDITIONS

4 RESPONSES - REQUIRED CONTENT, FORMAT, AND SCORING:

4.1 CHECKLIST OF REQUIRED SUBMITTALS

4.2 (APPENDIX A) – BIDDER’S CERTIFICATIONS, ASSURANCES, AND WAIVER

4.3 (APPENDIX B) – BIDDER’S PROFILE

4.4 (APPENDIX C) – Bid PRICE

4.5 (APPENDIX D) - STATEMENT OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES & WORK PLAN

4.6 WASHINTON Small BUSINESS AND/OR CERTIFIED Veteran-Owned BUSINESS . 14

4.7 (APPENDIX E) – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors

5 RESPONSES – PREPARATION, SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

5.1 SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

5.2 RESPONSE LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS

5.3 WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCE

6 EVALUATION AND AWARD

6.1 ORAL PRESENTATION (OPTIONAL)

6.2 Oral Presentations Evaluation CRITERIA (OPTIONAL)

6.3 BID RESPONSIVENESS

6.4 BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY ANALYSIS

6.4.1 REJECTED BIDS/BIDDERS & REJECTION NOTIFICATION & REJECTION

6.5 GENERAL EVALUATION PROVISIONS

6.6 EVALUATION OF COMPLETION BY DATE

6.7 EVALUATION STEPS

6.7.1 Preliminary Evaluation (Procedural)

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6.7.2 Substantive Evaluation: Phase 1

6.7.3 Substantive Evaluation: Phase 2 (Optional)

6.8 SELECTION OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER

7 ANNOUNCEMENT OF ASB, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, DEBRIEF, AND PROTESTS

7.1 ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER (ASB)

7.2 PROCUREMENT RECORDS DISCLOSURE

7.3 DEBRIEFING OF BIDDERS

7.3.1 How To Request A Debrief Conference

7.3.2 Debrief Meeting, Discussion, And Delay

7.3.3 Debrief Is A Prerequisite For Protest

7.4 PROTEST

7.4.1 General:

7.4.2 Form And Content:

7.4.3 Content Limitations:

7.4.4 Submission Of Protests

7.4.5 Grounds Which May Be Protested

7.4.6 Manager Assignment And Review

7.4.7 Protest Determinations And Findings

7.4.8 Agency Decision is final

8 ADDITIONAL GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR ALL BIDDERS

8.1 ANNOUNCEMENT AND SPECIAL INFORMATION

8.2 CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

8.3 AMENDMENTS TO THE COMPETITION

8.4 RESPONSIVENESS OF BIDDER’S RESPONSE

8.5 CLARITY AND CLARIFICATIONS

8.6 COST OF RESPONSE PREPARATION

8.7 OWNERSHIP OF RESPONSES

8.8 FINAL SELECTION & NO OBLIGATION

8.9 INCORPORATION OF RESPONSE IN CONTRACT

8.10 STATEWIDE VENDOR PAYMENT REGISTRATION

8.11 WEBS REGISTRATION

8.12 POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS) NOTICE

8.13 SMALL AND DIVERSE BUSINESS

8.14 ACCESS EQUITY CONTRACT REPORTING

8.15 PUBLIC DISCLOSURE & WAIVER OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

8.16 CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLIANCE

9 APPENDICES AND EXHIBITS

9.1 (APPENDIX A) – BIDDER’S CERTIFICATIONS, ASSURANCES, AND WAIVER

9.2 (APPENDIX B) – BIDDER PROFILE

9.3 (APPENDIX C) – BID PRICE (must be legible)

9.4 (APPENDIX D) - STATEMENT OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES, & WORK PLAN

9.5 (APPENDIX E) – DIVERSITY BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN - SUBS

9.6 (EXHIBIT A) – Draft Contract & General Contract Terms And Conditions

9.7 (EXHIBIT B) – 7-Mile Logging Map

9.8 (EXHIBIT C) – FPA/N #3027124

9.9 (EXHIBIT D) – 7-Mile Road Plan, 7-Miles Road Map, and ARWO Rates

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1 INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT

This section describes the purpose of the competitive solicitation and provides information about this procurement, including the potential scope of the opportunity.

1.1 ACQUISITION AUTHORITY

RCW 79A.05.225 authorizes the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (State Parks) to manage timber and land under its jurisdiction to maintain and enhance aesthetic and recreational values.

Under the authority of RCW 79A.05.225 State Parks may directly negotiate and enter into agreements. While competition is not required it is also not prohibited and State Parks is choosing to perform a competition to help determine which service provider (a.k.a.

Contractor) is in the best interest of State Parks.

This process ensures fairness, transparency, and accountability in procurement. By following these guidelines, we seek to obtain the best value for the state while maintaining the integrity of our procurement practices. All bidders must meet specified criteria and demonstrate their ability to fulfill contract requirements. The evaluation will consider both the price and the bidder’s ability to perform the contract effectively and efficiently.

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROCUREMENT – AWARD A CONTRACT

The purpose of this Competitive Solicitation is to procure the services of qualified harvesters, logging firms, operators of logging equipment, or any firms, businesses, or individuals to perform forest health thinning work on 382 acres at Riverside State Park.

SALE AREA DESCRIPTION AND PRODUCTS SOLD

The sale area is approximately 382 acres, divided into five separate units within Sections 7, 17, 18, and 20 of Township 26 North, Range 42 East, W.M. Refer to the map in Exhibit B for details. There are no typed streams within the sale area, though typed streams are present in the vicinity, including the Spokane River. Existing hiking trails within the sale area do not require special harvest measures, but trails must be crossed perpendicularly at designated skid trail locations to minimize damage. The sale area will be closed to the general public during active work, and required notifications and site controls will be implemented to ensure public safety. The steepest slope within the sale area is approximately 30%, though most of the terrain is flat, and all operations will be ground-based. Sale boundaries are marked with pink "Timber Harvest Boundary" flagging, and leave tree areas, known as “skips,” are marked with green flagging around their perimeter, with no harvest or equipment entry allowed. Cut/take trees over 8 inches DBH are marked with a band of orange paint. Pre-work training and regular compliance visits will help ensure accurate implementation of the prescription across the sale area.

Site Location: From HWY 291 & 7-mile Road, Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026; head west on 7-mile Road approximately 0.8 miles and turn right onto Riverside Park Road. Proceed 0.7 miles to the McLellan Trailhead. The sale area is beyond the gate.

Legal: Section 7, 17, 18, and 20 T26N R42E Sale Type: Contract Harvest Elevation: 1,620’ – 1,800’ Terrain: Mostly flat, with some short and steep slopes

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Slopes: The steepest slope within the sale is approximately 30%.

Size: 382 acres Logging System: 100% ground-based harvest Management Type: Thin from below, with selective thinning focused on improving the health and resiliency of the stand Volume: Approximately 638 MBF, consisting of 100% ponderosa pine Roads: 4,830 feet of new road construction. Additional areas within the existing park road system may need improvement to facilitate hauling and equipment use.

Access: The sale area can be accessed via Riverside Park Road or N State Park Drive.

Water: No water bodies are within the treatment boundary.

Forest Health: ICO (individuals, clumps, and openings) prescription.

The goals of this treatment are to:

• Thin the stand from below to reduce the basal area by approximately 30-60% and concentrate the site growth potential on fewer healthy dominant/co-dominant trees.

• Reduce the wildfire fuel load.

• Reduce diseased/infected trees and the risk of future insect and disease infestations.

• Minimize soil disturbance and the introduction of weedy species across the harvest area.

Archeology: There are several significant archeological sites within the park. These sites have been excluded from the sale area.

Aesthetics: Because the sale is located within a state park, aesthetics should be considered in daily operations. A separate contract for cleanup following harvest operations is anticipated.

Slash Abatement: Slash abatement may be a separate biddable item.

This RFP includes the materials in Exhibit B: 7-Mile Logging Map and Exhibit C: Forest Practices Application/Notification #3027124, and Exhibit D: 7-Mile Road Plan, the 7-Mile Road Map, and ARWO Rates Worksheet.

1.3 PRE-BID FIELD TOUR

Prospective bidders are strongly advised to visit the sale area prior to bidding.

Meetings/tours for potential contractors may be arranged by contacting David Cass, Agency Forester at (360) 386-2990 or david.cass@parks.wa.gov.

1.4 ESTIMATED LOG VOLUMES AND APPRAISED VALUE

Solicitations will be accepted and considered from all bidders capable of meeting the sale requirements using ground-based conventional logging methods.

mailto:david.cass@parks.wa.gov

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Agreement #

Sort #

Species and Sort Specifications*

Estimated Volume

Tons Per

MBF

Mbf Tons

TBD 1 Ponderosa Pine 6-11 inch (DIB) (Sawlogs) 425 5.5

TBD 2 Ponderosa Pine 12+ inch (DIB) (Sawlogs) 39 5.5

TBD 3 Conifer Utility 2”+ DIB (Pulplogs) 173 1,557 9.0 *Products are reported by size specifications and are not to be construed as log grades.

**Stems under 7-inch DBH were not cruised and the reported volume is estimated.

MBF = thousand board-feet Scribner volume, DIB = small end diameter inside bark.

Allocation: Export Restricted. Log sale purchasers must pay timber excise tax. For more information contact the Dept. of Revenue Forest Tax Section at 1-800-548-8829

Unit of measure: Sawlogs = MBF, Pulp = tons. Contract harvest bids shall be per unit measure (MBF or tons) for sawlogs and pulp separately. Log sale bids shall be camprun prices per unit measure (MBF or tons) for sawlogs by species and tonnage prices for pulp.

1.5 LOG DELIVERY AND ROAD WORK REQUIREMENTS

Log purchaser is responsible for weighing and scaling costs. All tonnage loads will be weighed and all mbf loads will be scaled at State approved locations. State Parks reserves the right to determine where logs are authorized to be scaled and weighed.

Anticipated log delivery date of November 11, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

No new road construction is needed other than temporary landing spurs. However, pre-haul and post-haul maintenance and improvement is needed on some existing roads in order to facilitate hauling and equipment use. The scope of this road improvement is anticipated to include up to 5,000 feet of prehaul/posthaul maintenance and up to 800 ft of temporary spur construction and abandonment. At one location a dirt berm and several large rocks need to be removed to reopen access to an abandoned road. Road maintenance and improvement is a biddable item and is described in the Road Plan (Exhibit C: 7-Mile Road Plan). Required road work items are fixed to the stations listed in the table and the total should reflect total cost for completing all stations for that item, including materials. Not all road work in the road plan is expected to be needed and all road work must be approved by WSPRC prior to being completed. Potential harvesters are highly encouraged to assess the current road conditions within the park prior to bid

1.6 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of any contract(s) resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about November 11, 2024, and expire on June 30, 2025. State Parks reserves the right to shut down operations to prevent unacceptable damage to State Parks resources. Thereafter, via mutual negotiation, State Parks and the Bidder may extend the contract for other periods of time up to a total duration of five years.

1.7 REQUIREMENTS

Bidder must be registered to do business in the state of Washington (hold a Universal Business Identifier (UBI)). If awarded the contract, the successful bidder must obtain a UBI number within 24 hours to avoid being considered nonresponsive.

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1.8 WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCES

State Parks will apply the following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences to this Competitive Solicitation which, as set forth in Section 5.3, will impact the evaluation of bids for this Competitive Solicitation:

• Washington Small Business and/or Certified Veteran-Owned Business: 20 points

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2 DEADLINES, PREBID CONFERENCE, QUESTIONS AND PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

This section identifies important deadlines for this Competitive Solicitation, where to direct questions regarding the Competitive Solicitation, and the process for potential amendments or modifications to the Competitive Solicitation.

2.1 COMMUNICATION REGARDING THIS COMPETITION

All communication should be directed to the State Parks Contracts and Grants Program (CGP) via the Procurement Coordinator's email listed on the face page. Contacting other State Parks staff may result in disqualification. Only responses posted on WEBS are official;

all other communications are unofficial and nonbinding. State Parks reserves the right to amend this solicitation.

2.2 PREBID CONFERENCE

Bidders are invited to a virtual prebid conference via Microsoft Teams, where they can ask questions and request changes. Interested bidders must RSVP to contracts@parks.wa.gov by the date specified in Section 2.5 – Procurement Schedule, with the bid identification number and "RSVP" in the subject line (e.g., "RFP # RSVP"). A meeting link will be sent the next day. The conference date and time are also in Section 2.5.

Attendees should not display video and keep their microphones muted if not speaking. If the conference fails or you have additional questions, send them by 3 PM (PST) on the same day. Responses will be posted on WEBS. State Parks is not responsible for technical issues or participation failures. Questions raised at the pre-bid conference and during the Q&A period will be answered and responses posted to WEBS.

State Parks reserves the right to amend and modify this Competitive Solicitation.

2.3 QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

Bidders may ask questions at any time, but responses must be posted on WEBS before the bid’s due date to allow bidders to respond. The final day for questions to receive a formal response is in Section 2.5 – Procurement Schedule.

Send questions to contracts@parks.wa.gov with the bid identification number and "Question" in the subject line (e.g., "RFP # Question"). Only responses posted on WEBS are official; all other communications are unofficial and nonbinding.

2.4 COMPLAINT PERIOD

Bidders should first address concerns during the Question-and-Answer period. If a complaint is necessary, refer to Section 2.5 – Procurement Schedule for the Complaints Period. Complaints outside this period will not be considered. Send complaints to contracts@parks.wa.gov with the bid identification number and "Complaint" in the subject line (e.g., "RFP # Complaint"). Failure to mark correctly may result in the complaint being missed. Responses will be posted on WEBS; only these responses are official.

Bidders must follow these procedures for complaints to be considered. Complaints must be in writing, sent to the Procurement Coordinator before the deadline, to the specified email address, and with the correct subject line. The complaint must state its basis and propose a remedy Only complaints that fall into the categories below and stipulate an issue of fact shall be considered:

• The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition.

• The solicitation evaluation or scoring is unfair or flawed; or

• The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

mailto:contracts@parks.wa.gov mailto:contracts@parks.wa.gov

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2.5 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

Any stated time is Pacific Time Zone (local time).

Activity Due Dates Time

RSVP Prebid Conference

10/16/2024

See additional details in Section 2.2 – Prebid Conference.

COB

Prebid Conference

10/17/2024

See additional details in Section 2.2 – Prebid Conference

11:00AM-

11:30AM

PST

Question Period

09/27/2024 – 11/04/2024

See additional details in Section 2.3 – Question and Answer Period.

NA

Answer

Period

09/27/2024 – 11/08/2024, anticipated but may take longer. All Answer Responses will be posted on WEBS. See Section 2.3 – Question and Answer Period

Complaint Period

10/17/2024 – 11/04/2024

See additional details in Section 2.4 – Complaint Period.

Complaints received before or after the Complaint period will not be considered.

NA

Bidder’s Response – Deadline

11/13/2024

See also: Section 4 - Responses – Required Content, Format, and Scoring. See also Section 4.1 Checklist of Required Submittals

1:00PM

PST

Oral Presentations

The Oral Presentation criteria and instructions will be provided by email to the short-listed firms, if needed. (OPTIONAL)

Announcement of Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB)

After the Bid’s due date (deadline to submit bid responses) and following the evaluation, the state will Announce the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB). See additional details in Section 7.1 – Announcement of Apparent Successful Bidder.

Debriefing of Bidders

The Bidder wanting a Debrief must request a Debrief within three business days following the day of the Announcement of Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB). See additional details in Section 7.3 – Debriefing of Bidders

Protest The DEBRIEFED Bidder wanting to submit a protest must submit a Protest within five business days following the day of the Debrief. See additional details in Section 7.4 - Protests

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3 SPECIAL TERMS

This section outlines special terms for this Competitive Solicitation that bidders will need to review and adhere to in order to comply with the requirements.

3.1 ADVANCED PAYMENT PROHIBITION

Payment is based on provided goods and services only, following proper documentation and invoicing. No payment will be made for non-designated goods or services. Per Washington’s Constitution Article 8, Section 5, progress payments are allowed, but no payment will be made before work is completed, delivered, and accepted. This includes deposits and security deposits.

3.2 PAYMENT FOR WORK

State Parks shall make payments to the Contractor for services required and approved including log hauling and roadwork calculated according to the terms in the Harvesting Services Contract. The Contractor is responsible for independently negotiating, procuring, and paying for all subcontractor services provided.

Depending on the project bid structure defined in section 3.2 of this RFP, payment will be calculated using:

• The Contractor’s On-Board Truck (OBT) bid rate per TON for logs harvested and delivered for sort(s) 1 through 3.

• Payments to the Contractor for hauling services shall be based upon the TONS delivered multiplied by: a base rate, ‘A’ and ‘C mile rates’, a fuel index factor and the Contractor’s hauling bid factor using the following formula:

Hauling Services Payment Rate per Ton = (Base Rate + Mileage Rate) x (Contractor’s hauling bid factor) Base Rate = $2.35 (based on multiple truck operation fixed cost/ton within ‘Report to the Washington State Legislature, The Washington Log Trucking Industry: Costs and Safety Analysis, August 2008’) Mileage Rate = (($0.16 x C miles) + ($0.11 x A miles)) x (Fuel Index Factor) The Fuel Index Factor will be adjusted quarterly by State Park based upon the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Weekly Retail On‐Highway Diesel prices for the West Coast region posted at https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/ using the following formula;

Q(x) ‐ Q(base)

Fuel Index Factor = 1 + Q(base) Where; Q(base) = Average fuel price for quarter preceding Quote due date.

Q(x) = Average fuel price for quarter preceding log deliveries.

The fuel index factor will be calculated each:

1. January and apply to loads delivered between January 1 and March 31,

2. April and apply to loads delivered between April 1 and June 30,

3. July and apply to loads delivered between July 1 and September 30,

4. October and apply to loads delivered between October 1 and December 31.

https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/

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Hauling Rate Example for each sort dependent upon total mileage to purchaser using contractor’s haul bid factor:

Base Rate = $2.35 C miles = 10

A miles = 100 Fuel Index Factor = 1.000 Mileage Rate = (($0.16 x 10) + ($0.11 x 100)) x (1.000) = $12.60 Contractor’s hauling bid factor = 1.100 Hauling Services Payment Rate per TON for each sort dependent upon total mileage to purchaser using contractor’s haul bid factor:

= (Base Rate + Mileage Rate) x (Contractor’s hauling bid factor) = ($2.35 + $12.60) x 1.100 = $16.45

For sorts bid on an MBF basis tonnage will be calculated using the State’s conversion rate unless actual tonnage is available and approved for use. For tonnage‐based sorts, actual tonnage shall apply.

• With prior approval by the State and toll/ferry receipt provided, reimbursement of toll/ferry costs incurred for transporting logs.

• Payment amounts for fixed‐rate road construction elements are based upon the rates established by the State and listed in the Harvesting Services Contract. When applicable, payment amounts for biddable road construction elements will be in accordance with the rates listed in Contractor’s Road cost proposal provided as an attachment to the official bid form.

3.3 BUSINESS STRUCTURE & EMPLOYEES (Compliance with Law)

State Parks may require proof that your firm is legally licensed and compliant with all business and employee-related laws, including taxes, licenses, and employee insurance, during bid evaluation, contract execution, or the contract's duration. State Parks may contact any necessary entity to validate compliance. Additionally, they may require information verifying your business structure and employment status. Failure to provide timely information may result in bid rejection or contract termination. Non-compliance with laws and regulations may also lead to bid rejection or contract termination. Information is available from state agencies such as the Department of Revenue, Labor and Industries, Secretary of State, and Employment Security Department.

3.4 THE RESULTING CONTRACT AND ITS TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A draft contract is provided at the end of the competition document to help bidders understand State Parks’ typical terms and conditions. Any resulting contract will include these terms and conditions. Bidders should review the sample, assess the risks and rewards, and bid accordingly. Selected bidders (Apparent Successful Bidders or ASB) often try to negotiate terms, but such negotiations will likely not be entertained. Bidders should consider all risks when forming their bid response.

Each Bidder’s submission of its Response confirms that Bidder’s consent to these terms and conditions.

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4 RESPONSES - REQUIRED CONTENT, FORMAT, AND SCORING:

This section describes the information required for the Competitive Solicitation and outlines how your bid will be scored. Additionally, bidders must review and adhere to the Competitive Solicitation requirements, including those detailed in the exhibits, which specify the information that must be provided for a bid to be considered responsive.

4.1 CHECKLIST OF REQUIRED SUBMITTALS

The following list in the table in this subsection identifies the content that must be included in each responsible submission (Bidder’s bid response). Any response that does not contain all of these items may be rejected as non-responsive. Each item is discussed in more depth in the sections following the Table.

# Submittal

Scored by Points and/or

Low Price and/or Pass/Fail

For Reference:

See Appendix Or

Section

Bidder Mark if Provided

(failure to provide as instructed may result in bid rejection)

Bidder’s Certifications (form provided, must be signed)

Pass/Fail Appendix A, Section 4.2 Section 9.1

2 Bidder’s Profile (form provided) Pass/Fail

Appendix B, Section 4.3 Section 9.2

3 Bid Price (form provided, must be signed) Up to 60 points Appendix C, Section 4.4 Section 9.3

Statement of Available Resources, Operating Schedule, and Work Plan (form provided)

Up to 20 points Appendix D, Section 4.5 Section 9.4

Washington Small Business and/or Certified Veteran- Owned Business (self-authored)

20 points Section 4.6 Section 5.3

Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors (form provided)

Pass/Fail Required if using subcontractors

Appendix E, Section 4.7 Section 9.5

Total points available are 100, with a minimum of 60 points required for a bid to be considered responsive. If a Washington Small Business or Certified Veteran-Owned Business does not meet the minimum points, the bid will be deemed non-responsive and rejected.

The table serves multiple purposes:

1. Specifies the submittals bidders must provide to State Parks in their bid response.

2. Acts as a checklist to ensure all required materials are included.

3. If State Parks does not provide a form, the bidder must "self-author" a response to fulfill the requirement.

The table also indicates whether submittals will be scored based on points, low price, or pass/fail and provides a courtesy reference linking the submittal to other sections of the document.

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Submittal Evaluation Criteria: General Evaluation Continuum. Submittals identified in Sections 4.4, and 4.5 will be reviewed along with Supportive Information, and separately scored.

Bidder demonstrates renowned experience and/or the least or no risk, and/or ideal fit for what is being sought by State Parks (most points)

Bidder demonstrates considerable experience, and/or some minor risk, and/or a close but not ideal fit for what is being sought by State Parks.

Bidder demonstrates solid experience, and/or mild risk, and/or fair fit for what is being sought by State Parks.

Bidder demonstrates adequate experience, and/or medium risk, and/or mediocre fit for what is being sought by State Parks.

Bidder demonstrates limited experience, and/or high risk, and/or poor fit for what is being sought by State Parks.

(low points)

Bidder demonstrates no experience, and/or grave risk, and/or a bad fit for what is being sought by State Parks (no points)

4.2 (APPENDIX A) – BIDDER’S CERTIFICATIONS, ASSURANCES, AND WAIVER

A FORM is provided for this part of your bid response. See APPENDIX A – Bidder’s Certification, Assurances, and Waiver.

The Certifications must be executed as written in Appendix A. Failure to execute the Appendix in its official form will result in the Bidder’s Proposal being disqualified.

Appendix A – Bidder’s Certifications is evaluated on a pass/fail basis.

The certification must be signed and submitted by a duly authorized representative for the bidder.

4.3 (APPENDIX B) – BIDDER’S PROFILE

A FORM is provided for this part of your bid response. See APPENDIX B – Bidder’s Profile.

The Bidder’s Profile provides general information about the bidder and/or its corporate entity. It is important to fully read the Bidder’s Profile, as there may be additional pages that the bidder must self-author and attach, depending on the bidder’s response.

Appendix B – Bidder’s Profile must be substantively completed and is evaluated on a pass/fail basis.

Note: The Bidder’s Profile must be complete. Where there are choices, the bidder must check a box.

4.4 (APPENDIX C) – BID PRICE

FORMS are provided for this part of your bid response. See APPENDIX C – Bid Price.

Submit the Bid Price form. It must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Bidder to a contractual relationship, e.g., the president or executive director of a corporation, the managing partner of a partnership, or the proprietor of a sole proprietorship.

This part of the bid response is scored up to 60 points.

The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Bidder of least cost, but rather to the Bidder whose proposal best meets the requirements of this RFP. Bidders are encouraged, however, to submit bids which are consistent with state government efforts to conserve state resources.

Bidders are required to collect and pay Washington State taxes as applicable

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4.5 (APPENDIX D) - STATEMENT OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES, OPERATING

SCHEDULE, AND WORK PLAN

A FORM is provided for this part of your bid response. See APPENDIX D – Statement of Available Resources and Work Plan.

This portion of the bid response is scored up to 20 points, based on the level of detail you provide regarding the activities you will undertake to execute forest health thinning. The evaluation will consider the greatest return to State Parks, logging methods, your ability to complete the project within the specified operating window, and a pro rata assessment for other bidders

4.6 WASHINTON SMALL BUSINESS AND/OR CERTIFIED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

Bidder this part of your bid response is self-authored by you, no form is provided.

• Title this “4.6 WA Small Business/Veteran Owned Business Certification”.

State Parks, in accordance with Washington law, encourage small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements as contractors and as subcontractors.

Include proof of certification issued by the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs or self-certify as a small business through WEBS at the time of competition. You may also include proof of certification from the Washington State Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), though no points will be awarded for OMWBE certification.

If you are a small business registered in Washington's Electronic Business Solution (WEBS), we will verify your registration to determine eligibility.

This part of the bid response is scored 20 points.

4.7 (APPENDIX E) – DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN – SUBCONTRACTORS

A FORM is provided for this part of your bid response. See APPENDIX E – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors.

Appendix E – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan - Subcontractor is evaluated on a pass/fail basis.

REQUIRED ONLY if Bidder will be using subcontractors to perform the Contract: This exhibit outlines the inclusion plan for diverse business subcontractors pertaining to the Contract.

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5 RESPONSES – PREPARATION, SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERENCES

This section identifies how to prepare and submit your bid for this Competitive Solicitation. By responding to this Competitive Solicitation and submitting a bid, bidders acknowledge having read and understood the entire Competitive Solicitation and accept all information contained within this Competitive Solicitation.

5.1 SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

Bids must be complete, legible, signed, and follow all instructions stated in the Competitive Solicitation (including the appendices, and exhibits). Unless otherwise specified in writing by documents included with an electronic bid must be prepared in MS Word, MS Excel, or Adobe PDF. Where required to do so, bidders may sign using either a physical or electronic signature.

Bidder’s electronic bid must be emailed to the Procurement Coordinator at the following email address: BidBox@parks.wa.gov. The email subject line should include the bid identification number, "Bid," and your company name (e.g., "RFP # Bid ACME"). Ensure the email, including attachments, is less than 30MB. It's recommended to keep it under 25MB. Zipped files are not accepted. All responses and any accompanying documentation become the property of State Parks and will not be returned.

State Parks will send an automatic acknowledgment of bid receipt. This acknowledgment does not determine the bid’s responsiveness. If the bidder does not receive an acknowledgment within a reasonable time, it is the bidder's responsibility to contact State Parks for confirmation.

VERIFICATION: Bidders are welcome to contact the State Parks Contracts and Grants Program team (CGP) to see if your bid response was received, however, this process works best if there’s enough time between the date and time submitted and the bid’s due date deadline. Send verification requests to:

contracts@parks.wa.gov The email subject line should include the bid identification number, "Verification," and your company name (e.g., "RFP # Verification ACME") CAUTION: Submit your bid response early as a safeguard against any technological slow-down or delays. Bids received after the deadline for any reason, no matter the cause, regardless of responsibility, will be rejected.

--- Late submissions will be considered non-responsive and may be rejected. ---

5.2 RESPONSE LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS

The Bidder’s bid response should be logically assembled so that the evaluators can easily understand what they are reading and relate what they are reading back to the competition document’s requirement. Evaluators appreciate landmarks or references using the competition document’s section numbers and section titles. One mistake that Bidders make is that they have a previously prepared statement or materials that don’t precisely relate to the competition document’s individual requirement (it wasn’t tailored or designed for the requirement), or that the previously prepared statement (or material) is supposed to relate to two or more requirements of the competition document. That can be confusing and may result in a negative impact to the evaluation of the Bidder’s bid response.

NOTE: If evaluators cannot easily identify the statement/material or cannot easily link it to the competition’s section reference, requirement, or question the statement/material may be misunderstood, disregarded, or may negatively impact the evaluation of the response.

mailto:BidBox@parks.wa.gov

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5.3 WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCE

The following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences apply to this Competitive Solicitation:

WASHINGTON SMALL BUSINESSES AND/OR CERTIFIED VETERAN-OWNED

BUSINESSES. In furtherance of Washington’s business inclusion goals State Parks will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of 20 points to any bidder who certifies.

• WASHINGTON SMALL BUSINESS. Bidder is a Washington Small Business as defined in RCW 39.26.010. To qualify as a Washington Small Business, Bidder must meet three (3) requirements:

o Location. Bidder’s principal office/place of business must be located in and identified as being in the State of Washington. A principal office or principal place of business is a firm’s headquarters where business decisions are made and the location for the firm’s books and records as well as the firm’s senior management personnel.

o Size. Bidder must be owned and operated independently from all other businesses and qualify as one of the following:

• Bidder Qualifies as a Small Business – i.e.,

• Bidder has fifty (50) or fewer employees; or

• Bidder has an annual gross revenue of less than $7,000,000 as reported on Bidder’s federal income tax return or its return filed with the Washington State Department of Revenue over the previous three (3) consecutive years.

• Bidder Qualifies as a Mini business – i.e., Bidder has an annual gross revenue of less than $3,000,000, but $1,000,000 or more, as reported on Bidder’s federal income tax return or its return filed with the Washington State Department of Revenue.

• Bidder Qualifies as a Microbusiness – i.e., Bidder has an annual gross revenue of less than $1,000,000 as reported on Bidder’s federal income tax return or its return filed with the Washington State Department of Revenue.

o WEBS Certification. Bidder must have certified its Washington Small Business status in Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS).

• CERTIFIED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS. Bidder is a Certified Veteran-Owned Business under RCW 43.60A.190. To qualify as a Certified Veteran-Owned Business, Bidder must meet four (4) requirements:

o 51% Ownership. Bidder must be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned and controlled by:

(a) A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW 41.04.007;

(b) A person who is in receipt of disability compensation or pension from the department of veterans affairs; or

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(c) An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves.

o Washington Incorporation/Location. Bidder must be either an entity that is incorporated in the state of Washington as a Washington domestic corporation or, if not incorporated, an entity whose principal place of business is located within the State of Washington.

o WEBS Certification. Bidder must have certified its Veteran-Owned Business status in Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS).

o WDVA Certification. Bidder must have provided certification documentation to the Washington Department of Veterans’ Affairs WDVA) and be certified by WDVA and listed as such on WDVA’s website (WDVA – Veteran-Owned Businesses)

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6 EVALUATION AND AWARD

This section identifies how bids for this Competitive Solicitation will be evaluated.

6.1 ORAL PRESENTATION (OPTIONAL)

Oral presentations, if deemed necessary by State Parks, may be used to select the winning response. State Parks reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to invite the top-scoring firms from the written evaluation to participate in an oral presentation. The top-scoring firms will be contacted to schedule a date, time, and location for the presentation. All key personnel must participate in the oral presentation. The Procurement Coordinator will reach out to the bidder(s) to arrange a date and time and will provide further instructions. Any commitments made by the Contractor during the oral presentation will be considered binding.

There will be a maximum of 100 points awarded based on bidder’s demonstration. All points will be cumulative. The oral presentation will determine the apparently successful bidder.

6.2 ORAL PRESENTATIONS EVALUATION CRITERIA (OPTIONAL)

Oral Presentation Evaluation Criteria Maximum Possible Point Total

Organization:

- Management Plan

25 points

Project Management:

- Project Scheduling

25 points

Expertise

- Understanding of this project

25 Points

Experience

- Relevant Past Projects

25 Points

TOTAL: 100 Points

Points for Oral Presentation will be determined according to the following guidelines, and weighted appropriately:

Bidder demonstrates renowned experience (5 points)

Bidder demonstrates considerable experience (4 points)

Bidder demonstrates solid experience (3 points)

Bidder demonstrates adequate experience (2 points)

Bidder demonstrates limited experience (1 points)

Bidder demonstrates no experience (0 points)

6.3 BID RESPONSIVENESS

All Responses received by the stated deadline will first be reviewed by the Procurement Coordinator to ensure that the Responses appear to contain the information required in this competition document. Only Bid Responses that meet the requirements will be forwarded for further substantive review. Any Response that does not appear to contain all of the required information or any Bidder who does not meet the mandatory qualifications will be rejected as non-responsive and will be removed from further evaluation. However, the Procurement Coordinator has the right to waive minor informalities, and/or seek clarification

RFP 325-415 7-Mile Forest Health Thinning Contract Harvest Page 19 of 45 if confused provided that neither alters the content of the Response. A bidder’s failure to provide requested clarification within five (5) business days may result in disqualification.

State Parks reserves the right to: (1) Waive any informality (State Parks reserves the right to determine the actual level of Bidders’ compliance with the requirements specified in this competition and to waive informalities in a bid). An informality is an immaterial variation from the exact requirements of the competition, having no effect or merely a minor or negligible effect on quality, quantity, or delivery of the supplies or performance of the services being procured.; (2) Reject any or all bids, or portions thereof; (3) Cancel the Competitive Solicitation and may re-solicit bids; and/or (4) Negotiate with the lowest responsive and responsible Bidder(s) (or Bidder with the most points) to determine if such bid can be improved. If, after a reasonable period of time, State Parks, in its sole judgement, cannot reach agreement on acceptable Contract terms with such bidder, State Parks may suspend negotiations and undertake negotiations with the next highest scored responsive, responsible bidder as determined by the evaluations.

6.4 BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY ANALYSIS

For responsive bids, State Parks must determine whether the bidder is a ‘responsible bidder.’ In determining bidder responsibility, State Parks must consider the following statutory elements:

a) The bidder’s ability, capacity, and skill to perform the contract or provide the service required;

b) The bidder’s character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency;

c) Whether the bidder can perform the contract within the time specified;

d) The bidder’s performance quality pertaining to previous contracts or services;

e) The bidder’s compliance with laws relating to the contract or services;

f) Whether, within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of the

Competitive Solicitation, the bidder has been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction to have willfully violated, as defined in RCW 49.48.082, any provision of chapter 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52 RCW; and

g) Such other information as may be secured having a bearing on the decision to award the Contract.

See RCW 39.26.160(2)(a)-(g). In addition, State Parks may consider the following:

• Best Value Criteria:

a) Whether the bid satisfies the needs of the state as specified in the solicitation documents;

b) Whether the bid encourages diverse contractor participation;

c) Whether the bid provides competitive pricing, economies, and efficiencies;

d) Whether the bid considers human health and environmental impacts;

e) Whether the bid appropriately weighs cost and noncost considerations; and

f) Life-cycle cost.

See RCW 39.26.160(3)(a)-(f).

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• Financial Information: State Parks may request financial statements, credit ratings, references, record of past performance, clarification of bidder’s offer, on-site inspection of bidder's or subcontractor's facilities, or other information as necessary to determine bidder’s capacity to perform and the enforceability of bidder’s contractual commitments. Failure to respond to these requests may result in a bid being rejected as non-responsive.

• References: State Parks reserves the right to use references to confirm satisfactory customer service, performance, satisfaction with service/product, knowledge of products/service/industry and timeliness. Any negative or unsatisfactory reference can be reason for rejecting a bidder as non-responsible.

6.4.1 REJECTED BIDS/BIDDERS & REJECTION NOTIFICATION & REJECTION

RESPONSE

This Rejection Response process is not governed by Washington’s Administrative Procedures Act (APA), RCW 34.05, nor does it confer any additional rights above and beyond what the Bidder already enjoys as a taxpayer. The purpose of this process is to allow State Parks to correct evaluation process errors and problems before a contract is executed.

State Parks will perform a preliminary evaluation which is largely procedural. See Section

6.7.1 - Preliminary Evaluation (Procedural) and all of this section’s subparts.

If State Parks determines that a bid or Bidder must be rejected under 6.7.1 and/or subparts, State Parks will send a rejection notification to the email address provided by the Bidder in the Bidder’s Profile form (Appendix B). State Parks bears no responsibility for any issue or technological issue preventing actual receipt of the notification to the rejected Bidder.

Two Business-day Response Period: The Bidder may refute the rejection. The rejected Bidder must respond to the rejection within two (2) business-days following the day of rejection notification.

• The Bidder’s Rejection Response must be sent to contracts@parks.wa.gov.

• Subject line must include the bid’s identification number and “Rejection”. See the first page or footer for the bid’s identification number. (e.g., "RFP # Rejection")

• The Bidder must explain how and why State Parks erred in rejecting the Bidder’s bid under Section 6.7.1 - Preliminary Evaluation (Procedural).

State Parks will consider the rejected Bidder’s response, and if in State Parks’ opinion, it determines error on our part, the bid will be moved forward to further evaluation. If State Parks determines it did not err, the bid will not be moved forward for evaluation.

The process detailed in this section does not supersede or displace the DEBRIEF process or PROTEST process. A Bidder may after the Announcement of Apparent Successful Bidder is announced, request a Debrief, and a Debrief is a prerequisite for a Protest. See Section 7.3 – Debriefing of Bidders and Section 7.4 – Protests for expanded details about the process and what State Parks will recognize as legitimate.

6.5 GENERAL EVALUATION PROVISIONS

The evaluation process is designed to award a contract to the Bidder with the best value based on the selected evaluation criteria.

Evaluations of subjective material will likely be conducted by the customer program requiring the goods/services or an evaluation team. State Parks has sole discretion over the selection

RFP 325-415 7-Mile Forest Health Thinning Contract Harvest Page 21 of 45 of evaluators and will make such selections based on each potential evaluator’s availability, knowledge, skills, and experience with the subject matter. Evaluator(s) will independently grade and score or consensus score the Bidder’s material based on their own independent judgment, and in accordance with the format noted herein for each respective requirement.

Evaluator(s) will only evaluate the material contained in the Responses and will not incorporate outside material into their determinations. The evaluator(s) has sole discretion over his or her final scores.

Bidders should take…