rfql-dncr-2026-01.pdf

071625

State of New Hampshire

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Conway Branch Rail Trail

Ossipee, Tamworth, Madison and Albany New Hampshire

INVITATION

The State of New Hampshire, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, is soliciting qualification statements from consultants to conduct an infrastructure assessment and develop a management plan to develop, manage and maintain the corridor.

ABOUT THE RAIL CORRIDOR

The railroad corridor was studied in 2004 by NH Department of Transportation, Bureau of Rail and Transit to provide an overview of the cost and feasibility of restoring rail service on the Conway Branch railroad line between Ossipee and Conway.1

The Bureau of Rail and Transit evaluated the physical condition of the corridor and discussed the cost and feasibility of making the necessary physical improvements with the two railroads operating on the corridor and with other interested parties. This report presents cost information for each of the physical components of the rail infrastructure, and for two levels of rehabilitation:

one to meet minimum standards and one that would sustain rail service for the long term. Rail was never restored on this section of corridor and in 2024 a study committee was established to make recommendations on the management of the corridor.

In January 2025 the Final Report of the HB1468 Planning Group2 was issued which recommended that the highest and best use of the state-owned Conway Branch Railroad corridor was recreational use, and that the corridor would be best managed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. A new advisory committee has been established to advise the agency on management plan development.

The approximately 21-mile corridor is located in four towns, Ossipee, Tamworth, Madison, and Albany, and roughly breaks down as follows, from south to north:

Section 1: ~ 9.5 miles, starts at Rt 28 in Ossipee, ends at Rt 16 in “Ossipee Valley”.

There is strong community priority in developing a 2.3-mile section in Center Ossipee initially.

Section 2: ~7.5 miles, from “Ossipee Valley” at Rt 16 to the Route 113 intersection in Madison. North of the intersection there is a 0.13 mile (700 feet) privately owned section, formally known as the Silver Lake Railroad.

Section 3: ~5.0 miles, from Silver Lake Railroad property to the Albany-Conway town line.

1 https://www.nhstateparks.org/NHStateParks/media/NHStateParks/PDFs/Committees/Conway%20Branch/conway-branch-feasibility-study.pdf 2 https://mm.nh.gov/files/uploads/dot/remote-docs/hb-1468-final-report-dot-submitted-20250102.pdf

INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS

Infrastructure assessment includes general condition and functionality of the following.

Bridges, including existing load rating Culverts & Ditches Road Crossings, including signage and other crossing support such as signals, pavement markings Rails and Ties Vegetation Control Parking options, including snowmobile and horse trailers Pedestrian connections

SCHEDULE

RFQ Issue Date July 18, 2025 Qualification Statements Due August 20, 2025 Interviews October 3, 2025 Anticipated Project Start Date December 15, 2025 Final Report Submission Date October 15, 2026

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK

1. Establish a shared vision for the future of the Conway Branch Rail Trail corridor.

2. Provide opportunities to develop partnerships:

a. among local governments

b. between private property owners, local governments, and state agencies

c. between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors

d. with municipal/inter-municipal organizations, departments, and authorities

3. Identify links between recreational opportunity and economic prosperity related to the trail and integrate resource management and economic development sustainably.

4. Evaluate ownership and management alternatives for public access points, including shared use agreements, easements and/or acquisitions.

5. Identify funding sources for development and maintenance.

6. Develop an implementation plan for management vision.

7. Assess the rail corridor including structures to make recommendations for maintenance, construction feasibility and design work, and prioritize projects.

8. Documentation of abutter impacts to the rail corridor.

9. Conduct a Natural Resources Inventory including but not limited to identification of exemplary natural communities, priority resource areas, prime wetlands, and threatened and endangered species within the rail corridor.

10. Prepare a Historic District Area Form for the rail corridor to satisfy a Section 106 review.

Consultant shall be 36 CFR Part 61 qualified.

11. Facilitate between 10-12 public meetings with the advisory committee that will be held in person.

12. Provide administrative support for public committee meetings.

13. Provide a final report.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

The following information shall be included in each proposal:

1. A statement outlining your experience in facilitating and conducting public meetings.

2. A statement outlining your expertise in rail trail planning and/or reuse of railroad infrastructure including infrastructure assessment.

3. Resumes of key project personnel and their professional experience.

4. List of three clients references for projects similar in scope. Include the name and phone number of the contact person.

5. Provide between 1 and 3 examples of relevant work products (Internet links are acceptable).

6. Do NOT provide a cost estimate, fee schedule, or any type of price proposal at this time.

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Qualification statements will be reviewed by a selection committee consisting of member of the project advisory committee and division staff.

Selected firms will be invited to an interview on October 3, 2025, in Ossipee NH at a time to be determined. The proposals will be ranked in order of preference based on the criteria listed below.

EVALUATION CRITERIA MAXIMUM SCORE

Firm Planning Experience 30 points Railroad Reuse and Trail Development Experience 40 points

Infrastructure Assessment Approach 20 points References from Similar Projects 10 points

TOTAL 100 points

Planned Evaluations The Agency plans to use the following process:

Statements of Qualification will be scored based upon the criteria and standards contained in this RFQ and from applying the weighting in this section.

Per RSA 21-I:22, the Agency will establish a short list of not less than three (3) firms for further evaluation.

Oral interviews and reference checks, to the extent they are utilized by the Agency, will be used to refine and finalize scores.

Final evaluation and scoring.

Selection of the highest scoring candidate and begin contract negotiations.

Rights of the Agency in Accepting and Evaluating Statements of Qualifications The Agency reserves the right to:

Make independent investigations in evaluating Statements of Qualifications.

Request additional information to clarify elements of a Statement of Qualifications.

Waive minor or immaterial deviations from the RFQ requirements, if determined to be in the best interest of the State.

Omit any planned evaluation step if, in the Agency’s view, the step is not needed.

At its sole discretion, reject any and all submissions at any time; and

Open contract discussions with the second highest scoring candidate and so on if the Agency is unable to reach an agreement on Contract terms with the higher scoring Proposer(s).

SUBMTTAL INSTRUCTIONS

Statements of Qualifications must be submitted in response to this RFQ by 2:00pm, Wednesday, August 20, 2025. An electronic copy of the Statement of Qualifications, including all required attachments contained on digital media such as PDF shall be submitted with the subject line RFQ Response: Conway Branch Rail Trail

All inquiries concerning this RFQ, including but not limited to, requests for clarifications, questions, and any changes to the RFQ, shall be submitted via email to the following RFQ designated Points of Contact:

Johanna Lyons, Planning and Land Use Administrator Johanna.Lyons@dncr.nh.gov 603-271-3935

CONTRACT TERMS AND AWARD

Award

This is a qualifications-based consultant selection process; candidates will be ranked in order of preference without consideration of the consultant’s fee requirements. After candidates have been ranked, fee negotiations will be opened with the top ranked candidate. If agreement on the fee amount can be reached, a contract will be issued for signatures and forwarded to the Commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for approval. If no agreement is reached, negotiations with that candidate will be terminated and negotiations will be opened with the next highest ranked candidate. This process will continue until an agreement is reached or the Director of Parks and Recreation exercises their right to reject any and all submissions.

If the State decides to award a contract as a result of this RFQ process, any award is contingent upon approval of the Contract by Governor and Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire and upon continued appropriation of funding for the contract.

Standard Contract Terms The successful candidate(s) will be expected to enter into a contract with the State of New Hampshire. The terms and conditions set forth in Form P-37 General Provisions are mandatory and will apply to any contract awarded to the candidate. In addition, engagement specific terms and conditions will be negotiated with the candidate and included in the final contract. For the convenience of the candidates, and reference only, Form P-37 has been included in Appendix A. Candidates shall not be required to fill in the P-37 Form until after final selection and contract negotiations are complete.

Special Terms to Be Included in A Contract Resulting From this RFQ The following Terms and Conditions shall be included as Exhibit A – Special Provisions of Form P-37:

Consultant’s Responsibilities A. The Consultant shall perform its services consistent with the professional skill and care ordinarily provided by professionals in the same discipline practicing in the same or similar locality under the same or similar circumstances. The Consultant shall perform its services as expeditiously as is consistent with such professional skill and care and the orderly progress of the Project.

B. The Consultant shall be responsible for the technical accuracy of its services and documents resulting therefrom, and the Department shall not be responsible for discovering deficiencies therein. The Consultant shall correct such deficiencies without additional compensation except to the extent such action is directly attributable to deficiencies in Department-furnished information.

C. The Consultant shall identify a representative who is authorized to act on behalf of the Consultant with respect to the Project.

D. The Consultant shall be licensed in the State of New Hampshire to perform the services described in this Agreement or shall cause such services to be performed by appropriately licensed professionals.

E. The Consultant shall coordinate its services with those services provided by the Department or the Departments other Consultants. The Consultant shall be entitled to rely on the accuracy and completeness of services and information provided by the Department and the Departments other consultants.

Department’s Responsibilities

A. The Department shall provide information in a timely manner regarding requirements for and limitations on the Project.

B. The Department shall identify a representative who is authorized to act on behalf of the Department with respect to the Project.

C. The Department will review project documents for consistency with Project requirements, and that requirements are met, there are no negative impacts to the Departments operations, and that the design is in the State’s best interest.

D. The Department will administer all details in connection with obtaining bids, awarding and preparing contracts, and other contract administrative work required for the Project.

Insurance A. In addition to the Insurance provisions indicated in Articles 14 and 15 of the Agreement, the Consultant shall maintain the following insurance for the duration of the Agreement.

a. Automobile Liability covering vehicles owned and non-owned used by the Consultant with policy limits of not less than $500,000 Combined Single Limit for bodily injury and property damage.

b. Professional Liability covering the negligent acts, errors and omissions in the performance of professional services with policy limits not less than $2,000,000 aggregate. The Department shall be an additional insured on the Consultant’s primary and excess insurance policies for Commercial General Liability

Miscellaneous Provisions A. Hazardous Materials:

a. The Consultant shall have no responsibility for the discovery, presence, handling, removal, or disposal of, or exposure of persons to, hazardous materials or toxic substances in any form at the Project site.

b. In the event the Consultant or any other party encounters Hazardous Materials at the project site, the Consultant may, at its option and without liability for consequential or any other damages, suspend performance of services on the portion of the Project affected thereby until the Department retains appropriate specialist contractors to identify and, as appropriate, abate, remediate, or remove the Hazardous Materials, and warrants that the site is in full compliance with applicable Laws and Regulations.

B. Ownership of Documents: All data, plans, drawings, tracings, estimates, specifications, proposals, sketches, diagrams, calculations, reports or other documents collected, prepared or undertaken either manually or electronically by Consultant under this Agreement, immediately become the property of the Department and, when completed, shall bear the Consultants endorsement. The Consultant shall surrender to the Department, upon demand at any time, or submit to its inspection any such document.

The Consultant shall have the right, with the written approval of the Department, to use any of the data prepared by it and hitherto delivered to the Department at any later stage of the Project contemplated by this Agreement. Reuse of any of these documents by the State, without written permission of the Consultant, shall be at the State’s risk.

C. Opinions of Probable Construction Cost: Consultants opinions of probable construction cost provided for herein are to be made on the basis of the Consultant’s experience and qualifications and represents the Consultants best judgement as an experienced and qualified professional generally familiar with the industry. However, since the Consultant has no control over the cost of labor, materials, equipment, or services furnished by others, or over the Contractor’s methods of determining prices, or over competitive bidding or market conditions, the Consultant cannot and does not guarantee that proposals, bids, or actual construction costs will not vary from opinions of probable construction cost prepared by the Consultant.

~END~

Appendix A Tentative Schedule

1. Meeting #1 - Initial Consultant Meeting with Advisory Committee (January 8, 2026)

2. Meeting #2 - Recreational Uses (February 5, 2026)

3. Meeting #3 - Governance/Partnerships (March 5, 2026)

4. Meeting #4 - Assessment Report (April 2, 2026)

5. Meeting #5 - Funding Options (May 7, 2026)

6. Meeting #6 - Review of recommendation options for the report. (June 4, 2026)

7. Meeting #7 - Initial Draft Review & Comment (July 9, 2026)

8. Initial Draft Public Comments Due (August 1, 2026)

9. Meeting #8– Review comments and recommend changes (September 10, 2026)

10. Final Report Completed (October 15, 2026)