A21- Questions and Responses_09 JULY 2026.pdf

Question # Question Response

What is the name of the current incumbent contractor, if applicable and current contract number?

This is a new requirement. Contract W912PM26PA006 for this requirement was terminated for convenience.

The total award amount and contract period of performance for the most recent award (including option years, if exercised).

$29,738.86 was the total award amount. Period of Performance was 75 days after contract award.

In reference to FR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting. Can you please confirm that there are no limitations on subcontracting for this project?

There are no limitations to subcontracting.

Can we use pulleys to drag cut vegetation into the adjacent woods for Saddledike Dam 3 and 4? Yes, you can use pulleys to drag vegetation into the adjacent woods.

For each designated tree, will the Government require stump grinding, flush-cut, or is the contractor permitted to leave stumps at a stated height? If grinding is required, to what depth below grade?

For Bid Item 1, the Contractor will simply be required to ‘minimize stump height’ by cutting as close to the ground as possible. For Bid Items 2 and 3, the contractor shall cut all stumps and stems flush with the ground (or no greater than 1” above ground level). If any stumps are unable to be cut flush at ground level, a stump grinder should be utilized to remove any part of the stump above the permitted height

Are felled logs and merchantable timber the property of the Contractor for resale/recovery, or must all material be removed and disposed of off-site? If merchantable, are there restrictions on staging, hauling routes, or required reporting of recovered value?

Felled logs and/or merchantable timber recovered during the execution of Bid Item(s) may be sold by the Contractor. No restrictions or reporting requirements will be required other than utilizing the approved staging location. Any slash or woody debris under twelve (12) inches in diameter that will not be sold or disposed of off-site may be chipped in a nearby designated area approved by the COR.

PWS §"Woody debris removal" allows chipping of slash under 12" diameter. May chips be (a) blown on-site in designated areas, (b) hauled off, or (c) both at the Contractor's option? Please identify any approved on-site disposal areas.

If the Contractor wishes to haul off any wood chips in lieu of disposing on site, they may do so at the Contractor’s expense. On-site disposal areas will be determined at the pre-work conference after evaluating the Contractor’s available equipment, manpower, and other pertinent factors.

For Bid Item 2 (≈2,300 ft² adjacent to the right downstream groin ditch), please clarify (a) the required finished condition (cut-to-grade, mowed, herbicide treated, or root-removed), (b) maximum allowable disturbance to the ditch armor/turf, and (c) whether herbicide application is permitted and, if so, which products are approved.

For Bid Item 2, the required finished condition is for all stumps and stems to be cut flush with the ground (or no greater than 1” above ground level). This requirement is only for stumps and stems resulting from the execution of Bid Item 2. No grading or supplemental herbicide treatment will be required.

Is access to the groin ditch work area suitable for tracked equipment (mini-excavator, skid-steer with mulching head), or is hand-cutting required to protect the dam embankment?

Tracked equipment will be allowed in the groin ditch area but only operated on a slope or grade that does not exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Will the Government clarify the total square footage / acreage of vegetation to be removed on Saddle Dike Dams 1, 3, and 4? The PWS provides aerial views but no measured area for the optional items.

Saddle Dike 1 work area is estimated to be 0.33 acres. Saddle Dike 3 and 4 work areas are more diffused with scattered or isolated groupings of vegetation, so please review the ground level photos provided in the contract for estimating purposes

Questions and Responses 10-Jul-2026

Solicitation Number: W912PM26QA0033, BEJ Hazard Trees and Vegetation Removal

Will the Government provide written confirmation of the easement terms across private property for access to the Saddle Dike Dams, including allowable equipment weight, ingress/egress hours, and any landowner notification requirements?

The Government will communicate the work timelines determined at the pre-work conference with the private landowners prior to the commencement of work. There will not be an expectation from the Government for the Contractor to coordinate further. Equipment weight limits should be a non-factor for the work to be accomplished.

Are option items expected to be exercised at award, after Bid Items 1 & 2 are complete, or independently?

Option items are expected to be exercised at award.

On the dam embankments, are mechanized mowing/mulching attachments permitted, or is the work limited to hand tools and string trimmers to protect the embankment surface?

Mechanized equipment will be allowed on dam embankments but only operated on a slope or grade that does not exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations.

PWS §1.3 requires commencement within 30 days and completion within 75 days of award. Will the Government grant equitable time extensions for documented weather delays, and what is the threshold (e.g., precipitation, soil saturation, wind speed for tree felling)?

Yes, the Government is amenable to Period of Performance extensions granted the weather delays are documented and communicated to the COR. The threshold, with those listed factors, will be ‘Can the work be accomplished safely and without causing avoidable damage to Government facilities?’

Are there any seasonal, recreation, or environmental restrictions (e.g., migratory bird windows, T&E species, public-use weekends, lake events) that constrain working days within the period of performance?

There are no known seasonal, recreation, or environmental restrictions that will impact work related to this contract

What are the daily allowable work hours on USACE property, including any limits on weekend, holiday, or after-dark operations?

Services shall be conducted between the hours of 7:00 am – 4:30 pm ET, Monday – Friday, except when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. No work shall take place on Federal Holidays

PWS §1.6 requires a Level 2 SSHO with OSHA 30-Hour and 3 years cumulative safety experience. Will the Government accept the project Foreman as the Level 2 SSHO if those qualifications are met, or is a dedicated, non-production SSHO required on site?

A Level 2 SSHO can be collateral duty if the individual meets all experience and training requirements

Will the Government furnish the SAW Form 4 (weekly safety meeting record) and ENG Form 6206 (AHA) templates prior to award, or only post-award as stated in the PWS?

Both will be provided post-award. The ENG Form 6206 is readily available online for you to review prior to award.

Is an Accident Prevention Plan (APP) required as part of the technical proposal, or only post-award? If post-award, what is the required submittal and review window before mobilization?

The Accident Prevention Plan will only be required post-award. The Contractor will be expected to utilize ENG Form 6293, Accident Prevention Plan Worksheet. The APP shall interface with the Contractor’s overall safety and health program, and the Contractor shall include any portions referenced in the APP in the applicable APP element and made site specific

The SOW states that logs may be disposed of or sold off-site. Please clarify whether ownership of any merchantable timber transfers to the Contractor upon removal, or if all logs remain Government property.

Felled logs and/or merchantable timber recovered during the execution of the Bid Item(s) will no longer be considered Government property and may be sold by the Contractor

The Performance Work Statement states that stumps shall be cut flush with the ground and that a stump grinder should be used when flush cutting cannot be achieved. Could the Government clarify the conditions under which stump grinding will be required versus flush cutting only?

The Contractor will only be required to restore Government property to pre-existing conditions. For turf disturbance and/or rutting, ensuring the ground is level and spreading grass seed and straw will suffice in most cases

Since access to the Saddle Dike work areas is through a private easement, will Government personnel be required to escort the Contractor each day work is performed, or will access be provided after the initial site visit?

No Government escort will be necessary. The Government will communicate the work timelines determined at the pre-work conference with the private landowners prior to the commencement of work.

Will payment be made upon satisfactory completion of each individual Contract Line Item (CLIN), including any exercised option items, or only after completion of the entire contract?

Payment will be made after inspection and acceptance of all contract line items.

During our individual site visit, we were unable to positively locate several of the designated trees. Prior to the start of work, will the Government verify that all trees are clearly marked and identifiable in the field, and will an opportunity be provided to walk the sites with the COR if clarification is needed?

Yes, the designated trees will be marked with a line of blue paint at or near DBH (diameter breast height), as well as a stump mark of blue paint near ground level on the downhill or low side of the tree. An additional field visit can be incorporated into the pre-work conference with the Contractor if needed post-award.

The attached WD 2015-4373 Rev. 33 covers a wide range of occupations. Will the Government confirm which SCA occupation codes are anticipated to apply to this tree/vegetation removal work (e.g., 11210 — Laborer, Grounds Maintenance;

11260 — Pruner; 11270 — Tractor Operator; 31363 — Truckdriver, Heavy

While the Government can identify several standard SCA classifications typically associated with the scope of tree and vegetation removal, it is the Contractor’s sole responsibility to ensure that their personnel are classified and paid in accordance with the actual duties they perform, as defined in the SCA Directory of Occupations.

If the Contractor intends to use a classification not listed (e.g., Climbing Arborist / Tree Climber, Bucket Truck Operator), will the Government accept SF-1444 conformance post-award, and will the resulting rate be subject to equitable adjustment of the firm-fixed price?

The Government will accept post-award conformance requests utilizing Standard Form 1444 for unlisted labor classifications (such as Climbing Arborist or Bucket Truck Operator) in accordance with FAR 52.222-43. However, because this is a Firm-Fixed price (FFP) contract, the resulting approved rate will not be subject to an equitable adjustment of the contract price. Under an FFP structure, the contractor bears the sole risk of performance costs, including any labor rate changed mandated by the Department of Labor during the initial contract period. Consequently, any wage rate approved by the DOL that is higher than what was anticipated must be absorbed by the contractor without a contract price modification.

CLINs 0001 — 0004 are each Firm-Fixed-Price, Quantity 1 Job. Will the Government accept partial invoicing on a percent-complete basis for CLIN 0001 (e.g., per tree felled), or must each CLIN be invoiced only upon full completion and acceptance?

Partial invoicing will not be accepted.

PWS §6 addresses invoicing. Please confirm WAWF/iRAPT is the required invoicing platform and identify the Pay DoDAAC and Inspector/Acceptor DoDAACs to be entered.

Refer to the SOW for invoicing instructions.

Are performance and payment bonds required for this acquisition? The solicitation does not appear to invoke FAR 52.228-15/16; please confirm none are required.

Bonds not required.

Please confirm minimum required limits for Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, Workers' Compensation, and any Umbrella/Excess coverage, and whether the U.S. Government must be named as additional insured.

In accordance with RFO FAR 28.307-2 Liability; minimum requirements for Commercial General Liability are $500,000.00, Automobile Liability of at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage, and Workers compensation of at least $100,000.

Will the Government provide a letter of authorization to haul/dispose of woody debris at local landfills or biomass facilities, if requested?

Yes, if requested.

Are any state, county, or USACE-issued permits (e.g., right-of-way, burning, herbicide application) required to be obtained by the Contractor prior to mobilization?

No permits required.

Please confirm the specific technical acceptability factors (e.g., Past Performance, Technical Approach, Key Personnel, Equipment, Safety) and whether each is rated Acceptable/Unacceptable individually, or only the proposal as a whole.

Each item in Technical Submission Requirements Table will receive an adjectival rating of Acceptable (A) or Unacceptable (U). Any criterion that receives "U" rating will result in an overall unacceptable technical rating and render the offer ineligible for award.

If past performance is evaluated, how many reference projects are required, what minimum dollar value/scope similarity is expected, and is CPARS / PPQ format preferred?

Past performance will be evaluated by the Contracting Officer's review of the Vendor's assessment reports in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

Vendor's with no assessment reports will be rated as neutral. If a Contractor's CPARS ratings are unacceptable the vendor will be referred to the Small Business Administration for a Certificate of Competency.