AR-cache RIV NWR-plantation thinning services

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks hardwood plantation thinning services at Cache River National Wildlife Refuge under a Total Small Business set-aside request for quote, with quotes due November 16, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. Questions must be emailed to jeremy_tyler@ios.doi.gov within 48 hours of posting, and a mandatory site visit occurs November 10, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Central Time at Cemetery Road, Gregory, Arkansas.

Work is performed at Cache River National Wildlife Refuge near Gregory, Arkansas. The contractor fells designated trees on 210 acres within a 365-day period beginning fall 2026, with a period of performance of November 23, 2026, through November 23, 2027. The contractor completes a minimum of 60 acres weekly unless the Technical POC grants weather allowances, and maintains access roads and trails. Prescriptions require felling all trees on every fifth row, removing one of four trees in the first and second adjacent rows while favoring dominant and codominant trees, and applying crop tree release in sweetgum-dominated areas to leave 40 red oaks per acre spaced 40 feet apart. The methodology achieves approximately 40% tree reduction throughout the stand.

Quality standards require 90% compliance with prescriptions, a 5% unharvested tree damage tolerance, and 100% production achievement. Shortfalls require contractor remediation, and damage exceeding thresholds triggers proportional payment reductions. Required insurance includes Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and Worker's Compensation/Employer's Liability of at least $500,000. The contractor provides three-day advance notice, meets on-site with the Government Representative before beginning, and pressure-washes all equipment before entering the refuge. Payment is acreage-based on successfully treated acres, submitted monthly or at final completion.

Offerors submit Standard Form 1449, company information including UEI, a technical capabilities response addressing the Statement of Work, up to three past performance references with contact information (government contracts preferred but not required), and a detailed pricing breakdown. Offerors must be active in SAM.gov before award, during performance, and through final payment. Payment processes through the Department of Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform. The procurement is classified under NAICS 115310, Support Activities for Forestry, and PSC F014.

Evaluation emphasizes technical experience with hardwood thinning specific to project size, location, and proximity; technical approach and procedures; management plan and key personnel; and past performance. Technical capabilities and past performance combined carry significantly more weight than price.