AR-white RIV NWR-archsurveyoutlyingtract

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks a Phase I archaeological survey of two non-contiguous tracts totaling 118 acres at Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas County, Arkansas, with quotations due August 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST and questions due July 30, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST. This is a total small business set-aside, and the contract is firm-fixed-price.

Place of performance is Arkansas County, Arkansas. The survey covers Tracts 542k and 28 and must satisfy Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act compliance before the Service divests these outlying properties. The work includes background and literature reviews, pedestrian walkovers, and systematic shovel testing at 20-meter intervals across 35 acres of identified high-probability areas; the remaining acreage receives visual inspection. Shovel test units are 50 centimeters by 50 centimeters, excavated to a minimum 50 centimeters below ground surface with soil screening through one-quarter-inch hardware cloth. The contractor must prepare a comprehensive technical report meeting Arkansas Archaeological Survey 2010 guidelines, complete Arkansas State Site Forms for newly identified sites, provide GIS shapefiles, and curate all recovered assemblages and documentation at the Arkansas Archaeological Survey in Fayetteville; the contractor bears all curation costs. Performance runs August 3 through December 31, 2026, with preference for completion within less than six months.

Deliverables include a Management Summary due 30 days after fieldwork completion, Draft Technical Report and Curation Plan due 60 days after fieldwork, and Final Report due 30 days after acceptance. The NAICS code is 541360 (Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services), PSC R404, with a small business size standard of $28.5 million. Award is on a Best Value/Trade Off basis, with technical experience, technical approach and methodology, team resumes with professional credentials, and past performance weighted more heavily than price. Vendors must have no termination for fault or default within the last seven years and must be active in SAM at quote submission. Submission of Standard Form 18, SF 30 amendments, Past Performance/References documentation, and a detailed price schedule breakdown is required. Service Contract Act Wage Determination 2015-5125 applies.