Exclusive Use Smokejumper Flight Services for BLM

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking up to two contractors to provide exclusive use smokejumper flight services through an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity contract. The solicitation requires fully contractor-operated and maintained fixed-wing aircraft specifically equipped for smokejumper operations, including transporting and dropping smokejumpers, paracargo delivery, reconnaissance, and fire suppression support activities throughout the contiguous United States and Alaska. Aircraft must be high-wing turbine-powered multiengine land airplanes with standard airworthiness certificates, capable of carrying a 3,400-pound payload, providing minimum seating for eight smokejumpers, and operating from 3,000-foot gravel runways. The Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center is managing this procurement under NAICS code 115310 for Support Activities for Forestry. Proposals are due by July 25, 2025, with the contract performance period spanning five years from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2031, plus a possible six-month extension.

This solicitation does not include any set-aside designations and is open to all qualified contractors. The total contract ceiling value is $26,000,000 across the five-year ordering period, with each contractor required to provide an annual exclusive use period of 90 days. The first aircraft availability period is scheduled to begin April 13, 2026, indicating the critical timeline for fire season preparedness. Performance will occur nationwide, covering both the contiguous United States and Alaska to support BLM's fire suppression and prevention mission. The attached wage determinations specify prevailing wage requirements for aerial service personnel, including airplane pilots at $39.08 per hour, first officers at $35.58 per hour, and aerial photographers at $19.52 per hour, along with mandatory fringe benefits. The solicitation does not identify any current incumbents or existing contractors for these services.