GAOA High Sierra Ranger Station Demolition, Sierra National Forest

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service seeks demolition and disposal of ten buildings at the High Sierra Ranger Station on the Sierra National Forest in Prather, California, with quotes due July 22, 2026. This procurement is a total small business set-aside; the small business size standard is $19 million.

Place of performance is Prather, California (Fresno County). The project scope includes removal of nine buildings totaling approximately 2,208 square feet—four barracks, a kitchen, laundry/bath house, toilet building, shop, men's bath house, and trash building—plus plumbing, concrete footings, and electrical conduit. The contractor must disconnect and cap utilities, remove and pump the existing 1,000-gallon vault toilet system, disconnect and remove propane tanks and underground gas lines, and restore demolition sites to smooth and level grade. Site restoration excludes seeding and landscaping. The contractor must provide portable toilets for the contract duration, maintain a traffic control plan (Kaiser Pass Road remains open to public access), and comply with California's 65 percent nonhazardous construction and demolition waste recycling mandate. Asbestos testing has been completed with no asbestos found; lead-based paint testing is the contractor's responsibility. Personnel restrictions prohibit one individual from holding more than two positions among superintendent, site safety and health officer, and quality control manager; the fire patrol person must be a separate individual. The period of performance runs September 21 through November 20, 2026. Work hours are 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; no weekend work is permitted.

The NAICS code is 238910, Site Preparation Contractors. The estimated price range is $250,000 to $500,000. A bid guarantee of 20 percent is required for quotes exceeding $150,000; performance and payment bonds are required within 10 calendar days of award. Monthly progress payments are authorized with a maximum 10 percent retainage if satisfactory progress is demonstrated. Prevailing wage rates under the Davis-Bacon Act apply. Contractors must comply with the High Sierra Fire Plan, including fire prevention and suppression equipment requirements and daily activity level coordination with the Ranger District Office. Equipment inspection before forest entry is required; Kaiser Pass Road (a single-lane road with occasional pullouts) requires a pilot car for heavy equipment. Weather delays may or may not be granted as excusable delays, making winter shutdown a contractor responsibility. Contractors are responsible for obtaining all federal, state, and local permits.

Evaluation criteria are technical approach, project management capabilities, relevant experience on similar projects completed within five years, past performance, and price reasonableness. An organized site visit was scheduled for June 25, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. PDT. Three amendments have been issued: Amendment 01 (posted July 1) extended the due date and changed the period of performance; Amendment 02 (posted July 13) added site visit information, questions and answers, and asbestos testing reports; Amendment 03 (posted July 15) addressed questions regarding temporary barrier installation around the vault toilet.