Heritage Survey at Rabbit Ears Manganese Mine

The Forest Service issued a BPA call order on May 6, 2026 for cultural heritage survey and documentation services at the Rabbit Ears Manganese Mine in Jackson County, Colorado, with a response deadline of May 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM MST; this opportunity is restricted to existing LMIR BPA holders with Heritage Survey Services credentials for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland.

The scope comprises two line items under NAICS 541620: a Class III intensive pedestrian cultural resource inventory covering approximately 16.6 to 22 acres using 15-meter transects and full recordation and National Register evaluation of the historic mine site. Field inventory is estimated at two days with a June 1, 2026 start date and 60-calendar-day completion window. Deliverables include corrected GIS shapefiles (NAD83 UTM format) due one week after fieldwork, a draft report with site forms 60 days after survey completion, and final deliverables 30 days after COR acceptance of the draft. Payment is firm-fixed price with 50 percent upon fieldwork completion, 35 percent upon draft report delivery, and 15 percent upon final acceptance.

Contractor qualifications must include a qualified crew leader meeting Secretary of Interior Professional Qualification Standards. Evaluation is two-step: Step 1 is pass/fail technical capability and past performance review using a completed Experience Questionnaire and Technical Capability Statement; Step 2 awards to the lowest-priced acceptable quote. A mandatory post-award conference will occur via Microsoft Teams within ten days of award. Period of performance runs June 1 through November 30, 2026. Questions must be submitted to andrea.haines@usda.gov by May 12, 2026 at 3:00 PM MT. The original solicitation was amended May 18, 2026 to include a revised SOW with safety information, a pre-CERCLA screening report, and detailed location maps showing elevated manganese and arsenic concentrations.