MN-UPR MS RIV nwfr-containerized tree planting (LA

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service seeks labor-only services to hand plant and shelter 1,150 containerized trees at the Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge in Ste Genevieve, Missouri, with quotes due September 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST. The procurement is a 100% Total Small Business set-aside.

Place of performance is a 23-acre polygon in the recently harvested Sainte Genevieve Levee area near Ste Genevieve, Missouri, with field access via County Road and Marina Drive. The Period of Performance runs from December 2, 2026 through March 31, 2027, Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays. Work must occur only when ground conditions are suitable: unfrozen soil not forecasted to freeze within four days, unsaturated ground that does not fill with water when holes are dug, and field vehicles that do not leave ruts exceeding 4 inches deep.

The contractor must unload trees from delivery trucks and plant approximately 1,050 three-gallon RPM trees and approximately 100 fifteen-gallon RPM trees on 20x30 spacing to achieve 50 trees per acre. Each tree must be planted with root collar level to native soil elevation, stem plumb to earth with no more than 10 percent lean, sheltered and staked with materials provided by the Refuge, and spacing verified under Refuge monitoring. All planting materials, soil amendments, mulch, staking materials, and irrigation materials are furnished by the Refuge. Quotes must include per-tree pricing and cumulative total bid for all 1,150 trees, submitted on company letterhead with technical proposal and subcontractor information if applicable.

The contract is firm-fixed price and incorporates prevailing wage rates under Wage Determination 2015-4965, Revision 31, for Winona County, Minnesota. Evaluation uses Best Value–Trade Off methodology based on technical proposal, past performance history with at least two valid references for similar work within the past five years, and price reasonableness. The NAICS code is 561730, Landscaping Services; PSC is S208, Housekeeping–Landscaping/Groundskeeping. Contract administration is by FWS SAT 2 (Falls Church, Virginia), with delivery to FWS Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife location in Winona, Minnesota. Contracting Officer is Caleb Kindsvater; Contract Specialist is Khalilah Brown (khalilah_brown@fws.gov).