Mulching Hazardous Fuels, Brazoria NWR, TX

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking a small business contractor to perform mulching of hazardous fuels on 63.2 acres at the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. The solicitation (RFQ No. 140FS225Q0046) requires the contractor to mulch vegetation, including large trees, small trees, and brush down to ground level without disturbing the mineral soil. Contractors must provide low ground pressure tracked equipment and operate within strict environmental guidelines, including working only between 6:00 am and 7:00 pm and avoiding the black rail breeding season from March 1 to August 31. The technical evaluation will consider the contractor's approach, equipment, federal/state experience, certifications, references, and proposed timeline, with these factors weighted equally and considered more important than price. Potential offerors must attend a mandatory site visit on February 4, 2025, at 9:00 AM CST, and submit their quotes by February 7, 2025, at 5:00 PM EST.

The solicitation is a 100% small business set-aside under NAICS code 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry) with a $34 million size standard. The period of performance is from September 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026, with the government intending to award a firm-fixed-price contract based on best value. Contractors must be actively registered in SAM.gov and provide daily GPS track logs of mulching progress, pressure wash equipment before entering the refuge, and maintain 100% treatment coverage of designated areas. While no specific budget or incumbent contractor is mentioned, the contract will allow progress payments at 33%, 66%, and 100% completion milestones. The work will be performed at the Churchwell Unit of the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge in Brazoria, Texas, with potential site relocation within the refuge boundary if necessary due to weather, threatened species activity, or higher priority projects.