National Visitor Use Monitoring for the Humboldt-Toiyabe/NV

To better understand the amount of recreation use and user satisfaction on the National Forests, the USDA Forest Service is surveying users on all forests through a random sampling system over the next four years. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is being sampled during the fiscal year 2015.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe N. F. has 317 surveys to be taken beginning November 1, 2015 (or earliest date contract can be signed) through September 30, 2016. If the contract cannot be awarded by November 1, 2015, contract price will be negotiated with the successful bidder based on the earliest possible start date and the number of surveys on the Survey Calendar (Exhibit 1) after that date.

Actual duration of the survey (when applicable) takes 6 hours at the site. In addition, road and or trail traffic counters (as required) shall be placed to count traffic for a 24 hour period of time, which includes the survey time. AM surveys take place between 8am and 2pm. PM surveys take place between 2pm and 8pm. Survey times may be adjusted by negotiations between the Contractor and the Forest NVUM Coordinator as needed to avoid conducting surveys during hours of darkness.

It is important that each survey be completed on the prescribed date and time as indicated on the attached schedule. No tolerance is allowed for convenience to persons performing the survey. The only reason for a survey to be delayed would be that the site is physically closed or access to the site is blocked. For such cases, a back-up calendar of survey locations will be provided.

In extenuating circumstances, when multiple staff are required for survey work on different districts on the same day, the contractor can work with the Forest NVUM Coordinator, preferably at the time of contract award, but at least three weeks ahead of the survey date in question, to ensure that one survey site is covered by a USFS employee, allowing the Contractor to focus on the other survey site(s). Generally, however, the Contractor should plan to cover all survey sites and days.

Location or Delivery

The actual survey sites are situated at specified Forest Developed Recreation Sites or other dispersed area locations on or near the Humboldt-Toiyabe N.F. A schedule will be included with a list of all the survey sites, and Forest Visitor Maps will be provided to the Contractor. District staff will be available to help the Contractor locate all survey sites. Maps with survey sites will be provided to the Contractor.

Accessibility by motor vehicle is generally good, although four-wheel drive and a high clearance vehicle may be required to access some survey sites. Most survey sites are reached by graded roads at a minimum, and paved roads in some cases. Weather and related road conditions could make access difficult in some of the more remote locations. Some wilderness survey sites may be interior to wilderness boundaries and must be accessed by foot or horse (no motorized or mechanized vehicle use is permitted inside wilderness areas; refer to Exhibits 3-7, maps). The Humboldt-Toiyabe N. F. has many geographically isolated districts and recreation sites, spanning the entire state of Nevada and a small portion of land in California.

NAICS: 115310, $7.5M