Ottawa National Forest Stampede Mark and Cruise

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service is soliciting timber marking and cruising services through a Blank Purchase Agreement (BPA) call order for the Stampede timber sale area at Ottawa National Forest in Michigan. This non-personal services contract requires qualified contractors to perform hardwood selection marking and cruising on approximately 461 acres using Sample Tree Cruising (STR1) methodology, which involves cut-tree marking of merchantable hardwood species with two paint marks per tree at diameter breast height on opposite sides plus corresponding stump marks. Quotations must be submitted by April 23, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time using Standard Form 18, a completed Schedule of Items with unit pricing per acre, and a technical proposal demonstrating conformance to contract time requirements. The government will evaluate proposals based on past performance (assessed through FedDataCheck and CPARS databases), contract time and schedule compliance, and price reasonableness, with technical and price factors weighted as approximately equal. Award will be made to the quoter offering the best value, with the government reserving the right to make price-technical trade-offs.

This solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside and is open exclusively to Region 9 (R9) timber mark and cruise BPA holders. The contract is firm fixed-price with a term extending through August 28, 2026, and will be performed in Watersmeet, Michigan at the Ontonagon Ranger District Office, where government-furnished tree marking paint will be issued by appointment. The scope encompasses Payment Units 1-11 with specific cruise design parameters, sample intervals ranging from 1:5 to 1:500 depending on species and product type, and compliance with riparian protection and wildlife habitat considerations. No incumbent contractor or award value is identified in the solicitation materials, though the acreage size and technical requirements suggest a moderate-value contract appropriate for small forestry service providers. The work must conform to northern hardwood stand management standards for uneven-aged forests in Michigan's North Zone.