Ottawa NF Bowfin Mark and Cruise

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service is soliciting timber marking and cruising services for the Bowfin Stewardship Timber Sale located at the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This Request for Quotation (RFQ) is restricted to USFS Region 9 Timber Mark and Cruise BPA holders only and requires contractors to provide marking and cruise services across approximately 248 acres encompassing three forest management categories: hardwood selection/improvement/thinning (145 acres), pine and spruce thinning (96 acres), and clearcut/removal cut (7 acres). The contract type is firm fixed price with unit pricing required for each item measured in acres. Award will be made to the quoter offering the best value, with technical and price factors weighted as approximately equal, and past performance evaluated through SAM.gov and CPARS databases. Quotations must be submitted by April 7, 2026 at 11:00 AM CT and must include a completed SF-18 form, a Schedule of Items, and a technical proposal addressing contract time and schedule conformance.

This opportunity is not designated as a set-aside for small businesses or other protected categories. The contract period runs from April 15, 2026 through September 30, 2026, with delivery and performance at the Ottawa National Forest's Kenton Ranger District in Watersmeet, Michigan. The Bowfin sale encompasses 11 payment units with an estimated gross value of $104,310.44, utilizing a Sample Tree Measure (STR) methodology with specific cruise design parameters and maximum sampling error thresholds. Detailed marking specifications are provided in the Marking Guides and Cruise Design document, with requirements including two paint marks at DBH on opposite sides plus stump marks for hardwood selection and red pine thinning, and single DBH marks for aspen clearcut trees. Government-furnished blue tree marking paint will be issued and returned by appointment only through the paint custodian at the Kenton Ranger District Office.