Planting for Wallowa-Whitman National Forest– Hells Canyon National Recreation Area Ranger District

The USDA Forest Service's Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is seeking a contractor to provide hand tree planting services across 215 acres in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area Ranger District, with work organized into two line items: 133 acres of planting in Post Salvage Units using uniform 13x13 spacing (Item 0001) and 82 acres using variable group and 13x13 spacing (Item 0002). The contractor must furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, and operating supplies necessary to plant approximately 53,652 government-furnished deciduous seedlings in compliance with detailed performance specifications. Key contract requirements include providing non-planting supervisors and inspectors (one per crew of up to 12 planters), implementing a Quality Control Plan with sample inspections at 1/50th acre intervals, and maintaining current MSPA licensing, Oregon BOLI license, and H2B Temporary Employment certification if applicable, along with documentation for all subcontractors. Award will be made to the lowest price technically acceptable offeror based on evaluation criteria weighted equally among relevant past performance, technical experience and proposal, and price. The deadline for submitting questions is March 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM Pacific Time, with proposals due March 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, and all work must be completed by July 15, 2026.

This is a total small business set-aside with a HUBZone small business price evaluation preference, and the contract is structured as a firm-fixed price commercial services acquisition consisting of one base year plus four one-year option periods not to exceed five years total. No incumbent contractor information is provided in the solicitation documents. Offerors must submit exact unit pricing per acre planted with no rounding, and the government reserves the right to make multiple awards for different line items if determined to result in best value after considering administrative costs of $500 per award; specific budget ranges are not disclosed. The project involves planting approximately 33,109 trees on 133 acres under Line Item 001 and approximately 20,543 trees on 82 acres under Line Item 002, with all work performed in the Double Creek Fire Recovery Salvage Sale area located along Forest Service Road 4240-000 near Joseph, Oregon 97846. The contract is subject to Service Contract Labor Standards (FAR 52.222-41), and the Contracting Officer is William G. Ristoff, with Jennifer Olson serving as the information contact.