R9 Superior National Forest – Laurentian & LaCroix Mechanical Site Prep and Fuels Work
Closed Solicitation Posted
This opportunity was awarded. See the award notice from .
- Solicitation number
- 12443926Q0025
- Agency
-
Forest Service
Department of Agriculture
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- Total Small Business
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 115310 Support Activities for Forestry
- Place of performance
- Minnesota 55705, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service is soliciting quotes for mechanical site preparation and fuels reduction services on the Superior National Forest in Minnesota, specifically rock raking on the Laurentian Ranger District and mastication work on the LaCroix Ranger District. This is a simplified acquisition conducted under FAR Part 12 and FAR 13, with quotes requested rather than a formal written solicitation. Key contract requirements include furnishing all labor, equipment, supervision, and transportation necessary to perform mechanical site preparation (rock raking to expose mineral soil 4-8 inches deep across approximately 146 acres) and mastication/fuels work (mulching hazardous fuels to a scattered layer not exceeding 1 foot in height across approximately 40 acres), with strict specifications for protecting merchantable trees, managing rutting, maintaining stream buffers, and preventing invasive species transfer. Evaluation will follow FAR 12.203 criteria for contracts under $9 million, focusing on technical approach, schedule compliance, price, and past performance, with award to the highest technically rated offeror if pricing is fair and reasonable and past performance is acceptable or neutral. The solicitation was posted March 31, 2026, with a proposal deadline of April 17, 2026, and a site visit and Q&A opportunity was held April 14, 2026, at Rice Bay Boat Access.
This solicitation carries a Total Small Business set-aside, with the NAICS code 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry) and a size standard of $11.5 million, making it available only to small business concerns. The contract may result in two separate awards: Award 01 for mechanical site preparation on the Laurentian Ranger District and Award 02 for mastication/fuels work on the LaCroix Ranger District, allowing contractors to bid on one or both awards. The period of performance runs from June 1, 2026 through April 1, 2027, with mechanical site preparation restricted to June 1 through October 31, 2026, and mastication work permitted through April 1, 2027, both contingent on soil and snow conditions. Work is located in Aurora, Minnesota (Laurentian District) and Cook, Minnesota (LaCroix District) in northeastern Minnesota. Contractors must comply with Service Contract Act prevailing wage requirements established by the Department of Labor, with hourly rates ranging from approximately $11.61 to $54.52 depending on occupational classification, plus standardized fringe benefits including health and welfare payments of $5.55 per hour and paid vacation and holiday benefits.
Notice text
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
SAM.gov Notice – Site Visit / Onsite Q&A Availability
A Forest Service representative will be available onsite at the Rice Bay Boat Access on Tuesday, April 14, from 1200 to 1300, to answer questions related to Solicitation 12443926Q0025 – R9 Superior National Forest: Laurentian & LaCroix Mechanical Site Prep and Fuels Work (FY2026). See attached map.
This notice is issued in connection with the combined synopsis/solicitation posted under FAR Part 12, using Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) under FAR 13, consistent with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). Offerors are encouraged to attend; no formal presentation will be provided. Questions asked onsite that require official clarification will be addressed through a written amendment to ensure equal information for all offerors.
Location: Rice Bay Boat Access
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 14, 1200–1300
Purpose: Informal Q&A with a Forest Service representative
All solicitation documents—including the Performance Work Statement, Schedule of Items, and maps—remain available in the main SAM.gov posting.
Solicitation Number: 12443926Q0025
Title: R9 Superior National Forest – Laurentian & LaCroix Mechanical Site Prep and Fuels Work (FY2026)
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with FAR Part 12 as revised under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.
This acquisition is being conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) under FAR 13, supplemented by AGAR Part 413. Two awards may result from this solicitation:
• Award 01 – Mechanical Site Prep (Laurentian Ranger District)
• Award 02 – Mastication/Fuels (LaCroix Ranger District)
NAICS & Set‑Aside
• NAICS: 115310 – Support Activities for Forestry
• Size Standard: $11.5M
• Set‑Aside: Total Small Business Set‑Aside
DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT
The Superior National Forest requires mechanical site preparation (rock raking) and fuels reduction/mastication services in the Laurentian and LaCroix Ranger Districts. Work includes all labor, supervision, equipment, transportation, and incidentals necessary to perform all tasks in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS) and Schedule of Items.
Maps will be provided as separate attachments in the SAM.gov posting.
Attachments (provided in SAM posting):
Attachment 1 – Performance Work Statement (PWS) (12443926Q0025 01_PWS…)
Attachment 2 – Schedule of Items (12443926Q0025 Schedule…)
Maps (uploaded separately)
SCHEDULE OF ITEMS
Award 01 – Laurentian Ranger District:
• CLIN 001 – Rock Raking / Mechanical Site Prep
• Estimated Acres: 146
Award 02 – LaCroix Ranger District:
• CLIN 002 – Fuels Work – Mastication
• Estimated Acres: 40
Offerors shall provide unit prices for each CLIN, extended to a total price.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
Per PWS Section 4.0
• Mechanical Site Prep: June 1, 2026 – October 31, 2026 (soil‑dependent)
• Mastication: June 1, 2026 – April 1, 2027
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
All work must comply with the PWS, including:
• Rock raking to 4–8 inch depth; slash piling limits; equipment requirements; rutting restrictions; leave‑tree rules; resource protection; sanitation; and road use/maintenance.
• Mastication includes mulching hazardous fuels, debris removal from roads, and minimizing impacts to protected tree species.
Offerors are strongly encouraged to review all PWS specifications before quoting.
EVALUATION INFORMATION
Quotes will be evaluated without FAR 52.212‑2, consistent with FAR 12.203 under SAT:
Step 1 – Go/No‑Go Technical Capability
Offerors must submit a technical capability statement explaining:
• Planned time frames for performance
• Personnel/equipment resources
• Method for meeting PWS requirements
• Understanding of deliverables
(If missing or insufficient, quote deemed non‑responsive.)
Step 2 – Lowest Price – Technically Acceptable (LPTA)
Among acceptable Step 1 quotations, lowest price will receive award.
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS
Submit the following by the closing date in SAM.gov:
Signed Quote
Completed Schedule of Items
Technical Capability Statement (required for Step 1)
SAM‑registered UEI
Quotes shall remain valid for 90 days (per template requirement).
Questions shall be submitted to the POC listed in the SAM notice.
CLAUSES & PROVISIONS
The following apply in full text or by reference (template‑standard):
• 52.212‑4, 52.203‑17, 52.203‑19, 52.222‑50, 52.226‑8, 52.232‑39, 52.232‑40, 52.233‑3, 52.233‑4, 52.240‑91, 52.244‑6
• AGAR 452.203‑71 (DEI Compliance), 452.204‑70 (Closeout), 452.211‑71/72, and other applicable AGAR clauses mandated under RFO.
(The full clause package will be included verbatim in the PDF attached to the SAM posting.)
POINTS OF CONTACT (CORs)
As listed in the Schedule of Items table:
• Laurentian RD: Michael Sauter – michael.sauter@usda.gov
• LaCroix RD: Paul Valento – paul.valento@usda.gov
• LaCroix RD: Lori Karau – lori.karau@usda.gov
QUOTE SUBMISSION
Quotes must be submitted electronically to the email address david.easter@usda.gov by the date and time indicated. Late quotes may not be considered.
This combined synopsis/solicitation is issued under FAR Part 12 and FAR Part 13 procedures, consistent with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). All responsible small business sources may submit a quote.
Update #1 ·
Solicitation Number: 12443926Q0025
Title: R9 Superior National Forest – Laurentian & LaCroix Mechanical Site Prep and Fuels Work (FY2026)
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with FAR Part 12 as revised under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.
This acquisition is being conducted using Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) under FAR 13, supplemented by AGAR Part 413. Two awards may result from this solicitation:
• Award 01 – Mechanical Site Prep (Laurentian Ranger District)
• Award 02 – Mastication/Fuels (LaCroix Ranger District)
NAICS & Set‑Aside
• NAICS: 115310 – Support Activities for Forestry
• Size Standard: $11.5M
• Set‑Aside: Total Small Business Set‑Aside
DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT
The Superior National Forest requires mechanical site preparation (rock raking) and fuels reduction/mastication services in the Laurentian and LaCroix Ranger Districts. Work includes all labor, supervision, equipment, transportation, and incidentals necessary to perform all tasks in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS) and Schedule of Items.
Maps will be provided as separate attachments in the SAM.gov posting.
Attachments (provided in SAM posting):
Attachment 1 – Performance Work Statement (PWS) (12443926Q0025 01_PWS…)
Attachment 2 – Schedule of Items (12443926Q0025 Schedule…)
Maps (uploaded separately)
SCHEDULE OF ITEMS
Award 01 – Laurentian Ranger District:
• CLIN 001 – Rock Raking / Mechanical Site Prep
• Estimated Acres: 146
Award 02 – LaCroix Ranger District:
• CLIN 002 – Fuels Work – Mastication
• Estimated Acres: 40
Offerors shall provide unit prices for each CLIN, extended to a total price.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
Per PWS Section 4.0
• Mechanical Site Prep: June 1, 2026 – October 31, 2026 (soil‑dependent)
• Mastication: June 1, 2026 – April 1, 2027
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
All work must comply with the PWS, including:
• Rock raking to 4–8 inch depth; slash piling limits; equipment requirements; rutting restrictions; leave‑tree rules; resource protection; sanitation; and road use/maintenance.
• Mastication includes mulching hazardous fuels, debris removal from roads, and minimizing impacts to protected tree species.
Offerors are strongly encouraged to review all PWS specifications before quoting.
EVALUATION INFORMATION
Quotes will be evaluated without FAR 52.212‑2, consistent with FAR 12.203 under SAT:
Step 1 – Go/No‑Go Technical Capability
Offerors must submit a technical capability statement explaining:
• Planned time frames for performance
• Personnel/equipment resources
• Method for meeting PWS requirements
• Understanding of deliverables
(If missing or insufficient, quote deemed non‑responsive.)
Step 2 – Lowest Price – Technically Acceptable (LPTA)
Among acceptable Step 1 quotations, lowest price will receive award.
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS
Submit the following by the closing date in SAM.gov:
Signed Quote
Completed Schedule of Items
Technical Capability Statement (required for Step 1)
SAM‑registered UEI
Quotes shall remain valid for 90 days (per template requirement).
Questions shall be submitted to the POC listed in the SAM notice.
CLAUSES & PROVISIONS
The following apply in full text or by reference (template‑standard):
• 52.212‑4, 52.203‑17, 52.203‑19, 52.222‑50, 52.226‑8, 52.232‑39, 52.232‑40, 52.233‑3, 52.233‑4, 52.240‑91, 52.244‑6
• AGAR 452.203‑71 (DEI Compliance), 452.204‑70 (Closeout), 452.211‑71/72, and other applicable AGAR clauses mandated under RFO.
(The full clause package will be included verbatim in the PDF attached to the SAM posting.)
POINTS OF CONTACT (CORs)
As listed in the Schedule of Items table:
• Laurentian RD: Michael Sauter – michael.sauter@usda.gov
• LaCroix RD: Paul Valento – paul.valento@usda.gov
• LaCroix RD: Lori Karau – lori.karau@usda.gov
QUOTE SUBMISSION
Quotes must be submitted electronically to the email address david.easter@usda.gov by the date and time indicated. Late quotes may not be considered.
This combined synopsis/solicitation is issued under FAR Part 12 and FAR Part 13 procedures, consistent with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). All responsible small business sources may submit a quote.
Files
Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| R9 Superior National Forest – Laurentian & LaCroix Mechanical Site Prep and Fuels Work | Award Notice | |
| This notice | Solicitation |
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