RFQ - Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest - Heritage-Cultural Resources Survey

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service seeks a heritage and cultural resources survey across seven designated areas totaling approximately 2,184 acres on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, with quotations due September 8, 2026, and questions due August 25. This procurement is set-aside exclusively for small business concerns and carries a firm-fixed-price structure priced by acre across all seven survey blocks.

Place of performance is Washburn County, Wisconsin, specifically the Washburn Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The contract period runs from September 21, 2026, through September 20, 2027, with a potential maximum duration not to exceed five years. One awardee is anticipated, though award is contingent upon funding availability and not all survey areas may be awarded due to funding constraints.

The contractor must conduct field inventories to identify, record, and evaluate all cultural and heritage resources—pre-contact and post-contact materials 50 years of age or older—for National Register of Historic Places eligibility. The Principal Investigator must meet Secretary of the Interior professional archaeology standards under 36 CFR 61, and the Project Archaeologist/Field Director must meet Register of Professional Archaeologists eligibility criteria. All field personnel require relevant archaeology or anthropology education or experience.

The NAICS code is 541370, Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services, with a $19 million size standard. Service Contract Labor Standards apply. Payment is structured in four milestones: 15 percent upon research design acceptance, 45 percent upon fieldwork completion, 25 percent upon draft report acceptance, and 15 percent upon final deliverable acceptance. Award will be made to the highest technically rated offeror with fair and reasonable pricing and acceptable or neutral past performance. Quotations must include a completed Schedule of Items with pricing, an Experience Questionnaire with resumes, and a technical approach narrative.