Deschutes and Mid-Columbia Wildlife Districts Helicopter Services

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, acting through the Deschutes and Mid-Columbia Wildlife Districts, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP #S-63500-00015834) for helicopter services to support big game census operations across ten Oregon counties including Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Jefferson, Deschutes, Crook, Klamath, Lake, and Harney. The procurement seeks a contractor to provide up to two Bell 206BIII JetRanger helicopters (or equivalent with minimum 340 horsepower turbine engines), experienced pilots, and support services including a four-wheel drive fuel truck with licensed driver capable of supporting simultaneous missions. The contractor must deliver approximately 250 hours of helicopter flights annually for wildlife surveys, disease sampling, wildlife research, and habitat condition assessments, with operations scheduled during summer for pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat surveys; fall for deer surveys; and spring for elk, deer, and bighorn sheep surveys. Key pilot requirements include a minimum of 3,000 hours as pilot in charge on equivalent aircraft and 1,000 hours of low elevation operations experience, with all aircraft required to maintain FAR Part 135 certification and current FAA and Oregon State Division of Aeronautics compliance. The Agency will provide up to three biologists as observers and survey equipment, while the contractor bears responsibility for aircraft maintenance, mechanic services, and safe operations in sub-zero temperatures and potentially inclement weather conditions. The evaluation will be based on 140 total scored points distributed across price proposals (15 points), references (15 points), understanding of services and project scope (30 points), general contractor qualifications (40 points), and pilot qualifications (40 points). Questions must be submitted by February 23, 2026, with proposals due by March 5, 2026 at 2:00 PM PDT; the anticipated award notice will issue around March 12, 2026, followed by a seven-calendar-day protest period. The contract term is anticipated to be eight years through June 30, 2034, with annual pricing adjustments conducted in May.

The procurement contains no set-aside designations specific to disadvantaged enterprises; however, proposers must complete a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan disclosing any Oregon-certified firm status (DBE, MBE, WBE, SDV, or ESB) and identifying subcontracting opportunities with certified firms. All proposers must meet standard responsibility requirements, including demonstrating adequate financial resources, absence of criminal or civil charges within the last three years related to public contracts, freedom from contract defaults within the last three years, absence of outstanding judgments and recent bankruptcy filings, and possession of all required licenses and insurance to conduct business in Oregon. Proposers with contracts exceeding $500,000 and employing 50 or more full-time workers must provide a current Pay Equity Certificate. Comprehensive insurance coverage is mandatory, including workers' compensation, commercial general liability of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence with $4,000,000 annual aggregate, and aircraft liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence and aggregate covering passengers. Liquidated damages of $500 per day apply for equipment breakdowns not repaired within 48 hours and for pilot replacement delays exceeding 48 hours, with potential contract termination for failure to provide replacement aircraft or pilots within 48 hours. No incumbent vendor information or existing infrastructure integration requirements are specified in the procurement documents. While specific budget ranges are not disclosed in the RFP, pricing will be evaluated as a component of the overall proposal score, with compensation structured on hourly rates for helicopter and pilot services, hourly rates for fuel service truck and driver support, mileage rates for fuel truck operations, per diem allowances of up to 20 days per year for up to two people, and stand-by rates for Agency-required non-flight days.