USDA, Forest Service, 100 West Capitol Street, Suite 1141, Federal Building, Jackson, MS 39269

M -- OPERATION OF W.W. ASHE NURSERY FOR FOREST TREE SEEDLING CROP PRODUCTION SOL FS-WOC-99-489 DUE 101299 POC Jerry Windham, 601/965-4391, Ext 180 or Glenda Hughes, 601/965-4391, Ext. 143 E-MAIL: ERROR --, jcain/r8,ms@fs.fed.us. The National Forests in Mississippi Forest Supervisor is seeking a private or public entity to operate W.W. Ashe Nursery for forest tree seedling crop production under a special use permit. The purpose of the authorization is to fully utilize the nursery in crop production to meet forest tree seedling needs in the public and private sector. The selected applicant will be authorized to operate and maintain the W.W. Ashe Nursery seedling production fields and nursery use buildings, and to use Government-owned equipment. A prospectus has been prepared to initiate a competitive process to provide opportunity for private or other governmental entities to make proposals to operate W.W. Ashe Nursery. The Forest Service will select the entity to issue the special use permit to based on evaluation of responses to the prospectus. The permit would be issued for a five year period and may be renewed for an additional 5 year period. The selected applicant will be required to compensate the U.S. Government for the operation of the facility. Proposals which do not include an annual fee to be paid to the U.S. Forest Service of at least $100,000 may be rejected. The W.W. Ashe Nursery Complex is a U.S. Forest Service owned forest tree seedling production nursery. The land facilities are situated about 21 miles south of Hattiesburg, MS within Sections 23, 24, 25 and 26;T1N, R12W in Forrest County, MS. The Forest Service has utilized the nursery to produce crops of bareroot and container seedlings for reforestation purposes. These crops have included bareroot loblolly, slash, and longleaf pines; cypress; oak, ash, pecan and other hardwoods. The container crops have consisted of longleaf pine; cypress; oak, ash, and pecan and other hardwoods. The permitted area and facilities will include approximately 128 acres in developed fields with irrigation and drainage; adjacent open areas within the nursery fence; an office and adjacent lawn and parking; the area within a fenced compound including a shop with conference room, oil house, one fuel tank with pump, tool storage building, paint storage building, seedling packing shed/seedling cooler, pesticide/fertilize storage, compound water well house and well, irrigation well house and well; and two irrigation wells located in the fields. AN ON SITE INSPECTION OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 26, 1999, AT 10:00 AM. Applications must be submitted to Forest Supervisor, National Forests in Mississippi by the close of business on January 18, 2000. To obtain a copy of the prospectus, additional information about applying, or additional information on the W.W. Ashe Nursery, please contact Forest Supervisor, National Forests in Mississippi, 100 W. Capitol Street, Suite 1141, Jackson, MS 39269; or contact Jerry Windham, Forest Silviculturist 601/965-4391, ext. 180 or Glenda Hughes, Permit Specialist, 601/965-4391, ext. 143. All applicants have an equal opportunity to apply, except for members of COngress, Resident Commissioners, and current Forest Service employees, any individual or entity may apply. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at 202/720-5881 (voice) or 202/720-7808 (TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call 202/720-7327 (voice) or 202/720-7808 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer. Posted 09/24/99 (W-SN384352). (0267)

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