F -- BAER HYDROMULCHING

Notice Date

August 10, 2001

Contracting Office

USDA, Forest Service, Lolo National Forest, Attn: Contracting, Building 24, Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804

ZIP Code

59804

Solicitation Number

R1-16-01-796Q

Response Due

August 27, 2001

Point of Contact

Contact Point, Judy Martin, 406/329-3992, Contracting Specialist, Marge Schafer, 406/329-3990

E-Mail Address

USDA, Forest Service, Lolo National Forest, Contracting (jbmartin@fs.fed.us)

Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The solicitation number is R1-16-01-796Q, and is issued as a Request for Quotation. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation that will be issued. The solicitation documents, incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-27. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number is 115310. This is not a small business set-aside. Bitterroot National Forest -- Hydromulch Contract, A -- GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The work includes seeding and hydromulching cutslopes along Forest Service roads on the Darby, Sula, and Stevensville Ranger Districts. Also included is hydromulching the recently deposits of sediment at the mouths of specified side draws in the Laird Creek and North Fork Rye Creek drainages. Hydromulching of road cutslopes will be accomplished from the existing roadway using a truck-mounted or trailer-mounted hydromulcher. Hydromulching the fans of sediment will require hydromulching with a hose from the hydromulcher leading to various locations on the fan. Up to 500 feet of hose may be required. The mixture and application rate of seed, fertilizer, inoculant, mulch, and tackifier is specified below. The contractor shall furnish all equipment, labor, and materials necessary to accomplish the work including transportation to and from the designated treatment areas. B -- COMPLETION DATE: All work shall begin after October 1, 2001 and be completed by November 9, 2001; however, access to some treatment areas is restricted to provide big-game security during the hunting season. The normal road closure restriction goes into effect October 15 of each year; however, to facilitate this contract access will be extended. Work on treatment areas accessed by these roads MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 20, 2001. THE CONTRACTOR WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO) WHEN WORKING ON THESE ROADS BETWEEN OCTOBER 15TH AND OCTOBER 19TH. ROADS SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED BY THE TRAVEL RESTRICTION ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE WORK DESCRIPTIONS THAT MUST BE REQUESTED FROM THIS OFFICE. C -- LOCATION: A total area of 117.1 acres in size is to be treated including 109.8 acres of roadside cutslopes and 7.3 acres of recently deposited sediment at the mouths of drainages. WORK DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIBING SECTIONS OF FOREST ROADS AND AREAS OF SEDIMENT ARE IDENTIFIED IN REFERENCE MAPS AND DIRECTIONS THAT MUST BE REQUESTED FROM THIS OFFICE. D -- APPLICATION AND MATERIALS SPECIFICATIONS: (1) Application: The hydromulch mixture will be applied to achieve a continuous, uniform cover on the ground surface. Hydromulching of road cutslopes will be accomplished from the existing roadway using a truck-mounted or trailer-mounted hydromulcher. Hydromulching the fans of sediment will require utilizing a hose from the hydromulcher leading to various locations on the fan. Up to 500 feet of hose may be required. The hose may have to be relocated several times to accomplish the required application specification. The application should be done in such a way as to avoid a "shadow" effect behind rocks, trees, and brush. This may require applying the hydromulch from different angles. (2) Seed Mixture: The seed mixture specified below shall be applied on a pure live seed (PLS) per acre basis. The CO must approve variance from this mixture. The seed shall be free of all species listed on the western states noxious weed list. Each seed lot must have been tested by a certified seed laboratory against the all-western states noxious weed list. Documentation of the seed inspection test must be provided to the CO prior to application. (1) Slender Wheatgrass; Prior variety; 5.0 Lbs. PLS /Acre; (2) Thickspike Wheatgrass, Critana variety, 2.0 Lbs. PLS /Acre; (3) Sheep Fescue, Quatrro, or Mecklenberg variety, 9.0 Lbs. PLS /Acre. The seed shall be added no more than 5 minutes prior to the application of the mixture. The seed must be uniformly mixed in the mixture. (3)Fertilizer: The fertilizer shall be a 7-2-3 formulation, containing 15% humic acids and bacteria, yeast, and mold at a minimum of 60,000 per 100 grams. Sulfur content shall be a minimum of 4 percent. An example of a product meeting these specifications is Biosol-mix (Rocky Mountain Bio-Products, 970-926-1025). The fertilizer shall be applied at the manufacture's recommended rate for these conditions. For example: Biosol-mix application rate for these conditions is 1,200 pounds per acre. The fertilizer to be applied and the application rate must be approved in advance by the CO. (4) Inoculant: The inoculant will contain viable populations of micronized endomycorrhizal fungi. The inoculem shall consist of at least 3 species blend of popagules of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi including Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae, and Glomus aggregatum. There shall be a minimum of 100,000 spores per propagulas per pound of inocumlum. If in powder form, the inoculem should have a particle size of no more than 300 microns. The inoculant will be added to the hydromulch at the manufactures recommended rate for the conditions. For example: BioGROW Micronized Endo TM is applied at the rate of 10 pounds per acre (Mycorrhizal Applications Inc., 541-476-3985). The CO must approve the inoculant to be used and the application rate. (5) Mulch: The mulch shall consist of 100% virgin wood fiber manufactured from green, pre-kiln dried wood. The mulch shall be applied at a rate of 2,000 pounds/acre. An example of a product meeting these specifications is Ecofiber (Canfor 1-800-363-8873). The mulch to be used and the application rate must be approved by the CO. (6) Tackifier: Apply a Guar-based tackifier at a minimum rate of 3% the mulch rate (e.g.. 60 pounds of tackifier required for 2,000 pounds of mulch). Some mulch products can be purchased from the manufacture pre-treated with tackifier. Pre-treated mulch is acceptable and meets this tackifier specification. An example is Ecofiber Plus. E -- EQUIPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION: The hydroseeder/hydromulcher must have constant hydraulic-driven or gear-driven agitation within the slurry tank to provide an even mixture. Four-wheel drive equipment may be necessary depending on the condition of the roads. F -- WATER DRAFTING SITES: Potential water drafting sites on National Forest lands are identified on the treatment area maps. The contractor is responsible for determining if the water available at a given site is adequate for their drafting equipment. Sites may require damming or other modifications to provide an adequate pool of water to draft. The contractor must provide a site development plan and rehabilitation plan for each drafting site. The plans must be approved by the CO prior to the use of a site. The inlet end of draft hoses must be equipped with a screen with 5/32 inch or smaller openings. G -- SPILL CONTAINMENT AND SPILL RESPONSE: Portable pumps and the associated fuel tank used for drafting water, if separate from the pump, must be placed in a spill containment when staged at a drafting site. A quantity of adsorbent towels/pads and other spill response materials commensurate with the volume of fuel must be readily available at the draft site in the event of a fuel spill/leak. Spill response materials will also be located on the hydromulcher and/or transporting vehicle. H -- QUALITY CONTROL/INSPECTION: The contractor will provide the CO with invoices for all materials and direction/access to where those materials are stored for periodic inventory. The contractor will provide the CO with the quantity of materials added to the hydromulcher mixing tank per load. The CO will then measure the land area treated per load to verify the application rate. A minimum of ninety five percent of the ground surface will covered with the hydromulch mixture. No individual area greater than 2 square feet will be untreated. The hydromulch will not be applied on snow-covered ground. I -- TREATMENT AREAS: The area of roads to be treated is the "cutslope". The cutslope includes the excavated area from the edge of the road or the bottom of the drainage ditch to the point where the excavation meets the natural ground. Reference the attached diagram. The beginning and ending point of the treatment areas are identified by colored ribbon marked with "Start Hydromulch" and "End Hydromulch". The exception is where the hydromulching ends at the end of a road, in which case only the beginning point is marked. J -- TEMPORARY STORAGE/STAGING HYDROMULCH MATERIALS: A designated area within a Forest Service-leased storage yard in Darby, Montana is available for storage of hydromulch materials until October 31, 2001 at which time the site must be vacated. The storage yard is accessible to large trucks. Other proposed material staging areas on National Forest lands must be requested by the contractor in writing and approved by the CO prior to use of the site. The following FAR provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition; FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items Deviation; FAR 52.212-3 -- Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items (OFFERORS SHALL SUBMIT COMPLETED REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS ALONG WITH THEIR WRITTEN PROPOSAL OR OFFERS WILL BE REJECTED); FAR 52.212-4 -Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5 -- Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items Deviation with the additional FAR clauses stated at the following paragraphs within 52.212-5 applying: (a) (b) (2) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (15) (16) (18) (c) (1) (2) (4) & (d), and FAR 52.212-2- Evaluation -- Commercial Items. All clauses and provisions referenced in this announcement may be accessed at the following website: http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/52_000.html Evaluation for award will be based on best value to the Government, including quality, ability to meet schedule, price, and past performance. Responses to this solicitation are due at the Lolo National Forest, Building 24, Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804 by 4:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on August 27, 2001.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010814/FSOL004.HTM (W-222 SN50U728)