Contract to Implement Forest Health Projects on Klamath National Forest

OVERVIEW

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks a qualified Contractor to assist in the final implementation of forest health projects on the Klamath National Forest (KNF).  NFWF is soliciting proposals to finalize the implementation of the Craggy Vegetation Project which will improve fire resiliency, forest health and habitat for to protect species such as the coho salmon, Northern Spotted Owl, deer and wild turkey, sensitive plant species while also improving fire defensibility in the communities of Yreka and Hawkinsville. The current project will encompass 554 acres for a budget of $1.9 million. These funds are derived from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) through the California Climate Investment (CCI) funds.

BACKGROUND

The Craggy Vegetation Project was developed in conjunction with the Klamath National Forest, Cal Fire and the Yreka Area Fire Safe Council to improve safety to the nearby communities of Yreka and Hawkinsville, CA, by improving fire resiliency and forest health. Successful implementation of the overall project will improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels on approximately 11,310 acres within the 29,500 acre project area. 

SCOPE OF WORK

This project will include, but not be limited to thinning, mastication, and hazardous fuels removal on 554 acres. Thinning activities are typically accomplished mechanically using ground-based harvesting equipment, skyline cable yarding, or tethered-assist logging systems. Depending on slope and road access, these methods can accomplish the removal of both commercial sawlogs and biomass material. Slopes, density of stands, road access and both availability and capability of machinery largely determine the type of equipment to be used. 

Slash and biomass generated from thinning activities will be treated in a variety of ways including being removed to a facility, separated at a landing into decks and tops for personal or commercial firewood cutters, or piled at a landing for burning. 

The budget for the project is $1.9 million. 

Project Site: This component of the Craggy Vegetation Project for contract is located within Siskiyou County; T46N R8W, Sections 13, 2328, and 32-35; T45N R8W, Sections 1-17 and 21-24; T46N R7W, Sections 16-18, 20, 22, 28, 30, and 32-34; and T45N R7W, Sections 4-6, 8, 9, and 17-20 (Mt. Diablo Meridian). 

This project will consist of 554 acres of commercial timber harvest and removal.  Ground-based harvest systems will be used to treat 141 acres within the project area including sawtimber and biomass removal.
413 acres of cable skyline yarding or cable tethered assisted harvest will be required on slopes greater than 45% within the project area including sawtimber removal. An estimated 20,758 tons of sawtimber and 2,303 tons of biomass will be required to be removed from the project area. The species composition in the project area is as follows:

  • Ponderosa pine - 63%
  • Douglas fir - 28%
  • White fir - 7%
  • Sugar pine - 2%
  • Incense cedar - <1% 

The project is designed to improve wildfire defensibility to the nearby communities of Yreka and Hawkinsville, while improving fire resiliency on approximately 11,310 acres within the 29,500 acre project area. Forest fuel reduction and forest health treatments would result in increased carbon sequestration, improved forest health, and greater forest resilience to large and severe wildfires that are anticipated to occur if no action is taken. The project works with the Yreka Fire Safe Council and supports the purpose and intent of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). According to the CWPP, more than 80% of the fire safe council area is at risk of significant damage from wildfire. The fire safe council has identified an additional 1,330 acres of fuels treatments adjacent to the communities of Yreka and Hawkinsville on private lands that will supplement the Craggy Project treatments. The combined treatments on Federal and Private lands would meet the goals and standards of treatment within the Wildland Urban Interface; reducing flame lengths to less than 4 feet. Current concerns focus on a high fire hazard (as defined by fuel loading and vegetation density) and high fire risk (as defined by fire occurrence) over time within the project area. Fire risk and associated fire hazard have led to concerns over fire behavior in and adjacent to private property and fire effects to resource values on Forest land. The strategic fuels treatment design aims at protecting communities, structures and infrastructure while also providing fire resiliency across the landscape to protect resource values (e.g. wildlife, aquatics, soils, timber assets, fisheries, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.). Results of treatments will affect fire behavior far outside the treatment units.

Collaboration with the Klamath National Forest: Contractor will be required to collaborate closely with the Klamath National Forest.  Contractors will be working closely with the Klamath National Forest’s Timber Sale Administration team.  A timber sale administrator will be assigned to the project and will coordinate with the contractor on requirements for progress and project reporting.  Contractors will be responsible for following the Forest Service’s Timber Removal Specifications and Guidelines. 

REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND PROPOSED STAFF 

  • Contractors should have a reputable past performance on similar projects
  • Contractors should have significant experience working with the U.S. Forest Service – particularly the Klamath National Forest.
  • Contractors should at the minimum have the following equipment:    
    • 1-2 Cable Yarders capable of 1200’ spans
    • 2 Feller Bunchers
    • 2 Rubber tired log skidders
    • 2 Log processors
    • 2 Landing CATS/Dozers     
    • Stinger steered log trucks
    • Road Grader for road maintenance
    • Fuel truck
    • 4-6 professional timber fallers
    • Equipment operators
    • Logging crews
    • Water pump trailer or truck
    • Water trucks for road maintenance

CRITERIA FOR COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS 

Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the following criteria. Offerors should organize their Proposal Narrative based on these sections:

  1. Understanding of the Scope of Work. The Scope of Work must demonstrate an understanding of the goals of the activities involved. This section should include a description of how you will communicate with NFWF and program stakeholders and report on progress, results, and deliverables. Weight: 10%
  2. Technical Approach. The proposed technical approach for conducting the tasks should clearly describe the proposed methods necessary to conduct the project. The section must demonstrate that those methods are robust and appropriate for conducting the project and address any areas of complexity or uncertainty associated with conducting the project. Weight: 20%
  3. Qualifications of Proposed Personnel. This section should clearly describe which tasks each member of the team will conduct and how their training and experience provide the requisite experience to do so successfully. Weight: 20%
  4. Contractor’s Past Performance. The proposal should include information on the primary investigator(s)’s past performance experience in the requested field. List recent (last 2-5 years) accomplishments and previous services related to the technical expertise offered. If subcontractors are to be used, information should be provided that demonstrates their past performance as well. Describe how that past performance is applicable to this evaluation. Weight: 20%
  5. Budget. The proposed budget should itemize work in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of the entire funding request. You must use attached Contractor Budget Template. You may add columns to the template for additional tasks if needed, but should not make any other changes. If applicable, please include the proposed budget for equipment purchase in the proposal separate from the Contractor Budget Template. Weight: 30%


ELIGIBLE OFFERORS & CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, and local, state and Indian tribal governments. Small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are strongly encouraged to apply.

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it does not currently have any apparent or actual conflict of interest, as described herein. In the event an offeror currently has, will have during the life of the contemplated contract, or becomes aware of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, in the event an award is made, the offeror must notify NFWF in writing in the proposal, or in subsequent correspondence (if the issue becomes known after the submission of the proposal) of such apparent or actual conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the contractor, the contractor’s employees, or the contractor’s subcontractors in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests, or otherwise. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the offeror, the offeror’s employees, or the offeror’s future subcontractors in the matter. Upon receipt of such a notice, the NFWF Contracting Officer will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the offeror to reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies NFWF may result in the proposal not being selected for award.  

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the Offeror warrants and represents that it is eligible for award of a Contract resulting from this solicitation and that it is not subject to any of the below circumstances:

Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to a Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or 

Was convicted (or had an officer or agent of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

Is listed on the General Services Administration’s, government-wide System for Award Management Exclusions (SAM Exclusions), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R Part 180 that implement E.O.s 12549 (3 C.F.R., 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 C.F.R., 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension, ” or intends to enter into any subaward, contract or other Contract using funds provided by NFWF with any party listed on the SAM Exclusions in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689. The SAM Exclusions instructions can be found here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS         

Proposals must be submitted under the same cover at the same time, in three distinctly labeled and separate documents: 1) Technical Proposal, 2) Budget, and 3) Evidence of Financial Stability. Interested parties should submit proposals electronically to NFWF (chris.morrill@nfwf.org) using the requirements below:

  1. Technical Proposal
    1. Format: Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF with a font size no smaller than 11 pt.
    2. Contact information: Primary contact person, company name, address, phone, email, website, DUNS number, and EIN/Taxpayer ID#.
    3. Narrative: Concise (10-page limit) description of the work plan and a summary of the applicant’s expertise and experience, organized by the Criteria for Competitive Applications. 
    4. Biographies: Resumes and/or Vitae of key staff and their role in the proposed work area.
    5. References: List two clients who have received services from the applicant that is similar in nature to the proposed work; include names, phone numbers, and email address. 
  2. Budget: The budget proposal must be submitted using the following NFWF budget template.
  3. Evidence of Financial Stability: The applicant shall provide proof of financial stability including but not limited to single audits, GAAP audits, audited financial statements, and income sheets and balance statements to demonstrate the applicant’s capability to meet the requirements of this solicitation. The inability to prove financial stability will impact an applicant’s overall score. 

SELECTION PROCEDURE  

A panel of NFWF staff, and USFS staff will review the proposals. Offerors may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to final approval of the award. Only one award will be made for this project. If the selected contractor needs to involve multiple institutions to manage the contract, the selected contractor must do so through subcontracts.


SUBMISSION DEADLINES   

May 3, 2024 Deadline for questions about the solicitation to NFWF. 
Offerors should submit questions regarding this solicitation via email to Chris.Morrill@nfwf.org. NFWF will post all the questions and responses to all questions so that all offerors have access to them at the same time. In order to provide equitable responses, all questions must be sent to NFWF no later than 5:00 PM PT.
May 6, 2024 NFWF will post the questions submitted regarding the solicitation and responses on the NFWF website at provide website.
May 9, 2024 Deadline for receipt by NFWF of proposals. 
Proposals must be sent electronically as an email attachment to Chris.Morrill@nfwf.org by 5:00 PM PT. 
Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF.
May 15, 2024 Contract award to selected Offeror
December 31, 2024 Deliverables Due