Inactive
Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
Notice ID:12FPC323Q0017
The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to the following questions received: 1) Q: When/where are the NRI trainings being held? A: Training will be scheduled to occur in Canon City, CO on ...
The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to the following questions received: 1) Q: When/where are the NRI trainings being held? A: Training will be scheduled to occur in Canon City, CO on July 18th-21st. Otherwise, the location/time will depend on when the contractor can start. 2) Q: When is the data collection deadline? A: September 31, 2023 3) Q: Are there any options to extend the data collection deadline based on precipitation from this year? A: Not at this time, in accordance with Scientific integrity and data collection protocol. 4) Q: Due to the late release of the RFQ during the field season, would it be possible to roll over some points scheduled for 2023 into the 2024 field season? A: No. the 2024 field season will have its own data set for collection. 5) Q: This would mean fewer points are collected in 2023, but all remaining 2023 points and all planned 2024 points would be collected in the 2024 field season? A: The contractor shall complete the remaining 2023 field season segments, other than the points already collected (by the time a contractor is on board). The 2024 field season will have its own data set for collection; none of the remaining 2023 points shall be collected during the 2024 field season. Please see attached Questions & Answers. Orignal Posting: NOTE: Please see attached Combined Synopsis Solicitation and Attachment 1 Statement of Work for additional details. Summary: The objective of this solicitation is to acquire specified inventory data on up to two data points within each of 59 segments (a potential total of 115 points) located in 13 counties on Bureau of Land Management- owned land in Colorado. Similarly, this solicitation is also to acquire specified inventory data on up to two data points within each of 35 segments (a potential total of 90 points) located in 14 counties on privately owned land in Colorado. The above Federal and Non-Federal segments are pertinent to the resulting base contract. Follow on option years may occur across all of Colorado and are not limited to only the counties on the base contract. Data will be collected in accordance with the standards outlined in the 2023 NRCS National Resources Inventory Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection Handbook of Instructions and its supplements, amendments, and appendices (hereafter referred to in this document as the 2023 Handbook, as referenced in Section P. Reference Materials), and elsewhere. Sample segments are often located in remote areas on steep, rugged terrain. Access to segments may require 4-wheel drive vehicles and hiking long distances over rough terrain. The Government anticipates the award of one firm fixed-priced task order with a base period (FY23 measuring season) and two option periods (FY24 and FY25 measuring seasons) as a result from this solicitation. The number of Federal and Non-Federal segments for the option years are unknown. The number of Non-federal segments is predicted to remain consistent throughout the order period; however, Federal segments are expected to increase. Overview of work to be completed in 2023 Colorado NRI: i. There are 35 non-federal inventory segments in 14 counties in Colorado selected for data collection for 2023. Each segment has one or two sample points upon which data are to be collected. There are 59 segments on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 13 counties in Colorado. Each segment has one or two points that are eligible for data collection. Each inventory segment can range from approximately 19 acres to approximately 900 acres in size. Sample segments are often located in remote areas on steep, rugged terrain. ii. Data collection teams should consist of a team leader and one to two crew members. Team leader and crew members qualifications and experience requirements are outlined in Section G of this Statement of Work. iii. The Contractor shall enter data into a hand-held Trimble computer loaded with the NRCS computer-assisted survey instrument (CASI) software. iv. The Contractor shall work with the COR to achieve the transmittal of the data to the server at USDA-NRCS Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology located in Ames, Iowa. Alternatively, the Contractor - at their option - may use NRCS- approved paper data forms to collect the data in the field to enhance data collection efficiency, prior to the Contractor entering the data into the CASI for review and transmission. Paper forms shall be retained and provided to the COR inside a segment casefile when it is returned to the COR following completion of NRI. v. Assigned BLM and OPGL segments will have one, two or three sample points available per segment. The Contractor shall seek permission to access all assigned BLM segments and OPGL points from the appropriate owners of property, requiring transit to the point, prior to passage or initiating data collection. vi. Up to two points per segment shall then have data collected at assigned BLM and OPGL locations. OPGL points have additional protocols that are required for data collection – see the 2023 Handbook for guidance. vii. Colorado contract area NRI USDI-BLM and Onsite Private Grazing Lands (OPGL) workload for FY23 fiscal year is detailed elsewhere.
