Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Green Mountain Finger Lakes Invasive Species Map and Control
Department of Agriculture · Forest Service
More open Forest Service contracts
AI summaryThe USDA Forest Service wants a small business to survey, map and treat non-native invasive plants (NNIP) with herbicide and hand cutting on timber sale sites in the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. It is a total small business set-aside with one anticipated firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work ends up costing) award; the response due date is October 26, 2026 (an amendment moved it to Nov 2, 2026, 11:59 PM EST), 11:59 PM Eastern. Work runs January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027 and is priced by the acre on four line items (contract line item numbers, CLINs) plus a mobilization line. The contractor and its supervisors need a Vermont commercial pesticide applicators license. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 26, 2026. It moves the due date from Oct 26, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026, which is the date shown on this page. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 16, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 26, 2026. The due date moved from Oct 26, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 2 of 10 attachments weren't read (C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 4 SOI RV1.xlsx, C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 4 SOI.xlsx). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The USDA Forest Service wants a small business to survey, map and treat non-native invasive plants (NNIP) with herbicide and hand cutting on timber sale sites in the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. It is a total small business set-aside with one anticipated firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work ends up costing) award; the response due date is October 26, 2026 (passed), 11:59 PM Eastern. Work runs January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027 and is priced by the acre on four line items (contract line item numbers, CLINs) plus a mobilization line. The contractor and its supervisors need a Vermont commercial pesticide applicators license.
Who can bid
- Small business: the buy is a total small business set-aside, so only small businesses can bid.
- A valid Vermont commercial pesticide applicators license for the contractor, every subcontractor and whoever supervises herbicide treatment; a Vermont licensed applicator must be on site at all times of treatment.
- Active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).
How to submit: due October 26, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (9)
- Serious: Vermont pesticide license required. The contractor, all subcontractors and the herbicide supervisor must hold a Vermont commercial pesticide applicators license, and a licensed applicator must be on site whenever herbicide is applied.
- Serious: Small business set-aside, one award, price every item. Only small businesses can bid, and a quote that leaves any line item unpriced is not responsive to this single-award buy.
- Worth checking: Price schedule not read. The schedule of items (Attachment 4, two spreadsheet versions) was attached but not read, so check it on SAM.gov for the exact price layout before pricing.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Worth checking: The site visit was Oct 22, 2026. Check the notice and its amendments for whether attendance was required, and whether another visit is offered.
- Worth checking: Acres are gross footprints and overlap. Some areas are counted under more than one treatment line, overlapping areas are not paid twice, and the Catamount Cobble survey can be paid on its own.
- Worth checking: Plant patches may extend past the maps. You must treat plants that have spread slightly outside the supplied map boundaries, and large changes to the footprint need a formal contract change, so price some margin for this.
- Worth checking: Rework at the contractor's cost. Work that misses the quality standards (100% of the project area treated and more than 85% of the target infestation) is redone at the contractor's own cost, as judged by the COR.
- Minor: Service Contract Act wages apply. Labor must be paid at least the attached Department of Labor wage determination (1981-0213), so build those rates into your price.
- Minor: Seasonal treatment windows. Herbaceous plants and surveys are due by October 1 and woody plants by November 7, so the field season in 2027 sets when crews must be available.
Read from the notice and 8 attachments. 2 of 10 not read. Show which files.
- C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 1 SOW.pdf (read)
- C05-12444726Q0053_Attach 1_SOW_v2.pdf (read)
- C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 2 Maps_v1.pdf (read)
- C05 12444726Q0053_RFQ_RV1.pdf (read)
- C04 12444726Q0053 Attach 1 SOW_RV1.pdf (read)
- C05 12444726Q0053_RFQ.pdf (read)
- C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 2 Maps.pdf (read)
- C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 3 WD 1981-0213 rev81326.pdf (read)
- C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 4 SOI RV1.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- C05 12444726Q0053 Attach 4 SOI.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Line 0001 (76.54 AC): treat woody invasive plants along roads, trails and utility corridors that vehicles can reach, using cut stump, basal bark or foliar spot spray, within 30 feet of either side
- Line 0002 (49.1 AC): treat woody invasive plants on open land and utility corridors that vehicles cannot reach, within 1/4 mile of a drivable road
- Line 0003 (48.74 AC): spray herbicide on the leaves of non-woody invasive plants (such as knapweed, thistles, leafy spurge) along roads, trails and utility corridors with vehicle access
- Line 0004 (71 AC): survey and record invasive plant populations at Catamount Cobble using GPS and geographic information system (GIS) mapping tools
- Line 0005 (1 EA): mobilization, one fixed price covering travel to sites, moving equipment and meetings; no other line may bill mobilization
- Provide all labor, herbicides, equipment, protective gear, licenses and permits; no aerial spraying; clean up spills and post caution signs where the public may be near sprayed areas
- Check in with the contracting officer's representative (COR: the Forest Service's on-site inspector) after award and before treatment on methods and schedule; start within 7 calendar days after the notice to proceed
- Treat herbaceous plants and finish surveys by October 1 and woody plants by November 7; send datasheets and spatial data by December 31; rework at your own cost if quality standards are missed
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (anticipated); one award
- Period of performance
- January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027; no option periods stated
- Place of performance
- Rutland, VT, USA (SAM.gov); the statement of work names the Rochester, Middlebury and Manchester Districts of the Green Mountain Finger Lakes National Forest
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- How they'll choose
- The highest technically rated quote wins if its price is fair and reasonable and its past performance is rated acceptable or neutral; no tradeoffs
- Offers due
- October 26, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern (from the version posted Oct 16, 2026; amended since)
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical: the most technically advantageous solution under the stated criteria (the criteria are in a part of the request for quote that was not read)
- Past Experience: relevance of recent work (similarity of work performed, contract size, complexity, diversity); positive and negative past performance may be considered
- Price: checked for fair and reasonableness for the highest technically rated quote; all line items must be priced
What to include when you submit
- Submit a completed bid schedule with a price for every line item (0001 to 0005); the schedule of items is Attachment 4
- Complete the offeror blocks of Standard Form 1449 (SF 1449: the form you sign and return as your offer)
- Hold your prices firm for 90 calendar days from the date offers are due
- Give resume-style summaries of recent, relevant contracts: scope of work, contract value, performance outcomes and points of contact
- Ask for any extra wage determination no later than two days before the solicitation closes
- Send questions by email to Laniece Nixon (laniece.nixon@usda.gov), copy Shannon Wrobel (shannon.wrobel@usda.gov), with the solicitation name and number as the subject
Not in the notice text
- The price schedule (Attachment 4, Schedule of Items, two spreadsheet versions) is attached on SAM.gov but was not read; the middle parts of the request for quote and the statement of work files were also left out of the text read.
- How to submit the quote (email address or portal) is not stated in the text read.
- The Government's estimated value is not stated.
- Whether the site visit is required is not stated.
- The technical evaluation criteria are not in the text read.
- The list of herbicides the Forest has approved is not in the text read.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. More open small business set-asides under NAICS 115310
- How and where to submit is in the notice text and its attachments on SAM.gov.
- Service contracts usually set minimum pay rates (the Service Contract Act). Price the labor with the SCA price calculator.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 16, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- USDA-FS, CSA East 8, Atlanta, GA
- Product/service code
- F099 · Natural Resources/Conservation – Other
- Business type
- Environmental & natural resources (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 115310)
- Versions
5 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 26, 2026 · AmendmentDue Nov 2, 2026
- Oct 23, 2026 · AmendmentDue Nov 2, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 16, 2026 · Amendment 0004 (this version)Due Oct 26, 2026
- Oct 9, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 26, 2026
- Oct 8, 2026 · Combined Synopsis/SolicitationDue Oct 26, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Amendment 0004 has been issued for Solicitation 12444726Q0053. Please review the following updates: Additional questions and responses for the questions asked. The updated documents are posted in the Attachments/Links section. All other documents remain unchanged. Amendment 0003 has been issued for Solicitation 12444726Q0053. Please review the following updates: Updated deadline for quotes. Quotes are now due 11:59pm Eastern Time, November 2, 2026. Questions and responses for the questions asked during the question period. Questions and responses for the questions asked at the site visit. Updated Maps. The updated documents are posted in the Attachments/Links section. All other documents remain unchanged. Amendment 0002 has been issued for Solicitation 12444726Q0053. Please review the following updates: The updated solicitation documents titled C05_Sol12444726Q0053_Attach1_SOW_V2 and C05_12444726Q0053_Attach2_MAPS_V1 have been posted. Additional Updates: • A site visit will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM ET at the: USFS Manchester Ranger Station Green Mountain National Forest 2538 Depot Street Manchester Center, VT 05255 POC for the visit: Stephanie Erlandson Stephanie.Erlandson@usda.gov | 802-362-2307 • Appendix B in the SOW has been updated to reflect the correct acreage totals. • Maps have been updated to remove Rocky Hollow. • All other changes are highlighted in yellow. Reminders: • The last day to submit questions is Monday, October 19, 2026. • Quotes are due Monday, October 26, 2026, before 11:59 PM ET. The updated documents will be posted in the Attachments/Links section. All other documents remain unchanged. ********************************************************************************************************************************************* Amendment 0001 is issued for Solicitation 12444726Q0053, Green Mountain Finger Lakes Invasive Species Map and Control. Quantities for Line Items 0002–0004 have been updated. Revised documents (RFQ-RV1, Attach1-SOW-RV1, and Attach4-SOI-RV1) are provided; please refer to the updated documents in the attachments section. All original terms and conditions remain unchanged. As a reminder, quotes are due Monday, 26 October 2026, no later than 11:59 p.m. ************************************************************************************************************************************************** The Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests seek contractor support to survey, map, and treat non?native invasive plant species (NNIP) across designated timber units and adjacent areas. Work includes manual, mechanical, physical, and chemical treatments to prevent the spread of NNIP before timber harvest activities. Contractors must provide all labor, equipment, herbicides, PPE, GPS/GIS capabilities, and related materials. GIS data collection is required using GPS devices, tablets, or approved applications. Please see the attached Statement of Work (SOW) and other documents for more details.
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