Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Sierra National Forest (SNF5) Coyote Fuels Reduction and Site Preparation.
Department of Agriculture · Forest Service · Sol. 127EAS26Q0048
Due in 7 daysSmall business
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Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The U.S. Forest Service (Sierra National Forest) wants a small business to fell dead trees, thin young conifers and pile or otherwise treat slash and brush on fire-burned land in the Tamarack Ridge / Coyote Sno-Park area of the High Sierra Ranger District in California, getting the ground ready for replanting. It is a one-year, firm-fixed-price job paid by the acre, with 4 base units and 9 optional units, and it sits in endangered Yosemite toad habitat. Quotes are due October 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific.
Watch out for
- Yosemite toad monitor approval and training. Only approved monitors can work in toad habitat, approval comes after awarded-contract training in spring and June 2027, and untrained helpers cannot work under supervision, so monitor availability and cost are a big risk.
Monitors are not automatically approved after the training.
- Endangered species work restrictions. Toad habitat rules limit when, where and how you can work (limited operating periods, stopping 48 hours after rain, no night work, no piling in some areas), which affects production rates and schedule.
- Fixed price with no fuel adjustment. Most field work may happen in 2027, up to a year after quotes, and the Government will not normally adjust prices for fuel.
The Contracting Officer does not typically adjust for fuel prices.
- Must price every item. There is one award, and leaving out any base or option item can make your quote non-responsive.
Therefore, to be considered responsive, contractors must submit pricing for all items.
- Fire plan and fire-season operating rules. You must supply fire equipment, a water tank, a fire patrol and a fire supervisor depending on fire danger levels, and fire shutdowns are not counted as Government delay.
Contractor shall furnish a qualified fire patrolperson each operating day
- Tight contract end date. All work, including exercised options, must finish within 365 days for the whole contract, with winter and start date set at the pre-work meeting.
365 days for the entire contract.
- Detailed technical and fire-line specifications. Pile spacing, fire lines and slope limits are strict, and the Government can order piles moved at no extra cost.
The contractor is responsible for completing an 8-10ft fire line around the perimeter of units.
- Proposal must be specific, not boilerplate. A technical proposal that only repeats the SOW or says it will comply is rated unacceptable, and an assumptions list is required.
- Service Contract Labor Standards wage rates. A Fresno County wage determination applies and was a scanned file that could not be read, so labor rates are not confirmed.
The Service Contract Labor Standards could apply to any contracts awarded through this solicitation.
- Conflicting dates and contacts across documents. The SF 1449 shows a 10/09/2026 due date and the Q&A says it was extended to 10/16/2026; the Q&A also corrects the fire plan contacts and the COR, and says only wage determination 2015-5609 applies, so follow the Q&A.
The solicitation will be extended to 10/16/2026 for the time being.
Read from the notice and 6 attachments. 5 not read in full.
- C04_QAs for 127EAS26Q0048.pdf
- C04_1449_(SNF5)_127EAS26Q0048.pdf
- C04_Statement_of_Work_127EAS26Q0048.docx
- C04_CSS_Terms-Conditions_127EAS26Q0048.docx
- C04_127EAS26Q0048_ExperienceQuestionnaire.docx
- C04_Fire_Plan.pdf
- C04_Schedule_of_Items_127EAS26Q0048.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- C04_127EAS26Q0048_CTRKeyPersonnel.doc: .doc files aren't read yet
- C04_YOTO_ApprovedMonitors.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- C04_Complete_Map_Package.pdf: scanned PDF: no text to read
- C04_Wage_Det_Fresno_2015-5609.pdf: scanned PDF: no text to read
Full brief
What they want
- Fell standing dead trees (leave 4 of the largest snags per acre) and thin surviving young conifers to 20x20 ft (18x18 ft for trees under 16-inch DBH)
- Treat all existing and created slash, brush and leftover Creek Fire right-of-way material, usually by piling for later burning by the Government (at least 90% of vegetation treated); mastication allowed if approved
- Build 8-10 ft fire lines around the perimeter of units and around pile areas
- Base units 7, 32, 36 and 102; optional units 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 30 and 38
- Use an approved Yosemite toad biological monitor for work in toad habitat (priced into Unit 102 work; optional CLIN 1003 covers optional units for 65 days)
- Follow equipment exclusion zones, meadow and stream buffers, sensitive plant areas, noxious weed cleaning and fire precaution rules
- Use GPS and georeferenced maps (sub-meter accuracy for acre measurement); acres are measured in GIS or by handheld GPS
- Provide all equipment, fuel, crews and a fire plan with water tank, fire patrol and extinguishers when required
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price commercial contract (combined synopsis/solicitation, RFQ), paid by the acre; one-year base period with optional items; one award, all items must be priced
- Period of performance
- October 16, 2026 to October 16, 2027; 365 days for the entire contract. FAR 52.217-9 extension option is meant for bad weather or wildfire.
- Place of performance
- Tamarack Ridge area / Coyote Sno-Park, High Sierra Ranger District, Sierra National Forest, off Highway 168 near Shaver Lake (Fresno County), CA
- How they'll choose
- Tradeoff process (FAR 15.101): the Government can pick other than the lowest price. Non-price factors combined are of equal importance to price. Award may be made without discussions.
- Offers due
- 2026-10-16 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time (extended from 10/09/2026 per the Q&A)
- How to submit
- Email to Contract Specialist Chris Kane, christopher.kane2@usda.gov
What they'll judge offers on
- Factor 1: Technical Approach to Performing the Work (including stated assumptions)
- Factor 2: Responsibility (go/no-go, FAR 9.104-1)
- Factor 3: Experience and Past Performance (recency, relevance, confidence ratings)
- Factor 4: Price, including Basis of Estimate (reasonableness under FAR 15.404-1)
What to include when you submit
- Title page: solicitation number, company name, address, point of contact, phone and email, SAM UEI, and type of small business
- Technical Volume: Factor 1 technical approach (equipment, key personnel, logistics, crew accommodations, subcontractors, local labor, biobased products, schedule) plus a list of your assumptions (machine vs hand areas, slope effects on production, resource buffers, alternate equipment)
- Technical Volume: Forest Service Designation of Key Personnel form (mandatory) and completed Experience Questionnaire, with a statement in block 13 on financial ability to perform
- Complete the Representations and Certifications in Section E
- Price Volume: signed Schedule of Items in the provided Excel file with all highlighted cells filled, plus a Basis of Estimate explaining the pricing
- Price all base and optional items, including the biological monitor CLIN 1003; list total monitor cost there
- Technical and price volumes as separate Word, Excel or PDF files
- SF 1449: complete item 17a (company name, address, UEI, contact) and items 30a-c (signer with authority to commit the company)
- Hold prices firm for 90 calendar days
- Amendments must be acknowledged by the date in the amendment
- No bid, performance or payment bonds are required (confirmed in the Q&A)
You must have
- Small business under NAICS 115310 (size standard $34 million); total small business set-aside
This acquisition is a Total Small Business Set-Aside.
- Verify your small business size for NAICS 115310 when you respond
Verify NAICS 115310 small-business size.
- Active SAM.gov entity registration
Offerors must have an active entity registration in the System for Award Management in
- Must meet a qualification requirement: biological monitors must be approved by the District Aquatic Biologist (degree, 40 hours of survey experience, district training and field course)
Offerors, or the product or service, ARE required to meet a qualification requirement to be eligible for award.
- Biological monitors for the federally threatened Yosemite toad must meet strict schooling and training standards
Biological Monitor: At a minimum, Yosemite toad (Federally threatened) biological monitors
- Equipment with GPS and a mobile device that can read georeferenced PDF maps for each piece of equipment or crew
Not in the notice text
- Schedule of Items (Excel) was not read: exact acres, unit prices and CLIN quantities are not in the text
- Approved Yosemite toad monitor list (Excel) was not read
- Map package and wage determination 2015-5609 were scanned PDFs with no readable text
- Contractor Key Personnel form (.doc) was not read
- The middle of the Statement of Work (about 24,500 characters, including later technical requirements, government-furnished items and deliverables/schedule) was left out
- Estimated contract value or budget
- When the authorization to begin work will be issued and whether option units will be exercised
- Page limits for the technical volume
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 16, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 7, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Solicitation
- 127EAS26Q0048
- Agency
- Department of Agriculture · Forest Service
- Office
- USDA-FS, Csa Southwest 2
- Set-aside
- Small Business Set Aside - Total
- NAICS
- 115310
- Product/service code
- F021
- Business type
- Environmental & natural resources
- Place of performance
- CA, 93651
- Contracting contact
- Chris Kanechristopher.kane2@usda.gov
- Versions
- 4 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This treatment requires the contractor to fell standing dead trees, to thin, where appropriate, stands of surviving conifer saplings and to treat the created and existing slash, brush and remnant Creek Fire right of way material. The project is on the Tamarack Ridge area of the High Sierra R.D. on the Sierra N.F. Period of Preformance will 365 days from award. Please have any questions to the Contract Specialist, Chris Kane - christopher.kane2@usda.gov, by 10/6/2026 - 1500 Pacific Time.
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