REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY [CARSON NATIONAL FOREST] 1.0 Description 1.1 The Carson National Forest, Forest Service Building, 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, New Mexico 87571 is seeking information on how interested contractor could give advice on horse gathering project using Bait Traps/Water Traps or other cost efficient practices. 1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the US Forest Service is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondees are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps.Gov) website / www.fbo.gov for the potential offers to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 1.3 Background: Past purchase orders and contracts involved bait and trapping of wild horses using water/bait traps, and then moving captured horses to holding areas. The holding areas are the boneyards of the ranger districts. Jarita Mesa Wild Horse Territory (WHT) horses will be brought down to the yard behind the El Rito RD in El Rito NM. The horses from the Jicarilla WHT will be brought to Bloomfield NM to the Jicarilla RD boneyard. The Bloomfield facility is not at the same location as the district Office as it is in El Rito. The Jicarilla RD boneyard is at 7 roads 5050, which is off HWY 550 about 1 mile south of Bloomfield on the west side and within view of HWY 550 HORSE GATHERING 2.0 Requested Information: Is there a way to improve the above process? Any recommendations may be posted to www.fbo.gov unless marked proprietary. Attached is the current scope of work. 2.1 Planned Project currently being used: The current process consist of a system called bait trapping or water trapping, horses are gathered, and transported to one of two locations in designated holding areas, EL Rito Ranger District New Mexico and Jicarilla Ranger District area. 2.2 Delivery Period: Base Period September 1, 2015 to Feb 28, 2016 2nd, 3rd 4th and final option periods will run from June 1 to October 30. 2.3 Limitations: How many Horses can both holding areas hold El Rito Ranger District 50 horses and 100 at the Bloomfield location. 2.4 Security Requirements: To aid in maintaining closures where we give access behind gates for oil and gas administrative roads on the Jicarilla Ranger District. No items referenced in 3.0 4.0 Responses: Responses will be accepted till May 15, 2015, 10:00am, Albuquerque time. 4.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper. 4.2 White papers in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format are due no later than May 25, 2015, 10:00am, Albuquerque time. Responses shall be limited to 3 pages for and submitted via e-mail only to[Peter Ondrasek, Contracting Officer,
[email protected]. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all the following is a list of support contractor Points of Contacts who will review the responses. US Forest Service: Name: Peter Ondrasek, email:
[email protected] Sean Kelly, email:
[email protected] 4.3. Section 1 of the white paper shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: 4.3.1. Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact. 4.3.2. Recommended contracting strategy. 4.3.3. Respondents will provide there information of suggestions on a report no longer than 03 pages. Submit any technical questions on a separate piece of paper, omit proprietary information. 2) The replying vendor should withhold any proprietary information from submission to this request for information. In the absence of either of the foregoing, the Government will assume that the responded will withhold proprietary information not allowed for public posting to www.fedbizops.gov. 4.3.4. Business type (small business, very small business,) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 115210, Support Activities for Animal Production , Small business concern" means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than 7.5 million dollars in annual receipts. The annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52. Respondees are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The number of pages in Section 1 of the white paper shall be included in the 02-page limitation, i.e., the 02-page limitation applies only to Section 2 of the white paper. 4.4 Section 2 of the white paper shall answer the issues addressed in Section 3 of this RFI and shall be limited to [02] pages. 5.0 Industry Discussions The US Forest Service, Carson representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offers but reserves the right to call on the recommendations. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially any development and certification risks. 6.0 Questions Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Officer, email address. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the www.fbo.gov accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after May 25, 2015, 10:00am, Albuquerque time will be answered. To access the federal business opportunities website go to www.fbo,gov website. Interested parties are invited to subscribe to the www.fbo.gov website to ensure they receive any important information updates connected with this RFI. 7.0 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that can provide BAIT AND TRAPPING OF WILD HORSES. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The US Forest Service has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.