West Tennessee NWR Forest Habitat Improvement

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCMENET ONLY. This is sources south Notice only and it is not a solicitation announcement. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to gain knowledge of qualified, potential contractors and their socio-economic size classification in accordance with NAICS code 115310. Responses will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After a review of the responses to this Sources Sought Notice, a solicitation announcement may be posted. A response to this Sources Sought Notice is not an adequate reply to a potentially forthcoming solicitation. Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) This project is part of the West TN Complex management program to improve forest habitat in older hardwood plantations. An initial thinning will occur within several hardwood plantation stands across Lower Hatchie NWR and Chickasaw NWR. The trees are not desirable in current markets. Therefore, completing the project using the hack and squirt method is prescribed to release quality residual trees and allow a flush of lower vegetation to improve current and future habitat for waterfowl, forest breeding birds, bats, quail, and other native wildlife. This potential procurement consists of: Timber Stand Improvement (TSI): The objective of the TSI treatment is to hack and squirt undesirable trees (e.g. box elder, cottonwood, maple, etc.) within 2-6 inches DBH and planted oaks with poor form (e.g. forked or crooked stems, excessive epicormic branching, poorly developed crowns etc.) between 6-12 inches DBH in order to encourage growth of remaining trees and oak regeneration. A potential contractor must hack undesired trees using hand tools, making cuts for every 3 inches of DBH and applying Arsenal according to label specifications. Remaining stands should contain a sufficient number of stems to remain manageable in the future. Residual basal area should be reduced to 50-60 ft2 or 130-180 trees per acre. The sites specified for TSI in this document are located on higher ground where seasonal flooding does not impact accessibility. Therefore, TSI operations can occur year-round with the exception of periods of heavy sap flow (mid-March ¿ mid-April) which can diminish the effectiveness of the herbicide. Underplanting Red Oaks: Nuttall oak and Cherrybark oak seedlings have been specified as the two red oak species to be underplanted throughout compartments 3A and 2W. Seedlings will be planted at a rate of 302.5 seedlings per acre using a 12 ft. by 12 ft. spacing. Planting will ideally occur sometime between February and March but will be contingent upon longevity and timing of possible backwater flooding that can result from a rise in the Mississippi River above 24 ft. at the Osceola, AR gauge. Description and Location All areas are located in Lauderdale County within the boundaries of Lower Hatchie and Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuges in West Tennessee. All areas to be treated are located north of the Hatchie River and east of the Mississippi River. Refer to the attached maps for specific stand locations and individual acreages. Each unit is accessible via county and/or refuge roads. Total area to be treated through TSI will be 1,480 acres and total area to be underplanted will be 350 acres (1,830 acres total). If your firm can provide the above, submit your interest to [email protected] by 7/10/2024 5:00PM Eastern Time.