USDA Forest Service Land Management Resources (LMIR) BPA Lolo NF Seeley RD Tree Thinning

Background
The USDA Forest Service (FS), Procurement Operations (PROPS) is issuing this synopsis/solicitation notice to comply with the USDA’s policy in the Contracting Desk Book regarding Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).

The USDA FS aims to award a competitive BPA Call Order against the LMIR BPA for tree thinning and stand improvement activities. The Land Management Integrated Resources BPA (LMIR) is a National BPA that encompasses various work types including Professional Services, Natural Resources Restoration, Engineering, Project Management, NEPA, and Communications. This BPA is available for use by all federal agencies.

Work Details
The Seeley Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest requires pre-commercial tree thinning and stand improvement activities to reduce tree density, mitigate fuel hazards, and improve overall stand health. Tasks include:
- Selection and cutting of undesirable or excess trees to provide space for leave trees.
- Treatment of associated slash to reduce hazardous fuels and uncharacteristic fire behavior on National Forest Lands.
- Work will be conducted within designated boundaries marked with pink vinyl ribbon and provided via georeferenced maps.
- Access to units will be from indicated forest roads; contractors must clear any obstructive trees.
- Compliance with the Northern Region Food Storage Order R1-2023-02 is required.
- Camping may be allowed with prior written approval from the District Ranger.
- Non-performance penalties apply for cutting non-designated trees or failing to cut designated trees.

Period of Performance
Work must begin within 7 days of receiving a Notice to Proceed, with operations permitted only from May 1st to October 16th each year.

Place of Performance
Lolo National Forest in Montana, near Lake Inez, approximately 10 miles north of Seeley Lake.

Bidder Requirements
This procurement is restricted to approved companies eligible for call orders under the LMIR BPA for USFS. The opportunity is set aside for Small Business Set Aside - Total (SBA). Bidders must have relevant experience in tree thinning and stand improvement activities.

Incumbent Analysis (see Incumbents section for more detail)
This opportunity to perform pre-commercial tree thinning and stand improvement on the Lolo National Forest appears to have a confirmed incumbent and/or closely related prior contract through the Region 1/Region 4 Mechanical Thinning IDIQs under which Sprout Forestry ($1,808,425), Oneill Excavation ($1,200,204), and other awardees performed mechanical thinning and related fuels treatment work. Those prior awards cover whole tree removal, processing/decking/mastication, slash treatment and leave-tree protection, and stand improvement activities—work that aligns with the Seeley Ranger District’s thinning, slash/fuel hazard reduction, and stand health objectives. The overlap in task types and fuels-treatment scope suggests this call order is a continuation of the same mechanical thinning programmatic effort under the LMIR BPA framework.