Description
Modification to add description as follows: L09PS00056, GOOD QUALITY HAY FOR THE FEEDING OF WILD HORSES AT THE ELM CREEK, NEBRASKA HOLDING FACILITY, FOR A 12-MONTH PERIOD, WITH TWO 12-MONTH OPTIONS. Solicitation number L09PS00056 applies and will be issued on or about February 2, 2009 as a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the following requirement: The Bureau of Land Management's Elm Creek, NE Holding Facility has a requirement for good quality hay to be delivered on a monthly basis from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010, with an option for 2 more 12-month periods. The Elm Creek Wild Horse and Burro Facility is located at 5050 100th Road, Elm Creek, Nebraska. Offerors shall provide a firm fixed monthly unit price for the base year, option year 1 and option year 2. BACKGROUND - This contract is intended to procure quality hay products for the feeding of wild horses and burros at the National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Elm Creek in Elm Creek, NE. The National Wild Horse and Burro program is an integral part of the management of federal lands in the western United States. Every year wild horses that are determined to be excess on the public lands are removed and placed in the Adopt-A-Horse program. This program places wild horses and burros into private homes around the country. The Wild Horse and Burro Center at Elm Creek (EC) is charged with taking care of these animals on their journey to private adopted homes. A good feeding program is an integral part to the care the animals receive while on the facility. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS - The purchase of good quality alfalfa hay helps ensure the good care of wild horses on the facility. The contract will ensure the procurement of good quality hay for the feeding of 400-500 wild horses and burros per day throughout the year. This will require the delivery of hay to feed up to 6.5 tons of hay per day or 195 tons per month (which includes an estimated 700 small square bales, per month) throughout the year. The Hay Contractor shall coordinate all deliveries with the Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and the EC Feeding contractor. The Hay Contractor will unload all the small square bales into the BLM hay shed and the EC Feeding Contractor will unload the loads of round bales with the feeding contractors provided on-site tractor. This is why the hay contractor must coordinate round bale load deliveries with the COR and EC Feeding Contractor. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS - The primary, large volume feeding of alfalfa hay is through the use of large round bales. This will be the largest amount of hay needed to be supplied by the hay contractor. EC also feeds animals in the smaller load pens and sick pens using small square bales. It is estimated that BLM will need approximately 700 small square bales on a monthly basis. However, this quantity may vary from month to month depending on the number of animals being maintained in sick pens and the number of animals being unloaded at the facility. Large Alfalfa Round-Bale Requirements: Protein level 16% or higher; Relative Feed Value 125 or higher; Weed level less than 5%; Grass level less than 5%; Moisture content of less than 18%; Hay test available upon request within 10 days of delivery; Weigh ticket for each load to verify weight delivered. Small Alfalfa Square Bale Requirements: Protein level 16% or higher; Relative Feed Value 125 or higher; Weed level less than 5%; Grass level less than 5%; Moisture content of less than 18%; A bale should weigh between 65 pounds and 85 pounds; Hay test available upon request within 10 days of delivery; Weigh ticket for each load to verify weight delivered; Delivered/unloaded as directed by the COR. All hay delivered will be free of dust, mold and heating. All deliveries will be inspected by the on-site COR/PI, and will be subject to their approval and acceptance, or rejection in the event of shipment of non-compliant hay before unloading. Deliveries will be during normal business hours, Monday-Friday 8 a.m-4 p.m., and coordinated with the COR and EC Feeding contractor. Weekend deliveries will only be allowed after approval by the COR and coordinated with the EC Feeding Contractor. Weigh tickets will be provided to the COR when the loads are delivered to the EC facility. The estimated yearly amount of hay to be fed on the facility will be approximately 2,400 tons in a 12 month period. Approximate delivery schedule for the hay will be once a month but could be more frequent if the quantity of hay being consumed is greater or the numbers of animals being housed increases. Hay deliveries will be required in a timely manner and not drawn out except for extenuating circumstances which will require the prior approval by the on-site COR. Deliveries will need to be approximately on average 30 tons per day or within 5-7 working days. Approximately 700 small square bales will be required per month and can be stored in the shed provided by the BLM on-site. The remainder of the hay to be shipped and unloaded shall be the large round bales, as described above. Special circumstances - Inclement weather in Nebraska is a common occurrence. It is the goal of the EC facility to maintain from month to month a backup supply of large round bales of hay to allow for periods of weather in the form of snow or muddy conditions which may conflict with a Hay Contractor's ability to get hay out of a field for delivery to the EC facility. It is the goal of the EC facility to have 30-50 large round bales on-site at all times to maintain a 3-5 day feeding supply on-hand in cases of severe snow or mud conditions which would impact a contractors ability to retrieve hay from a field to deliver to the EC facility. Thus, it is anticipated that deliveries should begin as the supply of hay on the EC facility is at or about 30-50 large round bales. This will insure the facility has a backup supply of hay at all times in the case of delivery problems such as snow and mud conditions or any other unforeseen conflicts occur. This is not a complete list of the specifications and should be used only as a basis to decide whether or not to review the solicitation. Proposals are due March 2, 2009 by 2:00 PM Mountain Time. Send proposals by U.S. Mail to: Department of the Interior; BLM, BC-663; Attention: Steve Santoro; BLDG 50, DFC, PO Box 25047; Denver, CO 80225-0047. By express or hand delivery: Department of the Interior; BLM, BC-663; Attention: Steve Santoro; Mail Room, Entrance S-2; BLDG 50, Denver Federal Center; Denver, CO 80225; By facsimile to (303) 236-9421. Hard copies of the solicitation will not be provided. Offerors must be registered at http://www.ccr.gov to be eligible for award of a contract.