NAICS - 561210 Facilities Support Services This is a Sources Sought Notice requesting information needed by the Government prior to the release of any potential solicitation. Please read this entire synopsis. Interested parties responding to this synopsis should identify their response under BAQ030023. This is not a request for proposals and in no way obligates the Government to award a contract. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California State Office, is seeking sources capable of providing a wide array of recreational facilities and public lands maintenance support services in California. This work is managed and performed by the BLM Field Office in El Centro, California. BLM intends to perform a cost comparison pursuant to OMB Circular A-76 and the BLM Competitive Sourcing 2003 Express Review Guide in order to determine the most cost-effective source of required services. Accordingly, a solicitation for the services described herein may or may not result. The requirements generally fall under NAICS code 561210 Facilities Support Services. General Information: The BLM El Centro Field Office provides facilities maintenance (FM) services in areas totaling approximately 1.3 million acres of Designated Wilderness or Primitive Area, Wilderness Study Area and other publicly owned land under Agency administration in Southeastern California. Distances to maintained facilities from the El Centro Field Office extend up to 110 miles, and encompass the following Wilderness or Primitive Areas under the California Desert Protection Act: Jacumba, Carrizo Gorge, Coyote Mountains, Little Picacho, Sawthooth Mountains, Fish Creek Mountains, North Algodones Dunes, Picacho Peak, Indian Pass and Palo Verde Mountains. FM services vary widely by frequency of performance and specific requirements, but include: Operator maintenance of heavy equipment (bobcat tractor and attachments, water trailers, flatbed trailers, camp trailers, pressure washer, concrete mixer, graders, dump trucks, bulldozers, backhoes, front-end loaders, etc.), road grading, hiking trail and off highway vehicle trail repairs; land sailing surface maintenance; construction / maintenance / repair of irrigation systems, bridges, signs, fences, culverts, cattle-guards, corrals, fire pits, publications kiosks, and campsite resources (outhouses, tables, parking areas, etc.); construction / maintenance / repair of buildings; removal of dead trees, trash and abandoned property from managed areas; routine janitorial services within BLM maintained buildings; graffiti removal from maintained facilities and natural features; weed control on trails and managed sites; outhouse cleaning and servicing; water sampling and treatment; erosion control and remediation; sand dune management; maintenance and repair of government owned tools and equipment used in performing specified services. These services are currently performed by journeyman level BLM Maintenance Workers who, because of the remoteness of many facilities and the extreme fluctuations in weather conditions, often must travel in pairs for employee safety purposes. Required skills include: operate truck/trailer combinations on and off highway to move heavy equipment, load and unload heavy equipment onto truck/trailer; operate grader, mower, dozer, backhoe, forklift, and similar equipment; perform carpentry, concrete work, stone masonry, electrical work, plumbing, painting, welding, and janitorial work. Additionally, FM personnel use all terrain vehicles and dune buggies extensively to patrol serviced areas. Map reading and land navigation are essential skills. Earthwork and reclamation training certifications are required for specific land management tasks and are crucial to properly handle threatened and endangered species plants and wildlife, and archeological sites. Work requirements vary seasonally and as a result of adverse weather, vandalism, and routine public use of BLM maintained resources. Service provider shall periodically tour and inspect BLM owned areas to determine maintenance/repair needs, perform routine tasks as needs are detected, and schedule/perform non-routine requirements on a priority of need basis. Knowledge of and compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) is a key requirement for FM operations. Primary emphasis is on the safety of users of publicly owned resources, with enjoyment of use, and protection of resources and the environment as important goals. Covered FM operations involve work by two and one half skilled positions, with a yearly average of over 4440 hours on specified tasks. All equipment, tools, materials and supplies for FM will be Government furnished. The Government will also continue to use small, local service providers for specific services, such as vault toilet pumping and janitorial services. Interested parties shall respond by E-mail to this synopsis. Responses shall summarize company qualifications and experience in providing the range of services described above and outline how the responder would provide such services in the El Centro Field Office area of responsibility. E-mail responses must provide company name and business size, a return e-mail address, mailing address, telephone number, facsimile number, name and title of responsible company official. If you are interested in this requirement, please indicate your interest by e-mail to: Vandricia Razo, Purchasing Agent, (
[email protected]) no later than 30 July 2003. Qualified responders will receive a more detailed description of requirements on which to base a preliminary estimate of cost and pricing.