B--ESA Consultation/ NEPA Support for KBAO

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides answers to vendor questions regarding the KBAO ESA/NEPA Support opportunity. It clarifies aspects of the contract type, pricing, scope of work, and administrative requirements.

• Contract Type: The contract will be a Time & Materials (T&M) contract, not Firm-Fixed Price.
• Pricing: Bidders should fill in their fully burdened labor rates and cost per trip on the provided Price Schedule. This schedule will be used for pricing evaluation. Travel time and labor should be included.
• NEPA Process: The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) will initially develop an Environmental Assessment (EA). If significant effects are identified, the effort will transition to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Public review is not anticipated for BA/EFH documents but may be required for the NEPA document.
• Meetings: Approximately 4-8 in-person agency/stakeholder meetings are anticipated, primarily in southern Oregon. Additional coordination meetings with Reclamation may also occur. Procurement of meeting venues will be funded by the contract.
• Shared Platform: SharePoint is the preferred platform for a shared document library, to be created within two weeks.
• Key Personnel: Resumes for Key Personnel (Project Manager, NEPA Lead, ESA Specialist/Biologist) are required as part of the proposal for technical evaluation.
• Project Area: The project area is the Reclamation's Klamath Project, which delivers water for irrigation and wildlife refuge to approximately 230,000 acres in southern Oregon and northern California. Specific acreage, river length, and land areas are detailed in Section 1.2.1 of the PWS.
• Peer Review: Peer review will be applied to two models (WRIMS and KB_HEM). The contractor is recommended to subcontract the peer review itself and associated report.

This document clarifies that the contract will be T&M, provides guidance on pricing the Price Schedule, and details the expected scope and administrative requirements, including meeting logistics and platform use. It also confirms the need for Key Personnel resumes in the proposal.

Amendment / Modification

• This amendment answers questions presented by vendors.

• The quote due date has been extended by 3 days, from March 31, 2026, to April 3, 2026.

• Please refer to attached Q&A's for further details.

• The solicitation number is 140R2026Q0016.

• The effective date of this amendment is March 2, 2026.

• The proposal due date has been extended to April 3, 2026.

• The period of performance is May 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation seeks "Environmental Compliance Consultation and Support for Klamath Project Operations" for the Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Basin Area Office (KBAO) in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The objective is to obtain expert contractor assistance to ensure regulatory compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the continued operation of Reclamation's Klamath Project.

• Scope of Work: Provide comprehensive professional services including project management, technical document development (scientific, hydrological, biological, environmental analyses), and administrative, logistical, and technical support.

• Major Tasks:

  • Proposed Action Narrative Support
  • ESA Consultation Support (Develop Biological Assessment)
  • MSA Consultation Support (Develop EFH Assessment)
  • NEPA Compliance Support (Develop Environmental Assessment/FONSI or EIS/ROD)
  • Administrative Record Support
  • Project Management
  • Coordination and Logistical Support
  • Technical and Editorial Support
  • Literature Review and Reference Management
  • Scientific Modeling Support

• Deliverables: Include a shared platform, Peer Review Plan, Proposed Action Narrative, Peer Review Report, Draft and Final Biological Assessment, Final Essential Fish Habitat Assessment, Draft Environmental Assessment, Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, Administrative Record, and Project Management Reports.

• Period of Performance: Date of award through September 30, 2027.

• Place of Performance: Primarily remote with periodic in-person meetings in Klamath Falls, Medford, and Ashland, Oregon.

• Contract Type: Time & Material Purchase Order.

• Estimated Value: Not explicitly stated, but the NAICS code is 541620 with a size standard of $19 million.

• Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026, by 3:00 PM PDT.

• Submission Method: Quotes must be submitted via electronic mail to sherry_heibeck@ios.doi.gov.

• Required Documents: Completed page 4 of the solicitation, Attachment 1 (Price Schedule), SAM.gov registration with completed Representations and Certifications, Technical Proposal Approach (75 pages max), and Past Performance References.

• Evaluation Criteria: Quotes will be evaluated on a Best Value basis, considering three factors: Technical Approach, Past Performance, and Price.

• Set-Aside: This requirement is a 100% small business set-aside.

• NAICS Code: 541620 (Management Consulting Services).

• Size Standard: $19 million.

• Offerors must be registered in SAM.gov.

• Travel to Klamath Falls, Oregon, and surrounding areas may be required.

• Key personnel requirements include Project Manager, Fisheries and Wildlife Biologists, NEPA/Environmental Specialists, Hydrologists, Data Analysts, and Technical Writers/Editors, each with specific experience requirements.

• The solicitation incorporates numerous FAR clauses by reference.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a price schedule for the "Klamath Project ESA Consultation and NEPA Support" Service Acquisition. It outlines the expected labor categories, hours, rates, and costs for the contract, broken down by fiscal year.

• Labor Categories: Includes roles such as Project Manager, Fisheries Biologist (various specializations), Environmental/NEPA Specialists, Hydrologists, SocioEconomic Specialist, Data Analyst, Graphics/GIS Specialist, Technical Writer/Editor, and Administrative Assistant.
• Hours and Rates: Specifies the estimated hours for each labor category per fiscal year. Note that all labor rates and amounts are listed as 0.0 in this provided data.
• Other Direct Costs: Includes a section for "REQUIRED TRAVEL" with a "Not-to-Exceed Amount." Specific travel to Southern Oregon (Klamath Falls, Ashland, Medford) is listed, but the "Price Per Trip" and "Total" are also 0.0.
• Fiscal Year Totals: Provides subtotals for Direct Labor and Other Direct Costs for FY26 and FY27, as well as a "Total Contract Amount." All these totals are currently listed as 0.0.

Bidders should use this schedule to understand the anticipated labor mix and effort required for the Klamath Project ESA Consultation and NEPA Support. While the provided rates and amounts are zero, this structure indicates the types of personnel and activities the government expects to be covered by the contract. Bidders will need to fill in their proposed rates and calculate their total costs based on this structure when submitting their proposals.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To acquire expert contractor assistance for the Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) Klamath Basin Area Office (KBAO) to support regulatory compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the continued operation of Reclamation's Klamath Project.

Provide comprehensive professional services including project management, technical document development (scientific, hydrological, biological, environmental analyses), and administrative, logistical, and technical support. These services will aid Reclamation in ensuring timely and legally defensible deliverables for water and related resource management in compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations.

• Proposed Action Narrative Support: Compile and integrate hydrologic modeling results, coordinate reviews, and develop revisions.
• ESA Consultation Support: Develop Biological Assessments (BA), coordinate reviews, and assist with Biological Opinions.
• MSA Consultation Support: Develop Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Assessments, coordinate reviews.
• NEPA Compliance Support: Develop Environmental Assessments (EA) or Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and associated documentation (FONSI, ROD), coordinate reviews.
• Administrative Record Support: Develop an Administrative Record Plan, create a shared repository, compile and organize decision files, and index the record.
• Project Management: Develop schedules, action plans, status reports, manage risks and budgets, and manage sub-contractors.
• Coordination and Logistical Support: Assist with correspondence, communications, meeting facilitation, and deliver briefings.
• Technical and Editorial Support: Create shared platforms for document libraries, develop documents using Reclamation templates, and ensure accessibility compliance.
• Literature Review and Reference Management: Track and review articles, maintain a reference management system.
• Scientific Modeling Support: Coordinate with modeling experts, create and interpret model outputs.

Key deliverables include a Shared Platform, Proposed Action Narrative, Biological Assessment, Essential Fish Habitat Assessment, Environmental Assessment, and an Administrative Record, with specific milestone dates ranging from April 2026 to May 2027.

Date of award through September 30, 2027.

Primarily remote with periodic in-person meetings as needed in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and surrounding areas.

• Key personnel with expertise in fisheries, environmental science, hydrology, data analysis, technical writing, and project management.
• Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Reclamation's Visual Identity standards.