Request for Qualifications: Environmental Compliance Consultant for Klamath Basin Conservation Grantmaking Programs

Deadline for Submission of Materials:  March 1, 2022

 

Overview

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) invites interested professional service providers to submit statements of qualifications to assist NFWF with federal environmental compliance document preparation and review for our grantmaking efforts as part of two U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) grant programs: 

  1. The Klamath River Coho Restoration Grant Program: This program supports local and regional on-the-ground activities that improve degraded habitat and assist in enhancing natural populations of Southern Oregon Northern California Coast (SONCC) coho salmon specifically within the mainstem Klamath River and tributaries between Iron Gate Dam at river mile 190 to the Klamath River mouth excluding the Trinity River. This program is required pursuant to the Endangered Species Act Section 7(a)(2) Biological Opinion, and Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Essential Fish Habitat Response for Klamath Project Operations From April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2024 (2019 BiOp) issued by the National Marine Fisheries Services on March 29, 2019.
  2. The Trinity River Restoration Program: This program provides funding for activities that improve fish and wildlife habitat within the Trinity River Basin to mitigate impacts of the operation of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project on the mainstem fisheries of the Trinity River. Program funds are used to support local and regional on-the-ground actions that reduce fine sediment delivery in degraded watersheds or improve habitat connectivity. Reclamation is required to support the Program pursuant to the Record of Decision – Trinity River Mainstem Fishery Restoration Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (ROD) issued by the Department of the Interior on December 19, 2000. Administration of Program funds are directed towards habitat restoration activities within tributary watersheds of the Trinity River between Lewiston Dam and Weitchpec, including the South Fork Trinity River and its tributaries.

NFWF will review applicant capacity to support one or both above-mentioned programs. 
 

Background

NFWF is the largest private conservation grant-maker in the nation and is dedicated to sustaining, restoring and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. NFWF advances these ideals through innovative public and private partnerships, and by investing financial resources and intellectual capital into science-based programs designed to address conservation priorities and achieve measurable outcomes.

NFWF has invested in conservation and restoration projects in the Klamath Basin for over a decade. One of our primary funding partners is Reclamation. All Reclamation-funded restoration projects must comply with relevant federal environmental compliance policies, including, but not limited to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Clean Water Act (CWA).

The primary purpose for this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to identify contractors who are interested and qualified to assist NFWF, Reclamation, and sub-recipients under separate conservation grant programs in the Klamath and Trinity Basins with environmental compliance document preparation, management, and review.  The selected contractor(s) will work closely with NFWF staff, Reclamation, and sub-recipients to oversee requisite document preparation, ensure that sub-recipients’ environmental compliance documents are complete, near final, and ready for Reclamation’s review and acceptance consistent with federal compliance requirements, while also serving as the main point of contact for Reclamation staff reviewing and adopting these documents. 

The selected contractor(s) will participate in the overall sub-recipient project selection process to offer input on environmental compliance needs necessary to implement conservation projects which benefit anadromous fish in the Klamath and Trinity River Basins identified by the programs between NFWF and Reclamation. Additionally, the selected contractor(s) will be responsible for ensuring that all grant program applicants include environmental compliance budgets in pre-and full proposals, and that the applicants have adequate capacity to develop documents that meet federal environmental compliance requirements as required by Reclamation for both the Klamath and Trinity Programs. Required analysis documents may include but may not be limited to: 

  • Environmental Assessments (EA)/Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI), 
  • Categorical Exclusion Checklists (CEC), 
  • Biological Assessments/Evaluations for ESA requirements, 
  • Cultural Resource Assessments to meet Section 106 of the NHPA requirements, and possibly Environmental Impact Statements (EIS(s)). 


The selected contractor(s) should also expect to participate in biweekly meetings with NFWF and Reclamation to discuss the status of environmental compliance of all projects, upcoming program and project deadlines, and perceived issues, concerns, and proposed solutions.


Qualifications Sought

This RFQ seeks contractors with demonstrated experience and expertise in the following areas: 

  • A minimum of five (5) years of NEPA document preparation and project management experience in environmental consulting. Experience should include simple to complex, multi-disciplinary projects; leading meetings with clients and agencies; directing project teams including subcontractors; preparing or directing staff in the preparation of technical studies and NEPA documents (e.g., EA and FONSI); and setting and adhering to project budgets and delivery schedules. 
  • Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, biology, environmental science, natural resource management, planning, geology, or other science-related field.
  • Ability to write concise, descriptive, and complete descriptions of all the elements of both construction and non-construction projects.
  • Ability to create or provide guidance to sub-recipients on development of project location maps containing township, range, section, North arrow, proposed action boundaries, a complete map legend, etc.
  • A working knowledge of and experience with developing, complying, and/or assisting a federal agency with develop of compliance documents for federal environmental regulations including NEPA, CWA, ESA, NHPA, etc.
  • A working understanding of federal agency internal processes and procedures including, but not limited to Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, etc.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal skills; attention to detail; and organization, schedule, and budget management skills.

 

Instructions for Providing Qualifications

  1. Address each item in the Outline of Qualifications below.
  2. Limit your response to a maximum of five (5) pages (not including resumes).
  3. E-mail a PDF or MS Word version of your responses to femke.freiberg@nfwf.org. In the subject line, please indicate Response to RFQ for Environmental Compliance Consultant – [name of respondent].  Applications will not be accepted in hard copy form or alternate electronic form.
  4. Applications must be e-mailed no later than midnight PDT on March 1, 2022.

Please send questions and related inquiries to femke.freiberg@nfwf.org.


Outline of Qualifications

The description of your and/or your organization’s qualifications should include the following elements:

  1. Contact information. Please provide a Primary Contact Person, Entity Name, Address, Phone, Email, Website, DUNS number, and EIN.
  2. Expertise. Please list the type(s) of services you or your organization provides relating to the required qualifications and your, and your participating team members, expertise in these areas.  
  3. Past Experience. Please detail your experience in providing services like those required per this RFQ.  
  4. Proposed Technical Approach: Please describe your technical approach to assisting NFWF, Reclamation, and sub-recipients with environmental compliance document preparation, management, and review.  
  5. Fee structure.  Please provide a fee schedule for your proposed services, including hourly rates.  Please highlight any fee discounts made available to non-profit clients such as NFWF.  
  6. References. Please include contact information for three client references relevant to the services as described above.


Evaluation Criteria

NFWF will emphasize the following factors in its evaluation of responses submitted pursuant to this RFQ: 

  1. Experience and past performance.
  2. Knowledge and track record. 
  3. Experience with federal agencies and in relevant geographies.
  4. Key personnel education, knowledge, expertise, and experience.
  5. Technical Approach.
  6. Price/Cost effectiveness.
  7. Capacity and flexibility to deliver services. 


CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT


By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it does not currently have any apparent or actual conflict of interest, as described herein.  In the event an offeror currently has, will have during the life of the contemplated contract, or becomes aware of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, in the event an award is made, the offeror must notify NFWF in writing in the Statement of Qualifications, or in subsequent correspondence (if the issue becomes known after the submission of the Statement of Qualifications) of such apparent or actual conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest.  Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the contractor, the contractor’s employees, or the contractor’s subcontractors in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests, or otherwise.  Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the offeror, the offeror’s employees, or the offeror’s future subcontractors in the matter.  Upon receipt of such a notice, the NFWF Contracting Officer will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the offeror to reduce or resolve the conflict.  Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies NFWF may result in the proposal not being selected for award.  


By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the Offeror warrants and represents that it is eligible for award of a Contract resulting from this solicitation and that it is not subject to any of the below circumstances:


Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or 


Was convicted (or had an officer or agent of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or


Is listed on the General Services Administration’s, government-wide System for Award Management Exclusions (SAM Exclusions), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R Part 180 that implement E.O.s 12549 (3 C.F.R., 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 C.F.R., 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension, ” or intends to enter into any subaward, contract or other Contract using funds provided by NFWF with any party listed on the SAM Exclusions in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689. The SAM Exclusions instructions can be found here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.