USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, 100 Matsonford Road, 5 Radnor Corp Center, Suite 200; Radnor, PA 19087-4585

W -- AREIAL SUPPRESSION OF GYPSY MOTHS SOL RFP-NE-98-01 DUE 021798 POC Patricia Pierce, Contracting Officer, 610-975-4248 USDA-FOREST SERVICE intends to contract for the services of aerial suppression of gypsy moths for 1998 and 1999 and technical development of a new aerial application system. Contractor is to provide all labor, equipment, materials (except Gov't furnished items) and transportation and other items required to aerial spray in 1998 and 1999 approx. 20,241 acres and a minimum of 10,000 acres, respectively. Insecticide to be applied is Disrupt II (plastic flake containing racemic disparlure) and sticker (Gelva RA2333). The Government will provide all Disrupt II and Gelva RA2333 additives. Approx. mid-May to end of June 1998, applications are to be made on (1) 8,350 acres located in northeastern North Carolina (Northhampton, Hartford, Gates, and Perquimans Counties) and southeastern Virginia (Southhampton County). Treatment blocks range in size from 475 acres to 2,300 acres. Treatment blocks are all private lands and some contain private residences. Elevation ranges from 10 feet below sea level to 150 feet above sea level. 8,350 acres will be treated with one application of Disrupt II, pheromone flakes; (2) 5,641 acres located in West Virginia (Mercer, Monroe, Summers Counties). Treatment blocks are private land located in the mountainous terrain of the Appalachian Mountains. Treatment blocks range in size from 304 acres to 2,470 acres. Elevation ranges from 2,200 MSL to 3,600MSL. 5,641 acres will be treated with one application of Disrupt II, pheromone flakes; (3) 6,250 acres located in Virginia and West Virginia (Craig, Allegheny, Newsoms, Patrick, Floyd Counties, Virginia and Monroe County West Virginia). Intermixed with the private lands is the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest (685 acres), and Blue Ridge Parkway lands (266 acres). Blocks range in size from 247 acres to 1,846 acres. Elevation ranges from 80 MSL to 3,471 MSL. 6,250 acres will be treated with one application of Disrupt II, pheromone flakes. The Contractor will be required to provide two application aircraft and one fixed-wing observation aircraft, if application timing permits, no overlap of treatments at the three project areas or one application aircraft and one observation fixed-wing aircraft for each project area for a maximum of two project areas. All areas are to be sprayed using fixed-wing aircraft. In addition to providing insecticide application and observation costs, offerors will be required to provide a Differentially Corrected Global Positioning System-Based Aircraft Tracking Guidance and Flight Path Recording System (DGPS) in the application aircraft. In 1999, a minimum of 10,000 acres will be aerially sprayed with Disrupt II (at the present time, the precise areas have bot been identified but in the State of WV, VA and NC -- all other requirements same as 1998). In 1998, the Contract will initiate the development of a system for aerially dispensing Disrupt II. In January 1999, the contractor is required to have a functioning unit of a Forest Service approved prototype design and demonstrate that the aerial application system is capable of uniformly dispensing pheromone flakes of 30.4 grams active ingredient mixed with 4 oz. of sticker per acre. In May 1999, the contractor is required to use this newly developed system to apply Disrupt II to a minimum of 2,000 acres. The objective of this technology development is to increase efficiency and production of the current pod system and make it more usable on more aircraft. This project is NOT set-aside for small business.***** (0364)

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