National Park Service, Columbia Cascades Support Office, 909 First Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104-1060

R -- TITLE AND CLOSING SERVICES FOR THE ELWHA RIVER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT LOCATED IN CLALLAM COUNTY, STATE OF WASHINGTON SOL 1443-RP9000-00-002 DUE 121599 POC Judy A. Dahlberg, Contracting Officer (206) 220-4038 or Beth A. Faudree, Contracting Officer (206) 220-4041 WEB: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, HTTP://WWW.NPS.GOV. E-MAIL: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE>, JUDY_DAHLBERG@NPS.GOV. The National Park Service, has been directed under Public Law 102-495 (106 Stat. 3174) dated October 24, 1992, "to acquire the Elwha and Glines Canyon Projects, and all rights of the owner and local industrial consumer therein..." The National Park Service (NPS), Columbia Cascades Support Office, is soliciting proposals for title services consisting of performing title research and insurance, and closing services for those lands and associated appurtenant interests in lands of the Elwha and Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Projects located in Clallam County, State of Washington. Title services should include, but is not limited to, the ability to provide title research for approximately 1,200 acres of fee land and interests in lands for three (3) transmission line corridors comprising approximately 15 miles of linear distances. The contractor must be a title company or an underwriter currently authorized on the United States Department of Justice "List of Approved Attorneys, Abstracters and Title Companies"("Approved List") or the authorized agent for a title company or underwriter on the Approved List. The title company or an underwriter on the Approved List must also have the ability to provide abstracting research, preliminary, supplementals/endorsements and/or final policies of title insurance on the approved American Land Title Association U.S. Policy Form 1991 or any approved later version of policy form for indemnifying acceptable title to approximately 1,200 acres of fee land at a maximum limit of liability of $29,500,000. The contractor is expected to provide copies of all supporting documents, recorded in the public records of Clallam County, Washington, or otherwise noted, which are or will be set forth as exceptions or notations in the title policies and provide assistance to the parties in the real estate transaction in clearing and eliminating all interests, encumbrances and defects of title that impair or adversely affect the title to the United States of America as may be determined unacceptable encumbrances by the United States Department of Justice. Final title policies of title insurance must be issued on American Land Title Association (ALTA) U.S. policy -- 9/28/91 or any approved later version of policy form for lands located in Clallam County, State of Washington. In order to accommodate the maximum opportunities for the government's ongoing review of title research work and thorough inspection of title related documents, such as chains of title deeds and third party encumbrances, the contractor must have complete and legible copies and independent "plant" capabilities for researching, maintaining and copying historical records, including survey plats and abstractor's notes, not necessarily available in the Clallam County official records or at times or on days other than normal weekday operating business hours. In addition, the contractor is to provide escrow and closing services pertaining to the 1,200 acres of fee land identified as the Elwha and Glines Canyon Hydro-electric project andthe related interests in lands for the three transmission line corridors. The contractor for escrow and closing services must be qualified under, and shall comply with, the rules adopted by the Washington State Supreme Court which require that closing services and documents or instruments necessary to finalize a real estate transaction must be provided by lawyers who are admitted to practice law in the state of Washington, or non-lawyers who meet the requirements and are certified as "Limited Practice Rule for Closing Officers" (LPO) under the "Admission to Practice Rule 12". At a minimum, the escrow and closing services to be performed consist of accepting and being accountable for all funds for the purchase of the "Elwha and Glines Canyon Project lands and interests therein" and as may be required to disburse funds for the consideration and to satisfy or eliminate liens or financial obligations as "agent" of the grantor. Upon receipt, federal funds shall be placed in a non-interest bearing escrow account and held separately so as to not be co-mingled with the contractor's or other deposited escrow funds or assets. Federal funds held in such escrow account shall not be disbursed to the grantor(s) except as instructed by the Government. The contractor must also have the experience and ability to properly and adequately withhold any pro-rated property taxes, assessments and penalties, make disbursements from the proceeds to satisfy any outstanding liens, encumbrances, judgments, etc., and to record curative documents and pay other expenses incidential to the closing the real estate transaction and delivery of acceptable title for the Elwha and Glines Canyon Project lands and interests therein to the United States of America. Services also include updating the search and documentation of title, obtaining required signatures of the grantor(s), providing appropriate acknowledgments, recording of deeds and any other necessary related or curative documents. The contractor will be expected to provide a title commitmentpolicy on the 1,200 acres of fee land identified as the Elwha and Glines Canyon Project within 10 working days from the award of this contract. Closing and escrow services, including the recordation of any title transfer and related real estate documents and the disbursement of the authorized acquisition consideration, shall be completed on or before February 29, 2000, before 4:00 p.m. (pacific standard time), in the City of Port Angeles, State of Washington. The contractor for providing the above services must be a disinterested, impartial third party, are well as experienced and trained in the supervision and performance of real estate procedures of the State of Washington, title insurance standards and practices, tax parcel assessments and segregations, real estate title and interest deeds and documentations, document recordation and insurance of preliminary and final policies of title insurance for federal acquisitions. A prebid conference will be conducted on December 2,1999, at 10:00 A.M. local time. It is strongly recommended that all bidders attend. The conference will be conducted promptly at the National Park Service, Columbia Cascades Support Office, 909 First Avenue, Seattle, Washington. All offerors/proposers are encouraged to call Ms. Judy A. Dahlberg at (206) 220-4038 for confirmation of attendance and place of meeting. This solicitation is being issued as Full and Open Competition. A single contract award will be made. All responsible parties may submit a proposal which will be considered. The Standard Industrial Code is 6361 "Title Services". The size standard is $5.0M. Please correspond in writing to be included on the bidder's mailing list and include name, address, telephone number, point of contact, size of business (large) or (small) and whether or not your organization is disadvantaged owned. No telephone calls will be taken. Posted 11/02/99 (D-SN397119). (0306)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0118 19991104\R-0021.SOL)