Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands- Prairie Dog Control

This is a Request for Information (RFI) to obtain market and capability information from prospective offerors. Information may be used for planning purposes. This RFI is only for the purpose of identifying potential sources as part of USDA-Forest Service market research. No Request for Quote (RFQ) exists at this time; therefor, do not request a copy of an RFQ. A response to this notice is not an offer and will not be accepted by the Forest Service to form a binding contract.

At this time, it is unknown when the Forest Service might solicit a contract for this work. Although "proposal" and "offeror" may be used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. Information received in response to this RFI will be safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. If Interested please provide a capability statement to curtis.r.landreth@usda.gov.

Background: In 2002, the new Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands (NNFG) Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) and Record of Decision (ROD) provided programmatic direction for conserving and managing black-tailed prairie dogs on the national forests and national grasslands in that project area. This direction primarily covered the use of rodenticide to reduce or eliminate prairie dog populations posing health and safety risks or causing damage to facilities.

Though helpful, this analysis did not cover the larger issue of prairie dog colonies from national grasslands encroaching onto private or tribal agricultural lands. In 2005, a prairie dog analysis was completed for the boundary areas on the national grasslands of the NNFG to address the encroachment issue, and the forest plan was amended to reflect the new decision.

This decision allowed additional rodenticide use in designated boundary management zones on the national grasslands to treat areas where prairie dog colony encroachment onto private or tribal agricultural lands from the national grasslands was present or eminent within 2 years. In 2008, a second prairie dog analysis and a corresponding forest plan amendment was completed.

The 2008 management decision further expanded the potential for rodenticide use on interior management zones of the national grasslands of the NNFG to maintain a given range of prairie dog acres within a Geographic Area (GA) and to maintain or move toward a desired vegetation cover, protect topsoil, and prevent the potential establishment of noxious and invasive species. Prairie dogs continue to be a controversial topic on the NNFG and the need to do some level of species control is an annual task.

The contractor shall pre-bait identified prairie dog colonies or portions thereof with plain oats, after the pre-bait is consumed, the contractor will treat the same areas with Zinc Phosphide Poison Oats, as is specified on the product label, to active burrows in designated prairie dog colonies on the NNFG.

These activities will be conducted for habitat management, the protection of structures, to provide for health and human safety, and/or to prevent prairie dog colony encroachment on to adjacent private or tribal agricultural lands.