Request for Qualifications – Baseline Documentation Reports

Okanogan Land Trust (“OLT”) is requesting interested contractors or firms (“Providers”) to submit qualifications statements for the development of baseline documentation reports for conserved properties. Required work will include field data collection and preparation of baseline reports for properties within the OLT working area. GPS, GIS, and photography skills and equipment, as well as a reliable and properly insured vehicle, are also required for this work.

 

Background:

OLT works with landowners in eastern Okanogan and western Ferry counties to place conservation easements on their properties, which restrict subdivision and development in perpetuity. Prior to placing a conservation easement on a property, OLT requires a report documenting the resource conditions, present uses, and the extent and location of all infrastructure on a property upon a given date. This baseline documentation report serves as a foundation for subsequent annual monitoring and enforcement of the conservation easement.

 

Work Scope and Process:

OLT is seeking qualified Providers to create baseline reports on an as-needed basis. While available work varies seasonally and with project cycles, anticipated workload will be two to six baselines per year.

 

When a baseline report is needed for specific property, OLT will request a not-to-exceed cost estimate from one or more qualified Providers. OLT will tender a contract to the Provider selected to produce the baseline report. Along with the contract, OLT will supply the Provider with a draft conservation easement for the property for reference. 

 

Work Specifications:

The subject properties typically range from 40 to over a thousand acres in area and may include cropland, rangeland, shrub steppe, and forest cover. Considerable walking will be required, at times in remote locations and a distance from roads over rugged terrain to assure the entire property is examined. Provider may be required to arrange the details of the field visit(s) to the property directly with the property owner.

 

Baseline reports shall be submitted to OLT in two formats, Word and PDF. Along with the completed reports, map files, attribute tables and metadata created in development of baseline reports shall also be provided to OLT.

 

Each baseline report shall include the following sections at a minimum:

1. Baseline Acknowledgment Signature Page
2. Introduction
3. Description of Property and Current Uses
4. Human-Made Features
5. Conservation Easement Purpose
6. Conservation Values
7. Summary of Permitted Uses
8. Summary of Prohibited Uses
9. Contact Information
10. Appendix A. Legal Description of Property         
11. Appendix B. Directions to Property           
12. Appendix C. Vicinity Map  
13. Appendix D. Conservation Easement Parcels Map       
14. Appendix E. Site Map with Features         
15. Appendix F. Soil Classification Map and Legend                
16. Appendix G. Photo Points Map             
17. Appendix H. Photo Points Log     

      

OLT will make one or more past baseline reports available to Provider for reference.

 

Qualifications:

Qualifications statements shall include the Provider’s professional experience and abilities in these areas:

• Natural resource education and/or experience
• Field data collection
• Orienteering (backcountry navigation/wayfinding)
• Use of GPS and creation of map files for GIS
• Photo documentation/camera to be used
• Technical writing
• Preparation of maps (e.g., parcel, soils, land use, vegetation, man-made features)
• Examples of comparable finished products
• Reliable transportation with proof of insurance
• Access to all necessary computer hardware and software to produce the baseline reports
• Qualification (if possessed) to perform Phase I environmental site assessments

 

Submission Instructions:

Qualification statements shall be submitted electronically to: info@okanoganlandtrust.com. While OLT will accept submissions on an ongoing basis, Providers are encouraged to submit qualifications by September 1, 2022.