MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES 
Forest Resources Division

Timber Sale Prep
Prequalified Bidders Program

NEWLY QUALIFYING CONTRACTORS - STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

Bidders must provide the following required information.  Failure to respond to each requirement may disqualify the Bidder from further participation in the Timber Sale Prep Prequalified Program. 
 
ITEM 1.  Bidder Information

Company Full Legal Name:  
	Phone Number:  	

Company Address 	Company’s Website Address:	

Legal Status (i.e. corporation, partnership, DBA, owners) and State	Number of Years in Business:	

Bidders Contact Info and Signature Authority:

I/We certify that the undersigned is authorized to submit bids/quotations on behalf of the above referenced company and that I/we have a 2-year forestry degree or a 4-year forestry degree or equivalent education and work experience.  The information provided about my/our ability to provide the goods and/or services outlined in the RFP documents is true and accurate.  I/We understand that our product and/or service offerings must be in compliance with all requirements of the RFP documents.  This information should be included in Item #7.  I/we certify that I/we are authorized to attest to the validity of the information provided by the vendor on this SOQ.

Name(s):		
Address:		
City, State, Zip		
Telephone:	(	)	
Fax:	(	)	
E-Mail(s):		
Signature(s):		
Title(s):		
Date:		

item 2	.  Annual Training Requirement 

It is understood that the Bidder must be prequalified on an annual basis by the Forest Resources Division, Dept. of Natural Resources, State of Michigan in order to bid on DNR Timber Sale Prep projects.  Attendance to and participation in the annual training session and its requirements is mandatory to maintain prequalification. 

item 3.  Disclosure of Litigation

Bidder must disclose any material criminal litigation, investigations or proceedings involving the Bidder (and each SubBidder) or any of its officers or directors or any litigation, investigations or proceedings under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 USC 1514 et seq.  In addition, each Bidder (and each Subcontractor) must disclose to the State any material civil litigation, arbitration or proceeding to which Bidder (or, to the extent Bidder is aware, any Subcontractor hereunder) is a party, and which involves:  (i) disputes that might reasonably be expected to adversely affect the viability or financial stability of Bidder or any Subcontractor hereunder; or (ii) a claim or written allegation of fraud against Bidder or, to the extent Bidder is aware, any Subcontractor hereunder by a governmental or public entity arising out of their business dealings with governmental or public entities.  Any litigation, investigation, arbitration or other proceeding (collectively, "Proceeding") must be disclosed in a written statement in Bidder’s bid response.  Details of settlements which are prevented from disclosure by the terms of the settlement may be annotated as such.  Information provided to the State from Bidder’s publicly filed documents referencing its material litigation will be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section. 

item 4.  Former State of Michigan Employees

If former State of Michigan employees are involved in this project in any of the following capacities, you should disclose that here. If not, the Bidder may respond with an “NA”.
a.	In the performance of any resulting State contract
b.	Oversight or management of any resulting State project
c.	Consulting, conferring or advising on the RFP response (such as in the role of consultant or lobbyist).

Name of former State of Michigan Employee	State Department  & Division worked For 	Active Dates of State Employment	Briefly describe the role, as described above, they had in this RFP or will have in any resulting project 	

				

Retirees of the State of Michigan that are involved in the performance of any resulting project may be subject to Section 68 (c) of the State Employees Retirement Act, MCL 38.1 et seq. A retiree of the State of Michigan must notify the Office of Retirement Services if he or she resumes employment, directly or indirectly, with the State of Michigan. 

item 5.  Business Owned by Qualified Disabled Veteran

“Qualified Disabled Veteran,” as defined by Public Act 431 of 1984, means a business entity that is at least 51% owned by one or more veterans with a service-connected disability.  The Act defines “Service-Connected Disability” as a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of active military, naval, or air service as defined in 38 USC 101 (16).

The Bidder represents that it IS _____, IS NOT ______ a disabled Veteran-owned business.

The Bidder represents and warrants that the company meets the above criteria (when checked) and has provided the following supportive documentation:

A.	Proof of service and conditions of discharge:  DD214 or equivalent
B.	Proof of service-connected disability:  DD214 if the disability was documented at discharge or Veterans Administration (VA) Rating Decision Letter or equivalent if the disability was documented after discharge
C.	Proof of Ownership:  Appropriate legal documents setting forth the ownership of the business entity

IMPORTANT NOTE TO BIDDERS: Self certification alone will not initiate the price preference cited in Section 3.032, Qualified Disabled Veteran Preference. In order to be considered for the pricing preference yourself, certification must be accompanied by the qualifying documents listed above.  The State reserves the right to request additional documents or clarifying information about the documentation submitted with the bid.

Loss of Preference: If during the term of the project the Bidder no longer qualifies for the preference, or if the project is assigned to a business entity that does not qualify for the preference, they will be required to discount their project price by the amount of the preference they received. 

Fraudulently representing information about the use of businesses owned by persons with disabilities to procure this project is a violation of the Business Opportunity Act for Persons with Disabilities of 1988 PA 112, MCL 450.791 – 450.795.  A person who knowingly violates this act is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment up to 2 years in prison, or a fine not less than $5,000.  A person found guilty of violating this act may be barred from obtaining future contracts with the State.

ITEM 6.  Prequalification Statement

Note of explanation:  Pre-qualification does not guarantee work with the State of Michigan but rather pre-qualifies you to bid on certain types of work offered by the State of Michigan.  Pre-qualification will be based upon the Bidder’s response to this Prequalification Statement.  If you are pre-qualified, you will receive a letter indicating so from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Pre-qualified Bidders will then receive notice by e-mail of bid items as they become available.  Bidders will normally have 2-weeks to review the work and submit their bid.  Specific questions regarding bid items can be directed to the Unit Manager.  Bids will be awarded based on the Bidder’s response to the bid form, the Bidder’s Prequalification Statement (on file), and the Bidder’s past performance.  This will insure the ‘Best Value’ for the State.

ITEM 7.  Please provide the following information:

	The firm must be able to staff the project with personnel who possess talent and expertise in the field of Forestry.  Indicate the number of professional and other personnel by skill and qualification presently employed by your firm and/or subcontractors whom you would intend to utilize on State projects.  Attach résumés of professional personnel that may be utilized on these projects.  Include educational level, training, experience and related certifications. 

A.	 Bidder or his/her representative shall possess the following qualifications:

1)	 a bachelor’s, or higher, degree in forestry from an accredited forestry school or a 2-year technical degree in forestry or equivalent education and work experience.

2)	 knowledge of and experience in silviculture of upland and lowland forest types common to Michigan, with special emphasis on northern hardwoods.

3)	 certification as a DNR – FRD Timber Marker and Cruiser.  Instructions for certification are in Appendix 10, Timber Marker and Cruiser Task Book.

B.	 All on-site field workers shall possess the following qualifications:

1)	 possess an associate’s degree in forest technology, OR

2)	 have completed two years of a B.S. in forestry, OR

3)	 have a minimum of two years of technical forestry experience including significant time working in timber marking in northern hardwood, northern red oak and red pine as well as other forest types common to Michigan. 

	 AND, in addition to meeting one of the above requirements:

4)	 be certified as a DNR – FRD Timber Marker and Cruiser.  Instructions for certification are in Appendix 10, Timber Marker and Cruiser Task Book.

C.	 Above certifications will be maintained by:

1)	satisfactory performance,

2)	 annual attendance at the Marking and Cruising Course and passing the written test,  

3)	 passing the field tests every 3 years.

ITEM 8.  Project staff transition or replacement.   

If you are a single person company and you have no employees and work alone, then this item is not applicable.  If you have any employees or use sub-contractors, then this item is applicable.  If someone on your current staff quits, will you replace them and how?  If that person was working on a bid item, how will you handle the transition to another person?  Who handles the transition?  Who checks the work – in the field and in the office?  How and when will you contact the DNR?  How do you document what has been done regarding the transition to insure quality?

ITEM 9.  Former Project History

List and briefly describe projects (no more than 6) completed by your firms which best illustrate your experience relative to Forestry.  These project descriptions should include a customer name, project summary, project cost, cost overruns, start and completion dates, and the name, address and phone number of the responsible official of the client organization who may be contacted.  Describe the size and complexity of each project.  Indicate the type of organization for which work was performed (governmental, private, nonprofit, etc.).

ITEM 10 - 13.  Define the approach and techniques applicant intends to apply for internally managing and controlling a typical project, including the following: 

Please note that it is up to the applicant to define their approach.  There are a broad range of options which are acceptable, but bid items may be awarded based upon a Bidder’s ability to manage their project.  Your response to this section is as least as important as your bid price, past history, and certification.  The State is not responsible for supervising Bidder work, Bidder work crews, insuring bid item progress, or quality assurance/quality control.  It is the Bidder’s responsibility to manage the project, keep the DNR updated, and to guarantee the quality of the work.  If the State does not know the status of a project or finds problems in performance, then the Bidder has not fulfilled their responsibility under this contract.  The Compliance and Inspection Procedures defined in Section I-B are for the benefit of the State; their purpose is to insure the State ‘gets what they paid for’.  They are not for the benefit of the Bidder.  The Bidder needs to institutionalize their own compliance and inspection procedure so that the Bidder can insure that the State ‘gets what they paid for.’  If the State inspectors’ find unacceptable work as defined in Section I-B, then the Bidder has not fulfilled their obligations under their SOQ.
 
ITEM 10.  Progress Tracking and progress reporting.  

What process do you use to track your progress?  Do you record your progress on a map, spreadsheet, graph, electronic, hardcopy, Microsoft Project software, etc.?  How often do you update?  What information do you include on your progress report?  How do you track your quality assurance/quality control?  Do you keep a daily log by person, project, bid item, etc.?   How and when will you update the DNR of your progress?  

ITEM 11.  Issue resolution and change management process.

If a problem arises, what will you do?  If the prescription says to ‘only mark red maple’ and there is no red maple, what is your company process?  How will you document?  What format will you use for documentation?  Who is responsible?  Who has the final say?  How and when will you contact the DNR?  What if a sub-contractor finds a problem?  What formal process will your company use to track and resolve issues found by a subcontractor?  How will your company deal with changes, either from you or from the DNR, which occur after the bid item is awarded?

ITEM 12.  Work Schedule including:  hours per week, daily schedule and weekly schedule.  

It is understood that weather is a factor.  In fact, if it’s raining, you probably shouldn’t be marking timber.  But what is your normal work schedule?  When will we find you on the sale?  Your work schedule is your company’s business; we only want to know when you’ll be working on our jobs.  Your application won’t get rated higher if you tell us you work 7-days a week and 16-hours per day.  Once you start a bid item, will you have a crew work every day until complete, or do you do other jobs at the same time?  When do you normally take lunch?  Do you take off on State or Federal holidays?

ITEM 13.  Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC).  

Document, document, document!  The State is contracting timber sale preparation work to save time.  This will not be a benefit, though, if the field work does not meet standards.  It is the Bidder’s responsibility to meet State standards as defined in the project and to prove to the State that those standards have been met.  It is not the State’s responsibility to check the Bidder’s work for the benefit on the Bidder.  The State checks the Bidder only for the benefit of the State, though this information is shared with the Bidder.  The Bidder must have a QA/QC plan in place that insures quality work.  This must include documentation that can be shown to the DNR when requested.  Experience, certified markers, a good work ethic, and education do not guarantee quality work.  What does your company do to insure quality work?  What does your company do to show the State inspector that you have done quality work?  Note that the cost of doing QA/QC should be considered in your bid.

How do you inspect and document the quality of your hardwood marking?  How do you inspect and document the accuracy of you 100% sawtimber tally?   How do you inspect and document the accuracy of your pulp tally or pulp cruise?  How do you inspect and document the accuracy of your point cruise?  What instruments do you have and use?  When do you use your instruments?  How do you document the use of your instruments?  How do you determine upper stem diameters?  What type of GPS are you using?  Who does your GPS?  Is your GPS person trained?  How have they been trained?  Who checks paint lines?  How do you document and insure the accuracy of your paint lines?

ITEM 14.  Vendors must provide liability insurance in accordance with the limits referenced in Section II-Z.

 	MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES 
	Forest Resources Division

Timber Sale Prep
Prequalified Bidders Program

Scope of Work, Terms and Conditions and Appendices can be viewed on-line at:

  http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10368_21637---,00.html. 

Scope of Work and Terms and Conditions

Appendices:

1.	DNR – FRD Unit Boundaries
2.	DNR – FRD Timber Management Specialists Geographic Areas
3.	Timber Sale Prescription Form (R4038, 06/21/2012)
4.	The Complete Marker: A Guide to Managing Northern Hardwoods on Michigan State Forests (June 1994)
5.	Addendum to The Complete Marker (01/09/2008)
6.	Within-Stand Retention Reference Guide (IC 4110-1, 01/17/2012)
7.	Within-Stand Retention Guidelines (IC4110, 01/17/2012)
8.	Product Standards (IC 4057, 09/12/2012)
9.	Checklist for Contractor Prepared Timber Sale (R4102, 04/13/2012)
10.	Timber Marker and Cruiser Task Book (PR4039, 06/28/2012)
11.	DNR – FRD – Contact List
12.	DNR – FRD – Tally Cards
12.1.	Cumulative/V-Bar Tally Card (R4039-1, 08/03/2012)
12.2.	Marking Tally (Large Pulp) Card (R4039-2, 08/03/2012)
13.	DNR – FMFMD – Quality Control Check Forms
13.1.	Marking Prescription and Sawlog Check (R4039-3, 06/28/2012)
13.2.	Marked and Sampled Pulp Check Cruise (R4039-4, 06/28/2012)
13.3.	Cumulative Tally Check For Marked Pulp (R4039-5, 06/28/2012)
13.4.	Cumulative Tally Check Cruise (R4039-6, 06/28/2012)

  	MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES 
	Forest Resources Division

Timber Sale Prep
Prequalified Bidders Program

Acknowledgements:

I, the undersigned, as the qualified principal of our firm, hereby acknowledge the following: (please indicate in the boxes you have read and agree to these statements).

  	Have received, read, and understand the terms and conditions for the prequalified timber sale prep program which include, but are not limited to the scope of work, terms and conditions, appendices, and attachments.

 	Understand that achieving prequalified status is not a guarantee or a promise of a project or work order to complete a certain project.  Projects will be bid on a case by case, and awarded independently.

 	Understand that achieving prequalified status and maintaining it requires mandatory attendance to and participation in the DNR annual training sessions.

 	Understand that either hard copy or electronic documentation and communications will be satisfactory in the administration and compliance of the work and deliverables.

 	If not currently on file, the State of Michigan, DNR must receive a certificate of liability and workers’ compensation insurances at the time an actual work project is awarded.  Failure to provide the required insurance may jeopardize the Bidder’s qualified status.

 	Understand that work performance will be strictly monitored for compliance to the program requirements, and that continuance of non-compliant project work may be grounds for breach, and could potentially affect award of future program contracts.

__________________________________
(Bidder’s Signature and Title)

__________________________________
(Bidder’s Printed Name and Title)

__________________________________
(Firm Name)

__________________________________
(Date)