Contracting
The Ottawa National Forest is a substantial contributor to the economies of local communities through contracting with various businesses and citizens for the procurement and acquisition of goods and services. Services are acquired through contracts, purchasing, and other various contract tools.
Contracted services included:
- Tree thinning projects
- Construction of trails
- Janitorial services
- Construction needed for repair and construction of facilities
- And other various commodities and services.
Purchases from local vendors for needed supplies to support fire incidents include:
- Water, fuel, batteries, medical supplies, mechanic services, tires, etc.
- Lodging, portable toilets, and equipment rentals such as bulldozers, excavators, backhoes, water trucks, pack strings, etc.
What a Contractor Needs to Know
The Ottawa National Forest receives procurement support for acquisitions over $25,000 from the Lake States Acquisition Team. Acquisitions below $25,000 are processed by the Ottawa National Forest’s Purchasing Office.
In addition to the Huron-Manistee, the Lake States Acquisition Team provides shared services for contracting and acquisition to the:
- Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
- Hiawatha National Forest
- Huron-Manistee National Forest
- Ottawa National Forest
The following three sites provide information on contracting with the federal government:
- The Federal Business Opportunities website, known as FedBizOpps, is where commercial vendors may search and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community, including the Forest Service.
- National information for Forest Service Acquisition, including a helpful checklist for contractors, can be found at Forest Service Acquisitions
- The USDA Forecast of Contracting Opportunities lists planned procurement opportunities for the current fiscal year.