City of Claremont

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Consultant for Ecological Inventory of Certain City-owned Parcels

Request for Qualifications for

The City of Claremont, New Hampshire’s Conservation Commission seeks proposals from qualified consultants for completion of an ecological inventory of five (5) City-owned parcels of land within the Cat Hole Ecologically Significant Area.

Scope of Work:

The City of Claremont owns five (5) parcels of land totally 375 acres on or near Cat Hole Road. According to the 2013 Natural Resources Inventory, these parcels are located in the Cat Hole Ecologically Significant Area (ESA). The Cat Hole ESA is significant because it contains the:

• Largest intact forest associated with a large unfragmented block (48,723 acres) extending beyond Claremont boundary
• Most diverse wildlife habitat aggregation providing excellent habitat connectivity
• Largest high ranked wetland complex (high functionality for ecological integrity and wildlife habitat, maintaining water quality, high flood storage value)
• Largest aggregation of high ranked wetlands
• High quality headwater streams to Redwater Brook
• Numerous signs of multiple focal species (moose, bear, mink, red-tailed hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, grouse)
• Largest intact hardwood forest
• Identified in WAP as containing highest ranked habitat

The City is interested in developing a management plan that will balance the existing and proposed recreational uses of these parcels with the ecologically significant attributes of them. A detailed ecological inventory of these parcels is necessary to achieve this goal.

The inventory should:

• identify all significant natural resources on these parcels;
• describe activities that would be most detrimental to them, either seasonally or year-round;
• provide maps of the identified resources;
• recommend appropriate management techniques to balance recreational uses with preservation of sensitive resources.

Submission

A complete proposal packet must include:

• Resume and three references;
• Plan and timeframe for completing the requested tasks;
• Anticipated fees for services provided.

Submissions should include a separately sealed firm fixed fee to complete the project. Fee should include staff hour and task breakdown with reimbursable expenses. Consultants should estimate one on-site meeting with City Staff and 3 subsequent conference calls. The project will consist of a draft report and one final submission.

Qualification Statements are due on April 19, 2023 at 2:00 PM and shall be mailed to City Manager’s Office, 58 Opera House Square, Claremont NH 03743 with “Consulting Services for Cat Hole Assessment” on the envelope. It is anticipated a contract will be signed and the project completed within 14