West Shore Lake Pontchartrain, Bottomland Hardwood, Louisiana Project, CEMVN

The New Orleans District, US Army Corps of Engineers (CEMVN) seeks to purchase Bottomland Hardwood (BLH) mitigation bank credits located in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin watershed, as specified below, to compensate for unavoidable habitat losses caused by the construction of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP), Louisiana Project, within the Louisiana Coastal Zone (CZ). As part of CEMVN’s plan to mitigate for unavoidable impacts to CZ BLH habitat associated with the construction of the WSLP Project, CEMVN will purchase BLH mitigation bank credits to mitigate CZ impacts (Louisiana Department of Natural Resources approved) to compensate for impacts in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The bank(s) from which credits will be purchased will be selected through a competitive solicitation/award process. Any mitigation bank meeting the eligibility requirements and having the appropriate resource type of credits may submit a proposal to sell credits. CEMVN may enter into one or more contracts to purchase the amount of credits necessary to meet CEMVN’s need at the time of purchase; however, CEMVN may purchase a lesser quantity of credits than it requires. A separate contract shall be executed for each bank credit purchase. Award will be made based on the lowest-price technically acceptable source selection process. Currently, CEMVN has identified project-related impacts and desires to acquire credits in the amount and type specified below: LDNR-approved CZ BLH credits representing 237 average annual habitat units (AAHUs) to mitigate for BLH impacts caused or to be caused by construction of the WSLP Project in the Louisiana Coastal Zone. All credit sales MUST be in 1/10th acre increments. A mitigation bank must meet all of the following qualifications to be eligible to sell credits to satisfy the WSLP Project mitigation requirements. For the proposal to be considered responsive and for the offeror to be considered responsible, the mitigation bank shall: be approved by CEMVN and be in full compliance with its Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI), its other legal instruments (such as its conservation servitude and its financial assurances) and the standards set forth in 33 CFR Part 332; and be physically located within the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, which together are coextensive with Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs): 08090203, 08090202, 08090201, 08070205, 08070204, 08070203, 08070202 and 08070201; and provide the habitat type that matches the habitat type being mitigated; and have mitigation credits assessed using version 1.2 of the Bottomland Hardwood Forest Wetland Value Assessment (WVA) Community Model available to compensate for the impacts to the particular habitat to be mitigated; and have a duly-recorded perpetual conservation servitude/easement. Models used for Civil Works projects are required to be certified by Headquarters USACE Model Certification Panel and comply with the certification criteria presented in EC 1105-2-412. Version 1.2 of the WVA BLH Community Model has been certified and this model will be used to assess compensatory mitigation credit values.

Division 31 -	Earthwork, Erosion and Sedimentation Controls.
Division 33 -	Utilities, Storm Drainage Utilities, Ponds and Reservoirs.
Division 35 -	Waterway and Marine Construction, Shoreline Protection, Waterway Construction and Equipment.