The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine  

205 Church Hill Road, Suite 1; Augusta, Maine 04330  

Attn. David Trahan  

Request for Qualifications (RFQ)  

For Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) Services  

Issued: November 13 2023 Due Date: November 25, 2023  

Introduction 

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) is a state-wide advocacy and Non-Profit conservation group  focused on preserving Maine’s outdoor heritage. SAM has been awarded a federal grant to commission a  study to identify potential sites for a new State of Maine-owned fish hatchery. SAM is soliciting applicants  to act as SAM’s Project Manager (OPM) for procurement and oversight of the services of an engineering and hydrogeological consultant that will be retained to develop this study. This study is for the sole benefit  of the State of Maine and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) efforts to  maintain the sustainability of Maine’s freshwater fisheries. 

Background 

The State of Maine has successfully operated eight fish hatcheries for decades. While these hatcheries have  allowed the State to maintain some of the best cold-water fisheries in the country, the capacity of these  existing hatcheries is limited. Maine’s premier freshwater fisheries provide significant economic benefit for  the State. Due to growing interest in fishing and emerging environmental requirements, there is a need to  explore new hatchery sites to supplement the existing fish production capacity. Working with MDIFW and  the federal government, SAM was able to secure a federal grant to explore new hatchery sites. 

SAM envisions that this study will include at least two phases. Phase I will be a desktop study (including site  visits) that will identify and rank prospective sites. Phase II will include field investigations to confirm the  suitability of the preferred sites from a water supply and wastewater disposal perspective. It is expected  that this entire project will take about 2 years to complete. 

Among other considerations, the ideal hatchery site will have access to a high yield ground water source  with high quality water and allow a viable wastewater effluent disposal solution, either via river discharge  or groundwater discharge. Accordingly, the two primary site selection criteria will be water supply and  wastewater disposal related. Obviously, there will be other site selection considerations (e.g., minimum  size of the site, access to 3-phase power, site access, etc.). The list of selection criteria will be jointly  developed by the consultant, SAM and MDIFW. 

Scope of Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) work

1. Assistance procuring the services of an engineering and hydrogeological consultant through a  Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process. 

2. Review and oversight of the consultant’s study, schedule, and budget. 

3. Coordination of various project stakeholders (e.g., SAM staff, SAM Hatchery Committee, Maine  Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) representatives, consultant, etc.). 4. Progress reports to SAM staff. 

5. Confirm grant requirements are addressed. 

The OPM will be an independent contractor working for a negotiated hourly rate with a not-to-exceed  budget. SAM has tentatively budgeted $70,000 for the OPM services over the duration of this project. 

Minimum OPM Requirements 

The OPM shall be an experienced project manager from Maine with: 

1. Project Management experience, 

2. Experience overseeing consultants, 

3. Strong communication skills, 

4. Strong facilitation skills, 

5. Experience siting and permitting facilities in Maine, and 

6. Knowledge of Maine water withdrawal and wastewater discharge issues.  

Schedule 

SAM hopes to select the OPM, then the engineering and hydrogeologic consultant, and initiate the Phase  1 early in 2024. Ideally the Phase 1 work can be completed in time to initiate Phase 2 investigations in the  summer of 2024. It is expected that the OPM services will be required over the next two years. 

Submittal Requirements 

All interested respondents for the OPM assignment will be required to submit a cover letter, resume, and  a minimum of three references that demonstrate the respondent’s availability, understanding of the  project and qualifications for this OPM assignment. 

Submissions 

SAM will receive the OPM respondent submittals by electronic submittal only and will be acknowledged via  email. Submittals are due by November 25,2023 at 2pm. Submittals should be directed to David Trahan,  Executive Director of SAM at [email protected]. 

Questions

All questions concerning this RFQ should be directed to David Trahan, via email: [email protected] 

OPM Selection 

The OPM submittals will be ranked by the SAM selection committee, which will include a subset of the SAM  Fish Hatchery Committee and a MDIFW representative, based on an objective set of criteria (e.g., project  understanding, relevant experience with the key aspects of this project, references etc.). The highest  ranked respondents will be invited to an interview. Selection will be based on the submittal and interview  rankings and reference checks. Once the preferred respondent is selected, the scope and fee will be  negotiated. 

Contract 

SAM intends to use an industry standard consultant agreement.