Provide professional services regarding the creation of a land stewardship plan for the Town's Sklar Riverfront Park

TOWN OF MERRIMACK
NEW HAMPSHIRE
CONTRACT DOCUMENTS FOR
SKLAR STEWARDSHIP PLAN

TOWN OF MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
TOWN
_______________________________________________
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
6 Baboosic Lake Road Tel: 603-424-7075
Merrimack, NH 03054
June 19, 2026
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Town of Merrimack, New Hampshire is seeking to engage the services of a consulting firm
("CONSULTANT") to provide professional services regarding the creation of a Land Stewardship
Plan for the Town's Sklar Waterfront Park.
Two (2) complete, separate hard copies and one (1) electronic copy (in PDF format on a portable
USB drive) of the proposal must be sealed, marked "RFP-SKLAR STEWARDSHIP PLAN"
and mailed or delivered to the Town of Merrimack, Finance Department, 6 Baboosic Lake Rd,
Merrimack, NH 03054 by 2:00 PM on Friday, July 31, 2026.
The contractor will be required to provide an insurance certificate confirming the following
insurance coverage: worker's compensation insurance as required by the State of New Hampshire;
broad-form comprehensive general liability insurance in an amount no less than $1,000,000
combined single limit per occurrence; and motor vehicle insurance to include bodily injury,
property damage, uninsured motorist, and employer's non-ownership coverage in an amount no
less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence. The Town of Merrimack shall be
named as an additional insured on all policies.
The contractor must also agree in writing to indemnify the Town of Merrimack from any and all
liability, loss or damage, including but not limited to bodily injury, illness, death, or property
damage, which the Town becomes legally obligated to pay as a result of claims, demands, costs,
or judgment against the Town arising out of the contractor's actions or omissions relating to this
project.
The Town reserves the right to reject any or all bids, re-bid, negotiation any contracts, to waive
irregularities in the proposals, and to accept the bid which, in the Town's sole discretion, best
serves the interest of the Town and waive any formalities in the bid process.
It is the bidder's responsibility to confirm the bid is received by the Finance Department by the
date and time specified.
The Town of Merrimack's Purchasing Policy is available on the Town's website:
https://www.merrimacknh.gov/finance-department/pages/bid-opportunities; a copy may be
obtained by contacting the Purchasing Agent. For additional information, contact Sandra Song,
Purchasing Agent, at ssong@merrimacknh.gov or (603) 424-7075.

TOWN OF MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
TOWN
_______________________________________________
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
6 Baboosic Lake Road Tel: 603-424-7075
Merrimack, NH 03054
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Merrimack Conservation Commission is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from
qualified consultants to provide professional services for the preparation of a Land Stewardship
Plan for the Town-owned Sklar Riverfront Park.
The purpose of the Land Stewardship Plan is to promote the long-term stewardship and sustainable
management of the property's forest and natural resources. The selected consultant shall prepare a
comprehensive, practical, and easy-to-use plan that reflects the Town's stewardship objectives and
provides property-specific management recommendations based on field assessments and resource
data.
The Town seeks to develop a plan that addresses sustainable timber management, the promotion
and protection of diverse forest habitats, the conservation of wetlands and other environmentally
sensitive resources, and the management and enhancement of recreational resources. The
completed plan shall provide a framework for balancing ecological health, resource conservation,
public recreation, and responsible land management while establishing clear recommendations to
guide the long-term stewardship of Sklar Riverfront Park.
III. SCOPE OF SERVICES
This project consists of the preparation of a comprehensive Land Stewardship Plan for Sklar
Riverfront Park. The selected consultant shall be expected to work independently and demonstrate
expertise in forestry, natural resource management, land stewardship planning, and related
environmental disciplines. The consultant shall perform all necessary field investigations, resource
inventories, analyses, and documentation required to prepare a comprehensive stewardship plan
for the property.
The following is an outline of sections to be included in the land stewardship plan. The below
outline is not all inclusive, and the Planning Board may revise or add topic areas as appropriate:
1. Timber stand maps for each parcel;
2. Forest health (including insect, disease, invasive species)
3. Soil
4. Water
5. Timber resource management, including timber volumes by species and products for
both stand and tract level
6. Aesthetic quality
7. Riparian and wetlands
8. Wildlife and fish habitat

TOWN OF MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
TOWN
_______________________________________________
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
6 Baboosic Lake Road Tel: 603-424-7075
Merrimack, NH 03054
9. Forest protection (including wildfire and catastrophic risk reduction and rehabilitation
where appropriate)
10. Forest recreation
11. Rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species and exemplary natural
communities
12. Unique and/or significant individual trees.
13. Perform tree marking services for forested lands to be harvested.
14. Provide recommendations on timing of any harvest to maximize revenues for the Town.
15. Negotiate on the Town's behalf for compensation of harvested resources based on
knowledge of timber markets.
It is not necessary for the document to strictly follow the outline above and topics may be
consolidated, provided all themes are incorporated into the document.
IV. GENERAL CONDITIONS
Requests for Information
Any Firm contemplating submitting a response to this request that is in doubt as to the meaning of
any part of this RFQ, or finds a discrepancy in or omission from this RFQ, may submit to the Town
a written request for interpretation, clarification, or correction thereof. Any interpretation,
clarification or correction of documents will be made in writing and issued to any firm that received
this RFQ. The Town will not be responsible for any explanations or interpretations of the
documents other than those made in writing.
Contract Award
The selected Firm shall enter into a written contract with the Town binding all terms, conditions,
and provisions of the proposal, and other terms, conditions and provisions negotiated prior to
award of the contract.
Any contract resulting from this RFQ must be approved by the Town Council if applicable, and is
subject to funding.
Town's Use of Material
All material submitted shall become the property of the Town, unless it is clearly marked as
proprietary information. The Town reserves the right to use any ideas presented in the submission,
without compensation paid to the Firm. Selection or rejection of the submission shall not affect
this right.
Insurance Requirements

TOWN OF MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
TOWN
_______________________________________________
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
6 Baboosic Lake Road Tel: 603-424-7075
Merrimack, NH 03054
Insurance Certificates: Prior to award of this contract, the contractor will be required to provide an
insurance certificate confirming the following insurance coverage: worker's compensation
insurance as required by the State of New Hampshire; broad-form comprehensive general liability
insurance in an amount no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence; and motor
vehicle insurance to include bodily injury, property damage, uninsured motorist, and employer's
non-ownership coverage in an amount no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per
occurrence. The Town of Merrimack shall be named as an additional insured on all policies.
The contractor must also agree in writing to indemnify the Town of Merrimack from any and all
liability, loss or damage, including but not limited to bodily injury, illness, death, or property
damage, which the Town becomes legally obligated to pay as a result of claims, demands, costs,
or judgment against the Town arising out of the contractor's actions or omissions relating to this
project.
Submission Ownership and Costs
Upon submission, responses become the property of the Town of Merrimack. The cost of preparing
and submitting a response is the sole responsibility of the Firm and shall not be chargeable in any
manner to the Town. The Town will not reimburse any Firm for any costs associated with the
preparation and submission of a response or expense incurred in making a presentation,
participation in an interview, or negotiating a contract with the Town.
IV. SELECTION PROCEDURE
Submissions will be evaluated based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:
* Responsiveness of submission
* Engagement description and approach
* Qualifications and experience
* Prior experience on engagements similar to this request for qualifications
* Methodology to be used to accomplish the work
In response to the proposals, the Town may select one or more Firms for interviews and an oral
presentation.
The Town will select a Firm based upon the written response, oral interviews, contact from
previous engagements, and any other pertinent information deemed necessary by the Town. The
Town will then negotiate a contract, specific scope of services, and fee with the selected Firm. The
Town reserves the right to request substitution of any provider identified by the Firm as part of its
team. If an agreement cannot be reached with the selected Firm, the Town retains the right to
terminate negotiations with that Firm without notice and open negotiations with the next ranked

TOWN OF MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
TOWN
_______________________________________________
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
6 Baboosic Lake Road Tel: 603-424-7075
Merrimack, NH 03054
Firm. The compensation discussed with one interested Firm will not be disclosed or discussed with
another Firm.
No work shall begin until the Firm and the Town has executed a contract. The submission of a
response shall not guarantee an opportunity to an interview.
Acceptance or Rejection of Responses
The contract may be awarded to the Firm that most closely satisfies the needs of the Town and is
deemed to be the most advantageous to the Town. The Town reserves the right to accept or reject
any item or group of items in a response. The Town also reserves the right to waive any informality
or irregularity in any response.
The Town also reserves the right to reject any and all responses, or portions thereof, received in
response to the RFQ, to negotiate separately with any source whatsoever, in any manner necessary,
to serve the best interest of the Town. Additionally, the Town may, for any reason, decide not to
award an agreement as a result of this RFQ.
Non-acceptance of any response shall not imply that the proposal was deficient. Non-acceptance
of any response shall mean that another response was deemed to be more advantageous to the
Town and/or more closely satisfied the needs of the Town, or that the Town decided not to award
an agreement as a result of this RFQ.
Examination of Proposed Materials
The submission of a response shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Firm that it
has investigated all aspects of the RFQ, that it is aware of the applicable facts pertaining to the
RFQ process and its procedures and requirements, and that it has read and understands the RFQ.
No requests for modification in the provisions of the response shall be considered after its
submission on the grounds that the Firm was not fully informed as to any fact or condition.
Statistical information, which is contained in this RFQ or any addendum thereto, is for
informational purposes only. The Town disclaims any responsibility for this information that may
subsequently be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate.