CITY OF BELLINGHAM, WA RFQ 40B - 2025 Baker Creek Telegraph Mitigation Site (City Project # ES440) The City of Bellingham ("City") is seeking qualified consulting firms with expertise in mitigation site design, riparian landscape design, surveying, engineering, stream and wetland hydrology/hydraulics, and environmental permitting. The selected firm will assist the City in mitigating for unavoidable environmental impacts within its watersheds. The initial project is designing, permitting, and providing construction support services for the Baker Creek Telegraph mitigation site. The City may also choose to expand the scope of work and extend the contract to include additional mitigation sites and related design and permitting services as needed. The City of Bellingham reserves the right to amend the terms of this "Request for Qualifications" (RFQ) to circulate various addenda, or to withdraw the RFQ at any time, regardless of how much time and effort consultants have spent on their responses. The City invites all interested parties to respond to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) by submitting their Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) relating to this type of project. Disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned consultant firms are encouraged to respond. Upon consideration of the submittals, the City will negotiate final terms with the selected party. Project Description The Orchard Drive Extension project, constructed in 2021, resulted in unavoidable impacts to wetlands and buffers. These impacts were originally mitigated through a combination of on-site and off-site mitigation areas. However, ongoing monitoring has determined that the mitigation is only partially meeting permit requirements. As a result, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has required the City to provide additional mitigation. The City has received preliminary approval from USACE to conduct this additional mitigation at the Baker Creek Telegraph property (Parcel No. 380317044413; see Figure 1). The selected consultant will design and permit the additional mitigation activities at the Baker Creek Telegraph mitigation site to maximize credit yield. Any mitigation credits generated beyond those required for Orchard Drive Extension may be permitted as advanced mitigation and reserved for future City projects. The Baker Creek Telegraph mitigation site lies within a shallow valley flanked by forested slopes on the northern and southern boundaries. The valley is traversed by Baker Creek, which flows westward through the site before continuing its southwestward course toward Squalicum Creek. The confluence of Baker Creek with Squalicum Creek lies approximately two miles downstream from the Baker Creek Telegraph parcel. Squalicum Creek, in turn, flows southward and empties into Bellingham Bay, approximately 1.5 miles to the southwest of the confluence. Hydrological inputs to the Baker Creek Telegraph site are derived from various sources, including direct precipitation, surface runoff from areas upgradient of the site, culverted drainage systems, and the flow of Baker Creek itself. The wetlands and banks along Baker Creek within the Baker Submission The City invites all interested parties to respond to this RFQ by submitting their Electronic Statement of Qualification (SOQ) documents on the City of Bellingham website at https://cob.procureware.com/. Questions can be addressed to the Purchasing Office at the above address or by email Bids@cob.org. The Purchasing Office 210 Lottie Street Bellingham, WA 98225 must receive the electronic submittals no later than 11:00 AM on August, 20th 2025 The sealed electronic submittals will be opened and read after the 11:00 AM deadline. The City reserves the right to postpone making the award for a reasonable length of time, to reject all submittals or parts of submittals as may be in the best interest of the City. IPL0258856 Jul 30 2025