Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Title Search and Closing Services for NRCS’s Easement Programs Louisiana

Background
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is committed to “helping people help the land”. Their mission is to deliver conservation solutions, so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Wetland Reserve Easement component (ACEP-WRE), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Emergency Watershed Protection Program - Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE), and the Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) each provide authorization for the United States to acquire conservation easements from willing landowners for the purpose of restoring and protecting wetlands, floodplains, or forest lands respectively. NRCS is the agency within the USDA that is responsible for administration of these programs. Louisiana NRCS wish to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for this service and will issue BPA calls as needed.

Work Details
The contractor must coordinate, facilitate, and perform several services including providing the title commitment, updating the title commitment, resolving vesting interests, holding funds in escrow, obtaining signatures on warranty easement deeds, recording documents in the local land records office, providing a final title insurance policy using American Land Title Association (ALTA) U.S. Policy 09-28-1991 (Revised 12/3/2012), and providing other necessary services to finalize the easement transaction. The contractor will provide these items to the designated NRCS contact identified on the order for services.

Period of Performance
The BPA will be for five (5) years commencing on the date of the BPA award.

Place of Performance
Louisiana