03_DRAFT_8-1-_SOW-SAAN-IRA_Invasives_333506_1.pdf

Statement of Work National Park Service (NPS)

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

GSA Contract No. GS- Task Order No.

August 2023

Confidentiality The information developed under this task order is the property of the U.S. Government and shall be kept in strict confidence.

Period of Performance The work of this task order shall be provided from one day after award through January 15th, 2024.

Points of Contact

Contracting Officer (CO): TBD Contract Specialist (CS): TBD Contracting Officers Representative (COR): Justin Podany, (210)500-8028, justin_podany@nps.gov SAAN Primary POC: Allison Young, Chief of Integrated Resources, (210)500-8025, allison_young@nps.gov

Project Identification

PMIS: 333506

Project Titles: Inflation Reduction Act Riparian Invasive and Threatened & Endangered Plant Surveys.

Location: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas

Introduction/Background:

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a National Historical Park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

These outposts were established by the Spanish Empire and Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives. These missions formed part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

In geographic order from north (upstream of the San Antonio River) to south (downstream) the missions are Mission Concepción, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. The Espada Aqueduct, also part of the park, is due east of Mission San Juan, across the river. Further south 30 miles of Mission Espada, lies Rancho de las Cabras. This location served as an outpost for Mission Espada to maintain large herds of various livestock and is often credited as the birthplace of “Cowboy culture.”

Each mission aimed to be a fully self-sustaining compound with agriculture and ranching. The mission sites were located strategically along the San Antonio River and its tributaries with the goal of enabling agriculture through the acequia system. Acequias are a closed-circuit irrigation system that consists of dams along the river, gravity flow ditches that surround farm fields, and a series of sluice gates to control the flow of water. Two of the original five acequias are still in use today. Although the acequias are a manmade feature, their continued use for several centuries and their proximity to the river has resulted in the development of a riparian ecosystem along them.

San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the United States and vast urban sprawl has encircled the original Mission sites since their founding. With the external development around the park lands, there has been a variety of invasive, non-native vegetation species introduced.

Along the San Antonio River, Piedras Creek, Picosa Creek, and roughly 14 miles of wet acequias are forested riparian areas with diverse plant communities in mid to late stages of succession. Elements of various ecological zones such as coastal grasslands, subtropical woodlands, and Chihuahuan desert are intertwined to create these forested riparian ecosystems. Tree canopies are primarily comprised of Pecan-Sugarberry forests and Cedar Elm-Sugarberry forests with stands of Live Oak, Cottonwood, and Black Willow mixed intermittently.

A botanical inventory report completed in 2004 found 188 plant species associated within the riparian communities of SAAN, including 42 non-native species such as Chinese tallow, Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle, golden bamboo, chinaberry tree, and giant reed. Within the acequias it has been noted to contain water hyacinth and hydrilla throughout the system.

Project Objectives:

Surveys primary objectives across the various sites of this project will remain consistent to form a greater depth of understanding of invasive vegetation coverage within SAAN’s riparian and aquatic ecosystems. The NPS will provide a list of target known non-native (Table 1), invasive species to be surveyed for. As per the Natural Resource Condition Assessment of 2015, there are currently major data gaps in community composition and percent coverage of native to non-native species within this ecosystem. SAAN currently has no known Threatened & Endangered (T&E) species. If species of this classification are discovered during this project the contractor will report their findings to NPS staff.

This project will produce GIS maps, associated layers, and descriptions of the major areas of concern regarding exotic invasion.

Map 1. Missions San Juan and Espada Acequias Map

Map 2. Piedras Creek (500 meters)

Map 3. Rancho Water Systems: SA River (1000 m) and Picosa (450 m)

Maps are intended to orient contractor to general locations of water systems, precision maps will be provided to contractor by the NPS.

San Juan and Espada Acequias:

Each wet acequia is approximately 11.25 km long. Survey areas shall include each side of entire length of acequias, 22.5 km in total, surveying water surface and 10 meters from the water’s edge on each side of the acequia. (Map 1)

Piedras (Aqueduct) Creek Site:

Survey area shall include the water surface for invasive plants along 500 meters of the creek and up to 20 meters from water's edge on each side of the creek. (Map 2)

Picosa Creek Site:

The survey area shall include the entire lengths of the creek on the NPS Rancho property (450 meters), and up to 20 meters from the water’s edge on either side of the creek. (Map 3)

San Antonio River:

The survey area shall include the area along the San Antonio River on the NPS Rancho property, 1000 meters of riverbank and 50 meters from the water’s edge.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

After award, the Contractor shall disclose any potential conflicts of interest and provide the following statement for each of the key personnel assigned to this project:

“To the best of my knowledge and belief, neither I, xxxxxx, as owner or delegated representative of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx company, nor any member of my family, have any direct interest, financial or otherwise, in the outcome of this project, and that our participation in preparing the environmental assessment therefore presents no conflict of interest. In the event that I later become aware of such conflict of interest, I agree to disqualify myself and report this fact to the Contracting Officer and to abide by any instructions that he/she may give me in this matter.”

(CEQ regulations CFR 1506.5, NPS DO-12 Handbook Sec. 4.12).

Key Personnel Substitutions:

During the first 90 days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the NPS Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required below. After the initial 90 day period, the Contractor shall submit the information required to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days before making any permanent substitutions.

The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the NPS Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. This clause shall be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

Services to be completed:

This statement of work defines information requirements, products, and services to be produced by the Contractor. Also included in this statement of work are communication and coordination activities such as conference calls and meetings with NPS staff.

The Contractor shall furnish all necessary personnel, vehicles, materials, equipment, and services to specifications identified in this Statement of Work (SOW).

The Contractor shall use only scientific information that meets the information quality standards in NPS Director’s Order 11-B and shall base any impact assessment and resulting conclusions on published and/or peer-reviewed scientific literature, when available, including available peer-reviewed literature on the effects of acidic deposition and liming as a restoration technique. All products must be edited and user-friendly for public review and understanding. The Contractor’s name shall not appear on the cover and/or coversheet of any draft or final products. Draft products shall include line numbers to facilitate a review process. The Contractor shall perform a consistency check of all data and facts used throughout all deliverable products.

Task 1. Preliminary Project Planning Kick-Off Call Approximately two-weeks after the task order is issued, the contractor will facilitate a project kick-off conference call. The Contractor shall include two key personnel on this kick-off conference call;

representatives of SAAN will also participate. The primary purpose of this conference call will be to introduce team members, discuss roles and responsibilities, and determine the appropriate method for transmitting existing information to the Contractor, as well as discuss project logistics, research and fieldwork methodology, site safety and access, schedule, and any other issues relevant to the successful execution of this task. This will be done by conference call with NPS staff. Scheduling of fieldwork activities must be confirmed by NPS COR and the SAAN Chief of Resource Management.

The contractor shall prepare an agenda and take notes during the call. The contractor shall prepare an overall project schedule. The schedule shall be updated periodically throughout the project, as needed.

Deliverables: Project schedule, meeting notes.

Task 2. Botanical Surveys The Contractor shall perform field botany surveys, for all SAAN listed invasive or non-native species in Table 1. They shall also assess for the presence of any Federally listed T&E plant species. SAAN currently has no known communities of T&E species, however, Texas Wild Rice is recorded to be in the area of greater San Antonio. Botanical field surveys shall be conducted in the following areas at a time of year when the plants are identifiable (typically from April-August):

Piedras Creek San Juan Acequia Espada Acequia SA River (Rancho) Picosa Creek

Common Name Family Scientific Name

Hydrilla Hydrocharitaceae Hydrilla verticillata

Water Hyacinth Pontederiaceae Pontederia crassipes

Taro Araceae Colocasia esculenta

Giant Reed Poaceae Arundo donax

Chinaberry Meliaceae Melia azedarach

Chinese Tallow Euphorbiaceae Triadica sebifera

Japanese Ligustrum Oleaceae Ligustrum japonicum

Japanese Honeysuckle Caprifoliaceae Lonicera japonica

Chinese Ligustrum Oleaceae Ligustrum sinense

Bamboo Poaceae Phyllostachys aurea

Guinea Grass Poaceae Megathyrsus maximus

Giant Cane Poaceae Arundinaria gigantea

Tall Sockbane Apiaceae Torilis arvensis

Annual Bluegrass Poaceae Poa annua

Johnsongrass Poaceae Sorghum halepense

Coralvine Polygonaceae Antigonon leptopus

Bermudagrass Poaceae Cynodon dactylon

Table 1 ‐ Priority list only, not exhaustive. Full list of known exotics will be provided to the contractor prior to start of work.

The project areas are linear in essence along the riparian corridor of each of SAANs requested water systems. The Contractor shall identify and map (via GPS) invasive (non-native), found in Table 1, and any T&E plant species should they occur. Data to be included in the GIS data dictionary shall include species common name, species scientific name, survey date, surveyor, plant phenology status, and estimated population numbers. The surveyor shall record populations as points if the infestation is less than 15 meters in diameter and as polygons if over 15 meters. Species that are ubiquitous throughout the project area may be drawn as a polygon covering the project area.

Requirements and Deliverables:

Assessment of potential presence of T&E species.

All GIS data collected during the project.

Surveys for invasive plant species shall be performed at each site by a qualified botanist.

o Contract personnel performing the surveys must have at least three years of professional experience conducting botanical surveys in Texas and be experienced in identifying the flora and fauna of the greater San Antonio area to the species level. Contract personnel must also have professional experience collecting data via GPS device and writing technical field reports. Qualifications of the surveyors and proposed survey methods must be submitted to the COR two weeks prior to conducting fieldwork for approval.

Notify NPS project manager within 48 hours if new populations of T&E/Species of Concern species are found.

The contractor must provide all personnel, equipment, insurance, and services, including research of available natural heritage database information, to perform all tasks necessary to perform the fieldwork and reporting/documentation tasks described in this scope of work.

All work must be technically accurate, performed according to accepted professional guidelines, and in compliance with state standards/guidelines and internal NPS policies.

All identified survey units should be thoroughly surveyed on foot by transect meander method.

Survey routes should cross drainages or any other topographical barriers to provide good coverage of all of the different habitats present in each survey unit.

Document survey routes through each area that is surveyed via GPS. Minor gaps in route documentation due to inadequate satellite coverage or unfavorable Dilution of Precision are expected; however, GPS route documentation should be thorough enough to demonstrate good coverage of each unit. Route documents should have a horizontal accuracy of 10 meters or less.

Record site locations for each populations of T&E plants if found. All GPS locations should have horizontal accuracy of 5 meters or less, and documentation of accuracy, such as that typically contained in differential corrected GPS data files, should be provided. Recreational-grade GPS units generally are not capable of this level of accuracy.

The Contractor shall prepare written draft and a final survey report for all invasive species and any T&E species located. Submit draft report to NPS for review and comment. Submit final report no later than 14 days following receipt of NPS comments. Submit 1 digital (MSWord compatible) version. Also submit photos in digital (JPEG compatible) format. Components of the Report shall include:

o Title page and Table of Contents;

o Abstract/Summary o General geo-physical and botanical description of the site;

o List of the target species;

o Description of the survey methods, dates of field surveys, and color USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle map(s) with the survey area clearly marked.

o Results of the survey, with photographs, detailed occurrence information and locator map for each species observed;

o Conclusions of invasive plant populations;

o Appendix with name and qualifications of principal investigator.

The Contractor shall provide digital GIS shapefiles in UTM/NAD83 format of the survey areas, routes and populations points/polygons as well as a pdf map depicting the invasive and rare population locations (if found).

NPS will review and submit comments no later than (14) working days after receipt. Contractor shall submit final survey and associated data with comments incorporated with (7) days.

Notes on Deliverables:

Unless specifically stated, the Contractor shall submit deliverables to the COR in an electronic format.

The Contractor shall record populations as points if the infestation is less than 10 meters in diameter and as polygons if over 10 meters. Survey data shall be provided to the NPS as shapefiles.

The Contractor will perform the survey using the National Invasive Species Information Management System (NISIMS) personal geodatabase to collect invasive plant information in the form of points and polygons. Required NISIMS information includes begin date, end date, location name, park unit, survey method, species name, percent cover, data recorder name, and total hours worked. Domains that have been populated within the database should not be changed unless given prior approval from the COR. The contractor will ensure that all polygons correlate with field data sheets, all fields have been entered, and polygons are projected accurately. The NISIMS geodatabase will be provided by the NPS upon award. Additionally, all field crew personnel should collect GPS track data while conducting plant surveys. All track line data should be combined into a GIS shapefile compatible with ArcGIS Pro 2.x, or as updated.

As appropriate, the COR will complete a Quality Assurance review to verify the deliverable is complete, meets contract requirements and meets professional standards. Within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the draft deliverable, the COR will notify the Contractor of any substantive corrections needed before it can be accepted and distributed to the Project Team for review. The Contractor shall then correct the document and submit a revised draft to the COR within seven (7) calendar days of receiving notification. Once approved by the COR, the contractor shall distribute the draft deliverable to the Project Team for review and comment.

Work shall only be conducted between Monday and Friday, 8am - 5pm local time, unless otherwise approved in advance by the COR and/or Site Manager. No work shall be conducted on federal holidays or weekends unless agreed upon in advance by the COR and Contractor.