114593 O4 10152025.pdf

STATE OF NEBRASKA CONTRACT AWARD

PAGE PRINT DATE

1 of 1 10/15/2025

BUSINESS UNIT BUYER

33160356 ELIZABETH DE LOS REYES (G&P) CONTRACT NUMBER

VENDOR NUMBER: 511186 114593 O4

VENDOR ADDRESS:

BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY

ALL ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLES

1000 GALVIN RD S

BELLEVUE NE 68005-3058

AN AWARD HAS BEEN MADE TO THE VENDOR NAMED ABOVE FOR THE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND/OR SERVICES AS LISTED

BELOW FOR THE PERIOD:

NOVEMBER 01, 2025 THROUGH JUNE 15, 2026

THIS CONTRACT IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT TO FURNISH THE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND/OR SERVICES SHOWN BELOW, AND DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE PURCHASE OF SIMILAR SERVICES FROM OTHER SOURCES.

THE STATE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EXTEND THE PERIOD OF THIS CONTRACT BEYOND THE TERMINATION DATE WHEN

MUTUALLY AGREEABLE TO THE VENDOR/CONTRACTOR AND THE STATE OF NEBRASKA.

Original/Bid Document 123843 O3

AGENCY SIGNATURE

R43500|NISK0001|NISK0001 20210628

NGPC Staff Contact Information: Gerry Steinauer, Administrative Programs Officer Phone: (402) 694-2498; Email: gerry.steinauer@nebraska.gov

Invoices should be sent to: Jordyn Riha, NGPC Wildlife Division, Phone: (402) 471-5431 PO Box 30370, Lincoln NE 68503; or emailed to jordyn.riha@nebraska.gov.

NGPC Buyer Information: Elizabeth de los Reyes, Procurement Specialist, Phone: (402) 471-5516; email: elizabeth.delosreyes@nebraska.gov

123754-O7 33160356.554900

Line Description Quantity Unit of

Measure Unit Price

Extended Price

1 MUSHROOMS DNA 27,000.0000 $ 1.0000 27,000.00

ANALYSIS 2025

Total Order 27,000.00

STATE OF NEBRASKA

GAME & PARKS COMMISSION

SERVICE AGREEMENT

This Agreement is entered into between the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, hereinafter called the Commission, and Bellevue University (AB# 511186), hereinafter called the Contractor.

WITNESSETH: That the Commission has awarded a service contract to the Contractor for services itemized under Agreement Terms. The work will be performed in the state of Nebraska. The Commission^ obligation for performance is contingent upon the availability of appropriated grant funds and the authority to expend those funds.

A. AGREEMENT TERMS

The Contractor shall undertake to accomplish the goals, objectives and strategies of the project entitled "Mushroom DNA Analysis 2025". The Contractor agrees to the following provisions and conditions:

See Attachment A

B. CONSIDERATIONS

A total not to exceed $27,000.00 will be provided by the Commission to the Contractor following completion of the project for services performed. Payments will be made to the Contractor following receipt of the invoice for services performed as outlined in Agreement Terms.

C. DURATION OF AGREEMENT

This Agreement will begin upon full execution and end June 15, 2026. This Agreement will remain in effect for the term prescribed above unless sooner revoked for cause by the

Commission or unless sooner terminated by either party. If revoked for cause by the Commission, or if terminated by the Contractor or by mutual consent, there shall be not less than (30) days written notice, unless otherwise mutually agreed.

If revoked for cause the Contractor shall have twenty (20) days after receipt of written notification to cure any such default. Following termination notice by the Commission^ or if the Contractor is unable to cure its default, the Contractor shall be entitled to compensation, upon submission of invoices and proper proof of claim, for services provided under the Agreement to the Commission up to and including the date of termination and for any non-cancelable obligations incurred prior to the notice to terminate.

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 1

This Agreement may be renewed, extended or amended by mutual written agreement.

Annual funding for this Agreement is dependent upon receipt of monies from the Commission's funding sources.

D. FORFEITURE OF AGREEMENT

Failure of the Contractor to comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement in a manner, to the best of their ability, which the Commission, in its sole discretion, shall deem sufficient, may be considered cause for revocation of the project and this Agreement. Failure of the Commission to revoke upon apprehension of a violation shall not constitute a bar to revocation upon repetition of the same violation or of another violation. In the event of any forfeiture or termination of the project and this Agreement, any research data, supplies^ interim reports, or other product of the Contractor's efforts hereunder shall be delivered to the Commission.

E. EMPLOYEE STATUS

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a delegation of authority of the Commission to the Contractor or its agent(s) with respect to the agreement described herein, nor shall the Contractor or its agent(s) in any manner consider or represent itself to be an employee of the Commission. It is expressly understood by the Contractor that it is in all instances an independent contractor who shall provide, manage and assume ati obligations whatsoever which may occur or be required by the Workmen's Compensation laws of any state. Old Age and Survivors Insurance, Internal Revenue Acts, Income Tax of any state, and laws and regulations relating thereto, and the Independent Contractor shall save and hold harmless the Commission against any obligation relating to any such liability.

F. HOLD HARMLESS

It is expressly understood that the Contractor assumes full liability for the acts of its employees, agents, and officers assigned to perform the Contractor's duties, hereunder, and shall reimburse the Commission for any damage to Commission property, real or personal, caused by the Contractor, its employees, agents or officers.

G. CONTROLLING LAW

The present Agreement shall be considered to have been executed at Lincoln, Lancaster

County, Nebraska, and shall be subject to the laws of the State of Nebraska.

H. CONFLICT OF INTEREST WARRANT

The Contractor warrants that its officers, stockholders, associates and employees presently have no known financial interest and shall not acquire any known financial interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of the services required by this Agreement. The Contractor shall comply with the provisions of the laws of the State of Nebraska which require disclosure for conflict of interest determinations of amounts received under this Agreement.

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 2

I. NEW EMPLOYEE WORK ELIGIBILITY STATUS

Under Federal and/or state law, this Agreement and Contractor must not discriminate in employment under this specific Agreement on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital status, national origin, disability or political affiliation. The Contractor agrees to abide by the Nebraska Fair Employment Practices Act as provided by Neb. Rev.

Stat. Sections 48-1101 through 48-1126, and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-366) as implemented by 28 C.F.R. 3, which are hereby made a part of and included in fhis Agreement by reference.

The Contractor is required and herby agrees to use a federal immigration verification system to determine the work eligibility status of new employees physically performing services within the State of Nebraska. A federal immigration verification system means the electronic verification of the work authorization program authorized by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, 8 U.S.C. 1324a, known as the E-Verify Program, or an equivalent federal program designated by the United States Department of Homeland Security or other federal agency authorized to verify the work eligibility status of a newly hired employee.

J. DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

Each party agrees to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, codes, regulations, rules, and orders. The Contractor agrees to have in place, during the agreement period, a Drug Free Workplace Policy stating that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensatkm, possession, or use of a controlled substance in the workplace is prohibited. Consultant agrees to provide a copy of its drug-free workplace policy at any tune upon request by the Commission.

K. DEBARMENT SUSPENSION

The Contractor certifies by signing this agreement that neither the contractor, subcontractor (if any) nor their principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded by any federal or state department or agency from participation in transactions. The Contractor also agrees to include the above requirements in any and all subcontracts into which it enters. The Contractor shall immediately notify the Commission if, during the term of this agreement, the Independent contractor becomes debarred. The Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement by providing the Contractor written notice if contractor becomes debarred during the term of this Agreement

L. MAINTAINING OF RECORDS

The Contractor agrees to retain copies of records related to this project for a minimum of five years following the close of this project for federal auditing purposes.

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 3

M. NONASSIGNMENT

This agreement may not be assigned except with the written consent of the Commission.

N. CONTRACT CONTACTS

Commission Technical Contact:

Gerry Steinauer 402-694-2498 Gerry.steinauer@nebraska.gov

Commission Administrative Contact:

Jordyn Riha 402-471-5430 Jordyn.riha@nebraska.gov

Independent Contractor Contact:

Dr. John Kyndt 402-557-7551 John.kvndt(%bellevue.edu

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 4

HST WITNESS WHBREOF the parties have affixed their signature, thus entering into this Agreement, the day and year first written.

NEBRASKA GA3ME & PARKS COMMISSION

Title b^.>i/S^ O^^f^r*

Date

CONTRACTOR

Signature-

T^. "SoH»J KVA/OT Title

S\^\io^ Date

Revised 8/8/2023 Page5

United States Citizenship Attestation Form

For the purpose of complying with Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 4-108 through 4-114,1 attest as follows:

I am a citizen of the United States.

I am a qualified alien under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act» my imhiigratiou status and alien number are as follows: Q trCrf. ^ C^ - "f- I if- * and I agree to provide a copy of my USCIS documentation upon request.

I hereby attest that my response aad the information provided on this form and any related application for public benefits are true, complete, and accurate and I understand that this information may be used to verify my lawful presence in the United States.

PRINT NAME '3oMW 30^ F ARMAA/b ^ YA/PT (first, middle, last)

SIGNATURE

DATE S I ^

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 6

Attachment A

Project title: Mushroom DNA analysis (2025)

Objectives:

1) Use DNA analysis to determine the identification of 100 unknown mushrooms collected front Indian Cave SP and the Niobrara Valley Preserve to the species level. If this Is not possible^ they are to be identified to the genus or family level.

2] AdfS the identified species to the Mushrooms of Nebraska website. This is an educational website for visitors to NGPC State Parks and other natural areas.

Study area and methods:

The 100 mushroom specimens to be identified were collected by Chance Brueggemann (Northern Prairies Land Trust) and Derek Zeller (contracted by NGPC) at Indian Cave SP and The Niobrara Valley Preserve. Dr. John Kyndt and his students at Bellevue University will conduct the DMA extraction/ sequencing and DNA analysis of 100 mushroom samples.

The DNA extraction will use the DNeasy Plant Pro Kit from Qiagen (50 reactions per kit).

DNA extractions will be performed at Betlevue University by a student worker (8 hrs/ week for 40 weeks at $15/hr). After PCR amplJfication (with Q5 poiymerase) and cleanup the samples are shipped to Iowa State University for sequencing ($ 11 / sample). The sequencing results are returned to BU where data cleanup and data analysis is performed by Dr. John Kyndt.

All project results will be eventually entered into GenBank/ Inaturalist and the Mushrooms of Nebraska Website. Dr. Kyndt will also eventually publish papers for all species determined to be new to science.

Relevance to management:

Nebraska's oak woodlands are shaped by disturbance. Historically/ periodic fires and natural competition maintained open canopies where oaks flourished. In recent times, fire suppression and land-use changes have allowed shade-tolerant trees and shrubs such as hackberries, elms/ and dogwoods to encroach the woodlands on Nebraska

Game and Parks WMAs and state parks.

The abundance of these shade-tolerant woody plants limits sunlight to the understory limiting oak regeneration and native plant diversity and abundance. To restore structure and function to the woodland, NGPC land managers often thin shade-tolerant trees and reintroduce prescribed fire. Evaluating the effectiveness of these methods requires more than monitoring tree or herbaceous plant cover alone. Mushrooms/ the

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 7 fruiting bodies of fungi/ provide a valuable lens into the health of these woodlands and the success of management practices.

Fungi play essential roles in our oak woodlands. Mycorrhizaf fungi form symbiotic relationships with tree roots/ exchanging nutrients and aiding in water uptake.

Decomposer fungi break down leaf litter and woody debris/ recycling nutrients into the soil. Many mushroom species are highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as light/ soil chemistry and moisture. Because of this sensitivity, the diversity and abundance of mushrooms can serve as indicators of how management practices reshape the woodlands. Knowing which mushroom species grow in oak habitats allows our land managers to detect subtle ecological changes that other monitoring might miss.

Thinning shade-tolerant trees alters the light and temperature regime of the woodland floor. Increased sunlight stimulates growth of oak seedlings and understory plants/ but it also affects fungal communities. Some mushrooms/ particularly those associated with oaks/ thrive under more open conditions where oak roots dominate. Others/ tied to shade-tolerant species, may decline as their host trees are removed. Monitoring shifts in mushroom communities after thinning can reveal whether management is successfully tipping the balance back toward oak-associated fungi.

Prescribed fire, another oak woodland management method/ also has profound effects on fungi. Low-intensity burns consume leaf litter and woody debris, temporarily reducing habitat for some decomposers. At the same time, fire creates conditions favorable for certain specialized fungi—some fruit only after fire, while others benefit from the nutrient flush that follows, importantly, fire also favors oaks by reducing competition from shade-tolerant trees. Tracking mushroom diversity before and after bums provides insight into how mushroom fungal communities respond to prescribed fire.

Another factor now influencing mushroom diversity in Nebraska is the coming loss of ash trees to the emerald ash barer. Many fungi form mycorrhizal associations specifically with ash/ and their decline may lead to reduced mushroom diversity. This shift could ripple through the ecosystem, since fewer tree partners mean fewer niches for fungi. Long-term mushroom surveys and monitoring will reveal how these losses interact with thinning and burning to reshape woodland fungi.

Project start and end dates:

Start Date: November 12025, End Date: June 15, 2026

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 8

Cooperating personnel and agencies:

The contract will be with Bellevue University and specifically:

Dr.JohnKyndt Professor of Microbiology/ Nutrition, and Sustainability College of Science and Technology Believue University

1000 Gafvin Road South, Believue, Nebraska 68005-3098 Phone: 402.557.7551 | iohn.kyndt@bellevue.edu

Payment and Project Report The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will make one payment to the contractor on June 15, 2026 of $8,516 upon receipt of the following products:

1) a list of identified mushrooms and DNA results to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission by June 15, 2026.

2) Evidence that the DNA results were entered into the GenBank database also by June 15,2026.

3) A signed invoice for the total project cost.

Vehicle needs: No vehicles will be needed.

Special funding considerations (specific funding sources required^ match required, etc.), if any:

Projected Budget

Budget Category

Contract w/unfversity or field biologist Contract with other government agency or

NGO

Equipment Technicians

Total

1 Jul 25- 30 Jun 26

$8,516

$8,516

Uul26-

30 June

$8/750

$8,750

Uul27-

30 Jun 28

$9/000

$9,000

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 9

Cost breakdown (for 100 samples):

DNeasy Plant Pro Kit (50) Cat No.: 69204 Price: $349 x 2 = Q5 polymerase NEBiolabs No. M0492S 100 reactions (50 ^1)^ Iowa State sequencing: $ 11 per sample X 100 = Student worker labor (8 hrs/week for 40 weeks at $15/hr) = Dr Kyndt salary (part time for 10 months)^

TOTAL =

$698 $218 $ 1,100 $ 4,800 $ 1,700

$ 8,516

Technician Specifics

Position type (CTH, BIG I, etc.)

None

Start date End date Number of field seasons needed

Equipment Specifics (items over $500 only)

Item Cost

^0_

_$0_

-$0_

Revised 8/8/2023 Page 10