Att_2_Statement_of_Work_123C7818R0010_final_2-8_rr.pdf

Attachment 2 Solicitation No. 123C7818R0010

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527.241 STATEMENT OF WORK TECHNICAL REVIEW OF APPRAISALS FOR NRCS

EASEMENT PROGRAMS

A. OBJECTIVE:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requires real property appraisals for parcels proposed for inclusion in the easement programs described below (easement appraisal). The objective of this order is to obtain technical reviews of easement appraisal to ensure compliance with NRCS specifications and program requirements. NRCS Appraisal Review requirements are found in CPM 440-527 F.

B. BACKGROUND:

NRCS easement programs authorize the acquisition of easement rights from willing landowners for conservation purposes. NRCS is the lead agency within the USDA charged with administering the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Agricultural Land Easement component (ACEP-ALE), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Wetland Reserve Easement component (ACEP-WRE), Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Emergency Watershed Protection Program Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE) and Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). Easement programs are added or modified periodically with changes in statute. Appraisal reports are used to determine easement value according to NRCS program policy.

Each easement program has different appraisal requirements. WRE and WRP require a market value appraisal of the proposed easement area only. EWPP-FPE and HRFP all require a before and after appraisal of the easement area only. Under ACEP-ALE and FRPP, NRCS provides funding to a partner agency to acquire an easement, and the partner orders the initial appraisal.

ACEP-ALE and FRPP partner agencies generally order a before and after appraisal of the proposed easement area, however, in some instances the partner agency will order a UASFLA, or Yellow Book appraisal. Historically, NRCS receives more appraisals for ACEP-ALE and FRPP than for the other programs.

The NRCS national appraiser is responsible for interpretation of the program appraisal specifications and other valuation policies. The contractor will have access to the NRCS national appraiser for guidance and clarification of policy. Contact information for the national appraiser is provided in section H below.

C. SCOPE:

The contractor will perform technical reviews of easement appraisals as described in attachment 2, Part 527 Easement Common Provisions Subpart F – Appraisal Review and attachment 3, the technical review specifications. Subpart F and the technical review specifications includes specific instructions for developing a technical appraisal review report, which will constitute the deliverables (technical review report). The technical review report will indicate whether the reviewed easement appraisal conforms to applicable program requirements and appraisal specifications and whether it is approved or disapproved. The services will be performed in the contractors' office location.

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D. CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

A contractor may not perform a technical review of an appraisal prepared or submitted to NRCS by his or her spouse, child, employee, partner, business associate, or any entity employing his or her spouse, child, partner, or business associate. Furthermore, the contractor may not perform a technical review of an appraisal for any property in which the contractor, his or her spouse, child, employee, partner, or business associate has a financial or any other interest.

E.ORDERING PROCEDURES/DELIVERY

Call orders for technical reviews to be performed under this BPA may be placed by any NRCS warranted Contracting Officer (CO). No single order placed under this BPA may exceed one hundred, fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), and the total aggregate for all orders for all years shall not exceed seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($750,000.00).

The ordering CO will provide the contractor a copy of the Easement Appraisal for which an appraisal review is requested. The contractor must deliver completed Review Reports to the ordering CO within twenty-two (22) business days of the contractor’s receipt of a BPA call order and the applicable Easement Appraisal. In addition, the contractor will e-mail an electronic copy of each Review Report to the NRCS National Appraiser (identified below).

The contractor agrees to accept BPA call orders and Property Appraisals electronically and will designate an e-mail address for that purpose. A BPA call order delivered electronically shall be deemed received when sent. The contractor shall provide a return e-mail confirming receipt and acceptance. Should the contractor fail to provide a confirmation e-mail within 5 business days of an electronically delivered BPA call order, the order shall be deemed not accepted and will automatically terminate.

Upon approval from the ordering CO, the contractor may receive call orders via US Mail or UPS. Call orders delivered by US Mail shall be deemed received five (5) days after deposit in the U.S. Mail.

Call orders delivered by UPS shall be deemed received two (2) days after shipment via UPS. The contractor shall send an e-mail to the ordering CO confirming receipt and acceptance. Should the contractor fail to provide a confirmation e-mail within ten (10) business days of a BPA call order delivered via U.S. Mail or five (5) days of a call order delivered via UPS, the order shall be deemed not accepted and will automatically terminate.

F.DISAPPROVED APPRAISALS AND SECOND REVIEWS

In the event the contractor finds deficiencies in an easement appraisal, he or she must contact by phone and/or email,and work with the appraiser as described in the technical review specification and attempt to correct the deficiencies. If attempts to resolve the deficiencies prove unsuccessful and the contractor must disapprove the easement appraisal, NRCS will determine whether to obtain a new easement appraisal from a different appraiser or to continue working with the initial appraiser to correct deficiencies. In either instance, the contractor must provide documentation in the review report to the CO of any corrections or changes to the easement appraisal made by the appraiser. Correspondence received from the appraiser should be included in the technical review report as an addendum. Such documentation is required and an integral part of the deliverables.

The review appraiser may return an appraisal without a technical review report when they have

P a g e 3 | 3 determined upon initial review of the appraisal report that it does not meet the NRCS appraisal specifications and cannot be easily corrected. The review appraiser must receive written concurrence (email acceptable) from the NRCS national appraiser.

G. QUALITY ASSURANCE

Quality assurance is the responsibility of the contractor. The NRCS national appraiser may perform quality assurance activities or audit completed technical review reports submitted by the contractor to ensure compliance with NRCS specifications and the requirements of the applicable NRCS easement program. The contractor will be required to correct any nonconforming technical review reports. The contractor must fully participate in reasonable quality assurance activities, such as periodically scheduled conference calls, and must make available any subcontractors for consultation with the NRCS national appraiser for quality assurance purposes.

H. NRCS NATIONAL APPRAISER CONTACT INFORMATION

NRCS National Appraiser Robert Ramsey robert.ramsey@wdc.usda.gov

I. SHIPMENT OF DELIVERABLES

Deliverables may be submitted by electronic means.