SOW_2018-2022.docx

2.0 PRICE SCHEDULE

The Government intends to award a fixed price IDIQ contract for Wolf Capture and Wolf Depredation Investigation Instruction. The term of this contract will be Award through January 31, 2023.

ITEM N0. DESCRIPTION HOURS PRICE/hr total 01 Base Ordering Period: Award through January 31, 2019:

Wolf Capture and Depredation investigations. 940 $______ $________

02. Ordering Period two: February 1, 2019 through January 31, 2020:

Wolf Capture and Depredation Investigation 940 $______ $________

Ordering Period Two: February 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021:

Wolf Capture and Depredation Investigation 940 $______ $________

Ordering Period Three: February 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022:

Wolf Capture and Depredation Investigation 940 $______ $________

Ordering Period Four: February 1, 2022 through January 31, 2023:

Wolf Capture and Depredation Investigation 940 $______ $________

Total $________

1.0 Introduction

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, cooperates with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and various tribes to provide services related to wolf depredation management and wolf research/population monitoring. Wildlife Services is responsible for addressing damage and human safety conflicts caused by gray wolves (currently a federally listed species). Accurately identifying predator killed domestic livestock, domestic pet losses and verifying human safety conflicts (bold wolves), as well as determining and implementing the most effective means of managing conflicts is extremely important for the protection of human safety and domestic animal protection. Lethal removal of wolves as well as implementation of effective non-lethal damage abatement techniques is essential. In addition to conducting wolf conflict management, WS is also charged with live trapping wolves in order to record biological information and to affix radio collars on animals for research and population monitoring purposes. The intent is to establish a fixed price IDIQ contract with a vendor for five years to assist with performing these services.

2.0 Scope of Work

The Minnesota WS program is seeking services to assist with wolf depredation investigations and provide training to WS personnel on how to conduct a professional depredation investigation, how to identify accurately the predator responsible for verified depredations, and how to select and implement the most effective and appropriate lethal and non-lethal damage abatement options. Contractor will provide both individual and group training for appropriate WS and MDNR personnel/gray wolf controllers. The contractor will also personally accompany WS field personnel in the field conducting depredation investigations and research or conflict management trapping to provide additional training and to evaluate methods. The contractor will also act as a “troubleshooter” on wolf conflicts that WS personnel are unable to resolve in a timely fashion. WS employees are currently fully tasked with a variety of wildlife damage projects and are unable to devote the time necessary to fulfill obligations regarding wolf damage management and monitoring efforts. This work requires a very experienced individual with specialized experience. Also, WS employees who are relatively new and do not have this experience will, upon training and gaining adequate experience, expand their duties regarding wolf management. WS personnel involved in wolf conflict management will benefit greatly from direct instruction from a qualified expert contractor on wolf depredation investigations, wolf capture techniques, and implementation of non-lethal abatement. The contractor will also be involved with live trapping, chemical immobilization and radio collaring of wild, free ranging gray wolves. This assistance also will include training WS personnel and other natural agency and tribal personnel in wolf capture techniques and proper affixing of radio collars to immobilized wolves. The objective of this contract would be to increase the performance of WS wolf conflict management personnel and to increase the number of wolves WS captures and handles for research and monitoring purposes. The number of radio-collared wolves in the wild is important for population analysis, a key component to wolf management in Minnesota. The contactor will also train WS staff in recognizing capture-related injuries to non-target animals captured in wolf traps and cable devices and selecting the most appropriate disposition of non-target animals from dispatch, safe release on site or minor medical treatment.

After instruction by the contractor:

· WS staff should be able to accurately (at least 90%) determine whether wolves were involved with depredations on livestock.

· WS staff should be able to determine a strategy of appropriate abatement options and implement these options; removal via foothold traps, cable devices, and firearms as well as the recommendation and implementation of appropriate non-lethal methods.

· WS staff should be able to successfully live capture, immobilize and affix a radio-collar to individual wolves.

· WS staff should be able to assess possible injuries to non-target animals and select and implement the most appropriate disposition of these animals.

3.0 Period of Performance

The period of the contract will be (date of award – January 30, 2023).

4.0 Qualifications

The contractor must have the following qualifications to be considered for this contract:

· Extensive experience capturing gray wolves for research or conflict management and must have personally captured wolves, including individual wolves affixed with radio-collars.

· Extensive experience investigating wolf depredations to domestic livestock and pets and must have personally investigated reported livestock or pet depredations.

· Experience in implementing non-lethal wolf conflict abatement.

· Experience demonstrating trapping, chemical immobilization, radio-collaring, and non-lethal abatement to groups and individuals.

· Experience recognizing capture related injuries to non-target animals frequently captured in wolf capture devices and selection and implementation of the most appropriate disposition of these animals.

5.0 Task Requirements:

· Instruct WS wolf conflict management personnel in a group wolf capture training session (8 hours) per year.

· Personally accompany up to eight WS wolf conflict management personnel in field to conduct depredation investigations or wolf capture operations during the course of the contract to improve field skills and capabilities.

· Act as a “troubleshooter” for problem wolf depredation situations, where contractor will personally remove depredating wolves from situations irresolvable with MN WS personnel.

· Capture, immobilize and radio collar wolves in areas designated by MDNR/tribes.

· Assist WS staff with instruction to MDNR gray wolf controllers as needed.

· Complete WS training standards for defensive driving, ATV use, firearms use, and chemical immobilization and other training as designated by WS.

· Must keep detailed daily field notes reflecting hours worked, animals captured and their fate, miles driven, properties worked, personnel trained and other information as needed by WS and enter this data into WS MIS system.

6.0 Government Furnished Equipment

The following equipment will be available for contractor use at the USDA, APHIS, WS Grand Rapids District Office and be for Official Use only – no personal use allowed. All Government furnished equipment will be kept at the District Office when not in use and will not be taken to residence.

· Wolf traps.

· All-terrain vehicles (ATVs)

· Firearms

· Immobilizing drugs

· Government vehicle

· Contractor must possess a valid driver’s license.

· Contractor must have completed an approved Defensive Driver’s training and provide documentation of such completion.

· No third parties may ride in a Government-furnished vehicle at any time, unless it is a Cooperator or Government employee.

7.0 Vehicular and General Public Liability Insurance

The Contractor, at the Contractor’s expense, agrees to maintain, during the continuance of this contract, vehicular liability and general public liability insurance with limits of liability for --

(a) General liability.

(1) The contracting officer shall require bodily injury liability insurance coverage written on the comprehensive form of policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence.

(2) Property damage liability insurance shall be required only in special circumstances as determined by the agency.

(b) Automobile liability. The contracting officer shall require automobile liability insurance written on the comprehensive form of policy. The policy shall provide for bodily injury and property damage liability covering the operation of all automobiles used in connection with performing the contract. Policies covering automobiles operated in the United States shall provide coverage of at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage. The amount of liability coverage on other policies shall be commensurate with any legal requirements of the locality and sufficient to meet normal and customary claims.

7.0 CONTRACT CLAUSES

52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998).

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address:

http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items (Jan 2017).

52.245-1 -- Government Property. (Jan 2017)

4.2 Clauses Incorporated by Full Text

52.212-5 -- Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders – Commercial Items (Jan 2018)

52.217-8 -- Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension ofperformance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 1 day of the expiration of the contract.

452.209 –71 Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants

Alternative 1 (FEB 2012)

(a) This award is subject to the provisions contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. No.112-74), Division E, Sections 433 and 434 regarding corporate felony convictions and corporate federal tax delinquencies. Accordingly, by accepting this award the contractor acknowledges that it –

(1) does not have a tax delinquency, meaning that it is not subject to any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, and (2) has not been convicted (or had an officer or agent acting on its behalf convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within 24 months preceding the award, unless a suspending and debarring official of the United States Department of Agriculture has considered suspension or debarment of the awardee, or such officer or agent, based on these convictions and/or tax delinquencies and determined that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

(b) If the awardee fails to comply with these provisions, APHIS may terminate this contract for default and may recover any funds the awardee has received in violation of sections 433 or 434.

52.216-18 Ordering (OCT 1995).

(a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued anytime within the period of performance of the contract.

(b) All delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contract, the contract shall control.

(c) If mailed, a delivery order or task order is considered “issued” when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods only if authorized in the Schedule. (End of clause) AUTHORIZED SCHEDULING OFFICE: The following USDA office is authorized to schedule use of hours, from an already issued delivery order against this contract, in accordance with the provisions of clause FAR 52.216-18, ORDERING, and FAR 52.216-19, ORDER LIMITATIONS:

USDA APHIS WS District Supervisor John Hart, john.p.hart@aphis.usda.gov, Tel: (218) 327-3350

52.216-19 Order Limitations (OCT 1995).

(a) Minimum order. When the Government requires supplies or services covered by this contract in an amount of less than four hours, the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those supplies or services under the contract.

(b) Maximum order. The Contractor is not obligated to honor—

(1) Any order for a single item in excess of 1000 hours;

(2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of 1000 hours; or

(3) A series of orders from the same ordering office within each performance period that together call for quantities exceeding the limitation in paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section.

(c) If this is a requirements contract (i.e., includes the Requirements clause at subsection 52.216-21 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)), the Government is not required to order a part of any one requirement from the Contractor if that requirement exceeds the maximum-order limitations in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the Contractor shall honor any order exceeding the maximum order limitations in paragraph (b), unless that order (or orders) is returned to the ordering office within 3 days after issuance, with written notice stating the Contractor’s intent not to ship the item (or items)called for and the reasons. Upon receiving this notice, the Government may acquire the supplies or services from another source.

(End of clause)

452.216-73 MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS (FEB 1988)

During the period specified in FAR clause 52.216-18, ORDERING, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of 10 hours within the base period of the contract, but not in excess of 1000 hours annually.

(End of Clause)

452.216-74 CEILING PRICE (FEB 1988)

The ceiling price of this contract is $250,000.00. The Contractor shall not make expenditures or incur obligations in the performance of this contract which exceed the ceiling price specified herein, except at the Contractor's own risk.

(End of Clause)

52.216-22 Indefinite Quantity (OCT 1995).

(a) This is an indefinite-quantity contract for the supplies or services specified and effective for the period stated, in the Schedule. The quantities of supplies and services specified in the Schedule are estimates only and are not purchased by this contract.

(b) Delivery or performance shall be made only as authorized by orders issued in accordance with the Ordering clause. The Contractor shall furnish to the Government, when and if ordered, the supplies or services specified in the Schedule up to and including the quantity designated in the Schedule as the “maximum.” The Government shall order at least the quantity of supplies or services designated in the Schedule as the “minimum.”

(c) Except for any limitations on quantities in the Order Limitations clause or in the Schedule, there is no limit on the number of orders that may be issued. The Government may issue orders requiring delivery to multiple destinations or performance at multiple locations.

(d) Any order issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that period shall be completed by the Contractor within the time specified in the order. The contract shall govern the Contractor’s and Government’s rights and obligations with respect to that order to the same extent as if the order were completed during the contract’s effective period; provided, that the Contractor shall not be required to make any deliveries under this contract after contract expires.

(End of clause)

52.232-40 – Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors. (Dec 2013)

(a) Upon receipt of accelerated payments from the Government, the Contractor shall make accelerated payments to its small business subcontractors under this contract, to the maximum extent practicable and prior to when such payment is otherwise required under the applicable contract or subcontract, after receipt of a proper invoice and all other required documentation from the small business subcontractor.

(b) The acceleration of payments under this clause does not provide any new rights under the Prompt Payment Act.

(c) Include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in all subcontracts with small business concerns, including subcontracts with small business concerns for the acquisition of commercial items.

(End of clause)

452.237-74 Key Personnel. (FEB 1988)

(a) The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel: Wolf Expert, trapper, instructor.