A7. 1-Q&A_12970223Q0083FE.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service (FS)

Procurement and Property Services

(PPS)

Specialized Project Operations Center (SPOC) Southwest Zone-

Tonto National Forest

201 14th Street SW Washington, DC 20250

QUESTIONS & ANSWSERS

Questions & Answers | 12970223Q0083 | FY23 Tonto NF Heritage NAGPRA ID, Confirmation and Recovery Project | Page 1 of 3

File Code: 6320 September 15, 2023

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

SUBJECT: Questions & Answers – Solicitation No. 12970223Q0083, FY23 Tonto NF Heritage NAGPRA ID, Confirmation and Recovery Project

1. This document reflects the questions and answers received to date. Changes to the solicitation and/or attachments will be reflected on an official amendment (Standard Form 30).

Query Raised Reply/Clarification

1. The SOW provides general guidelines for

Human Remains recovery and documentation.

Does TNF have a NAGPRA Plan of Action (43 CFR 10.5[e]) consulted on with Tribes that details specific guidelines? NAGPRA POAs can include requirements that we possibly would need to tailor our proposal or would need to be aware of for field inspections and reporting (i.e., treatment, care and handling, archaeological recording, and the nature of reports).

Plans of Action will be developed in consultation with tribes by the TNF for each discovery situation. The stipulations in the Plan of Actions developed in the consultation with the tribes would be communicated to the contractor prior to the Tonto National Forest (TNF) requesting a recovery.

2. What is the expected response time by the Contractor when TNF requests a field inspection?

That will be on a case-by-case basis. However, in general two weeks to a month for discoveries that are stable. This general timeline may be shorter in emergency situations.

3. The price sheet indicates that the TNF is looking for a per acre rate for Human Remains recovery and documentation instead of a unit rate for each encounter? Is this correct? If so, please advise how you would like us to calculate a cost per acre for Human Remains recovery and documentation.

Thank you for pointing this out. It should be per encounter, not acres. We will correct that on the schedule of items under amendment 1 of the solicitation.

4. Should we differentiate between cremation and inhumation recovery and documentation rates? In general, recovery of inhumations is more costly than cremation because they require a larger number of hours for excavation and documentation. Can we provide rates for the two types of Human Remains encounter?

Yes, you can provide rates for two different recovery types.

5. Does TNF already have report templates existing for both the Identification and Recovery reporting efforts outlined in this solicitation.

No.

6. Has TNF already identified short and long-term protection measures that might help protect funerary features in future.

No. Those will be developed in consultation with the tribes per discovery. The TNF will be responsible for all of the tribal consultations.

Agriculture

Forest Service (FS)

Procurement and Property Services

(PPS)

Specialized Project Operations Center (SPOC) Southwest Zone-

Tonto National Forest

Questions & Answers | 12970223Q0083 | FY23 Tonto NF Heritage NAGPRA ID, Confirmation and Recovery Project | Page 2 of 3

Query Raised Reply/Clarification

7. How many reports are required—one for Identification Phase and one for recovery phase? One recovery report per site, per individual? There are a lot of combo possibilities and NWRC needs more definitive clarity on the reporting efforts.

One report per discovery and one per recovery, if recovery is required. The Government does not anticipate extensive reports.

The expectation is to document the results of the work that was performed.

8. Will there be site visits involved in either the identification or recovery phases—ie during Tribal consultation for instance, or after recovery to confirm individual(s) were recovered—where consultant will be required to attend?

The Government expects remain identification to be performed through site visits. The Government does not anticipate that awarded contractor will be asked to attend if a tribe requests a site visit unless the tribe requests to be present during that recovery process. If the latter is the case, the TNF would be responsible for coordinating with the tribe.

9. At least two separate prework meetings for both identification and recovery phases (2 meetings at least).

If there is discovery, the TNF will provide the contractor the location information and any supporting documentation to go out and positively identify the find. Recovery may not be required for every discovery. Please note that some remains may already be known remains left in place. An example would be those threatened by storm effects and the TNF may initiate tribal consultation to come up with a process to remove them and ask the contractor to implement those stipulations. In a situation like that, the TNF would provide the contractor any supporting documentation and stipulations that may be requested by the tribes to be implemented during the recovery process.

10. How many known funerary features are included?

This depends on the discovery situation.

11. How dispersed are the features within TNF? It is understood that the potential funerary features are located within a 30-acre area.

Not sure where the 30 acre area comes from.

Thank you for pointing this out. We have identified this as an error on the Schedule of Items that will be correct under amendment 1. Reference question # 3 herein. For clarification, this solicitation is addressing specific finds that are newly discovered or known remains that tribes are asking to be recovered. The specific location or what is going to be recovered, if anything, are still to be determined, hence the longer period of performance.

12. Access to known areas—reachable by 4-wheel drive vehicle, UTV, and/or only hiking in?

Yes, location dependent.

13. Locations of possible burials provided at the beginning of the contract, or will additional burial identification and/or recoveries be added to the contract during the 2-year time frame?

The bulk of this contract is to address new discoveries. The TNF averages approximately 5 newly discovered sets of human remains per year. With a major increase in heritage inventory due to the infusion of infrastructure/wildfire crisis funding, the amount of discoveries per year may increase. The purpose of this contract is to provide the expertise to positively identify these discoveries and assist with the recovery process if tribes request that remains and any associated funerary items be removed.

2. The solicitation close date and Q&A cutoff are being extended as part of amendment 1 of this solicitation.

Reference items 3 and 4 below for the new dates.

3. The last date for questions and answers is Tuesday, 19 September 2023 NLT 1300 PT.

4. Proposals are due Thursday, 21 September 2023 NLT 2359 PT.

Agriculture

Forest Service (FS)

Procurement and Property Services

(PPS)

Specialized Project Operations Center (SPOC) Southwest Zone-

Tonto National Forest

Questions & Answers | 12970223Q0083 | FY23 Tonto NF Heritage NAGPRA ID, Confirmation and Recovery Project | Page 3 of 3

5. Should there be any further information/clarification required, email(s) should be sent to both klenise.wallace@usda.gov and margaret.hangan@usda.gov.

Sincerely, Klenise Wallace Contracting Officer FS PPS SPOC Southwest mailto:klenise.wallace@usda.gov