12FPC420R0012 Montana NRI Combined Synospsis Solictation and Attachents.pdf

National Resource Inventory 12FPC420R0012 Montana

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

This acquisition for commercial items will be conducted using simplified procedures under FAR Part 13.

FAR Part 12 is also applicable to this procurement.

(1) This solicitation number 12FPC420R0012 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP).

This requirement will be issued as a five (5) year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract where task order(s) will be issued with firm-fixed price and/or not to exceed line items. Reference Attachment 1 Statement of Work for additional information. The Government intends to make award without exchanges or negotiations.

(2) This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2020-04, dated 01/15/2020.

(3) This is a 100% SMALL BUSINESS SET ASIDE and the applicable NAICS code is 541990 All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services. The size standard for this NAICS code is $14 million. Only proposals from small businesses will be considered. A size standard is the largest that a concern can be and still qualify as a small business for Federal Government programs. Size standards are the average annual receipts of a firm. How to calculate average annual receipts of a firm can be found in 13 CFR § 121.104. For more information on these size standards, please visit http://www.sba.gov/size

(4) It shall be the obligation of the offeror to exercise due diligence to discover and to bring to the attention of the Government any ambiguities, inconsistencies, or concerns regarding the information in the RFP. All questions/concerns regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to the Government POC identified in item (7) below. No questions concerning this solicitation will be responded to after 2:00PM Pacific Time, 07 April, 2020.

(5) Contracting Office Address Department of Agriculture, Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, 4405 Bland Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609

(6) Proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, 15 April, 2020 (Attn: Jaime Lapus). Proposals may be submitted via email only. Hard copy proposals will not be considered.

(7) Contact Jaime Lapus, Contract Specialist, via e-mail Jaime.lapus@usda.gov for information regarding this solicitation.

(8) Description

General:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, is seeking contractor(s) to provide services for the collection of data on selected segments for the National Resources Inventory (NRI), Grazing lands Field Study in Montana. The intent of the Agency is to solicit the most efficient and effective manner to complete the requirements set forth in this document. To achieve this goal, NRCS reserves the right to make award without negotiations.

The Government will award to the responsive and responsible contractor whose proposal meets the requirements of the solicitation, price and other factors considered (see below).

The Government intends to award one five (5) year single-award IDIQ contract, with an ordering period estimated to commence on or about April 20, 2020.

Background:

http://www.sba.gov/size

NRCS is mandated (through Rural Development Act of 1972, the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, and other supporting legislation) to assess the status, condition, and trends of soil, water, and related resources on the National Non-Federal lands. Resources inventory legislative authorities, NRCS policy, and responsibilities for conducting the NRI are contained in NRCS General Manual 290, Part 400.

Objective/Scope:

The general data categories include: soil and landscape information; ecological site information; rangeland health indicators; invasive/noxious plant presence; disturbance indicators; conservation practices and resource concerns; plant composition and patterns; and plant production, cover, density, and height.

All data will be collected in accordance with National Resource Inventory Handbook of Instructions for Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection.

Interested firms should carefully review all the documentation made a part of this solicitation. Please note the following:

• Data point locations will be finalized each season upon release by the NRI authority. Task order(s) may then be issued to accomplish the required seasonal data collection.

• The first task order will be issued upon award of the single award IDIQ contract.

• The Government will only pay, upon Government acceptance, for those deliverables submitted in accordance with the requirements of the SOW.

• Private landowner permission is not guaranteed and must be secured prior to land entry and data collection. Carefully review Attachment 1 Statement of Work for requirements.

• No data point substitution will be authorized.

• Historical data on 2019 season quantities for the Montana NRI program has been provided as a reference. This historical data does not constitute the Government’s need or the availability of quantities in 2020 or subsequent years and shall not be construed as such.

(9) Date and Place of Delivery/Acceptance: See Attachment 1 Statement of Work

(10) The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, applies to this acquisition. The following addenda also apply. Offerors must read and follow these additional instructions to receive consideration.

1. System for Award Management (SAM) Registration In order to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, all Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management, or SAM (formerly Central Contractor Registration (CCR)) and Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)) prior to award of a Federal Contract.

However, due to the need to promptly award a contract after receipt of proposals and in accordance with the requirements of FAR 4.1102(a), registration in SAM, to include completion of the 52.212.3, Representations and Certifications and having a status of “Active” is required BEFORE submitting an offer. For information regarding registration visit www.sam.gov. Successful offerors and their employees will also be required to provide a completed/signed NRCS Conservation Cooperator Certification as described in the SOW prior to award of the contract.

2. Proposal Content An offeror shall submit a signed and dated proposal that contains at minimum the following sections and information:

a. Cover Page shall include the following:

* RFP Number

* Name, address, telephone number, and DUNS number of the offeror

* Name, title, phone number, and email address of an authorized official of the offeror

* Statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the RFP.

http://www.sam.gov/

b. Volume One - Technical Proposal Offerors shall submit resumes, curricula vitae, and a written narrative that documents the proposed technical approach to meet the requirements of the Statement of Work, that shows the offeror possesses a sound knowledge and understanding of the technical requirement, and which thoroughly addresses the technical evaluation factors below. The narrative should be supported by evidence that gives credibility to the statements made by the offeror and in turn gives the Government enough information to understand and gain confidence in what the offeror is stating. There is no limit on the length of the narrative, but it should be of a reasonable length and well supported. Volume 1 shall not include any pricing information.

c. Volume Two – Past Performance Information Submit two reference names and contact information who can speak to your organization’s past performance on similar work.

d. Volume Three - Price Proposal Submit unit and extended pricing for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) in the format listed in Attachment 2 Pricing Schedule. Proposed pricing must be submitted using Attachment 2 Pricing Schedule. Pricing must be provided for every CLIN. If you do not provide pricing for each CLIN, your proposal will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from the competition.

Note: The Government will issue the first task order for the 2020 data collection upon award of the single award IDIQ contract. Task orders for the 2021 to 2024 seasons will not be issued at this time, but the proposed unit price of each line item will be incorporated into the single award IDIQ contract and are the contract unit prices upon which the Government may issue task order(s).

e. Acknowledgement of all Solicitation Amendments (if applicable).

3. Certification at FAR 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters and the representation at FAR 52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law. The offeror must complete both by reading and checking the appropriate box(s) and submitting with its proposal. A copy of the text of 52.209-7 and 52.209-11 can be found as Attachment 3 to this solicitation.

4. Copies of Proposal Only one copy of the Cover Page, Technical Proposal (Volume One), Past Performance Information (Volume Two), Price Proposal (Volume Three), and Acknowledgement of all Solicitation Amendments (if applicable) are required to be submitted. Proposals shall only be submitted by email. Hard copy proposals will not be considered.

(11) FAR provision 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items applies to this solicitation as follows.

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government will conduct a tradeoff process to determine the offeror whose proposal represents the best value to the Government. The Government may award to other than the lowest-priced proposal or to other than the highest technically-rated proposal. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Technical Capability/Approach, Past Performance and Price:

(1) Technical Capability/Approach Factor: The Government will evaluate the proposed technical capability/approach to determine the degree to which the proposal demonstrates a sound knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Statement of Work. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following:

(i) Whether the proposed personnel and data collection teams meet the minimum requirements of the SOW.

(ii) Offeror’s personnel’s experience in the use of:

(A) NRCS Ecological Site Descriptions (ESD) (Technical Guide Sec II; Part F),

(B) Sampling vegetation attributes,

(C) Use of soil survey information and soil identification relative to ESD association,

(D) Apparent rangeland trend,

(E) Rangeland health and health indicators,

(F) Native plant identification,

(G) Noxious weeds and alien/invasive plant identification,

(H) NRCS Conservation Practices (see Scope above),

(I) NRCS Resource Concerns

(J) Rangeland line point transects,

(K) Rangeland line intercept transects,

(L) Vegetation cover density and height measurement,

(M) Species composition by weight

(N) Site reconstruction factors

(M) Allowable species by ESD

(N) Similarity Index (SI) calculations.

(O) Offeror Personnel Education

(ii) Data Collectors’ basic knowledge of the rangeland field study and ability to:

(A) Use Rangeland Field Study instructions and follow data collection protocols.

(B) Use the study equipment and tools to measure and obtain information.

(C) Use data recording instruments and software.

(iii) The Contractor’s knowledge and experience in plant taxonomy, especially Montana

(iv) Geographic location – Firm will be evaluated on geographic location in relation to work sites and knowledge of local Ecological (Range) Sites and Soils.

(v) Capacity to accomplish the work – Evaluation will be based upon the number of qualified personnel available, the quantity of existing work under contract, and the proposed schedules for completion of existing work.

2. Past Performance: The Government will conduct a past performance confidence assessment to assess the offeror’s potential for successful performance of the requirements. The Government may assess 1) feedback from the two references provided (see addendum to 52.212- 1 #2) and 2) may utilize past performance data from the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, and/or any other sources to obtain contractor past performance information. Recent and relevant past performance will have a greater impact on the Government’s evaluation than less recent or relevant performance. Lack of recent or relevant past performance will result in neither a favorable or unfavorable rating, but a strong record of recent or relevant past performance will be considered more advantageous to the Government.

3. Price Factor: The Government will evaluate price proposals to ensure they are complete, realistic, and reasonable. The Government will consider a total evaluated price consisting of a sum of the total prices for all CLINs in the schedule. The contractor shall propose a unit price which will be evaluated along with all other CLINs in this pricing schedule to determine the total proposed price. Note: 01xx, 02xx, 04, 04xx, 05, 05xx, 06, 07, 07xx, 08, 08xx, 09, 10, 10xx, 11, 11xx, 12, 13, 13xx, 14, 14xx, and 15 are established for price evaluation purposes only. The unit price proposed for all CLINs will be incorporated into the contract as the contractor’s unit price upon which the Government may issue task order(s).

Pricing that is unrealistically low or unbalanced may be considered an indication that the offeror does not possess adequate understanding of the requirement or the requisite technical capability to successfully perform the work.

(b) The Government intends to make award based on the initial proposal submissions without exchanges or negotiations with offerors. Therefore, offerors are advised to submit initial proposals that are fully and clearly acceptable without additional information. However, the Government reserves the right to hold exchanges or to negotiate with one, some, or all offerors if it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government.

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of a proposal, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are exchanges or negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(12) FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items applies to this solicitation. See Section (10)1 of this combined synopsis/solicitation.

(13) Invoices shall be submitted to:

The "Submit Invoice-to" address for USDA orders is the Department of Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). The contractor must follow the instructions on how to register and submit invoices via IPP as prescribed in the previous communications from USDA and Treasury. All invoices are to be submitted via the electronic Invoice Processing Platform. This is a mandatory requirement initiated by the U.S. Department of Treasury and you can find more information at this website https://www.ipp.gov/index.htm. Please make sure that your company has registered at https://www.ipp.gov/vendors/enrollment-vendors.htm to establish your account.

CONTRACT CLAUSES

The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and there are no addenda.

The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and the following additional FAR clauses cited in the clause are applicable to this acquisition.

52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995) (41U.S.C. 253g and 10 U.S.C. 2402).

52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Feb 2012) (Pub. L.

109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Dec 2010) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Feb 2012) (41 U.S.C. 2313).

52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (section 740 of Division C of Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Division D of Pub. L. 111-8, and section 745 of Division D of Pub. L. 110- 161).

52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644).

52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Jan 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)).

52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Re-representation (APR 2009) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUN 2003) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (FEB 1999).

52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (MAR 2007) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Sep 2010) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Sep 2010) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O.

13496).

52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Jan 2019) https://www.ipp.gov/index.htm https://www.ipp.gov/vendors/enrollment-vendors.htm

52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification (Jul 2012). (Executive Order 12989).

52.222-55 Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (Dec 2015)

52.222.62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (April 2019) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Aug 2011) (E.O.

13513).

52-224-3 Privacy Training (Jan 2017) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration (OCT 2003)

52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (Aug 2018) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

Department of Labor Wage determinations are available at https://beta.sam.gov/. Applicable wage determinations will be incorporated into any contract awarded from this solicitation. See Attachment 4 for wage determinations.

52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act—Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (Aug 2018) 52.245-1 Government Property (Jan 2017) 52.245-9 Use and Charges (Apr 2012)

Additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions (such as contract financing arrangements or warranty requirements) determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. The following additional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) clauses and provisions apply to this solicitation and any resultant contract award. FAR clauses and provisions can be found at https://www.acquisition.gov. AGAR clauses and provisions can be found at http://www.da.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html .

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 from date of contract award up to the expiration date 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)

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 $500.00, 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 $1,000,000.00;

(2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of $1,000,000.00; or (3)A series of orders from the same ordering office within five (5) calendar days 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 three (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) https://beta.sam.gov/ https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/FARTOCP52.html#wp372482 http://www.da.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html

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 the delivery or period of performance date of a task order that was issued prior to the expiration of the IDIQ contract.

(End of clause)

52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires.

In compliance with the Service Contract Labor Standards statute and the regulations of the Secretary of Labor (29 CFR part 4), this clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency subject to the provisions of 5 U.S.C.5341 or 5.332.

This Statement is for Information Only: It is not a Wage Determination

Employee Class

Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits

01420 Survey Worker

$17.06

99831 Surveying Aide

$15.32

30090 Environmental Technician

$18.02

(End of clause)

AGAR 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 $20,000.00 but not in excess of $2,250,000.00.

(End of clause)

452.224-70 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION (FEB 1988)

(a) Confidential information, as used in this clause, means --

(1) information or data of a personal nature, proprietary about an individual, or (2) information or data submitted by or pertaining to an organization.

(b) In addition to the types of confidential information described in (a)(1) and (2) above, information which might require special consideration with regard to the timing of its disclosure may derive from studies or research, during which public disclosure of primarily invalidated findings could create an erroneous conclusion which might threaten public health or safety if acted upon.

(c) The Contracting Officer and the Contractor may, by mutual consent, identify elsewhere in this contract specific information and/or categories of information which the Government will furnish to the Contractor or that the Contractor is expected to generate which is confidential. Similarly, the Contracting Officer and the Contractor may, by mutual consent, identify such confidential information from time to time during the performance of the contract. Failure to agree will be settled pursuant to the "Disputes" clause.

(d) If it is established that information to be utilized under this contract is subject to the Privacy Act, the Contractor will follow the rules and procedures of disclosure set forth in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and implementing regulations and policies, with respect to systems of records determined to be subject to the Privacy Act.

(e) Confidential information, as defined in (a)(1) and (2) above, shall not be disclosed without the prior written consent of the individual, institution or organization.

(f) Written advance notice of at least 45 days will be provided to the Contracting Officer of the Contractor's intent to release findings of studies or research, which have the possibility of adverse effects on the public or the Federal agency, as described in (b) above. If the Contracting Officer does not pose any objections in writing within the 45 day period, the Contractor may proceed with disclosure. Disagreements not resolved by the and Contracting Officer will be settled pursuant to the "Disputes" clause.

(g) Whenever the Contractor is uncertain with regard to the proper handling of material under the contract, or if the material in question is subject to the Privacy Act or is confidential information subject to the provisions of this clause, the Contractor shall obtain a written determination from the Contracting Officer prior to any release, disclosure, dissemination, or publication.

(h) The provisions of paragraph (e) of this clause shall not apply when the information is subject to conflicting or overlapping provisions in other Federal, State or local laws.

(End of Clause)

AGENCY AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE ORDERS UNDER THIS CONTRACT

Farm Production and Conservation mission area Business Center - Acquisitions Division is the only authorized activity to issue orders under this contract.

TYPE OF CONTRACT

Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract where task order(s) will be issued with firm-fixed price and/or not to exceed line items.

ORDERING PROCEDURES

Individual task orders will be clearly defined so the full price for performance of the work can be established at the time the order is placed. Orders will be within the scope of the contract, issued within the ordering period, and be within the maximum value of the contract. The Government will notify the contractor at the time a task order need materializes with a description of the work to be completed. The Government will then confirm task order price with the contractor utilizing contract rates for the year in which the order is issued. The task order will then be awarded.

HISTORICAL DATA ON 2019 Montana NRI PROGRAM

Description Percentage where one point collected

Percentage where two points collected

Percentage deemed inaccessible in field designation or not eligible for data collection for other reasons prior to field visit

BLM Federal Land Data Points

4% 84% 12%

On-site Private Grazing Land (OPGL) Data Points

19% 50% 31%

* Historical data on 2019 season quantities for the Montana NRI program is provided as a reference. This historical data does not constitute the Government’s need or the availability of quantities in 2020 and or subsequent years and shall not be construed as such.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 – Fiscal Year 2020 Natural Resource Conservation Services Statement of Work for National Resources Inventory Grazing Land Field Study Data Collection Montana

Attachment 2 – Pricing Schedule (Montana NRI)

Attachment 3 - Certification at FAR 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters and the Certification representation at FAR 52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law

Attachment 4 – Service Contract Labor Standards Wage Determinations

Attachment 5 – Fiscal Year 2020 County/Tribe Table for National Resources Inventory Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection Natural Resources Conservation Service

Attachment 6 – Montana NRI Soils Collection Form

END OF SOLICITATION

FY 2020 NRI STATEMENT OF WORK

FISCAL YEAR 2020

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY

GRAZINGLAND FIELD STUDY DATA COLLECTION

MONTANA

A. GENERAL:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture is mandated (through the Rural Development Act of 1972, the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, and other supporting legislation) to assess the status, condition, and trends of soil, water, and related resources on the Nation’s non-Federal and Federal lands. Resources inventory legislative authorities, NRCS policy, and responsibilities for conducting the NRI are contained in NRCS General Manual 290, Part 400. In order to accomplish this task, the NRCS will award one contract that requires the successful contractor to collect grazing land rangeland resources data on selected sample sites (points) for the 2020 National Resources Inventory (NRI), Grazing land Field Study in Montana.

B. DEFINITIONS:

1. Contracting Officer (CO). The duly appointed and warranted government agent authorized to enter into, administer or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The contracting officer is the only person authorized to contractually obligate the government. The contracting officer is responsible for ensuring performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensuring that the requirements of all pertinent laws, regulations, etc. have been met, ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract, and safeguarding the interests of the United States in its contractual relationships. The contracting officer ensures that sufficient funds are available for government contractual obligation and ensures that all contractors receive impartial, fair and equitable treatment in the solicitation process.

2. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The Contracting Officer will appoint and delegate in writing limited authority for certain contract-related decisions to an NRCS employee who will serve as the COR. The COR Appointment Letter details exactly what responsibilities lie within the scope of the COR's authority. The COR will notify the CO of recommendations for technical acceptance or rejection by the Government of all articles and services required to be furnished and/or performed under the contract; will receive, for the Government, all articles and services called for by the contract and will represent the Contracting Officer in the technical phases of the work. The COR monitors the Contractor's performance to ensure compliance with technical requirements of the contract, verifies and certifies that the items have been inspected and meet the requirements of the contract. The COR notifies the CO if performance is not meeting the requirements of the contract.

C. REFERENCE MATERIALS:

1. Instructions, NRI Handbook of Instructions for Rangeland Field Study Data Collection https://grazingland.cssm.iastate.edu/site-data-collection-handbook-instructions

2. Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils Version 3.0; USDA NRCS https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/ref/?cid=nrcs142p2_054184

3. Monitoring Manual for Grasslands, Shrublands, and Savanna Ecosystems

4. NRCS Field Office Tech Guide Montana (EFOTG)

5. NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook, 2003; see https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1043055.pdf

6. Technical Reference 1734-6 2000, Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, Version 4; see https://www.blm.gov/documents/national-office/blm-library/technical-reference/interpreting-indicators-rangeland-health

7. USDA NRCS National Plants Database; see https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/java/

8. Ecological Site Descriptions

9. Montana Noxious Weeds

10. Federal Noxious Weeds; see https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/weeds/downloads/weedlist.pdf

11. USDA NRCS Plants Invasive; see https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/plantsanimals/invasive/?cid=stelprdb10 42978

D. CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT:

The NRI program is based upon rigorous scientific sample survey protocols. These protocols include maintaining and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of data gathering sites. USDA and NRCS policy states that: “The geographic locations of data gathering sites used for USDA’s NRI are not public information and are to be used only for purposes of official NRI data gathering activities or for such purposes approved by the Secretary”. All of the contractor’s data gatherers shall sign a Confidentiality Statement under United States Code (USC), Title 18, Section 1905; USC, Title7, Section 2276 and USC, Title 7, Section 2240 for non-disclosure of confidential information relative to data site locations and/or private/corporate non-use of composite data. The Confidentiality Statement shall be signed prior to starting data collection. The NRI data that identifies owners, operators, or data collection sites are not to be released to the public.

E. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Attend NRCS provided training Training and calibration must be completed prior to commencing field data collection.

Federal Points - Data Collection Commence on or about May 15, 2020 depending on contract selection. Data collection complete no later than September 1st, 2020.

Federal Points - Data transmission to ISU server, Digital Imagery and Soils Collection Form

Segments must be electronically transferred to the ISU server no later than 15 days after commencing field data collection for said segments. All segments (to include digital camera images must be returned to the ISU server no later than September 7th, 2020. In addition, all Montana NRI Soils Collection Forms (Attachment 6) must be sent to the COR’s representative no later than September 7th, 2020

Federal Points – Data Corrections Segments and soils forms failing to meet data correctness and quality specifications will be referred back to the contractor(s) for correction. Requested corrections need to be completed no later than September 21st, 2020 and prior to submission of an invoice for payment.

Federal Points – Final Invoicing No later than September 25th, 2020 Non-Federal Points – Data Collection Commence on or about May 15, 2020 depending on contract selection. Data collection complete no later than September 30th, 2020.

Non-Federal Points - Data transmission to ISU server, Digital Imagery and Soils Collection Form

Segments must be electronically transferred to the ISU server no later than 15 days after commencing field data collection for said segments. All segments (to include digital camera images must be returned to the ISU server no later than October 7th, 2020. In addition, all Montana NRI Soils Collection Forms (Attachment 6) must be sent to the COR’s representative no later than October 7th, 2020.

Non-Federal Points – Data Corrections Segments and soils forms failing to meet data correctness and quality specifications will be referred back to the contractor(s) for correction. Requested corrections need to be completed no later than October 21st, 2020 and prior to submission of an invoice for payment.

Non-Federal Points – Final Invoicing No later than October 25th, 2020 Segment data deemed inaccessible in field determination

Required documentation must be delivered to the Government no later than 5 working days after determination property cannot be accessed to collect data.

GFP/GFM All GFP/GFM shall be returned to the Government no later than 4PM MT October 25, 2020.

F. DESCRIPTION OF WORK: Non-federal points and federal points

The contractor(s) shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities, except as otherwise specified, to perform the effort described below. Documentation guidance for implementing this contract is outlined in Paragraph C. Reference Materials.

Overview – For this inventory, data collection is required on non-federal and federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. A required data point is a point that is determined to be rangeland or pastureland by the COR’s representative. Data collection is not required on non-rangeland or non-pastureland points.

NRCS Montana anticipates approximately 1,590 points (varying from between 1 and 2 per segment) will be inventoried over the five-year period contemplated by this procurement. The specific segments and points are announced annually by the National NRI program manager the second quarter of the Federal fiscal year. A task order will be issued once the annual list of segments and points is published. Note: No amount will be guaranteed on the contract beyond the minimum guarantee. For fiscal year 2020, there are approximately 141 non-federal inventory segments (max 282 points) in 52 counties throughout MT and 10 federal segments (max 20 points) in two counties in Northeastern Montana (see Attachment 5 Fiscal Year 2020 County/Tribe Table for National Resources Inventory Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection Natural Resources Conservation Service). Each segment is about 160 acres in size. Each segment has one to two sample points upon which data are to be collected.

Data are to be collected by data collection teams consisting of two or more members. Minimum Data Collector qualifications and requirements are as follows:

(i) Data collection teams proposed by offeror must, at a minimum, include at least one individual with a Bachelor’s Degree in Range Management; and have experience in the following:

Working in Western states in the field of rangeland management NRCS Ecological Site Descriptions (ESD) (Technical Guide Sec II; Part F) and Forage

Suitability Groups (Technical Guide Sec II; Part E) Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to navigate to sample sites.

Sampling vegetation attributes, Use of soil survey information and soil identification relative to ESD association, Apparent rangeland trend indicators, Rangeland health and health indicators, Native plant identification, Noxious weeds and alien/invasive plant identification, Rangeland conservation practices Rangeland resource concerns Rangeland line point transects, Rangeland line intercept transects, Rangeland vegetation cover density and height measurement, Rangeland species composition by weight Site/species reconstruction parameters Percent allowable species by ecological site Reconstruction parameters and Similarity Index (SI) calculations.

Data recording instruments (CASI data entry software) and enter data.

(ii) Data collection teams proposed by offeror must, at a minimum, also include an individual with a degree in soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility. In addition to the education this individual must have at least two years of experience in the following:

Working in western states in the field of Soil Science.

Excavating hand dug pits for the purpose of describing soil properties and features.

Describing soil sites, including determining landscape, landforms, landform position, understanding surface and subsurface hydrology as it relates to soil formation.

Describing soil profiles, including detailed horizonation and the recording of related soil properties and features.

(iii) Data collectors must have a minimum of two (2) years of formal undergraduate training in biological or earth sciences.

This data collection will be conducted on private & public land and access permission must be granted prior to land entry and data collection. The contractor shall contact landowners to request permission to conduct the inventory. Some landowners will refuse permission to access or cross their land. If the contractor is unable to secure permission from a private landowner for the contractor to access the private land, the contractor will not enter or cross the private land and will not be paid for that point. The contractor(s) shall enter the data collected into hand-held Computer Assisted Survey Instruments (CASI) using approved software provided by NRCS. The contractor shall transmit the data to the USDA NRCS Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics & Methodology located in Ames, Iowa.

1. Grazingland Data Collection: The contractor shall collect data for the following elements in accordance with the standards outlined in the Handbook of Instructions for Rangeland Field Study Data Collection, reports, site locations maps and aerial photographs furnished by the COR’s representative. The data shall be free of errors and be collected in a logical order with minimal number of trips to the field for data collection. To be considered complete, range and pasture data collection protocols will be collected for points and certified by NRCS. Work shall begin on or about May 15, 2020 and be completed in accordance with the table set forth at Section E (“Period of Performance”) of this Statement of Work. Highlights in the protocol are covered below.

a. GPS Navigation and Point Coordinate Capture – navigate to and record data point position with a hand held GPS device.

b. Transect Layout; (2) 150 foot linear transects NE/SW-NW/SE intersecting as an “X” at the 75 foot mark.

c. (8) Digital photos per point.

d. Ownership – NRI ownership code

e. Land Cover/Use – NRI cover/use code

f. Soil Observation(s) to Verify the Ecological Site(s)

g. Landscapes and Soils

Vertical Slope Shape Horizontal Slope Shape Slope Percent Soil Survey Area ID (SSAID) number NASIS Map Unit Symbol (MUSYM)

h. Ecological Site Information Rangeland Cover Type Name Historic Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) Ecological Site Number Ecological Site/Soil Correlation Gully Erosion; Active Cutting

Apparent Rangeland Trend

i. Rangeland Health

Indicators of Rangeland Health (17 attributes to achieve indicator summary of Soil/Site Stability, Biotic Integrity and Hydrologic Function )

j. Noxious Weeds and Invasive/Alien Plants (plant code)

k. Disturbance Indicators

l. Identification of Conservation Practices Applied; Yes/No (15) NRCS Technical Guide Section IV;

Part C Brush management (314) Prescribed Burning (338) Pond (378) Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380) Fence (382) Pasture and Hayland Planting (512) Pipeline (516) Prescribed Grazing (528) Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment (548) Range Planting (550) Spring Development (574) Animal Trail and Walkways (580 Watering Facility (614) Water Well (642) Wildlife Watering Facility (648)

m. Identification of Resource Concerns; Yes/No (NRCS Technical Guide Section V; Part A) Soil erosion (6 concerns) Soil condition (5 concerns) Water quantity (3 concerns) Water quality (2 concerns) Plant suitability Plant condition (4 concerns) Domestic Animals

n. Soil Stability Test – when insufficient root mat exists (9 samples)

o. Transect Vegetation Data

Line Point Transects for Cover Composition Record plant canopy cover by species (up to six species) at three foot intervals along two

150 foot transects Record basal cover at the same points by plant species, or lichen cover, or moss, or rock fragments, or none (bare soil) There are 50 points on each transect

p. Line Intercept Transects: for Canopy Gaps Record the beginning and end of plant canopy gaps greater than 1.0 foot to the nearest

1/10th of a foot Plant material may be dead or alive Uses the same transects as the Line Point Transects

q. Plant Height Record the maximum height, in inches, of the tallest rooted plant that is nearest to the three foot intervals along two 150 foot transects

r. Species Composition by Weight (Non-federal rangeland only)

Collect actual field weight, in grams, of plants in production plots There are 5 production plots located along transect lines Each of the 5 production plots will have herbaceous material sampled Two of the 5 plots will also have woody material (if present) sampled Herbaceous (circular) plots will be either 4.8 or 9.6 square feet

Woody plots will be 435.6 square feet or 0.01 acre (a circular plot with a radius of approximately 11.8 feet)

Collect actual field weight by species Actual field weight by species may be determined by clipping the whole plot or by double sampling

s. Reconstruct field weight of plants to normal annual air dry weights (Non-Federal rangeland only)

For each species:

Determine the percent air dry weight Determine the percent of current years growth that has not been removed by grazing or harvest Determine percent of current years growth that should normally have occurred at the time of sampling Determine the climate adjustment factor comparing current years growth to normal years growth

t. Determine similarity Index (SI) using Ecological Site Description information for each plant species (Non-federal rangeland only) The software in the CASI produces total unadjusted weight for all plants inventoried from all production plots as well as the reconstructed weight in pounds per acre Determine the percent of allowable production for each species using the Ecological Site Description that best describes the site where the samples have been collected. The software will then calculate the Similarity Index (SI).

u. Standing Biomass (Pastureland only)

There are a total of 5 production plots located along the transect lines Each of the 5 production plots will have grass/herbaceous material sampled Two of the 5 plots will also have woody material (if present) sampled Grass/herbaceous (circular) plots will be 1.92, 4.8 or 9.6 (optional) square feet Woody plots will be 435.6 square feet or 0.01 acre (a circular plot with a radius of approximately 11.8 feet) Several methods may be used to obtain biomass estimates: clip all plots, double sampling, or by weight units.

Determine the total quadrat green field weight in grams Data entry requirements for dry weight determination vary by which method was selected

(sub sample or total). Sub sample method – air dry a sample of the total green weight harvest. Total sample method – air dry the entire quadrat harvest.

Woody plots – woody biomass production will be estimated using weight units and a sub sample for determining air dry weight.

v. Pasture Condition (Pastureland only) Determine the pasture condition score using the National Pasture Condition Score Sheet.

Refer to instructions.

2. Soils Data Collection: The Contractor(s) Soil Scientist shall observe, measure, and record soil descriptions to support soil component and keyed ecological sites utilizing the Montana NRI Soil Collection Form (Attachment 6). The Soil Scientist shall describe profile to a depth of 115 cm (45 inches) or clear contact with bedrock whichever is shallower. Use reference “Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, Version 2.0 or higher” for codes, terms and guidance. Record for each site the following entries:

Site observations/measurements

a. Soil survey id (example MT622)

b. Survey map unit symbol

c. Soil component name identified (using similar soil concept with ESD assignment as context)

Leave blank if not similar to any map unit component.

d. Component NASIS ID

e. Date described

f. Segment ID#, including point number

g. Describers name

h. Elevation (feet)

i. % Slope

j. Aspect (compass degrees)

k. Landscape

l. Landform, including position on the landform

m. % bare ground

n. Surface cover of stone and/or boulder size rock fragments

o. Soil Parent material kind (alluvium, colluvium, residuum, glacial till etc.…)

p. Soil Parent material source (granite, sandstone, shale, mixed alluvium etc.…)

q. Ecological site keyed/called MLRA-LRU-ESD name

r. Depth class – very shallow, shallow, moderately deep, deep or very deep…

s. Depth to water table (saturated zone) in centimeters

t. Flooding (if site judged to have any flooding hazard – YES, else NO)

Profile observations/measurements, by horizon

a. Horizon designation (A, Bw, C, for example)

b. Horizon top and bottom depths in centimeters

c. Soil Color (Moist and dry) using Munsell color charts/book

d. Water state, dry, moist, wet…

e. Texture (USDA), less than 2mm matrix with appropriate coarse fragment modifier

f. % Clay (estimated by texturing)

g. Rock fragment percent (by standard fraction, gravel (channers if flat), cobbles (flags if flat), stones, boulders)

h. Soil structure

i. Soil consistence (dry, moist, wet)

j. Features to include mottles (redoximorphic features), ped and void features (i.e. clay films).

k. Field pH (using meter or reagents with a spot plate)

l. Effervescence…