Attachment_1_-_Statement_of_Work_6-8-23_0001.docx

Attachment 1

SCOPE OF WORK

LAKE TROUT GILLNETTING AND TRAP NETTING

ON YELLOWSTONE LAKE

This Scope of Work has been produced for the purpose of retaining continued assistance from a professional gill and trap net fishing operation, including all necessary personnel and gear such as boats, lines, weights, and buoys, to significantly reduce the non-native lake trout population and restore native cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, WY during the 2023 field season (Seed Project), and for up to four additional years. The Offeror will also provide sufficient housing for personnel at the remote Yellowstone Lake work location.

Figure 1. Yellowstone Lake lies in a remote location within the interior of Yellowstone National Park. With a surface area of 89,000 acres, it is the largest lake above 7,000 feet elevation in North America.

BACKGROUND

Lake trout, a nonnative predator, were discovered in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. The National Park Service (NPS) immediately began work to understand the problem and reduce the impact of lake trout on the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. However, it was determined in 2008 that NPS efforts alone were not enough to cause the lake trout population to crash. Since that time, NPS has incorporated contracted commercial-style gillnetting and trap-netting into our suppression program (Figure 2). This solicitation seeks to continue that work. Over the last several years, between 280,000 and 330,000 lake trout have been removed from the Yellowstone Lake population annually. The Offeror should expect a similar catch in 2023 (Figure 2). The Offeror is expected to provide boats, gear, and skilled captains and crews capable of handling extremely large numbers of gill nets, trap nets, and captured fish, from mid-May through mid-October annually on Yellowstone Lake, with the first year (2023) starting in late August to include 3-4 gillnetting crews for seven (7) weeks as described below.

Figure 2. The Offeror should expect to remove between 8,000 and 30,000 or more lake trout from gill and trap nets per week.

WORK DETAILS

Yellowstone National Park is requesting proposals for mobilization and implementation of large-scale gillnetting and deep-water trap net fishing to remove non-native lake trout from Yellowstone Lake during fishing (ice-free) seasons in Yellowstone National Park, WY. Although no trap netting will occur in 2023, this must be included in the proposal for future ordering periods.

Netting operations in 2023 will be from late August through mid-October. The Offeror is expected to provide captains and crews of size and working days/hours sufficient to meet gill net effort targets as defined below under Gillnetting Effort Expectations.

Dates: In 2023, three gillnetting crews will operate for seven (7) weeks mid-August through mid-October. Two crews will operate on contractor-owned boats (as described under BOAT, GEAR, AND OPERATION EXPECTATIONS) and one will fish from the NPS-owned boat Freedom (Figures 3 and 4, Table 1). Trap netting will occur for up to ten (10) weeks in future years. A contractor-owned boat will be used for trap netting.

Beginning Date

8/27/2023

9/3/2023

9/10/2023

9/17/2023

9/24/2023

10/1/2023

10/8/2023

Table 1. Dates for proposed gill netting work to be conducted on Yellowstone Lake in 2023.

Housing for Personnel shall be provided by the Offeror. NPS will provide housing with beds for up to five (5) contract employees in the Yellowstone Lake area. The Offeror shall provide at least one mobile home and six (6), two-bedroom (>24 feet) RV travel trailers to ensure adequate housing for required crews to meet annual gill and trap netting effort benchmarks on Yellowstone Lake. The Offeror is also expected to provide company office space. The mobile home must be 14-feet by 60-feet (or similar) with at least two (2) bedrooms, two (2) bathrooms, and furnished, delivered and set up. The NPS will provide RV sites with electrical, water, and septic at Lake Village, Grant Village, or Canyon. The Offeror may be required to provide additional mobile homes and/or RV units to house larger crews in future years of this contract.

The Offeror should include pricing for each of the following five major work elements:

1) Mobilization is expected to begin upon award and shall include all preparations necessary to ensure the gill netting operations for the 2023 season shall be accomplished on schedule. Personnel recruitment and training; mobilizing boats, nets, gear, other equipment; and setting up required housing (RV trailers) at Yellowstone National Park to ensure the operations for the 2023 season shall be included in this cost. This includes repair of existing or construction of new gill nets as needed. (See Gill Net Requirements & Specifications below). All nets shall have only been fished in Yellowstone Lake.

2) Gillnetting Using Contractor-Owned Boats shall be tailored to maximize the total annual mortality of the non-native lake trout while minimizing mortality of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The Offeror is expected to operate up to three contractor-owned boats and crews five (5) days each week (Monday – Friday) from mid-August through mid-October 2023 for seven (7) weeks. Gill nets will be provided by NPS.

3) Gillnetting Using the NPS-owned Boat (Freedom, Figures 3 and 4) is expected by the Offeror providing a third captain and crew and working at least five (5) days each week (Monday – Friday) for seven (7) weeks from mid-August through mid-October 2023. Gill nets will be provided by NPS.

Figure 3. The NPS gillnetting boat Freedom is 32 feet long and powered by a Cummins diesel inboard engine and drive system.

Figure 4. Two of the contractor-owned boats are expected to have fully-enclosed work areas and be similar in design to the NPS Freedom (typical Great Lakes gill netting boat design).

4) Trap Netting Using 9 Large, Deep-water Trap Nets will be fished by the Offeror at least 5-6 days each week (Monday – Saturday) for 10 weeks late June through mid-August during additional years of the contract, exact dates to be decided in consultation with NPS biologist. Trap nets are to be provided by the Offeror.

5) Winterization of the NPS Freedom shall be provided by the Offeror. All routine boat maintenance is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure target effort units are met. This includes all routine maintenance and repairs on the NPS-owned Freedom. Also included are winterization, removal from the water, and preparation for over-winter storage at Bridge Bay Marina on stands in an open area of the NPS-owned Freedom.

6) Repair of Existing and Construction of New Gill Nets by mesh size for each as described below (Gill Net Requirements and Specifications).

BOAT, GEAR, AND OPERATION EXPECTATIONS

All offeror boats are expected to be compliant with Coast Guard approved safety equipment at https://uscgboating.org/regulations/index.php?m=r. Up-to-date Sonar and GPS equipment shall be necessary for accurate net placement, recording, and locating set nets. Boat engines shall meet the EPA Regulations for Emissions from Marine Vessels at https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/regulations-emissions-marine-vessels.

Boat Specifications Contractor-owned boats shall be at least 32-feet long and be powered by diesel inboard drive systems. Two of the contractor-owned boats are expected to have fully enclosed work areas and be similar in design to the NPS Freedom (typical Great Lakes gill netting boat design; Figure 5). One of the contractor-owned boats shall be a large open-deck boat with small forward cabin design. It is expected this boat will have a hull design that allows greater speed for accessing remote lake areas and that the boat will be used for experimental netting, research, and routine gillnetting as needed.

All routine boat maintenance is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure target effort units are met. This includes all routine maintenance and repairs on the NPS-owned Freedom. This includes winterization, removal from the water, and preparation for over-winter storage at Bridge Bay Marina on stands in an open area. Catastrophic repairs (in excess of $10,000) required to the Freedom will be the responsibility of the NPS.

Up-to-date Sonar and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment shall be necessary for accurate net placement, recording, and locating set nets. Boat engine emissions shall meet the highest standards (https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/regulations-emissions-marine-vessels), as the first priority of the NPS is to protect the pristine environment of the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem.

Boats used for gill net operations shall be outfitted to process 300-ft gillnets typically set in gangs of 1,800 to 18,000 feet of net between marking buoys and anchors, fishing on the bottom in water as deep as 200 feet. A hydraulic net lifter is expected to be an essential piece of equipment for gillnetting operation on each boat (Figure 6).

It is expected that boat mechanical failures, including major engine and transmission failures, be fixed immediately (within days) by the Offeror. It is expected that the third contractor-owned boat be used (if available) to sustain gillnetting effort during periods other boats are being repaired.

Figure 5. A large hydraulic net lifter (Crossley, Inc.) is expected equipment on each of the gill netting boats.

Gill Net Requirements and Specifications The Offeror is expected to provide all gill nets for the program, including those used concurrently by NPS netting operations (which fish approximately 90 nets each season). Sufficient gill nets will be required for the Offeror and NPS gill netting operations to achieve 90,000 effort units annually. All nets shall be either newly constructed or have previously only been fished in Yellowstone Lake waters to ensure they are free of harmful Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS).

The Offeror is responsible for all construction, repair, and re-hanging work required to keep the nets fishing at maximum efficiency throughout the season. This is expected to include 30 new gill nets and 300 nets fished the prior season that will need repair by rehanging or reconstruction (replacing panels or mending), or other repair work to ensure the nets remain in excellent fishing condition. Newly constructed nets should be of the following specifications:

· Total length 300’

Numbers in each mesh size will be finalized at the end of each fishing season and updated each year. At the end of the fishing season, all nets used by the Offeror that season shall be examined by the Offeror and graded for condition according to whether they need to be replaced, restrung, or repaired or remain in new condition. All nets shall be repaired or replaced as needed by the Offeror for the following field seasons to ensure the gear remains in excellent fishing condition.

Gill Net Box Requirements and Specifications The Offeror is expected to provide a sufficient number of net boxes for handling and storage of required gill nets (Figure 8). The net boxes shall be constructed of high-density polyethylene, with the following dimensions:

· Top: 36" x 24"

· Bottom: 28" x 16"

· Depth: 11"

GILL NET EFFORT EXPECTATIONS

Gill nets will be provided by NPS. Average number of nights each net will soak is expected to be two to five nights each. The Offeror is expected to lift between 60 and 90 300-foot nets per day, per boat, and each net is expected to be lifted at least twice per week for a total of at least 8,400 nets lifted over the 7-week period. It is expected the Offeror shall be able to handle nets and fish with minimal damage to nets. Excessive damage to any net will be replaced or repaired by the Offeror. All live Yellowstone cutthroat trout shall be released. All lake trout will be counted with subsets, determined by NPS biologist, measured and checked for total length, sex, and maturity level.

TRAP NET EFFORT EXPECTATIONS

Trap netting shall be conducted in years 2024 – 2027 on a large open-deck boat, staffed by an experienced captain and crew, and equipped to handle setting, lifting, retrieving, and moving deep water trap nets styled similarly to those fished commercially in the Great Lakes (6-10 m in height, Figures 6 and 7). Trap nets shall be deployed and fished up to ten (10) weeks from late- June through August; exact dates to be determined in consultation with NPS biologist. Nine deep-water trap nets shall be maintained and lifted at least twice per week to check for fish and remove any lake trout. Researchers will be onboard to tag/mark Yellowstone cutthroat trout and lake trout as needed. All live Yellowstone cutthroat trout shall be released. All lake trout will be measured and checked for total length, sex, and maturity level.

Figure 6. Large, deep-water live trap nets are one type of gear that the Offeror will be expected to use for lake trout suppression and/or supporting NPS research on Yellowstone Lake. Example of contractor-owned boat with large open deck and small forward cabin design.

Figure 7. Generalized diagram of a deep-water trap to be used (Michigan Department of Natural Resources). Nets maybe be up to 40 ft tall with a lead up to 1,000 ft in length.

OTHER WORK EXPECTATIONS

The Offeror will provide boats, captains, and crews to undertake all operations of docking, retrieval of nets, removing fish, dumping fish carcasses in specific locations, preparing nets to be reset, and resetting nets, to meet effort targets as defined above.

Data Collection and Research Assistance will be expected by the Offeror. The Offeror will accurately report net site location by recording the set track, noting date set and date lifted, length of set, and mesh size used. Number of fish captured. by species, will also be reported for each species for each set. Random samples, as directed by the NPS, will require subsampling the catch including fish length and sex. Captain and crew will coordinate with Yellowstone National Park employees and NPS biologists and law enforcement rangers. Captain and crew must maintain professionalism while abiding by rules and regulations associated with working and residing within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. The Offeror will coordinate with NPS Fisheries Biologists each week and will closely monitor netting logs (data sheets) maintained by the Offeror to ensure that adequate progress is being made towards meeting the gillnetting effort target by season end.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

NPS radios will be provided to the Offeror. Captains and crew will monitor NPS radios at all times when boats are in service on Yellowstone Lake. Captains and crew will be expected to respond to calls from NPS staff via the NPS radio system.

Contractor shall provide the NPS with a Safety Plan to include, but not limited to how the requirements below will be implemented into the Contractor’s daily work. The plan will be reviewed by Yellowstone’s Safety Officer and must be approved prior to beginning work.

Accident Prevention Accident Prevention Program - Prior mobilization, submit a site-specific accident prevention program. The program must be accepted by the NPS before any on site work can begin.

Accident Reporting Reportable accidents, defined as death, occupational disease, traumatic injury to Contractor’s personnel, NPS employees or the public, property damage of any accident in excess of $1,000 and fires, must be reported immediately. Complete an Accident/Property Damage Report and forward to the CO within seven days.

Quality Assurance Ensure that all employees are physically qualified to perform their assigned duties in a safe manner. Do not allow employees to work if their abilities are impaired. Operators of all equipment shall be able to understand signs, signals, and operating instructions, and be capable of operating such equipment.

Safety Measures Provide the following:

· First aid supplies

· Personal protective equipment that meets the requirements of NIOSH and MSHA

· Emergency instructions, including telephone numbers and reporting instruction for ambulance, physician, hospital, fire department and park police. Place in conspicuous locations at the worksite.

Training Provide training for first aid. Conduct safety meetings on site at least weekly during.

Enforcement The Contractor shall stop work on any item or feature pending satisfactory correction of any safety issue noted by any of the contractor’s staff, any of the subcontractor’s staff, COR, or the CO.

DECONTAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

Because Offeror boats and gear could be originating from Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) -infected waters, boats and all gear/equipment must be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and certified to be clear of any possible ANS before entering Yellowstone National Park. Boats MUST never have been in ANS mussel-fouled waters. Prior to launching on Yellowstone Lake, boats and all gear will be inspected by NPS resource protection personnel to confirm ANS disinfection. IF boats or equipment have not been launched in any waters other than Yellowstone Lake during the time between a satisfactory ANS inspection by Yellowstone National Park staff and prior seasons, ANS disinfection and inspection procedures will not need to be repeated.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Offeror will report to NPS Fisheries Biologists with locations and catch of each set daily. The Offeror will work in collaboration with NPS crew members and coordinate gillnetting efforts on Yellowstone Lake. The Offeror shall find and kill lake trout, while minimizing mortality of native cutthroat trout. An NPS employee will be on board the Offeror’s boat at various times to assist, monitor activity, and collect data.

SITE DETAILS

Yellowstone Lake is located in the interior of Yellowstone National Park and can be reached by two-lane highway during May – October (Figure 8). Yellowstone Lake has a surface area of 136 square miles, a shoreline length of 148 miles, and an average depth of 140 feet. At an elevation of 7,800 feet, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America. Unique and sensitive geothermal features are found on the bottom of the lake. Damage to these resources by gillnetting, trap netting, or other netting strategy operations must be avoided.

The remote location of Yellowstone Lake makes the logistics of working there somewhat difficult. The Offeror will be responsible for trailering their boats to and from the lake, which is only accessible by traveling narrow winding roads. Boats can be stored outside at Bridge Bay Marina over winter when option years are required. Launching and docking facilities are located at Bridge Bay Marina near Lake Village. Launching facilities consist of a cement pad, requiring boat draft to be less than 5 feet. Docking facilities are capable of handling boats up to 45 feet in length. Boats must leave the marina by travelling under a bridge requiring boat height above waterline to be less than 12 feet. Additional docking and launching facilities exist at Grant Village but are limited.

Netting locations are typically 10 to 15 miles from the docking facility (Figure 9). Summer afternoons typically get winds of 15-25 mph from a southwesterly direction so boats shall be able to handle rough water safely. Please refer to NOAA websites for detailed information on the weather patterns to be expected on Yellowstone Lake.

Figure 8. Location of Yellowstone Lake in the interior of Yellowstone National Park.

Figure 9. Locations of lake trout gill and trap nets on Yellowstone Lake in 2022.

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