A04 1174982 SOW_RockLake_retreatment of invasive trees.pdf

Natural Resources Conservation Service USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

STATEMENT OF WORK

Control of invasive plants at Rock Lake WRP Wetland Reserve Easement 668C301100ZM2, Guadalupe County, New Mexico

It is the mission of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our nation’s natural resources and environment. The NRCS accomplishes this mission by providing technical and financial support through a number of federal programs. The Wetland Reserve Easements component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP-WRE) provides habitat for migratory waterfowl and other wetland dependent wildlife, including threatened and endangered species; improves water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals; reduces flooding; recharges groundwater; protects biological diversity; and provides opportunities for educational, scientific and limited recreational activities.

Introduction/Background NRCS is soliciting proposals to control Russian olive and salt cedar on a property with an ACEP-WRE conservation easement owned by the US government. The property is located on River Road south of the Rock Lake hatchery in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

In 2025, Russian olive and salt cedar trees were cut and sprayed on approximately 160-acres. Of the 160-acres only about half, 80 acres, has any notable number of invasive plants. The cut material was chipped and spread in a thin layer at approved sites. Russian olive and salt cedar are invasive trees which require continued treatments to keep them under control. Russian olive can grow up to 6 feet in a year and is fairly easy to control when small.

This project involves:

1. Using herbicide to control the invasives trees that have sprouted since the 2025 treatment. Hand pulling small new seedlings may be done in place of herbicide treatment if the roots can be fully extracted. The entire 160-acre project area must be inspected and treated. Approximately 80-acres have invasive trees at notable levels.

General Requirements The Contractor shall

• Furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, materials and incidentals necessary to perform the removal of woody trees and application of herbicide.

• Complete work from late-September 2026 through April 2027.

• Ensure that all approvals, authorities, and permits for conducting the tasks have been obtained prior to initiating fieldwork.

• Provide the required training and safety equipment for their employees. At a minimum, OSHA requirements will be met.

• Provide competent supervision and skilled personnel to accomplish all work in progress.

Rock Lake WRP Santa Rosa, NM

• Take appropriate actions necessary to protect the life and health of employees on the job and the safety of the public,

• Ensure that vehicles are not driven into wet areas where equipment will cause ruts or get stuck.

Qualifications of PI shall be:

• Knowledge and experience with plant identification

• Appropriate licenses/certification for pesticide application

• Knowledge of laws regarding handling of protected species

• Experience with safety measures to avoid injuries or damage to property.

Workers applying herbicides must use PPE required by the pesticide label. In addition, workers using chain saws and piling the cut woody material must wear appropriate safety equipment.

All vehicles and equipment entering the project area must be clean of noxious weeds and free from oil leaks and are subject to inspection by the NRCS. Wash all equipment to thoroughly remove all dirt, plant, and other foreign material prior to entering the project area. Particular attention must be shown to the under carriage and any surface where soil containing exotic seeds may exist. These efforts are critical to prevent the introduction and establishment of non-native plant species into the project area.

Proper corrective clean-up and safety actions shall be followed when gasoline, diesel fuel, antifreeze, hydraulic fluid, or any other chemical contained within the vehicle or machinery is released in the project area. Do not use equipment that is leaking. Repair oil leaks immediately on discovery. Have oil pans and absorbent material in place prior to beginning repair work. Have the “on scene” capability of catching and absorbing leaks and spillage of petroleum products including antifreeze from breakdowns or repair actions with approved absorbent materials. Keep a supply of acceptable absorbent materials at the project site in the event of spills. Soils contaminated with petroleum products including antifreeze, must be dug, placed in appropriate safety containers, and disposed of according to state or federal laws and rules or regulations. At minimum, fire extinguishers and hand tools must be located on site in case of a fire ignition while operating machinery or equipment.

Russian Olive and Salt Cedar Treatment Herbicide applications on Russian olive and salt cedar will be individual plant treatment using cut-stump, frill cut, basal bark and foliar spray. The exact acreage of each treatment method will vary based on time of year and size of the targeted plants. Small plants can be killed by pulling them out with the roots. The targeted treatment is 95-100% reduction in Russian olive and salt cedar.

Based on densities in 2024, the following is estimated for retreatment (see Figure 3):

Light density, 99 or less trees per acre: 41 acres Medium density, 100-250 trees per acre: 8 acres Heavy density, over 250 trees per acre: 12 acres This is rounded up to 80-acres, half of the project area. The remaining 80-acres will have few to no invasive species.

Cut-stump is generally used on plants that are 1-inch or more in diameter, immediately followed by herbicide application within 15 minutes of being cut. Foliar, frill cut and basal spray may be used on smaller trees, generally less than 6-foot tall, and when practical on larger trees. The preferred herbicide for use away from surface water is Garlon 4, but other herbicides approved for use may be used.

Habitat, or other herbicides approved for use next to water, must be used within 20 feet of surface water. All herbicides are to be mixed with a blue dye and carrier oil.

Herbicide applied within 50 feet of surface water may only occur under the following optimal environmental conditions: Moderate temperatures (60 to 80 ºF), high relative humidity (65 to 90 percent), and light winds (3 to 7 m.p.h.).

All herbicides must be used according to the label. NRCS recommends contractors to be familiar with the US Forest Service publication, “Field Guide for Managing Russian Olive in the Southwest” found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/legacy-media/r03/Russian%20Olive%20Field%20Guide%202017.pdf.

Cut material must be either chipped or hauled off the easement. Woody material may be chipped within the treatment area as shown in Figure 4, outside the “No Equipment” zone, in a layer not to exceed 2-inches. Where the amount of material will exceed a 2-inch layer, the woody material may be moved and chipped in the drier upland areas. The chipped material in the drier upland areas may be in piles or spread more than 2-inches thick. If the cut material is not chipped, it must be removed from the property.

Vehicles must remain on approved paths shown in Figure 2. Lighter vehicles such as UTV’s are to be used where the ground is wet. Contractors must not use vehicles anywhere ruts are created.

Reporting and Deliverables Contractor shall provide copies of herbicide application records that include the date, amount, and type of herbicide applied, location, and weather conditions (temperature, wind, etc.) to the Agency

POC.

Period of Performance and Payment Work is to be done between mid-September 2026 – April 15, 2027.

Contractor shall submit payment requests via the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/legacy-media/r03/Russian%20Olive%20Field%20Guide%202017.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/legacy-media/r03/Russian%20Olive%20Field%20Guide%202017.pdf

Figure 1. Planned treatment of Russian olive and salt cedar, approximately 160 acres.

Figure 2. Approved roads for UTV’s, trucks and other equipment. The road marked in white is on private land that is not part of the conservation easement. The roads marked in orange are intended to be temporary.

Figure 3. Areas where resprouts and new seedlings are expected to be light, moderate and heavy density.

Figure 4. Green polygons are locations where cut and pulled woody material may be piled for removal or chipped. These “piling areas” may serve also be used as staging areas for equipment.

Confidentiality Information related to this contract is classified as confidential. Its distribution and use is restricted to the landowner and permitting agencies. Publication or disclosure of any part of this information is prohibited without the written permission of the NRCS and the landowner(s).

Environmental and Cultural Considerations Cultural resources are not known to be present on the property. The project does not include activities that are considered as undertakings.

Three protected plant species are present on the property. These species are not expected to occur where trees are thickest since these species grow in open areas. These species are expected to recover if stepped or driven on, but workers must avoid individual plants and follow the conservation measures described below. The plant descriptions must be shared with the workers so they can identify the plants.

Figure 5. Locations of protected plant species in 2023. Pink stars and polygons are Wright’s marsh thistle, yellow polygons are Pecos sunflower, and white stars and polygon are Great Plains ladies’-tresses.

Figure 6. Rare plant occurrences on the south part of the Red Hawk/ Rock Lake CE in 2023. Pink stars and polygons are Wright’s marsh thistle and yellow polygons are Pecos sunflower.

Conservation Measures to Minimize Impacts to Protected Plant Species

PECOS SUNFLOWER

Pecos sunflower (Helianthus paradoxus) is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act and is also listed as endangered by the New Mexico Endangered Plant Species Act. There is a large population at Santa Rosa, New Mexico – mostly at spring seeps and ciénegas east of the Pecos River. It is uncommon at apparently similar ciénega habitats on the west side of the Pecos River including the project property where only two small patches were present in 2023 covering less than half an acre.

Plant description is from https://www.fws.gov/species/paradox-sunflower-helianthus-paradoxus:

Pecos sunflowers reach 1.3-2 meters (4.25-6.5 feet) in height, have lance-shaped leaves with three veins that are opposite on the lower portion of the stem and alternate at the top, and up to 17.5 centimeters (6.9 inches) long by 8.5 centimeters (3.3 inches) wide.

Flower heads are 5-7 centimeters (2.0-2.8 inches) in diameter.

Pecos sunflower look similar to the common (Helianthus annus) and prairie sunflowers (Helianthus pauciflorus) that grow prolific along western roadsides, and can be distinguished by narrower leaves, fewer hairs on their leaves and stems, slightly smaller flower heads, and bloom later in the fall season, typically September-November.

WRIGHT’S MARSH THISTLE

Wright’s marsh thistle (Cirsium wrightii) is listed as a threatened species by USFWS and as endangered by the State of New Mexico. It is an obligate wetland plant that occurs in a few widely distributed spring ciénegas in the American southwest. The Santa Rosa population is the largest of the seven populations remaining in New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua.

The project property has thousands of thistles on more than 26-acres.

https://www.fws.gov/species/paradox-sunflower-helianthus-paradoxus https://www.fws.gov/species/paradox-sunflower-helianthus-paradoxus

Plant description is from https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/8963:

Wright’s marsh thistle is strictly a wetland species that occupies alkaline spring seeps and cienegas at low to moderate elevations. Wright’s marsh thistle is distinctive among southwestern thistles. It is characterized by its tall (1-2.5 m) strict growth form which has a single central stalk that is densely covered with strongly decurrent, succulent leaves. Both the basal and stem leaves are ample and succulent. The basal leaves are long and can measure up to 30 cm or more.

GREAT PLAINS LADIES’-TRESSES ORCHID

Great Plains ladies-tresses is widespread throughout the tall grass prairies of the central states from north Texas to Wisconsin. A few small populations are approximately 250 miles disjunct to northern and eastern New Mexico where they occupy vulnerable wetland habitats. The State of New Mexico lists this orchid as endangered under the New Mexico Endangered Plant Species Act.

Plant description is from https://nmrareplants.unm.edu/node/208 In New Mexico it is found in wetlands, cienegas, and stream sides from 4,560 ft to 6500 ft in elevation. It flowers from mid-July to August. Plants are typically 3-24 in. in size with few tuberous roots. Flowers are closely intertwined in 3 rows, spiraling up a 1 to 4 inch spike with up to 48 blossoms, typically 3 to 4 flowers in 1 cycle of the spiral. Basal leaves are long and slender, up to 5½ inches long, ½ inch wide and wilt away around 2 weeks before the flowers appear.

https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/8963 https://nmrareplants.unm.edu/node/208

The following conservation measures must be followed. Work within 100 feet of protected plants must not occur from April 1 to late September:

• Actions will not impair the ability of flycatchers to migrate though, disperse, or forage in the area.

• Herbicide shall be applied according to product label.

• Application timing will consider wind and ambient temperature. Best to apply early morning or evening as light permits. Avoid spraying in temperatures above 90°F. Apply only when wind speed is optimal to reduce herbicide drift.

• Travel routes will be approved by NRCS in advance to minimize trampling of protected plants. Treatment will be planned to minimize vehicle traffic throughout property. Contractors must use existing roads, limit cross-country travel and initiation of new paths.

• Treatment will begin at least 100 feet from known populations of protected plants in late September. This will occur after the Pecos sunflower has set seeds.

• Treatment within 100 feet of protected plants will end by March 31st.

• Contractors will be trained to identify the protected plants before work can begin.

• Contractors will make sure all vehicles, clothing, and personnel are properly decontaminated and cleaned before moving locations.

• Unnecessary trampling of protected plants (Wright’s marsh thistle and Pecos sunflower), as determined by NRCS biologist, will be a condition of cancelling the contract.

• Wood chips and slash shall be placed in areas that will not negatively affect threatened and endangered species. The approved areas where wood chips and slash may be placed is shown in Figure 4.