A04_Chemical_App_Services_Statement_of_Work_2023.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Five Year BPA for Chemical Treatment Application for

Wildland Fire Risk Mitigation and Habitat Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

New Richmond, WI 54017

BACKGROUND

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), St. Croix Wetland Management District (WMD) manages small parcels of federal land (40 acres – 800 acres in size) called Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs), located in three counties in west-central Wisconsin. The three counties include Dunn, Polk and St. Croix counties. The WMD encompasses five additional counties; Barron, Burnett, Pierce, Pepin and Washburn. Though there are no WPAs currently located in the five additional counties, there is a potential for project work in those counties since land acquisition by the WMD is ongoing.

Waterfowl Production Areas consist primarily of grassland and wetland habitats with occasional pockets of wooded habitats and/or oak savannas. The BPA is requested to manage encroaching woody and/or other undesirable vegetation on lands managed by St. Croix WMD via chemical treatment.

BPA

• The contract will be for 5 year period from the date of award.

• Individual orders or calls placed by an ordering official who is not a Contracting Officer (CO) must not exceed the micro-purchase threshold of $2,500.00 for services. Only authorized ordering officials are designated to make calls under the micro-purchase threshold using the GPC as the method of payment. All BPA calls over the $2,500.00 threshold will be issued by contracting prior to work being done and invoiced through the IPP system.

• The Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) – the authorized limit for the life of the BPA is $250,000.

• The Government is obligated only to the extent of authorized purchases actually made under this BPA.

SCOPE

Work consists of the application of chemical as specified by the USFWS to control chiefly, woody vegetation and other undesirable herbaceous vegetation to mitigate risk of wildland fire and improve wildlife habitat. The project areas may consist of recently logged or mowed areas and may contain numerous residual stumps as well as residual trees that are to be protected. Project areas may also include chemical treatment of individual trees or clusters of woody vegetation within grassland habitats. In project areas with stumps, the stumps are generally less than eight inches in height, although taller stumps may be present. Rocks and uneven topography (potholes, steep hills, and draws) may also be present in the project areas. Hazards such as the above noted stumps and rocks may be hidden by tall grasses and brush.

Project areas may consist of areas over five acres that require broadcast chemical application by larger spray rigs but may require boomless sprayers due to changes in topography and pockets of oak trees. Project areas may also be less than five acres or may contain pockets of heavy stumps, steep topography, or groups of protected trees/plants within sensitive plant communities that will require broadcast chemical application by hand with a back-pack sprayer or by small, ATV-mounted spray rigs. Most project areas will be in this category.

Regardless of the spraying equipment used to apply chemicals, it will be essential that residual protected trees and other sensitive prairie species are not treated with chemical incidentally by drift or overspray.

Chemical and water needed for treatment will be supplied by the USFWS. The USFWS will also specify the rate at which the chemical must be applied. The contractor shall coordinate with the USFWS representative at least 48 hours in advance of starting each task order to allow for chemical procurement. Examples of chemical mixes follow:

Chemical Names Application Rate Chemical Names Application Rate

Mixture A: Per 50 gallons/water Mixture B: Per 50 gallons/water Vastlan 2.0 gallons/acre Garlon 4 Ultra 2.0 quarts/acre

Terravue 2.75 ounces/acre Opensight 2.5 oz/acre MSO 1.0 pint/acre Escort 0.5 oz/acre Surfactant As specified on label Water 30.0 gallons/acre minimum

Surfactant As specified by Chemical Label

HOURLY RATES TO QUOTE

Projects Requiring Broadcast Chemical Application by Boomed or Boomless Sprayers

Equipment: The equipment must have a minimum horsepower rating of 50 and be less than nine feet in height (to avoid hitting the low branches of residual oak trees) unless approved by USFWS representative.

Rubberized specialty tracked equipment is most suitable for working in sensitive ground conditions.

Rubber tired agricultural tractor equipment may also be utilized in stump and rocky conditions. Boomed sprayers may be used but due to changes in topography, stumps, trees or other obstacles, boomless sprayers are most suitable. Bid the hourly rate for a single piece of equipment with operator.

Mobilization: Contractor will specify a flat-rate for initial mobilization for each task order.

Mobilization between project sites on individual task orders will not be paid since project sites are generally within close proximity of each other. No demobilization costs will be paid. The contractor must supply appropriate trailer for moving equipment. Work sites are scattered throughout the contract area with some sites requiring less than a full day of work.

Projects Requiring Spot Broadcast Treatment or Hand-Application of Chemical (most of the project areas will be in this category)

Equipment: No minimum horsepower rating. ATV-mounted spray rigs with hose/wand for hand application or by hand with a back-pack sprayer, will be necessary to protect residual oak trees and other sensitive prairie plant species. Broadcast sprayers may be used for spot treatments but due to changes in topography, stumps, trees or other obstacles, boomless sprayers are most suitable. Bid the hourly rate for a single piece of equipment with operator.

Mobilization: Contractor will specify a flat-rate for initial mobilization for each task order.

Mobilization between project sites on individual task orders will not be paid since project sites are generally within close proximity of each other. No demobilization costs will be paid. The contractor must supply appropriate trailer for moving equipment. Work sites are scattered throughout the contract area with some sites requiring less than a full day of work.

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS

1 Unless otherwise specified herein, the Contractor shall provide all labor, transportation, and equipment necessary to perform the work as described herein.

2 Security of Materials – The Contractor may leave its equipment and Government furnished supplies at the work site. The Contractor shall be responsible for the Contractor’s equipment and Government-furnished supplies if it should be lost, stolen or damaged.

3 Personnel – The contractor shall furnish skilled operators for each machine. Operators shall have a minimum of three years of experience under similar field conditions. Contractors must hold current Wisconsin State commercial chemical applicators certifications.

4 Equipment – The contractor must supply a heavy duty trailer of adequate size for moving large (> 50 HP) spray equipment. Work sites are scattered throughout the contract area.

5 Equipment condition and maintenance – All equipment must be 2005 model year or newer and have a working Service-type time recorder for hours worked. Equipment furnished must be in acceptable condition and will be subject to Government pre-use inspection. The Government reserves the right to reject equipment which is not in safe and operative condition. The Contractor operator shall perform all necessary repairs and servicing to maintain the equipment in good operating condition during the period of use.

6 Equipment Breakdown - If equipment break downs occur, Contractor shall repair or replace equipment such that completion schedule for contract work is delayed no more than 3 days.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government will not furnish any property. Government will furnish chemical and water for mixing.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Quality Assurance Plan/Inspection – The Government will inspect completed units as a basis for acceptance and payments, and to provide recommendations to improve work quality while work is in progress. The Contractor is responsible for providing quality control to assure that work complies with requirements of the contract specifications and those on the chemical label.

Performance Objective Performance Standard Desired Quality Level

Monitoring Method Primarily Employed

Disincentives for Not Meeting the Performance Standards

Broadcast Chemical treatment of specified vegetation within unit with boom/less sprayer

All specified areas of unit and associated plants treated and displaying signs of distress consistent with plant death

90% Visual assessment

Re-treatment

Spot broadcast or hand application of chemical of specified vegetation within unit

All specified areas of unit and associated plants treated and displaying signs of distress consistent with plant death

90% Visual assessment

Re-treatment

Adjacent trees/brush or underlying prairie plants with no overspray

No chemical damage to adjacent or underlying woody/herbaceous plants

90% Visual assessment

Significant damage to adjacent or underlying woody/herbaceous plants will result in disincentive of 5% of Task Order price per treatment area.

Effective safety program Accident free

Property damage free

Personal injury free

98% of time 100% of time 100% of time

By exception

Unscheduled visits

Review of safety program

Project completed as scheduled

Meets completion date of task orders

100% of time

By exception Over 15 days late will result in disincentive of 5% of Task Order price.

Acceptable Quality Level - Acceptance of work will be based on compliance with all Scope Tasks that correspond to the treatment. A minimum basic quality of 85 percent is required.

Unsatisfactory Work - If the work quality falls below 85 percent, the COR will immediately notify the Contractor in writing and direct the Contractor to improve the quality of his work. If the quality of work is not raised to an acceptable level within 5 working days after written notification, the Contracting Officer may issue a Suspend Work Order to resolve the problem, during which time contract performance time will continue to run. If untreated or unsatisfactory treated areas are the primary reason for unsatisfactory work, the area shall be reworked to obtain satisfactory work quality. If, after the allowable time for correction of the quality of work, the COR in conjunction with the Contracting Officer may deduct a percentage of funds from the line items that corresponds to the 85 percent required and the actual percentage obtained. Disagreement between the parties will be subject to the clause entitled “Disputes”.

The USFWS staff will perform the following steps as part of the regular surveillance of contractors performing work under BPA calls to safeguard the government from waste, fraud or abuse:

a. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative will be present onsite when the contractor mobilizes to the worksite to review the planned scope of work.

b. A USFWS representative will remain onsite for a period of time to observe contractor’s work.

c. A USFWS representative will continue to visit the worksite periodically observe/inspect work, check for over-spray, and record meter readings, and equipment hours worked.

d. A USFWS representative will be present to do a final inspection of the site, complete the final log of hours worked and final meter readings.

e. After treatment the vendor will provide maps of acres treated by species and amount of chemical used on each assigned unit. Daily herbicide application records and maps of the treatments must be submitted to the project point of contact before payment

STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE

Work Hours – Work hours under this contract shall be limited to the time between one-half hour before sunrise to one-half after sunset Monday through Saturday. Sundays and additional hours may be approved by the property manager.

Additionally, contractor must follow climatic application guidelines (low winds, no precipitation, etc.) as provided by the chemical label.

Invasive Species Control – Prior to entering Fish and Wildlife Service property, all equipment will be spray-washed and inspected by the FWS site representative in an effort to minimize transmission of invasive plants. Haul tractors and trailers are excluded from this requirement.

Subcontracts - If the contractor desires to subcontract any work under the contract, it shall obtain the Contracting Officer's written consent. The request to subcontract shall contain the following information:

a. Name of subcontractor

b. Description and amount of supplies or services to be subcontracted. The Contractor shall insert in any subcontracts all applicable clauses contained in the contract.

Cleanup - The Contractor is responsible for cleaning up all worksites before leaving the area. Final payment may be withheld until the Contractor has complied with this requirement.

Overspray – The Contractor is responsible for damage to adjacent private lands if overspray occurs.

AWARD BASIS

Award will be made based on best value determination, with Technical, ability to meet the SOW, past performance and price being considered. If quotes are found to be rated equally in past performance and technical, then price will be the determining factor.

For Past Performance, specific experience identifying and working with/around the same species of prairie plants/brush/trees common to western Wisconsin will be required, as conservation of these species is of the utmost importance. Many of the restoration sites where this contract will be utilized are highly sensitive and may contain remnant, native prairie. In order to avoid damage to remnant prairie, contractor must have demonstrated ability to apply chemicals in these fragile habitats. Three years prior experience with demonstrated ability to identify sensitive prairie plants is mandatory.

EVALUATION FACTORS

a. Technical Qualifications

(1) Available Equipment. Contractor shall complete the following list describing equipment available for performing the work described above:

(a) Make

(b) Model

(c) Year

(d) Whether owned by contractor or by subcontractor

Please see Contractor Furnished Items section of this SOW for additional areas that will be reviewed in regards to the technical acceptability such as personnel certifications.

b. Past Performance

Contractors shall provide information on relative past performance by providing a minimum of four and no more than five projects/contracts similar in scope completed within the last three years. Vendors shall submit detailed information concerning Federal, State, local Government, and private contracts considered to be relevant in demonstrating ability to perform the work.

(a) Name of project/description of work.

(b) Contract or subcontract number, if applicable.

(c) Client or agency responsible for administering the contract. If the project submitted is a subcontract, identify the prime contractor and the agency administering the prime contract.

(d) Name and phone number of point of contact.

(e) Dates the contract or subcontract was awarded, duration, and completion Date.

(f) Location of the work.

(g) Value of the contract or subcontract.

(h) Provide name, address and telephone number of current or last program manager, contracting officer,and/or contract manager for each referenced project.

c. Price

The Contractor shall complete Attachment A. - Prices per hour shall include all equipment, labor, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit.

POINTS OF CONTACT

Technical Representative

Chris Trosen, Deputy Project Leader St. Croix Wetland Management District 1764 95th St. New Richmond, WI 54017 Office: 715-246-7784 Ext. 116 Cell: 701-240-4345 Chris_Trosen@fws.gov

Technical Questions about Statement of Work or Task Orders should be directed to POC identified above. Place of performance will vary by Task Order.

Period of Performance

10-01-2023- 09-30-2028

CONTRACTING POC: Renee Babineau, Contract Specialist, (404) 679-7349, Renee_Babineau@fws.gov

Attachment A. – Quote for Services and Prices/Costs

Item (all equipment is supplied with an operator)

Base Year 03/31/2024 – 03/30/2025 Price per hour

Option Year 1 03/31/2025 - 03/30/2026 Price per hour

Option Year 2 03/31/2026 – 03/30/2027 Price per hour

Option Year 3 03/31/2027 – 03/30/2028 Price per hour

Option Year 4 03/31/2028 - 03/30/2029 Price per hour

Projects Requiring Broadcast Chemical Application by Boomed or Boomless Sprayers Equipment: The equipment must have a minimum horsepower rating of 50 and be less than nine feet in height (to avoid hitting the low branches of residual oak trees) unless approved by USFWS representative. Rubberized specialty tracked equipment is most suitable for working in sensitive ground conditions. Rubber tired agricultural tractor equipment may also be utilized in stump and rocky conditions. Boomed sprayers may be used but due to changes in topography, stumps, trees or other obstacles, boomless sprayers are most suitable. Bid the hourly rate for a single piece of equipment with operator.

Mobilization: Contractor will specify a flat-rate for initial mobilization for each task order. Mobilization between project sites on individual task orders will not be paid since project sites are generally within close proximity of each other. No demobilization costs will be paid. The contractor must supply appropriate trailer for moving equipment. Work sites are scattered throughout the contract area with some sites requiring less than a full day of work.

Projects Requiring Spot Broadcast Treatment or Hand-Application of Chemical Equipment: No minimum horsepower rating. ATV-mounted spray rigs with hose/wand for hand application or by hand with a back-pack sprayer, will be necessary to protect residual oak trees and other sensitive prairie plant species. Broadcast sprayers may be used for spot treatments but due to changes in topography, stumps, trees or other obstacles, boomless sprayers are most suitable. Bid the hourly rate for a single piece of equipment with operator.

UTV w/22 gal. sprayer

UTV w/60 gal. sprayer

UTV w/100 gal. sprayer

Precision application w/back-pack sprayer

Mobilization: Contractor will specify a flat-rate for initial mobilization for each task order. Mobilization between project sites on individual task orders will not be paid since project sites are generally within close proximity of each other. No demobilization costs will be paid. The contractor must supply appropriate trailer for moving equipment. Work sites are scattered throughout the contract area with some sites requiring less than a full day of work.