A04_SOW_Revised_8_30_2021.pdf

Statement of Work: Aerial Seeding

Suicide/Shuttleworth Vegetation Treatments Aerial Seed Application Arizona Strip Field Office

Bureau of Land Management

I. STATEMENT OF WORK INFORMATION

Introduction:

This contract is for aerial seeding on two units of the Suicide/Shuttleworth Vegetation Treatments on the Arizona Strip Field Office (ASFO) to introduce seed in these areas before mastication work begins. The two units include the Suicide mastication unit consisting of 895 acres and the Shuttleworth mastication unit consisting of 580 acres for a total of 1,475 acres (see map in Appendix B).

Background:

The Suicide/Shuttleworth Vegetation Treatments will masticate approximately 1,475 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land within the ASFO. The mastication work will be done in areas that no longer have an understory/seed source due to the encroachment of pinyon pine and Utah juniper trees. To combat these impacts, the ASFO will seed BLM-administered lands aerially prior to the mastication work.

Site Location:

The work under this contract is located on BLM lands of the ASFO in Coconino County, Arizona as shown on the attached maps.

Work under this contract is in the Shuttleworth and Suicide Allotment areas of Coconino County approximately 15 miles southeast of Fredonia, Arizona. Treatment units are located northeast and southwest of Forest Road (FR) 22, also known as the Ryan Road. The coordinates for the project are:

36°44'42.1"N 112°21'18.2"W.

Elevations range from 6,000 to 6,400 feet within the project site. Slopes range from flat to 30% with much of the project being less than 10%, thus it is mostly flat or rolling. Trees are mature pinyon and juniper with little ground coverage (i.e., little to no grass or brush).

Access to the site: Access onto the project site is provided by a combination of paved highways, county dirt surface roads and jeep trails. Four (4) wheel drive vehicles are required in and around the project area. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to get the equipment to the work site.

Period of Performance:

The contract period of performance will be 180 days from the Notice to Proceed.

This contract requires close coordination with a mastication contract. An initial seed mix will need to be applied, prior to mastication on all units. The vendor will then be notified within 7 days of the completion of the mastication to arrange for the for the final seed mix application on all previously applied units.

CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS AND SCOPE OF WORK

Contractor shall furnish all management, supervision, pilots, equipment, aircraft, labor, supplies, and materials not provided by the Government but required to complete the job. The Contractor shall be responsible for the service and repair of equipment as necessary to continuously maintain satisfactory work progress. Designated areas shall be seeded in conformance with these specifications and this Statement of Work with BLM provided seed at the rate specified below.

Seed: Seed will be furnished by the Government at the Arizona Strip District Office, located in St. George, UT. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to transport seed to their chosen staging area/landing facility. The contractor will then apply the seed within 5 days of acquiring the seed (weather permitting). Once acquired, the Contractor shall be responsible to protect seed from loss or damage. Seed damaged or lost while in the custody of the Contractor shall be replaced by the Contractor at no additional expense to the Government. The seed mix is listed in appendix A.

Seed Application: The Contractor must be able to evenly distribute the designated seed at the rates specified in this Statement of Work. Equipment that cannot perform the specified work shall be modified or replaced by the Contractor within two calendar days. Application equipment shall be equipped for carrying seed with distribution mechanism including release, shutoff, and spreading device which can be calibrated for spreading seed at the prescribed rate in an acceptable manner and uniform pattern. Seed application equipment shall include physical measures to prevent seed from blowing out. All seed (government furnished) for the project will be transported to the Contractor’s designated staging area by the contractor and coordinated between the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and the Contractor.

Seed Application & Rate: Seed application rate is approximately 15lbs per acre. Apply mixed seed at a uniform rate per horizontal acre, minimizing over-seeding outside of treatment boundaries. Seed strips shall be distributed in such a manner as to secure a high uniformity of seed distribution. Such distribution shall not vary more than 10 percent above or below the average distribution of seed per unit of surface specified for the particular area concerned.

Application equipment shall be equipped for carrying seed with distribution mechanism including release, shutoff, and spreading device which can be calibrated for spreading seed at the prescribed rate in an acceptable manner and uniform pattern. Seed application equipment shall include lids/covers which fasten securely to prevent seed from blowing out. Electronic mapping data shall be provided and displayed to the COR on request.

Seeder Calibration: The Contractor shall calibrate seeding equipment prior to application on the project. The Government will supply seed for calibration. Seed not used for calibration shall be recovered for use on the project.

Monitoring Equipment: The Contractor shall furnish equipment to monitor and ensure evenly spaced, straight, regular, and complete coverage of all areas included in the seeding job.

Work Crew: All Crew for operation of equipment and seed handling and loading shall be furnished by the Contractor.

Seeding Operation Safety Hazards: Any ground or aerial hazards that would pose a danger to Contractor, Contractor’s personnel or operating equipment shall be identified, mitigated and/or avoided by the Contractor and brought to the Government representative’s attention.

Application Conditions: Seed shall not be applied when the wind speed exceeds ten miles per hour.

Dust Abatement: The contractor shall furnish water for dust abatement at the staging area.

Coverage: The entire surface within the designated boundaries of the job area shall receive uniform coverage with the seed. Seeding strips shall be patterned in such a manner as to secure as high a uniformity of seed distribution. Such distribution shall not vary more than 10 percent above or below the average distribution of seed per unit of surface specified for the particular area concerned. Inspection will be made as operations progress to determine uniformity of application. Any areas missed by the Contractor or seeded to less than the concentration specified shall be reseeded and brought up to standard, or by suitable deduction from contract price, at the option of the Government. No additional cost to the Government will be incurred.

Seed openings of the distribution mechanism shall be inspected at sufficient intervals to ensure proper functioning and even distribution of seed. If at any time inspection of equipment reveals that seed openings are not properly operating or that feeders are blocked, the COR may require reseeding of that portion of the area or areas if the Government determines it was not properly seeded, at no additional cost to the Government.

Tests for Uniformity and Rate of Application: The Government will conduct tests as operations progress to determine uniformity of seeding. Standards of performance will be determined by adequate weight records of seed for each particular seeding trip covered, and ground recovery of samples of seed actually distributed. All work of weight recording, and ground recovery will be done by the Government at no cost to the Contractor. Should the Contractor wish to object in any way to the weight recording and/or ground recovery sampling done at any particular time by the Government, the Contractor shall be present in person or by authorized representative to voice said objections when said weight recording and/or ground recovery samplings are done, and to agree upon new records and/or samples at the time, where after the weight recording and ground recovery sampling done by the Government shall be final and binding in the settlement of contract.

Work Stoppages & Delays: The contractor is expected to complete all contract performance in a timely manner, regardless of the contractor or subcontractor's other workload, including any work being performed. A delay or failure to perform may be considered excusable when the delay or failure arises from causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor or subcontractor. Examples of these causes are (1) acts of God or of the public enemy, (2) acts of the BLM in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, (3) fires, (4) floods,

(5) epidemics, (6) quarantine restrictions, (7) strikes, (8) freight embargoes, and (9) unusually severe weather. In each instance, the failure to perform must be beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor or subcontractor.

Upon request of the Contractor, the Contracting Officer shall ascertain the facts and extent of the failure. If the Contracting Officer determines that any failure to perform results from one or more of the causes above, the delivery schedule may be revised, subject to the BLM’s contract termination rights under the contract.

Note: “Unusually severe weather” means weather that is outside the normal weather patterns for a specific area at a specific time of the year. For example, strong wind and snowstorms in fall and winter, or strong wind, rain or hailstorms in spring and summer are not considered unusually severe. An unusually severe snow, wind or rainstorm is one that is worse than even the harshest normal conditions during a season.

Wind exceeding 10 mph may cause a stop/suspend work order to be issued.

Stoppage/suspension shall continue until seeding operations are again authorized by the Government. No monetary compensation will be given to the Contractor for this type of work stoppage/suspension.

Completion of Contract: The contract will be considered complete, and payment due when all seed furnished to the Contractor by the Government has been seeded to the standards specified above; or when all areas designated under the contract have been seeded to specifications; or if performance under the contract is ordered to be terminated by the Government; and when the Contractor has furnished the Government with the Shapefiles and Printouts.

II. EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

a. Base of Operation: The Contractor shall provide such operational facilities as may be required for competent performance of the contract. Use of any operation area shall be arranged by and at the discretion and risk of the Contractor, and the Government shall not be held responsible for any loss, mishap, or accident due to conditions of any operating facility used.

b. Staging Area: Staging area(s) for operations, seed loading, and equipment storage will be submitted by the Contractor prior to the pre-work meeting and approved by the COR. The contractor is responsible for securing permission to use any property or facilities from the appropriate landowner or manager.

c. Aerial Seeding: The Contractor shall furnish sufficient aircraft to satisfactorily seed the designated areas in the time specified as required in this Statement of Work. Contractor shall be capable of distributing seed at the rate and width specified in this Statement of Work over varying ground elevation, steep terrain, tight canyons. The Contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal, State and Local regulations.

d. GPS/ARC/INFOR Compatible Navigation System:

- Aircraft: Shall be equipped with a GPS Guidance/Tracking system capable of accepting and utilizing ARC/INFO GIS Shapefiles (.shp) and of directly supplying Shapefiles (.shp) of treatment coverage to the Government in UTM projection North America Datum 1983 upon completion of each treated area or as required by the Contracting Officer.

- Navigation: Differentially Corrected Global Positioning System (DGPS). DGPS is required for tracking, and data collection. The Contractor shall provide all guidance equipment, materials, computers, printers, personnel, and services required for the system to be used. The system shall be sufficiently sensitive to provide immediate deviation indications (realtime). The DGPS system must be capable of determining a differentially corrected location with an error of no more than one to two meters in the horizontal plane. The guidance system shall be capable of updating current position at a rate of a minimum of one time per second. Differential correction must cover the complete operational area. During operation, differentially corrected signal must be accurately recorded at least 90% of the operational time.

Differential correction may be provided by a portable differential station, FM radio fixed towers, or satellite.

- Software: Software provided with DGPS must be designed for parallel offset in increments equal to the assigned swath width of the application equipment.

- Project Log: Must be capable of a minimum rate of one-second logging intervals. Full record includes position, time, altitude, speed, track, application system on/off, job name/number, and differential correction status. The computer program must be capable of calculating and showing total acres treated during the application and also capable of downloading to a computer for analysis and review. The project log must show and differentiate between seed drop-on and seed drop-off when viewed on a computer monitor or printer. Export files of each project log shall be provided and must be compatible with ArcView or ARC-INFO GIS system on a standard USB memory stick. The Contractor may provide software that is compatible, and which will enable the files to convert into viewable files for ArcView or ARC-INFO GIS. The contractor must, upon request by the COR or Project Inspector, be able to supply project log data on a USB memory drive for review at any time during the contract. The DGPS system must be capable of zooming in on any portion of the treatment to view a specific area with greater detail.

e. Visual Display Monitor and Control Keypad:

i. Capable of displaying swath width over project path.

ii. Mounted in a location that will allow the applicator to view the screen.

iii. Have a method to display nested polygons to indicate sensitive or no-seed drop areas within or adjacent treatment blocks.

iv. Have a feature that allows the applicator to return to the exact location of application shutdown and complete application without omitted or doubled treated areas.

v. Be able to input reference waypoints (A-B line).

vi. Have a feature which alerts applicator when they are about to enter or exit a specific treatment block or an exclusion area within a block.

f. Course Deviation Indicator (CDI): The course deviation indicator or course deviation light must have the capability to display both cross-track error and intercept angle to desired heading. Cross- track error shall be adjustable down to 1’ foot.

g. Memory: Contractor must be capable of storing up to 10 hours of continuous project log data.

III. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT, DATA, & MATERIALS

Government Furnished GPS Coordinates: Unit boundaries will be provided in electronic shape files. Boundaries will not be marked on the ground. After the contract is awarded more detailed maps can be provided. Some options are:

• Geo-referenced maps at a scale of 1:24k or larger (if more detail is needed) that can be used with the Avenza app

• Geospatial data formats the data can be provided in: GPX file (can be used on a Garmin GPS) KML file shapefile geodatabase

• Collector web map - the contractor could get an account through the ArcGIS Online Geoplatform organization and we could share a web map for use in the Esri Collector app.

Government Furnished Materials: Seed

Government Furnished Equipment: None

IV. DELIVERABLES

1. The Contractor will provide project log data at the end of each day’s application. The

Contract will not be considered complete until the data have been reviewed and deemed complete with no skips in the treatment areas.

2. Must be capable of calculating and showing total acres treated during flight, must show the entire flight of the aircraft from takeoff to landing and differentiate between seed drop-on and seed drop-off. A color printout and Export files of each flight shall be provided on a standard removable drive or other appropriate media approved by the contracting officer and Arizona Strip Field Office at the end of the contract and must be compatible with ARC/INFO GIS. Shapefiles are the preferred file format.

V. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Evaluation Criteria Evaluation will be based on Best Value with Trade Offs focusing on the following criteria:

1) Technical approach to the project including:

• Equipment to be used

• Safety plan including phone numbers and procedures in case of emergency

• Work schedule o Preliminary schedule o Anticipated duration of the project

• Staging areas

Vendors with a more logical approach to completing the project will be rated higher.

2) Past Experience

a) Key Personnel- Names, Titles and Experience

b) Key Subcontractors- Names, Titles and Experience

Proposals with more like or similar experience in this type of work will be rated higher.

3) Past performance:

Include contact information for three (3) past performance references for projects of similar scope.

4) Price:

Provide a bid of cost per acre.

The government may, at its discretion, base past performance on past knowledge and previous experience with the contractor, supply or service being provided, customer survey or other reasonable basis. Award will be based on best value to the government. The best value to the government may or may not be the lowest price offered.

Identification of Proposal/Quote

This contract will be bid on a per-acre price. The per-acre price will be extended based on the quantity of acres to show a total project price. The total price shall include all labor, equipment and materials necessary to complete the job, which includes all mobilization and operating costs. There will be no fuel surcharges or adjustments negotiated.

Completely identify each submittal by showing at a minimum, the following information:

Name and address of submittal, plus name and telephone number of the individual to contact for further information.

Quality assurance

A. Codes and Standards: The work shall comply with codes and standards applicable to each type of work and as listed in the individual sections of these specifications.

B. Conflict: Where conflict occurs between reference documents and project specifications, the project specifications shall govern.

Sequencing and scheduling

Work Schedule: When requested by the CO/COR, the Contractor shall submit an updated schedule within 1 calendar day to the CO, with a copy to the COR.

PROJECT MEETINGS

Meeting Schedule: When requested, the Contractor shall submit an updated schedule within 1 calendar day.

Pre-Work Conference: A pre-work conference will be held prior to the start of work. The Contractor will be notified in advance of meeting time, date, and place. The purpose will be to review required work, Work Location Maps and specifications, schedules, payments, and administrative provisions of the Contract.

Attendance: The Contractor, any subcontractors and the persons responsible for coordination of the work shall be present at the meeting.

Presentation: At this meeting the Contractor shall be prepared to summarize and explain procedures planned for the projects.

Progress Meetings: Meetings shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the CO/COR.

Notification: Meetings may be called by either the CO/COR or the Contractor. Request shall state who should attend and include an agenda.

Final Inspection: This meeting shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the CO/COR. The Contractor and the COR shall be present during this inspection.

Payment: Measurement for payment for seeding will be actual area, in acres, within the designated boundaries satisfactorily seeded in conformance with these specifications.

Measurements will be made from Shapefiles and Printouts. Payment will be made at the unit price per acres specified in the Bid Schedule which is made a part hereof and shall include the cost of all work described in this paragraph and the Work Data Sheets.

Government-furnished property

Property: The Government will furnish all seed at a centralized storage facility. The contractor will be responsible for obtaining the seed from the seed storage facility and transporting seed to work sites. BLM may choose to move the seed as opposed to having the vendor move it. This will be decided at the time of award.

Return of Property: Excess seed will be returned to the Bureau of Land Management’s storage facility upon notification by the contractor unless otherwise determined.

Inspection and acceptance

Inspection: The COR/ PI will make periodic inspections as a basis for payments and recommendations for adjustments in work quality. The Contractor is encouraged to observe inspection while they are being made and have a supervisor on site to confer with the COR/ PI.

Shapefiles will be viewed and/or given to the COR/ PI on a daily basis. The determination of acres completed shall be agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR/ PI on a daily basis.

Final acceptance

Work Performed: According to the specifications, the treatment will be considered acceptable for payment if all deliverable services are complete.

Final Payment: Shall be made upon final acceptance of services, Government receipt of Shapefile Printouts from Contractor, return of Government-furnished property (if any) and receipt of a proper invoice through IPP.gov. Payment will be made by “acre”. All acres identified in the mapped work-area shall be completed and accepted by the Government in order to receive 100% payment.

General information

Location: The government furnished property will be provided by the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Strip District Office, Saint George, UT 84790. The seed for the aerial seeding will also be located at the district office. The contractor may collect the seed directly from the District Office. Notice of two business days will be given (call 360-477-5508) so that a representative can meet the contractor at the seed storage facility for seed pick up. A fork lift will be available at the seed storage facility. BLM may choose to move the seed as opposed to having the vendor move it. This will be decided at the time of award. Advanced notice of 10 business days notice would be required, from the contractor, if the BLM moves the seed. The Contractor will apply the seed within 5 days of receiving it (weather permitting). Once the seed is in the Contractor’s possession, the Contractor shall be responsible to protect seed from loss or damage.

Time: Seed will be available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM or as needed and approved by the Contracting Officer’s Representative Cody Goff, Crgoff@blm.gov, (435) 688- 3369. Advanced notice will be needed so that a representative can meet to access the seed.

Return of property: Excess seed will be returned to the Bureau of Land Management unless otherwise determined. Empty seed bags will be either disposed of by the contractor or reclaimed by the Bureau at the Bureau’s discretion.

Loading-off loading: The contractor will be responsible for providing necessary equipment and personnel to unload and load seed. All seed will be premixed in 50 lb. sacks.

mailto:Crgoff@blm.gov

APPENDIX A

Suicide/Shuttleworth Aerial Seeding Desired Seed Mix (1,475 acres):

Species Pounds

WILDRYE, RUSSIAN, PSJU3,

BOZOISKY II 2,200

WHEATGRASS, PUBESCENT,

THIN6, LUNA 1,000

WHEATGRASS, THICKSPIKE,

ELLAL3, CRITANA 500

WHEATGRASS, SLENDER, ELTR7 ,

COPPERHEAD 500

WHEATGRASS, SIBERIAN, AGFR,

VAVILOV II 4,000

WHEATGRASS, WESTERN, PASM,

ROSANA 2,600

WHEATGRASS, CRESTED, AGCR,

HYCREST II 6,000

GRAMA, SIDEOATS, BOCU, (SI) 500

RICEGRASS, INDIAN, ACHY,

PALOMA 500

KOCHIA, FORAGE, BAPR5,

SNOWSTORM, CERTIFIED

VARIETY 2,000

SALTBUSH, FOURWING, ATCA2,

VARIOUS LOCATIONS, (SI) 500

Total: 20,300

APPENDIX B

Maps