A04_SOW_TDMVKS_HerbicideApplication.pdf

Statement of Work

Tule Desert, Meadow Valley, and Kane Springs Fuel Breaks

Imazapic Herbicide Treatment

1. Introduction

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking a contractor to conduct pre-emergent herbicide treatment on selected sites administered by the Ely District (Map 1).

The work consists of applying Imazapic herbicide within the project area to control red brome (Bromus rubens) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) on BLM administered lands to achieve the following objectives:

· Between 80 and 100 percent mortality of red brome and cheatgrass located within the treatment areas.

· Less than 10 percent loss of current existing perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs within the treatment area.

The work shall consist of application of contractor-furnished herbicide using both ground and non-ground application methods. Ground applications will occur along established dirt roads and trails and areas away from established dirt roads and trails that are traversable by ground application equipment. Non ground application shall occur in areas away from established dirt roads and trails that are

NOT accessible by ground application equipment (See Table 1 for acreages and

Maps 2-7).

Table 1: Acreage Breakdown

1.1 Applicable Directives

The Contractor shall hold a current Nevada Professional Applicator License in the

Agricultural Pesticide Category prior to the award of the contract. A copy of the license must be submitted with the bid package to be considered for the contract.

All vegetation control measures shall comply with the provisions set forth in the

Record of Decision for the Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of

Land Management Lands in 17 Western States Programmatic EIS, (September

2007) and all federal, state, and local regulations. Personnel who apply via non-ground methods shall meet certification requirements for this method; evidence of certification shall be furnished by the contractor to the BLM.

Application Location Acres Miles

Ground Application - Next to Established Dirt Roads and Trails

1,673 230

Ground Application – Away from Established Dirt

Roads and Trails should be traversable by ground application equipment

400 33

Non-Ground Application – Away from Established

Dirt Roads and Trails NOT traversable by ground application equipment

388 32

The Contractor shall strictly adhere to the herbicide label instructions, BLM policy, and federal and state regulations. In the instance that several guidelines or regulations are provided, the Contractor will follow the one that is the most restrictive.

1.2 Location and Description

The project area is located in southern Lincoln County, Nevada within the Tule

Desert, Meadow Valley Wash, and Kane Springs Valley, approximately 10 to 40 miles north and northwest of Mesquite, NV, 60 to 80 miles northeast of Las

Vegas, NV, and 30 to 60 Miles south of Caliente, NV (Map 8). The majority of the project area is located within desert tortoise habitat.

The majority of the project will occur along existing dirt roads and jeep trails.

Where a dirt road and/or jeep trail exists the project area will be from the edge of the road/trail out 30 feet along both sides (1,672 acres along 230 miles). Where a dirt road and/or jeep trail does not exist the project area will be 100 feet wide (788 acres along 65 miles). Some of the project area does not occur next to a road/trail but is still traversable by ground vehicles.

Start and end points for the project area will not be identified on the ground. The contractor will need to use a map in conjunction with a GPS that has land ownership layer and/or ability to utilize a geo-referencing program that allows the contractor to determine where they are located on the ground within the project area.

2.0 EXPECTED DELIVERY OR PERFORMANCE TIMES

2.1 The period of performance is from November 1, 2020, prior to the first wetting rain/snow event, and will be completed by March 15, 2021. Government preference is starting and completing the project as quickly as possible, however due to weather conditions during this time, soil moisture, soil temperature, timeframes may need to be re-negotiated. Government preference is for application immediately prior to wetting rain/snow event. The contract performance period will not be extended due to misallocation of time or resources by the contractor.

2.2 There will be a pre-work conference prior to the start of the project at an agreed upon date between the COR/PI and the Contractor. This may be in person or via video/teleconference. At the pre-work conference the Contractor shall provide the COR a written “work progress” plan that details the proposed workforce and schedule to provide for orderly completion of the work within the contract performance times. This work schedule must be acceptable to the government.

At a minimum, the schedule should reflect a work progress rate capable of completing the project on time while accounting for possible delays. The contractor will also provide the spill containment and cleanup plan at this meeting.

3.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

3.1 The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, supplies, incidentals, licensed applicators, and all other personnel necessary to apply liquid herbicide to the designated areas in the time specified. Equipment shall be capable of carrying liquid herbicide and capable of applying herbicide in a uniform pattern and evenly distributed with the desired equitable distribution rate.

3.2 Ground Application - Contractor furnished equipment must be capable of traversing rough terrain both on established roads and trails as well as cross country. Application is not restricted to the established roads and trails. If contractor chooses, they may traverse cross country during application. If application equipment does stay on established roads and trails, the application equipment or spray must be able to reach the edge of the project area. When traversing cross country, the preferred application apparatus would be an ATV or

UTV type vehicle.

3.3 Non-Ground Application - The contractor shall furnish equipment suitable to meet project specifications and is responsible for stationing the equipment at a suitable location in close proximity of the project area. The equipment shall be capable of maneuvering at a moderate rate of speed and low enough to give proper control and distribution of the herbicide. The contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, fuel, supervision, supplies and incidentals to perform all work as set forth in the specifications. The contractor will be responsible for the transportation and storage of the supplies and equipment used for the project. The

Contractor shall hold a certificate for operation of the non-ground application equipment issued by the proper agency and will operate the equipment used in the project as civil. Equipment use will be in compliance with 14 CFR Part 137.

3.4 The Government will have the option to inspect the Contractor's equipment and work before, during, and after completion of this contract. All equipment will be calibrated prior to application, properly functioning, and free of leaks and malfunctioning or broken parts. The Government will have the option to observe and require calibration of all spray equipment before, during, and after completion of this contract.

3.5 The Contractor shall provide functioning GPS units or a geo-referencing program with all spraying equipment capable of uploading and recording shapefiles and displaying them in a manner that can be followed by the contractor’s personnel.

The contractor will GPS daily all areas sprayed. It is expected that the individual assigned by the Contractor who is responsible for using the GPS unit to follow and/or mark project area boundaries will be able to operate and trouble shoot the

GPS unit. The contractor will provide to the Contracting Officer’s Representative the shapefiles depicting the sprayed areas.

3.6 The contractor shall be responsible for purchasing, suppling and safely transporting, storing and disposal of the herbicide as follows:

Herbicide: Herbicide sufficient to cover treatment units at rates, to be proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government, must be delivered in original, unopened containers to be applied at the project site. The herbicide shall conform to the following:

· Active ingredient: Ammonium salt of imazapic (+/-) -2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-

5-methyl-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid=23.6%

· Inert ingredients = 76.4%

· EPA registration No. 241-365

Adjuvants: Sufficient amount of adjuvant as recommended or listed on the herbicide label. Adjuvant shall be delivered in original unopened containers, shall be compatible with the herbicide, and shall not damage non-target vegetation. Adjuvant type and rate shall also be proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government prior to application.

Dye: Dye at the rate specified on label (must be visible for one week after application). Dye shall be delivered in original unopened containers, shall be compatible with the herbicide, and shall not damage non-target vegetation. Dye type and rate shall also be proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government prior to application.

Water: Herbicide will be applied utilizing water as a carrier. Amount will be proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government prior to application.

The contractor is responsible for ensuring that the application of the herbicide meets all label specifications. The contractor shall be responsible for cleanup of accidental spills, following proper handling and storage precautions, and ensuring proper exposure control and personal protection equipment is provided as defined by the herbicides’ and adjuvants’ Safety Data Sheets.

The contractor shall comply with all Federal, State, and Local regulations.

3.7 PERSONNEL

Herbicide applicator(s) shall contain a current Nevada pesticide applicator’s license.

Non-Ground Application Equipment Operator

Personnel who operate the non-ground application equipment shall be supplied by the Contractor. The non-ground application equipment operator shall meet certification requirements of the agency which oversees this type of equipment for this type of work. The non-ground application equipment operator must hold proper certification to apply the specified herbicide in the state of Nevada.

Ground Crew

If needed, shall be furnished by the Contractor.

Technical Representative

Contractor shall supply an onsite technical representative to ensure proper calibration of application equipment, rates of application, swath widths and flight requirements. The representative should be experienced with application of the required herbicide using the proposed non-ground application equipment type.

Contractor shall specify the representative’s experience in the bid proposal. The technical representative shall work closely with the Government representative to ensure safe and proper application of herbicide.

4.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

4.1 The Government will provide electronic boundaries in the form of GIS shape files and/or georeferenced .pdf maps to the selected contractor prior to any pre-work conference.

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS

5.1 The Contractor shall apply liquid herbicide both via ground and non-ground application methods in a uniform pattern and evenly distributed within the project area and in conformance with these specifications, the Detailed Specifications

Herbicide Application, and the herbicide label.

5.2 The application rate will be proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the

Government. The Contractor will be responsible for taking samples or completing reconnaissance of the treatment areas to determine appropriate application rate(s) for Imazapic to achieve the following objectives:

• Between 80 and 100 percent mortality of cheatgrass and red brome located within the treatment areas.

• Less than 10 percent loss of current existing perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs within the treatment area.

5.3 The maximum rate of herbicide application listed on the label is the maximum rate allowed to be sprayed.

5.4 Herbicide will be applied utilizing water as a carrier. Amount will be proposed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government prior to application.

5.5 During ground application only, the Contractor shall have personnel in front of the application vehicle observing for desert tortoise within the project area. If desert tortoise are observed within the project area application will avoid that area. Application will stop 50 feet from the desert tortoise. Application may resume 50 feet of the other side of the desert tortoise. The desert tortoise will not be moved, touched or in any way encouraged to move. Once the desert tortoise has moved from that area of its own will, the Contractor will come back and apply herbicide. Observation personnel need to be within the project area and may utilize an OHV (i.e. ATV, UTV) to conduct the observations. If a desert tortoise is observed the COR/PI will be notified immediately and the location will be marked with GPS and the shapefile provided to the COR/PI. Contractor shall check under vehicle before moving them to ensure that a desert tortoise is not located under the vehicle. The project area is within low density desert tortoise habitat.

5.6 The Contractor shall stop operation if inclement weather conditions (gusty and/or wind conditions in excess of 10 mph or imminent threat of rain) occur during the spraying operation. Precipitation in the form of rain, snow, or fog will halt herbicide application. The contractor is responsible for following BLM policy and herbicide label instructions on proper spraying conditions. Contractor shall have equipment (i.e. Kestrel) capable of accurately measuring on-site weather conditions including: temperature, wind speeds, and relative humidity to assure adherence to contract requirements.

5.7 The Contractor will GPS areas treated each day. A GIS shapefile will be provided every two days to the COR/PI and within 3 business days of the end of the project.

5.8 The Contractor will fill out a Pesticide Application Record (PAR) daily of application of treated areas. PARs will be submitted every two days for review of completeness by the COR/PI. At the end of the project all PARs shall be turned in to the COR/PI within 3 business days. All fields on the PAR form shall be completed.

5.9 All roads (public and private) damaged or opened by the Contractor shall be restored at no cost to the Government to their condition prior to commencement of work.

5.10 The Government may issue a suspend work order and/or partially terminate any portion of the work at any time when application conditions are considered sufficiently unfavorable to warrant stoppage. Stoppage shall continue until application operations are again authorized by the Government. No monetary compensation will be given to the contractor for work suspensions.

5.11 Whenever a specification (Agency, State or Federal law) or label direction has a contradiction, the most stringent interpretation shall take precedence.

5.12 Herbicide shall not be applied within 150 feet of water sources (troughs, ponds, open water). Springs and other water sources will be marked on the GIS layer or map and given to the Contractor prior to herbicide application. Contractor shall apply the herbicide consistent with the maps and shapefiles provided by the BLM.

5.13 Contractor is responsible for identification and avoidance of any hazards.

5.14 Contractor must maintain consistent elevation above ground for consistency in application rate.

5.15 Contractor is responsible for following standard operating procedures as outlined in Table B-2 of the Record of Decision for the Vegetation Treatments Using

Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States

Programmatic EIS.

5.16 Contractor is responsible for placing signage in the area to alert the public of the operations and potential hazards, and signs must remain in place throughout the residual period as specified by the herbicide label.

6.0 MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

6.1 Application of liquid herbicide will be measured and paid for by the number of acres treated to the nearest acre.

6.2 Measurement for payment for herbicide treatment will be the actual area, in acres, within the designated boundaries satisfactorily treated in conformance with these specifications. Measurement will be made from either physical surveys of the areas or a computer-generated file created in a GPS and/or geo-referencing program. The shapefile will be used in ArcGIS for final acreage measurement.

Acreages will be computed from horizontal distances as shown on maps.

6.3 Full payment of the award amount will be authorized after satisfactorily treatment of the project area and properly submitted paperwork and GIS data.

7.0 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) AND/OR

PROJECT INSPECTOR (PI)

The COR and/or Project Inspector (PI) will be appointed by the Contracting

Officer upon award of the contract. Such COR/PI will be responsible for giving the contractor any special instructions or guidance necessary to complete delivery as required by the contract. The COR or PI does not have the authority to modify or in any way amend the terms of this contract.

8.0 SAFETY

8.1 The contractor is responsible for providing a safety plan that identifies a point of contact in the event of any accident. The plan should include names and emergency phone numbers for personnel and facilities to contact, including Flight

For Life/Life Flight/Care Flight, etc., in case an emergency warrants such actions.

The plan should also include a description of on-site emergency procedures to follow in case of an accident. The plan should identify the insurance company providing coverage and the pertinent group coverage number.

8.2 In addition to being responsible for the safety of their employees, the contractor is also responsible for providing for the safety of the public during operations. This includes compliance with all OSHA and State of Nevada regulations for the application of herbicide and the use of equipment. In addition, BLM requires that the contractor provides a spill containment and cleanup plan to BLM and to any onsite personnel that at a minimum meets the conditions of the chemical product label, and any associated Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

9.0 ATTACHMENTS

Map 1: General Area

Map 2: Kane Springs General Area

Map 3: Meadow Valley Wash General Area

Map 4: North West Portion of the Tule Desert General Area

Map 5: North East Portion of the Tule Desert General Area

Map 6: South West Portion of the Tule Desert General Area

Map 7: South East Portion of the Tule Desert General Area

Map 8: General Location