A04_SOW_Walhonding_River_Survey.pdf

Statement of Work and Proposal Preparation Instructions – 02/05/2024

Freshwater Mussel Survey – xxxxxxxxxxxx Task Order xxxxxxxxxx

Freshwater Mussel Survey of the Walhonding River in Ohio

I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requires assistance in determining the current status of the federally listed endangered purple cat's paw pearlymussel (Epioblasma obliquata) at a reintroduction site in the Walhonding River in Coshocton County, Ohio. A reintroduction effort for the species was initiated in the Walhonding River in 2017.

The Ohio Ecological Services Field Office is the Service’s national lead office for the purple cat's paw. In this role, the Ohio Field Office is responsible for reviewing the status of the species every five years. The Service would like to determine the status of the reintroduced population to determine survival and document potential recruitment following multiple years of reintroduction efforts at one site in the Walhonding River. Juvenile purple cat's paw have been released at the site in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023 in an approximately 350 square meter area.

The Ohio Field Office is seeking a consulting team with the expertise and appropriate Federal and State permits necessary to survey the Walhonding River release site and determine the current status of the purple cat's paw. Eligible quoters are those for which one or more members of the survey team hold a currently valid:

o Federal Native Endangered & Threatened Species Recovery Permit from the Service, authorizing the permit holder to take (capture and release) federally listed mussels, in Ohio, for the recovery and enhancement of survival of the species in the wild; and o Ohio Scientific Collecting Permit for freshwater mussels and a letter of permission from the Chief of the Division of Wildlife to take/possess native endangered species (both are issued by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife).

In addition, quoters must have experience surveying for federally listed mussels in Ohio utilizing the methods in Strayer and Smith’s, 2003, A guide to sampling freshwater mussel populations (American Fisheries Society Monograph 8: 1-103).

Quoters must provide:

• a technical proposal describing the entity undertaking the project, goals and objectives, activities, methods, and timetable;

• qualifications information, including copies of the Federal Species Recovery Permit(s), Ohio Scientific Collecting Permit, and letter of permission from the Chief of the Division of Wildlife, as detailed above, with names of permitted personnel for each;

• past performance data; and

• a price proposal, broken down for each task outlined below.

Technical factors, past performance are significantly more important than price.

II. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIRED SERVICES

The findings of this survey effort will provide data necessary for the accurate assessment of the species status and planning future recovery actions.

The contractor shall provide labor and materials required to accomplish the following tasks:

Task 1 – Kick-off Meeting

Contractor will participate in an initial kick-off meeting with the Service to discuss the contractor’s work strategy and anticipated schedule. The meeting will be held via conference call within two weeks of the contract award.

Task 2 – Habitat Assessment

The contractor will complete an initial assessment of stream morphology and substrate for the release site (see approximate location in Fig. 1 below) to identify the scope of the survey area.

We anticipate the survey area will be approximately 1000 square meters.

Figure 1. Walhonding River: Approximate survey location marked by

Task 3 – Sampling of Reintroduction Site The contractor will conduct intensive qualitative and quantitative sampling in and around the reintroduction location identified during the Task 2 assessment, following methods described in Strayer, D. L. and D. R. Smith, 2003, A guide to sampling freshwater mussel populations, American Fisheries Society Monograph 8: 1-103.

Sampling must be conducted between date of award and October 1, 2024 during normal or below normal flow conditions, when water clarity is clear to the bottom or there is a minimum visibility of one-half meter (approximately 20 inches). The contractor must comply with all conditions required under the Federal and State permits.

Pricing for Task 3 will be the contractor’s professional estimate for conducting a quantitative survey at the highest habitat quality site in the study area, understanding that this “unit” price will be considered representative for each of the high quality, suitable habitat sites to be sampled. Number of high quality, suitable sites to be determined and limited to not exceed available funding.

Task 4 – Reporting Survey Results

All data for mussels discovered during the survey must be entered into the Service’s new Mussel Reporting Spreadsheet (found at https://www.fws.gov/media/mussel-reporting-spreadsheet-recovery-permits). Density estimates for the all federally listed mussels found, derived from quantitative sampling, must be calculated.

The Mussel Reporting Spreadsheet will be the primary reporting tool, as most data related to survey and sampling locations, individual mussels and the mussel community, as well as density estimates, can be entered directly into this spreadsheet.

Any relevant information unable to be reported via the Mussel Reporting Spreadsheet, including mapping of the survey area, must be submitted in a brief narrative report.

III. SCHEDULE AND DELIVERABLES

Item Description Due Date

1 Participate in kick-off meeting with the Service. Within two weeks of contract award

2 Email habitat assessment and map of proposed survey area boundaries to the Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Officer’s Technical Representative. Discuss sampling plan with FWS Technical Representative to finalize sampling strategy.

Prior to start of quantitative sampling

3 Participate in briefing call with the Service to review general findings and discuss additional information, if any, to be submitted with the final report of results.

Within two weeks following completion of Task 3

4 Submit final Mussel Reporting Spreadsheet, mapping of survey area and sampling sites with brief narrative report.

By end of period of performance (February 28, 2025)

Monthly invoices shall be accompanied by a progress report to the Contract Officer which identifies the expenditures for the month and includes a cumulative subtotal of expenditures against the contract amount. This monthly report shall discuss progress on the contract tasks as well as any problems encountered. The objective of this monthly progress report is to advise the Contract Officer and the Contract Officer's Representative (COR) of any problems which would interfere with completion of the contract on time and within budget. The contractor shall notify the COR when the deliverables have been sent. Deliverables shall be provided electronically in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF format to the COR and Field Representative on or before the due date. Spreadsheets along with data and information collected or generated as a part of this contract shall be provided https://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/permits/index.html electronically upon request. Hard copies of deliverables, information, or data shall also be provided upon request.

IV. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for this Order is from date of award through February 28, 2025.

V. DESIGNATED OFFICIALS

The Service’s Field Representative for this Task Order is Angela Boyer, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Ohio Ecological Services Field Office, Columbus, Ohio, 614-528-9705.

The Contract Officer’s Representative for this Task Order is Roger Miller, Administrative Officer, Ohio Ecological Services Field Office, Columbus, Ohio, 614-528-9709.