A05_SFO_2026_Saltcedar_Treatements_SOW.pdf

BLM SFO - 2026 Saltcedar Treatment

STATEMENT OF WORK

FY 2026

Location of Project

The 2026 Saltcedar Treatment Project area on BLM administered public land is located in four different locations and listed in order of priority. Priority 1 project (7 acres) location, consisting of one earthen tank and an area less than 0.1 miles directly downstream the breached tank, is approximately 14.5 miles northeast of San Antonio, Socorro County, N.M. and is accessed via State Highway 380. Priority 2 project (1 acre) location is approximately 6 miles east of San Antonio, Socorro County, N.M. and consists of two earthen cattle tanks separated by 1.75 miles accessed via State Highway 380. Priority 3 project (4 mapped acres, <1 treatment acre) location is approximately 6.5 miles northwest of Lemitar, Socorro County, N.M. and consists of sparsely spread out saltcedar within a two mile reach of the San Lorenzo Canyon drainage. Priority projects 1 through 3 would be first time treatments requiring cut, spray, and removal.

Priority 4 project location (16 mapped acres, <4 treatment acres) is located approximately 8.5 miles northeast of Socorro, Socorro County, N.M. Priority 4 project is in the Ojo de la Parida Arroyo where riparian vegetation and year-round surface water are present. Ojo de la Parida project area was treated, cut/spray/removal, in April 2026. The 16 acres of Priority 4 project at Ojo de la Parida would require foliar spray for retreatment of the original cut-spray project.

Please see the attached access and project maps for each priority. The goal is to eliminate the noxious weeds in the earthen tanks and canyon drainage and increase native vegetation in the drainage. Legal description for each of the three priorities is as follows:

Priority 1: T3S R2E Section 12, Lat: 34.063078°/Long: -106.693634°

Priority 2: T4S R2E Section 31, Lat: 33.924541°/Long: -106.772356° T5S R2E Section 4, Lat: 33.908155°/Long: -106.748627°

Priority 3: T1S R1W Section 7, Lat: 34.233899°:/Long: -106.975713° T1S R1W Section 7, Lat: 34.244032°/Long: -106.990751° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.244128°/Long: -106.992420° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.243677°/Long: -106.994602° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.243123°/Long: -106.995664° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.242602°/Long: -106.997663° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.242269°/Long: -106.999289° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.241980°/Long: -107.000928° T1S R2W Section 12, Lat: 34.241775°/Long: -107.001740°

Priority 4: T2S R1E Section 14, Lat: 34.138500°/ -106.812655°

Purpose

The total project is mapped at 28 acres in size and consists of 3 earthen tanks, 1 area below an earthen tank, sparsely populated saltcedar along a two-mile route in San Lorenzo Canyon, and retreatment foliar spray of the Ojo de la Parida arroyo project area. Because the saltcedar is sparse in San Lorenzo Canyon the total thinning is approximately 9 acres. The project area for Ojo de la Parida is mapped at 16 acres, but the retreatment spray area is <4 acres due to sparse population within the mapped acreage. The purpose of this project is to eliminate the noxious weeds in the earthen tanks and increase native vegetation in San Lorenzo Canyon and Ojo de la Parida Arroyo.

Work will include hand cutting with chainsaws and then immediately (within 3-5 minutes) hand spray all Salt Cedar (Tamarisk spp.), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), and Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila) trees/stumps with BLM approved herbicide (i.e. Triclopyr, Glyphosate, Imazapyr). The 16 acre retreatment area will require foliar spray only. Bid price shall be based on a per acre rate, to include wages, equipment needs, travel, per-diem, herbicide and equipment use. Mobilization and move in costs shall be included in the per acre rate. The work to be completed shall improve this riparian ecosystem.

Contractor will be responsible for providing herbicide and required adjuvants and dyes necessary to complete the cut stump treatments as described. All herbicides and additives must be approved for use on BLM administered lands of the Socorro Field Office.

This contract will be awarded on a “Best Value Basis”, potential contractors will need to read the attached Proposal Submission Format and Evaluation Criteria to review the process for bidding this contract.

Much of the work has been identified and mapped. However, if contractor identifies any small diameter tamarisk whips and shoots that are too small to cut with chainsaw and effectively stump treat within or adjacent to the treatment area the contractor shall treat by hand with a foliar application.

Bid Schedule Acres Treatment Option Price

Line 1 12 mapped (9 for Bid)

Cut, Spray, Remove

Line 2 16 mapped (4 for Bid)

Retreatment Foliar Spray

Total Bid All or None:

Photo is representative of desired cut-stump herbicide treatment

Boundaries of Project Areas

The project perimeters are irregular shapes and GPS referenced maps will be provided prior to thinning.

A GPS shapefile would also be provided.

Access

Standard Access: For this contract, standard access is defined as passable by use of a standard two- or four-wheel drive vehicle. Access will be limited to existing roads and trails, including the drainage bed.

Some roads are un-surfaced and wet weather could make travel somewhat difficult or impassable.

Access into the interior of the project areas will be by foot from open two-track roads.

Use of Vehicle: No vehicle use shall occur off established graded roads or two-tracks roads or designated routes. Access will be by foot to project sites where vehicle access is not feasible and for the cut-stump treatment and to move slash.

If vehicle is leaving ruts more than 2 inches deep, then that road shall not be driven until it has dried sufficiently to avoid creating deep ruts.

UTV use is authorized by contractor only on exiting two-tracks to access project site, the arroyo drainage is a designated route, but extra care to prevent pollution shall be taken in the arroyo.

Prescriptions

The Contractor shall:

• Small diameter whips and shoots that are too small to cut with chainsaw shall be treated by hand with a foliar application. Foliar treatments can only be done prior to the first frost.

• Trees/brush with larger than 2 inch diameter shall be cut to within 6 inches of the ground or less.

• Native riparian vegetation shall not be disturbed, cut or sprayed during this process.

• The contractor must NOT use any machinery that would require blading of the surface of the ground.

• Use hand crews equipped with chainsaws and PPE per OSHA regulations to remove (bucked to moveable lengths) and/or cut slash. Cut branches (slash) shall be removed to areas above the high-water mark, a minimum of 25 ft. from any non-target woody species and lopped and scatter in a way that the slash is not taller than 24 inches.

• Slash greater that 6” diameter will be cut between 2-3’ sections to be removed from the arroyo and/or earthen tank.

• All work must be done by hand.

• Remove cut material 30 feet from structures (example: fences, waters, powerlines).

• Prevent all unnecessary spillage when refilling saws in the arroyo channel.

• Areas mapped for retreatment will require foliar spray only.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:

Contractor shall be a licensed commercial applicator by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, be certified to apply both general and restricted-use herbicides, and depending on the nature of the work, hold one or more of the following NMDA license endorsements: lA Agricultural Pest Control, 1B Agricultural Weed Control, 5 Aquatic Pest Control, and 6 Right-of-Way Pest Control. Contractor must be able to identify the target species. The Contractor must meet the required State Pesticide Application certification/license requirements and present documentation when bidding.

Supply, mix, and apply various additives and surfactants in accordance with manufacturer's instructions as necessary to enhance the effectiveness of herbicides. Dyes or markers shall be used as necessary to ensure complete treatment of infested areas and to minimize the overlap of treatment areas.

Apply herbicides per label instructions, state rules, and federal regulations. The Contractor shall be responsible for properly disposing of containers and unused herbicides per state rules and federal regulations. Herbicides must be registered for use in New Mexico, with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and on the BLM list of herbicides approved for Socorro Field Office.

Contractor shall provide copies of Daily herbicide application records that include the date, amount, and type of herbicide applied, location, and weather conditions (temperature, wind, etc.) for each application site to the BLM Project Inspector.

All herbicide treatments on BLM administered lands must be in compliance with the Final Vegetation Treatments on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and associated Record of Decision. USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 2007. (FES 07-21).

For a complete list of approved herbicides to use on BLM managed lands within the Socorro Field Office, please contact Jeff Fassett at (575) 838-1245 or by email jfassett@blm.gov or Zebb Andrews at

(575) 838-1280 or by email zandrews@blm.gov.

Period of Performance: 09/25/2026 – 10/30/2026 30 Calendar days

See Attached Maps:

Project Overview Map Priority 1 Access Map Priority 1 Project Map Priority 2 Access Map Priority 2 Project Map Priority 3 Access Map Priority 3 Project Map Priority 4 Access Map Priority 4 Access Map

Optional Site Visit: Site visit optional please contact Rena Kolikant (575) 838-1255, rkolikant@blm.gov or Jeff Fassett at (575) 838-1245 or by email jfassett@blm.gov for site visit information no later than September 25th, 2026.

Pictures of the Project Area (below) – illustrating the maturity of the saltcedar and the terrain where it cannot be left in the tank and/or drainage, the slash must be moved above the high water line and/or outside of the earthen tank.

Priority Area 1, Breached Dirt Tank

Priority Area 2, Westside Dirt Tank

Priority Area 2, Westside Dirt Tank

Priority Area 2, Eastside Dirt Tank