A1_PWS DRAFT.pdf

VETERINARY SERVICES for BISON AND ELK at Land Between the Lakes

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

12443925Q0024

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General Information:

The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) is managed by the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and consists of approximately 170,000 acres of mostly forested land. The administrative offices are located at 100 Van Morgan Drive, Golden Pond, Kentucky 42211. LBL receives a large number of visitors each year, primarily in pursuit of outdoor recreational activities, such as camping, hiking, boating, biking, and wildlife viewing. LBL manages two herds of bison and one herd of elk on the property.

The Elk and Bison Prairie (EBP) is located in the Kentucky portion of LBL and is open to the public every day during daylight hours. The EBP encompasses about a square mile, roughly half in cool and warm season grass pasture and half being forested. This facility receives over 100,000 visitors annually. The entire elk herd and one bison herd is located within this fenced facility. The elk were introduced from Canada during 1996. Elk have been relocated to east Tennessee, West Virginia, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in order to remove excess elk and to assist with wild elk reintroductions. Future relocations to other states could occur but are doubtful due to CWD restrictions. Carful heard health monitoring has been very important. The current elk herd numbers over 50 individuals. The elk herd is usually maintained between 30-70 adults plus 5-15 calves. The bison herd is usually maintained between 25-45 adults and yearlings plus 15-25 calves. The bison herd originated from western federally owned herds. The elk herd is a 5+ year CWD free monitoring status.

The South Bison Range is located in Tennessee. Visitors can view this bison herd from the adjacent road, the ‘Trace’ and from a parking area, picnic area, and trail around the facility (all from outside the fence). The South Bison Range consists of approximately 200 acres of primarily open pasture land with approximately 10% forest cover, thus making this herd easier to keep track of than those found at the EBP. This herd is usually maintained between 25-50 adults and yearlings plus 15-25 calves annually. This bison herd originated from western federally owned herds. Both bison herds share the same genetics and have typically been very healthy and maintain good body condition.

Public bison auctions are held every year at one of these 2 facilities. Whole herd roundups collect the bison into both EBP and SBR corrals and the animals are tagged, tested, and inoculated by the contracting veterinarian on pre-arranged dates. During the auction day, the veterinarian must be available to inoculate purchased animals and to write health certificates for interstate transport.

DRAFT

Location of primary work sites:

The Elk and Bison Prairie is located on the East side of the Woodlands Trace National

Scenic Byway (also KY-453) just north of the intersection of Highway 68 and the Trace on LBL.

The South Bison Range is located on the West side of the Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway (also TN-461) just south of the KY/TN state line on LBL. This location is across the Trace from ‘The Homeplace 1850.’

Site Characteristics:

The Elk and Bison Prairie facility consists of an area of approximately 650 acres enclosed by an eight-foot tall fence. This enclosure has one primary entrance which is used by the public for access through a coin-operated gate. A 3.5 mile paved loop road lies within the facility. Elk and bison are allowed to freely roam the facility. The terrain consists of rolling hills with an equal mix of forest and pasture. Some areas of pasture contain widely spaced trees. Access trails and other surrounding gates around and throughout the facility allow suitable access to all areas. The area is dotted with ponds or watering holes as well as several intermittent stream channels.

There is a large corral area with running water, electricity, a hydraulic squeeze chute for handling bison, and a padded manual squeeze chute for handling elk and integrated scales.

The South Bison Range facility consists of an area of approximately 200 acres enclosed by a six-foot tall fence. This enclosure is divided into a North Pasture and a South Pasture. Bison are allowed to freely roam within the pastures. The terrain consists of primarily flat fields, with some sloped areas with narrow forested areas flanking creek beds between fields. Access is available through several locked gates surrounding the facility. The pastures have a total of 3 ponds, and several intermittent stream channels bisect the pastures.

There is a moderately sized corral area with no electricity or running water. The squeeze chute is manually operated and has an integrated scale. Only bison are contained at the South Bison range.

Definitions:

“Handling” animals includes the performance of all veterinary services needed for animal husbandry and related veterinary herd management duties, including but not limited to capture and transport, processing animals through a corral system, administering inoculations, collecting blood and tissue samples, administering and reading tuberculosis skin tests, applying identification, monitoring vitals, checking pregnancy, diagnostic evaluation and testing for various diseases and injuries, treating various diseases and injuries, etc. The term Handling may also be used synonymously with “working” the animals or “processing” the animals.

“Roundup” of animals at LBL refers to the process of capturing a herd of animals into one of the corral systems, then separating, testing, and inoculating all those members of the herd.

Typical Handling Situations:

Bison Roundups and Auctions:

For conducting annual bison roundups, Forest Service staff and the veterinarian will agree on a predetermined group of days to conduct the herd work. Forest Service staff and volunteers will be responsible for bringing animals into the corral systems and up to the squeeze chutes for veterinary handling. Animals will typically be baited and trapped into one of the corral areas during the days preceding any planned veterinary work. Occasionally members of the herd can not be trapped into the corral system. When needed, these animals will be immobilized by Forest Service staff using a dart gun so that veterinary staff can conduct testing.

Both bison herds may be handled during at least a 6-day period, normally during the months of January and February. The schedule may vary, but During a typical time frame, a herd will be brought through the corral system for handling, tagging, and injection of tuberculin on the first day, on the 4th day the same herd will be run through the system for the veterinarian to check the tuberculin injection sites for reactions and provide inoculations for each animal (normally for parasites, pinkeye, blackleg, leptospirosis, IBR, BVD, and respiratory infections), then a public auction will occur on the following Saturday where the veterinarian will need to be present to provide transport paperwork (health certificates) to buyers proving their animals passed the TB and Brucellosis tests and to provide inoculations to bison that some buyers will want to have treated.

The schedule listed above may be repeated for the 2nd herd. Weekend work is normally avoided, except for the day of an auction.

Pregnancy testing typically occurs using blood samples obtained during these animal handling days as hand palpation may not be considered safe with this species.

The auction only occurs at one location each year, and the locations are alternated.

Other Work:

Periodically, the veterinarian will need to evaluate and treat animals that appear weak, sick, or injured. If needed, Forest Service Staff and volunteers will immobilize or capture the animal during, or prior to, the veterinarian’s on-site visit.

All live animal evaluation and care will be conducted on-site.

Periodically, prescriptions for immobilization drugs will need to be provided for Forest Service staff to use for darting animals and medication provided for the treatment of sick and injured animals.

Other testing will occasionally be made using blood, tissue, and fecal samples obtained by Forest Service staff, especially for sickly animals that are difficult or impossible to contain for a veterinary staff visit.

Testing of blood, tissues, and the necropsy of animals will be conducted using Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, or another veterinary testing laboratory that has been pre-approved by this Forest Service office. Animal carcasses will be transported for testing by Forest Service staff. Blood and tissue sample transport will be handled as needed by either the veterinarian or Forest Service staff. The veterinarian will be asked to interpret test results received from the lab and provide recommendations for veterinary treatments.

Typical Handling Situations:

Elk Roundups and Relocations:

Elk are seldom handled, except during relocation activities. These ‘roundups’ take place during the winter months and typically occur from January into March as needed until all herd members have been tested within the required time frame. Most elk have to be darted/immobilized and carried to the corral, thus requiring a very labor-intensive and time consuming process. Elk are typically collected over a one-week period followed by veterinary testing on a Friday and/or Monday. The group collected over that week will then be released back into the pasture to mingle and calm back down after passing their tests. If the StatPak TB blood test method is used, this will only require one day of veterinary time per group of elk, plus any time for TB reactor tests later.

The number of these small group tests will depend on how cooperative the elk are for darting and collection, weather conditions during darting weeks, and the number of personnel available to handle the animals.

Forest Service staff and the veterinarian will agree on a predetermined group of days to conduct each round of group testing work. Forest Service staff and volunteers will be responsible for bringing animals into the corral systems and up to the squeeze chutes for veterinary handling.

Inoculations will be given to elk after testing, which may normally include antiparasitics, and possibly selenium, antibiotics, and other medications or preventatives.

Excess elk are normally donated for release into the wild as approved by state and federal veterinary services and regulations. During these events, elk will normally be collected as described above using Forest Services staff as well as staff and veterinarians from the recipient state or park. Though these states may bring their own veterinarian, a Kentucky-licensed veterinarian will normally be required to conduct the testing. The needs, payment, and commitment of time for these projects would have to be coordinated between the recipient state officials and this veterinarian. Coordination between this veterinarian, APHIS officials, and state veterinarians is normally part of the process to ensure everything is covered. These events may take place during the winter months, but have normally occurred during the latter part of winter so that elk released into new areas will soon have green vegetation to eat. These events may occur as often as once every two years or so in the future, but likely much less often.

Other Work:

Periodically, the veterinarian will need to evaluate and treat animals that appear weak, sick, or injured. If needed, Forest Service Staff and volunteers will immobilize or capture the animal during, or prior to, the veterinarian’s on-site visit.

All live animal evaluation and care will be conducted on-site.

Occasionally, prescriptions for immobilization drugs will need to be provided for Forest Service staff to use for darting animals and medication provided for the treatment of sick and injured animals.

Other testing will occasionally be made using blood, tissue, and fecal samples obtained by Forest Service staff, especially for sickly animals that are difficult or impossible to contain for a veterinary staff visit.

Testing of blood, tissues, and the necropsy of animals will be conducted using Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, or another veterinary testing laboratory that has been pre-approved by this Forest Service office. Animal carcasses will be transported for testing by Forest Service staff. Blood and tissue sample transport will be handled as needed by either the veterinarian or Forest Service staff. The veterinarian will be asked to interpret test results received from the lab and provide recommendations for veterinary treatments.

Determination of rates:

Hourly rates apply to all services listed and do not allow for extra charges to be added for additional personnel. Costs for extra individuals employed by the veterinarian will need to be included in the quoted prices.

Forest Service staff and Volunteers will be available to assist the veterinarian when needed for all of the tasks listed below. Animal handling and containment is normally conducted by Forest Service staff and volunteers while veterinary staff handle the animals within the squeeze chutes or when animals are immobilized with drugs in the open.

Costs for all supplies must be pre-approved by Forest Service staff and will be billed at actual costs.

Costs and locations for testing of samples will be handled through a separate laboratory as approved by Forest Service staff. Veterinarian must ensure that samples and related paperwork are delivered to the proper laboratory in a timely manner.

Working hours required will vary depending upon the need and activity of the animals, which are usually difficult to locate except during early mornings and late evenings.

Response times to evaluate sick or suspect animals should be provided with pricing, for example extra costs for after-hours calls or calls requiring quick on-site response. Normally this specialty work has not been needed except during and immediately following herd handling events as most animals are unable to be collected for treatment (we normally just have to dart the animals with medications when we eventually find them).

Prices must be provided in the bid to cover each of the following tasks:

Travel rate for one-time travel to and from the Elk & Bison Prairie (must be a set price, not an hourly or mileage rate). This rate will also be used for travel to and from the Forest Service administrative offices.

Travel rate for one-time travel to and from the South Bison Range (must be a set price, not an hourly or mileage rate)

Hourly rate for working bison or elk within the handling facilities (all bison in one of the two herds must be worked during daylight hours on the same day)

Hourly rate for working with bison or elk darted in the field to evaluate health, draw blood or tissues, apply identification, inoculate, euthanize, etc (all work that can be conducted in the field while animal is immobilized or otherwise restrained).

Hourly rate for a single visit to locate and evaluate the condition of a suspect or recovering animal.

Hourly rate for meetings and consultations regarding animal-related issues, if any.

Hourly rate for handling and delivery of blood and tissue samples for lab testing and also for obtaining veterinary supplies to be used. Mileage will not be paid in addition to this hourly rate; however, related supply and shipping costs may be included on the bill. This is separated since the veterinarian’s staff may be involved with this instead of the veterinarian.

It is also suitable to submit your normal hourly rate, if the same hourly rate will be charged for all services listed above. If a higher rate is used for the first hour of any new off-site visit, list that as well. The list above is provided to show potential examples.

Requirements:

Veterinarian must be licensed to handle and inoculate bison as well as administer tests for interstate and intrastate transportation of bison.

The veterinarian’s professional license and insurance must cover his/her ability to work within the state where the herds reside (EBP= Kentucky) (SBR= Tennessee) while performing the activities required by this contract. Golden Pond, Kentucky is the home address of LBL’s administrative offices, and therefore is also the mailing address for both the Elk and Bison Prairie and South Bison Range herds.

The Veterinarian must maintain knowledge of the latest state and federal regulations related to Bison and Elk holding, handling, testing, sale, and transport.

Veterinarian must be self-insured against injury and liability for self and any other veterinary staff with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000 (Forest Service Staff and Forest Service Volunteers will be covered by government insurance or their own personal insurance).

Forest Service staff and Volunteers will be available to assist the veterinarian when needed for all of the tasks listed below.

Veterinarian should be available to evaluate sick or suspect animals on-site at either the EBP or the SBR within a reasonable response time. What may be considered reasonable will vary depending on time of day, time of week, severity of animal condition, etc and may be evaluated further as the contract progresses to ensure that both the government and the veterinarian are satisfied.

Veterinarian’s response times for other (non-emergency) consultations and other work should usually occur within 3 days of notification or as otherwise mutually agreed on at the time the service is requested.

Veterinarian must use his/her own transportation for all duties as required. Vehicle must be capable of off-road travel through fields and pastures encountered at the Elk and Bison Prairie and the South Bison Range. Vehicles and trailers used to handle and transport dead or immobilized elk, bison, or deer will be provided by the Forest Service and operated by Forest Service staff, contractors, or volunteers.

Veterinarian must be able to be contacted at any time during daylight hours, either via cellular phone, pager, or telephone (land line). Veterinarian must also maintain an email account for conducting correspondence with Forest Service staff.

Veterinarian must be USDA accredited and licensed to administer and read Caudal-fold Tuberculin Tests (skin reaction test for bovids), as well as inoculate, immobilize, euthanize, and collect blood and tissue samples for the purpose of caring for and testing bison. The collection procedures, sampling methods, and testing protocols must conform to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Federal veterinarian and wildlife agency requirements for interstate and intrastate transport of the animals tested and conform to these agencies’ monitoring and reporting protocols relating to those diseases and species being tested.

Veterinarian must be USDA accredited and licensed to administer and read Single Cervical Tuberculin Tests for elk (requires different certification than for bovids).

This certification can be done on-site during the first group test of elk with the participation of an area APHIS VMO (USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Medical Officer). Also, understanding and training by the APHIS VMO must be obtained for the collection and handling of blood samples for the purpose of testing using the Cervid Dual Path Platform (DPP) tests for bovine tuberculosis in cervids.

A paperwork trail must link each individual animal to its test results without errors in documentation. This paperwork must be maintained by both the Veterinarian and Forest Service staff to be available immediately upon request by state or federal officials.

Veterinarian will be required to properly process herd testing and monitoring paperwork with state wildlife and agriculture departments (primarily for Kentucky) to maintain herd accreditation and certification records when applicable.

Veterinarian must be available for a one to two week period (usually 4-6 total days during late January plus any TB reactor retests) each year for the purpose of handling bison in Elk and Bison Prairie and South Bison Range corrals to perform all veterinary needs required by LBL for all of the bison on the property. This service is in support of the annual auction and to maintain herd health and identifications.

Prior scheduling will be coordinated among all personnel involved to accommodate required timelines and schedules of those involved.

Veterinarian must have a minimum of 5 years experience performing veterinary services on bison (Bison bison) or cattle, with an average minimum of 100 bison or cattle per year being individually handled.

Veterinarian must have hands-on experience with bison or cattle handling in both corrals and in non-confined ‘pasture’ work environments.

Veterinarian must be willing and able to work in all weather conditions and occasionally after dark.

Veterinarian must be legally permitted and willing to work with animal immobilization drugs and must gain knowledge in the proper use of Xylazine, Telazol, Ketamine, Naltrexone, Yohimbine, Haloperidol, and ‘BAM’ (a mix of Butorphanol, Azaperone, and Medetomidine, reversed by Atipamezole and Naltrexone). The veterinarian will be required to provide prescriptions for the use of these drugs for animal immobilization (and reversal) on Land Between the Lakes by limited Forest Service staff. This may occasionally include immobilization chemicals for use on feral hogs, dogs, and cats.

Veterinarian must be legally permitted and willing to provide prescription medications to be used by Forest Service staff for specifically identified ailments of elk and bison individuals as needed for use as directed treatments, as specific animals are not able to be corralled and are typically inaccessible to veterinary staff outside of herd roundups.

Veterinarian must have working knowledge of common wildlife diseases that affect local populations of wildlife, including rabies, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, pseudorabies, chronic wasting disease, Johne’s disease, and other diseases that could be transmitted to or from deer, elk, bison, or hogs.

Experience analyzing heath issues with other wild animal species will be considered beneficial since other species with health issues are occasionally found near the heard and will sent in for laboratory testing and analysis. Veterinarian should relay information regarding this type of experience with his/her bid.

Veterinarian must bid for both Kentucky and Tennessee and be licensed for large animal veterinary work in both states. If pricing will differ based on which state is being worked in, please specify those differences.

The bid is expected as an hourly rate for all tasks, with travel costs set at a single/constant price for each facility location. Materials will be paid at cost as repayment to the veterinarian for what is used.

Bidder will be bidding for both elk and bison work.