A22 - W912EK24Q0030 Forest Inventory Solicitation.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

PLEASE RETURN TO:

US Army Corps of Engineers

US Army Corps of Engineers Forest Inventory Services Blanket Purchase Agreement

W912EK-24-Q-0030

Attn: Jocelyn Rain Email: jocelyn.w.rain@usace.army.mil

PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

1. Completed solicitation and amendments that may be issued.

2. Required attachments.

3. Follow all instructions in the solicitation.

4. Please fill out all required information and include this cover page with your offer.

5. Include the Solicitation Number on the subject line and submit via email along with the required attachments. It is the responsibility of the offeror to verify that their offer has been received.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jocelyn Rain - Phone: 309-794-5709 or Email: jocelyn.w.rain@usace.army.mil

FOREST INVENTORY BPA

SOLICITATION W912EK24Q0030

This solicitation is a 100% small business set aside.

The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 115310 with a business size standard $11,500,000.00 in annual receipts.

The deadline to submit offers under this solicitation is 14 June 2024.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

via email

Technical inquiries and questions relating to this solicitation are to be submitted to Jocelyn Rain jocelyn.w.rain@usace.army.mil no later than 05 June 2024. Copy furnish Nicholas Moore, nicholas.m.moore@usace.army.mil.

OVERVIEW

This solicitation is to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Forest Inventory services in support of the US Army Corps of Engineers – Rock Island District.

All Master agreements issued under this BPA will last for a period of five years. These master agreements do not constitute any financial obligation on the Government’s part.

Financial obligation occurs at the call order level. See Performance Work Statement for further details on ordering instructions that will result in call order awards based on competition amongst BPA holders (i.e., Master BPA agreement holders).

Minimum and Maximum Number of Awards The Government intends award multiple Master BPAs for Forest Inventory as follows:

Minimum of 2 BPA Master Agreements Maximum of 6 BPA Master Agreements

The number of awards within this range will be determined by the number of responsible and responsive vendors who:

Respond to this solicitation.

Are deemed technically acceptable per Evaluation Factors and Methods.

Are within the lowest price and range of minimum to maximum number of awards. See price factor and evaluation methods for additional details.

Definitions Responsive: Offerors who follow the instructions of this solicitation will be determined to be responsive.

Responsible: Offerors who meet the requirements in FAR subparagraphs 9.104-1 (a) through (g) will be determined to be responsible.

Forest Inventory Services BPA

W912EK-24-Q-0030

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

This section of the solicitation expands upon FAR provision 52.212-1, which should be read in its entirety. The following documentation is required at time of submission for contracting officer approval to establish of master agreement.

Complete Offeror Representations and Certifications (Clause 52.212-3) in SAM and include in bid only if your company has not previously completed the Representations and Certifications located with your company’s SAM record (https://www.sam.gov).

Submission Instructions: Include the Solicitation Number on the subject line of your email when you submit your bids. Quotes shall be submitted via email to the following points of contact:

To: jocelyn.w.rain@usace.army.mil CC: nicholas.m.moore@usace.army.mil

Attachments Provide all Attachments required in Evaluation Methods (below) when returning your completed solicitation and amendments, should any be issued. Attachments can be included in a single document with solicitation or as separate files. If attaching as separate files be sure to put company name and CAGE code on each document.

1. Subfactor 1: Professional Experience (as Word or PDF document)

2. Subfactor 2: Proof of Boat Registration

3. Subfactor 3: Geographic Limitation

4. Price Factor: Schedule of Prices

SAM Registration. Contractors must be current in their registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) Database before a Government contract award can be made. Go to https://www.sam.gov/ to complete registration or renew registration if needed.

Required Information. Please complete:

Company Name: ______________________________________________ CAGE Code: _________ Address: ______________________________________________ Taxpayer ID Number: ____________________________ Point of Contact: _________________________________

Email: __________________________________ Phone: ______________________

Offeror Signature. Offeror not required to sign. By submitting its offer, the offeror indicates they have read the solicitation in its entirety and that they want to be considered for award.

EVALUATION METHODS AND FACTORS

This is a lowest price technically acceptable source selection. Offers determined to be technically acceptable will then be evaluated based on price. The attached Statement of Work for UMMR HREP Middle Pool 11 is part of the offer to be submitted. Read A22 - Statement of Work - UMRR HREP Middle Pool 11 and provide pricing for this call order schedule below.

Evaluation Factors

Factor 1 - Technical The technical factor consists of the following sub-factors, which are in no order of importance.

You will be evaluated on professional experience for each employee, proof of registration, and geographic location to the Rock Island District. That will be able to ensure the work is completed meeting the requirements in the example task order:

1. Subfactor 1: Professional experience for each employee. Must show that at least two employees have either a forestry degree, are a certified forester, or have 3 years of prior forest inventory experience. When submitting prior forestry inventory experience, offeror shall list forest inventory related work conducted.

2. Subfactor 2: Proof of Boat Registration. The majority of the areas will be in remote areas which are only accessible by boat. Offerors shall provide documentation of a boat that is actively registered with the residing state. Provide a copy of the current boat registration from your residing state.

3. Subfactor 3: Geographic Location: Local to Rock Island District* Offeror’s physical address in SAM.gov or physical address identified below or within its quote must be within a 400-mile radius of the Rock Island District Headquarters at 1500 Rock Island Drive, Rock Island, Illinois, 61201. Any vendor’s physical address from which this contract will be managed, that is not within a 400-mile radius of the Rock Island District Headquarters will not pass the required locality criteria and will be deemed unacceptable for this contract.

However, if offeror would manage work under call orders from an office that is within this radius, it must provide the address for this office in the form below. Complete Subfactor 3 form on next page.

Subfactor 3 – Geographic Limitation My company is located within 400 miles of 1500 Rock Island Drive, Rock Island, Illinois, 61201

___ YES ___ NO

If answering NO, provide physical address of the local office from which contracts would be managed:

Factor 2 - Price The contractor is to provide a cost per unit per line item and the total amount of all line items that pertain to the Middle Pool 11 SOW. Cost per unit of plot location shall include all labor, travel, equipment, materials, mobilization, quality control, data delivery, and any other associated costs.

Complete schedule of prices on page 4 and return.

Price Factor – Complete Schedule of Prices below and return with Solicitation:

ITEM DESCRIPTION Qty Unit Amount per Unit

Total Amount

Middle Pool 11

0001 Fixed Plot and Prism Plot only 412 Plot $ _______ $ ____________

0002 Fixed Plot, Prism Plot, and Age Plot 102 Plot $ _______ $ ____________

Total Price $ _____________

Evaluation Methods

1. Technical Factor Evaluation: Offers will be evaluated based on the technical factor and determined to be either acceptable or unacceptable. All subfactors must be rated acceptable for overall technical factor rating to be acceptable. The Definitions of these terms are as follows:

a. Acceptable: Offerors who provided at least two employees that either have a forestry degree, are a certified forester, or have forest inventory experience to include forest inventory related work conducted, documentation of a licensed boat, and physical address within a 400 miles radius of USACE – Rock Island District HQ.

b. Unacceptable: Offerors who did not provided at least two employees that either have a forestry degree, are a certified forester, or have forest inventory experience, to include forest inventory related work conducted, documentation of a licensed boat, and physical address within a 400 miles radius.

2. Price Factor Evaluation: All offers found to be technically acceptable will be ranked from lowest to highest based on proposed total price for UMMR HREP Middle Pool 11 project described in Attached Statement of Work. A vendor’s total price must be determined fair and reasonable to be eligible for a BPA award. If a offeror’s price is significantly higher or lower than the Independent Government Estimate (IGE), the Government may evaluate the offeror’s price to be either unrealistic or unreasonable. Similarly, if an offeror’s price is significantly higher or lower than the majority of offers received the Government may find its offer to be unrealistic.

3. Award Decision: BPA awards will be made within the minimum and maximum number of awards stated above. A vendor’s proposal that is determined to be technically acceptable and at a fair and reasonable price will be eligible for BPA award. Awards will be made to vendors from lowest to highest price until the number of awards most advantageous to the Government is achieved.

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

FOREST INVENTORY SERVICES BPA

SECTION 1 - GENERAL INFORMATION

1. DESCRIPTION:

In accordance with FAR 13.303, a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) will be established for the purpose of ordering any combination of the services listed in this performance work statement (PWS). Work covered by this agreement shall consist of furnishing all labor, equipment, operators, supervision, supplies and materials necessary to completing Forest inventory survey.

All forest inventory data collected must be provided to the Government in the designated format. All work shall be performed to the satisfaction of the contracting officer.

2. SCOPE OF WORK:

Work covered by this BPA and its respective call orders shall consist of furnishing all necessary, labor, operators, supervision, licenses, permits, equipment, transportation, supplies and materials necessary to perform the work requested. All work activities performed under this BPA shall be in accordance with the requirements contained herein, the requirements of individual call orders, the Contractor’s approved work plan, and other applicable criteria. All work shall be completed to the satisfaction of the Contracting Officer.

3. OBJECTIVES:

The work requested under this BPA is for collecting forest inventory data per forest inventory protocol phase II. Please contact Tate Sattler (tate.w.sattler@usace.army.mil) for a copy of Phase II if needed. Work areas may be identified on USACE fee title lands, partnership lands, and other federal Government fee title lands within contract area identified herein.

4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

The following states and respective counties are locations where work may occur under this

BPA.

Wisconsin: Crawford and Grant

Iowa: Allamakee, Clayton, Dubuque, Linn, Johnson, Iowa, Jasper, Marion, Warren, Polk, Dallas, Boone, Jackson, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, Louisa, Des Moines, and Lee.

Illinois: Jo Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island, Mercer, Henderson, Hancock, Adams, Pike, Calhoun, Brown, Schuyler, Fulton, Peoria, Putnam, Bureau, La Salle, Grundy, Marshall, Woodford, Tazewell, Mason, Cass, and Morgan.

Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion, and Ralls.

See Attachment 1 for reference to the extent of the general work area. The actual work areas may or may not be accessible by land (some may be on islands or other floodplain areas accessible only by vessel). Specific work limits may be identified through maps, description, GPS coordinates, flagging, and/or site visit as identified in the specific task order.

5. OMISSIONS:

These specifications may duplicate or not cover all specified activities, steps, and/or procedures required to accomplish work. In case of omission, the Contracting Officer will notify contractor for clarification. Normal industry standards, practices, specifications and/or guides shall prevail.

In no instance shall an omission be a reason to perform inferior work, produce a less than acceptable product or service, or refuse to perform work or provide deliverables.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The period of performance for all Master BPA agreements shall be five years from the date of award.

7. HOURS OF OPERATION:

The hours of operation will vary by jobsite and will be specified in each call order statement of work.

8. RECOGNIZED HOLIDAYS:

The contractor may perform work on the following Federal holidays; however, the Government will not be working these days:

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day President’s Day Veteran’s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Juneteenth Christmas Day Independence Day

9. DEFINITIONS:

Government - refers to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District Contractor - refers to the prime Contractor, contractor employees, and sub-contractors.

Contractor Representative - assigned to represent the interests of the Contractor with regards to all matters involving this contract.

Contracting Officer - is the person executing this contract on behalf of the Government, and any other officer or civilian employee who is properly designated Contracting Officer; and the term shall include, except as otherwise provided in this contract, the authorized representative of a Contracting Officer acting within the limits of their authority.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) - Individual(s) designated in writing by, and on behalf, of the Contracting Officer to be responsible for the administration of the contract.

Quality Control. “Quality Control” (QC) refers to action taken by the Contractor and/or their personnel to document, inspect, and control performance of services to ensure they meet the specifications and requirements of this contract.

Quality Assurance. “Quality Assurance” (QA) refers to action taken by the Government to by Quality Assurance Representatives (QAR) ensure the Contractor’s quality control system is functioning and effective, and the Contractor’s deliverables meet AQL.

Acceptance. The COR will review provided deliverables, QC information, and QA results to determine if the submission meets AQL and can be accepted and invoiced.

10. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATION:

Establishment of this BPA does not obligate the Government to make any purchases. The Government is obligated only to the extent of authorized call orders which are placed against this BPA Master, and by an authorized agent of the Government.

11. AUTHORIZED PURCHASERS:

Only the authorized purchasers as described in this paragraph can purchase under this BPA. Only a Contracting Officer form U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Rock Island District, Contracting Office is authorized to make purchases against this Master Agreement. Authorized purchasers wishing to use this BPA shall contact the primary Contracting Officer beforehand to ensure they are using the correct documents, procedures, and templates for drafting RFQs and subsequent call orders.

12. BPA Call ORDER LIMITATIONS:

The minimum call order amount is $2,500.

The maximum call order amount is $2,000,000.

The maximum anticipated total value of all call orders awarded under this solicitation is

$2,000,000.

13. ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS - REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ) PROCEDURES:

Prior to using this BPA, the assigned specialist will notify the primary contracting officer that their customer intends to use it. The ordering specialist shall log all RFQs and resultant call orders in the BPA Tracker file (Excel file).

When issuing RFQs, the Government will send an email to the agreement holder’s Point of Contact (POC), using the Master BPA POC list.

The email RFQ will contain the following at a minimum:

a. Unique RFQ #

b. Requirement description

c. Schedule of Prices (i.e., Bid Sheet)

d. Applicable maps, links, and or notes

e. Response date & time

f. Government POC

If interested in quoting, the Contractor shall return a completed quote to the Government POC by the date and time specified, by email.

When a call order Request for Quotation (RFQ) is issued, the Government will request that agreements holders bidding offer their best pricing, and not to exceed ceiling prices.

The Government will not evaluate or award prior to the response date and time stated on the RFQ.

An award decision will be made based on an evaluation of quote(s) submitted in response to the RFQ. Awards will be issued as “Call Orders” against the awardee’s BPA Master Agreement.

Call order(s) on this BPA is (are) to be exercised at the discretion of the Government only. The allowable and/or required performance period shall be specified in the call order including any required start date.

14. INVOICES & PAYMENT INFORMATION:

BPA call orders will be invoiced & billed separately. Each call order will contain instructions concerning who to send invoices and shipping documents. If the total dollar value of the call order is below the Government’s micro-purchase limit the Government may choose to pay via Government credit card (VISA). The micro purchase limit is currently, $2,500, but is subject to change. If the method of payment is by VISA, each task order will identify a point of contact for payment.

15. CLAUSE AND PROVISION AGREEMENT:

The clauses and provisions included in the Master BPA are incorporated and applicable to all call orders placed against the BPA Master.

16. CALL ORDERS – STATEMENT OF WORK:

Each call order shall use the applicable statement of work (SOW) template base on the primary type of work required. See A22 - Statement of Work - UMRR HREP Middle Pool 11 for an example of the typical format and deliverables for future call orders which may be issued under this BPA.

17. REVIEW OF AGREEMENTS:

In accordance with FAR 13.303-6, the BPA is subject to a random annual review. Reviews are performed by the Contracting Office. Should a review reveal adverse findings, the Contracting Office will contact the Contractor in writing.

18. CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE (COR) (OPTIONAL):

Typically, due to the maximum call order limit being lower than the Simplified Acquisition Threshold that applies to actions requiring a COR, CORs will not be appointed for call orders under this BPA. However, the Government may elect to appoint a COR to some call orders, should the Contracting Officer find it necessary due to the requirement. If KO determines that a COR is not needed, based on the following exemptions from DFARS PGI 201.602-2 Responsibilities, then a Site and/or Technical POC will be assigned.

Contracting officers may exempt service contracts from this requirement when the following three conditions are met:

(1) The contract will be awarded using simplified acquisition procedures;

(2) The requirement is not complex; and

(3) The contracting officer documents the file, in writing, with the specific reasons why the appointment of a COR is unnecessary.

The Contractor shall accept instructions only from the Contracting Officer or a duly appointed representative (a COR). Only a warranted Contracting Officer acting within their delegated limits has the authority to issue modifications or otherwise change the terms and conditions of this agreement. If an individual other than the Contracting Officer attempts to make changes to the terms and conditions of this agreement or make changes to any issued call orders, the contractor shall not proceed with the change and shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer.

Contracting Officer Representative (COR): If KO elects to appoint one, the (COR) will be identified by separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of Government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order.

19. KEY PERSONNEL:

The Contractor shall provide a Program/Contract Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an Alternate Program/Contract Manager, who shall act for the Contractor when the Program/Contract Manager is absent, along with a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for each of these individuals, shall be provided in writing to the Contracting Officer no later than seven days after award.

20. SAFETY:

The Contractor shall perform all work in accordance with safety requirements set forth in the most recent version of the Corps of Engineers’ Manual, EM 385-1-1, entitled “Safety and Health Requirements Manual”. Copies and any updates are available for review at:

http://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerManuals/EM_385-1- 1.pdf A. APP. Contractor shall submit, The Contractor’s Accident Prevention Program (APP), as required by ER 385-1-1 Appendix A, paragraph 11 (for limited scope APP). An accident constitutes an incident or act involving the Contractor that caused damage to persons or property.

All accidents shall be reported to the Contracting Office Representative (COR) within 24 hours of the occurrence. Any serious accidents (those resulting in death or injury requiring medical attention) shall be reported immediately.

B. Job Hazard Reporting. In addition to reporting under the Accident Prevention Plan, at the end of each month the Contractor shall submit, in writing, the total employee hours worked by employees during the month. This report will include detailed descriptions of any accidents or injuries sustained on the project by their employees during this subject month, including copies of documents for claims under Workman’s Compensation.

21. ACCESS:

The Contractor is expected to comply with all applicable regulations related to site access. The Contractor shall provide boats to complete the work licensed to operate in waters in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. The Contractor shall be responsible for access to, into, and through all locations. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to lock all gates or barricades, as applicable, when leaving an area. Keys to Government locked barricades or gates will be supplied to the Contractor and returned to the Government at the end of the contract period or as requested.

22. POST AWARD CONFERENCE:

Within five (5) days after Contract award the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative to schedule a Post Award Conference, at the Mississippi River Project Office or by web meeting.

23. CONTRACTOR POST AWARD SUBMITTALS:

The Contractor shall submit each of the following for review. Work shall not proceed until all are approved by the Government.

A. Employee List. Complete list of personnel who will conduct work on Government fee title lands on this contract. If additional staff are needed, the required information shall be provided prior to the COR prior to their work onsite. If staff are removed from implementing the contract work, the names of those individuals shall be provided to the COR. Information provided per employee shall include (see section 9 for more information):

1. Background check documentation.

2. E-Verify documentation.

3. Position(s) of employee and/or identify tasks performed.

B. Work Plan. Any changes or additions to an approved Contractor Work Plan shall be submitted to the COR for approval two business days (no less than 48 hours) prior to the contractor implementation a change to the work plan. The Contractor’s Work Plan shall include the following:

1. Primary spatial data processing and field data collection contact.

2. Physical address of the Contractor’s place of business.

3. Target date to begin field data collection and duration for each planned submission. The duration shall reflect an estimate of anticipated timeline to collect field data, perform Contractor Quality Control (QC) measures, and post processing data prior to data delivery.

4. Target delivery dates for spatial data and tree cores.

C. Quality Control Program. The Quality Control Plan (QCP) shall include QC measures to ensure data and materials submitted to the Government meet the quality standards and requirements of this contract. The QCP shall include a Contractor Inspection System, records system, and correction measures.

D. Accident Prevention Program. The Accident Prevention Program (APP) shall identify all requirements pertinent to this scope of work (SOW). The Contractor shall perform all work in accordance with safety requirements set forth in Corps of Engineers’ Manual, EM 385-1-1, entitled “Safety and Health Requirements Manual”, NOV 2014 copies and any updates which are available for review at:

https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Safety-and-Occupational-Health/Safety-and- Health-Requirements-Manual/ .An accident constitutes an incident or act involving the Contractor that caused damage to persons or property. All accidents shall be reported to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) within 24 hours of the occurrence. Any serious accidents (those resulting in death or injury requiring medical attention) shall be reported immediately.

E. Required Insurance.

I. Workmen’s compensation - Amounts required by applicable jurisdictional statutes.

II. Employer’s Liability Insurance - $100,000

III. Comprehensive General Liability Insurance - (No property damage liability is required): Bodily Injury - $500,000 per occurrence

IV. Comprehensive Automobile/Vessel Insurance –

Bodily Injury - $200,000 each person, $500,000 each accident Property Damage - $20,000 each accident

24. CONTRACTOR INSPECTION SYSTEM:

The Contractor shall provide an inspection system to ensure the products meet Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL). The inspection system shall specify the phase or area of work to be inspected on a scheduled or unscheduled basis, the work requirement to be inspected, the method of inspection, and the individual(s) who will do the inspection. The system shall include inspection of (1) schedules, (2) methods of performing work, (3) materials, (4) equipment, (5) deliverables including select re-sampling of plot data, and (6) personnel. The Government may require an update to the Contractor Inspection System and overall QCP if submitted plot data is not meeting AQL.

25. RECORDS SYSTEM:

The Contractor shall maintain a records system including details on all inspections conducted by the Contractor and the corrective actions taken. This documentation shall be made available to the Government during the contract period upon request.

26. UNUSUAL CONDITIONS:

The Contractor shall inform the Contracting Officer of any unusual conditions observed such as dumping or vandalism.

27. EQUIPMENT:

The Contractor shall provide all equipment necessary to perform the work described herein.

Contractor equipment used in the performance of this contract shall be of suitable size and type for the intended use and shall be inspected daily by the Contractor and maintained in a safe and good working condition. Contractor equipment found to be unsafe or not in conformity with the contract specification shall be removed from work site immediately.

28. SPECIFIC TASKS:

More specific and detailed tasks will be outlined in each call order SOW.

SECTION 2 - SCHEDULE OF WORK

1. GENERAL:

The following work schedule will apply to all SOW on this BPA the Contractor shall have one

(1) year and (1) month from the date of contract award (or date of options, if exercised) to complete all work (field data collection and submission). Field data collection must occur during the vegetation growing season (May 1 to October 15) to ensure effective identification and sampling of plant species, especially herbaceous. Fall or winter data collection will not be allowed. The Government may provide the contractor with a list of alternative plot locations that could be sampled on the occasion that high water limits access to certain sampling areas.

2. SCHEDULE:

The Contractor shall provide the Government with an updated schedule in the Contractor Work Plan as needed for new submissions or areas.

3. DELIVERABLES:

The Contractor shall submit deliverables within 5 business days of completed QC. No data submissions shall include less than 100 forest inventory plot locations unless specified in writing by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor SHALL NOT submit an invoice at the time of submitting data.

4. INVOICING:

GOVERNMENT will require 20 business days to perform Quality Assurance (QA) on each submission. The Contractor may submit an invoice for the work once the Government has informed the Contractor that the submission met AQL or within 30 business days of final data submission per contract. Invoices shall only be for work which has been subjected to the Government’s Quality Assurance.

5. DATA:

The Contractor shall complete and submit data for contiguous areas.

SECTION 3 - DELIVERABLES

1. General:

Copies of all deliverables shall be submitted to the Government. Field data sheets, digital data, tree cores, and other documentation of the project are the property of the Government and will not be distributed or sold by the Contractor to sources outside the Government without prior written approval. No use of the data by the Contractor for secondary products is allowed without prior written approval from the Government. The Contractor shall assume no implied right or privilege to utilize the data for processing, summary, or analysis beyond the scope of this contract; the Government retains the sole right to determine when, by whom, and how data will be summarized and analyzed. The Contractor shall submit the following as deliverable materials:

2. FORMAT:

Provide compiled records after field data collection and completed QC of a minimum of 100 completed plot locations during Phase III data collection efforts (unless otherwise approved by discretion the COR) once forest inventory commences in an ESRI ArcGIS file geodatabase format compatible with ArcGIS 10.0 or higher. The geodatabase shall be in the UTM NAD 1983 Zone 15N coordinate system. The geodatabase must include separate feature classes for age, fixed and prism plots.

The file name for the geodatabase shall be: MVR_ForInv_S_yy.mm.dd.gdb, where:

S = sequential submission number, yy = two-digit year.mm = two-digit month.dd = 2 digit day for date of submission.

The compiled geodatabase shall include all fields listed in the designated data field order supplied by the Government, Compiled Geodatabase Parameters and each field shall include only in the format described for each field in the “Allowable entries/data format” column in this table. Any fields with a data type of text (code) or categorical shall include only the values listed in the “Allowable entries/data format” column. Any fields listed as “required” in the “Entry” column must be entered for each record in each feature class. Any fields listed as “as needed” in the “Entry column” shall be entered only when applicable; these fields shall otherwise be left as <Null>. Any data submissions with data that does not match the values listed in the “Allowable entries/data format” column, or do not contain all the requisite plots at each location, or have the correct spatial projection and georeferencing will be considered incomplete and the submission will be rejected, and the Contractor will be asked to resubmit the submission including only complete data for plot locations that match the “allowable entries/data format”.

3. ALTERNATE FORMAT:

Contractor may request an alternate digital file format to provide collected forest inventory data.

Alternative digital submission must meet Government data management requirements and be compatible to current Government software capacity. Alternative digital submission must be approved by COR prior to data submission. Plot location data must follow provided field data order. Submission must follow the same file name schema described herein.

4. PLOT LOCATIONS SHIFTED IN THE FIELD:

Plot locations must be noted in the fixed geodatabase. Must include the reason for why the plot locations required to be shifted.

5. TREE CORE:

Delivery of tree core samples collected from all age plots for each submission. Tree core must include full length from bark to the center pith of the age tree and must be in one or at the maximum four pieces to be acceptable. Tree cores that are delivered in more than two pieces per age tree will be rejected. Contractor will be required to resample age tree to provide acceptable tree core. The Contractor is responsible for the delivery of tree cores per submission to the Government.

SECTION 4 - GENERAL SAMPLING METHODS

1. Forested Area Location:

The Government will provide the Contractor with maps displaying the boundaries of forested areas defined by the latest Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center land cover and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) fee title. These maps will delineate forested lands from other terrestrial lands. Other terrestrial lands will hereafter in this document be referred to as “non-forested areas”. Non-forested areas will not be sampled as part of this Forest Inventory SOW. A description of the distinction between forested and non-forested areas is provided in Attachment 3: Figures and Tables.

2. Forest Inventory Plot Locations:

A forest inventory plot location consists of a Fixed Plot and a Prism Plot. Approximately every fifth forest inventory plot location will include an Age Plot. Plot locations that include an Age Plot will be identified prior to beginning data collection. The contractor will be provided plot locations digitally through spatial data and pdf maps that indicate what data is to be collected at each inventory plot location. Provided plot location numbers must be used for all data entries collected at that associated plot location. The combination of Fixed, Prism, and Age Plots (when applicable) collectively is referred to as a “plot location”. Plot locations that only include Fixed Plot and Prism Plot data will be referred to as a “regular plot location”. Plot locations that include Fixed Plot, Prism Plot, and Age Plot data will be referred to as an “age plot location”.

Details of these plot data collection efforts are provided in the Data Collection section below. For purposes of quality review and for payment, each plot location (regular plot location or age plot location) will be considered as a single unit.

3. Plot Location Establishment:

The Contractor will be provided with a list of forest inventory plot location coordinates and plot location numbers. Coordinates will be provided using the spatial projection of the North American Datum of 1983, Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 15 North (NAD83 UTM 15N).

Plot locations will be distributed at a rate of approximate 1 plot location per 2.5 acres of forested area, or roughly 330 feet between plot locations. To minimize bias, the sampling grid has been created with plots oriented in a north-south direction across all federal land forested areas.

Random plot locations will be included to the grid in highly fragmented areas to maintain plot location distribution required per inventory area. The contractor will collect data at each plot location provided by call order. Plot location numbers must remain the same number as provided in the contract for quality assurance purposes. Field collected GPS coordinates will be recorded by the contractor at each plot location and submitted to the Government in the projection of NAD83 UTM Zone 15N.

A. Location. Plot locations shall not be arbitrarily relocated in the field. The contractor will not independently add or remove forest inventory plot locations.

The contractor may be required to shift a plot location as described in subsection C “Non-forested plot locations”.

B. Marking. Upon locating the plot location center in the field, the contractor shall mark the plot center using a provided magnet. The magnet shall be set into the ground vertically with the colored end flush with the surrounding grade and soil reinstalled around the magnet to sufficiently secure the magnet in place. For ease in relocation, flagging shall be wrapped around the magnet before setting into the ground that extends out 2 feet onto the surface. Additional flagging is to be hung on a nearby branch or placed stick that is visible from a distance. All surveyed plot locations shall be marked accordingly to facilitate relocating plot center and random quality assurance inspections (as described in Section 6, below). This plot location center shall be the center for the Fixed, Prism and Age Plot data collection efforts for the plot location, as described in the following paragraphs.

The Government may alter the plot marking requirements. If plot marking requirements are changed, the Government will supply the contractor with the necessary materials at no additional cost to the contractor.

C. Non-forested Plots. The Contractor will not collect data or place a plot marker magnet at a plot location that is in water as defined herein. For a plot location to be considered in water and for no data collection to occur at the intended target plot location, the plot location center must be in open water or 3 of the 4 1/1000th acre sub plots of the Fixed Plot layout must be in open water. The open water condition to determine if the plot location is in water must be considered when river gages are at median flow. The Government will have the final determination if a plot location is in the water and no data collection is to occur at said plot location. Consideration for being in open water includes perennial sloughs or main open water channels that during median base flow of the navigation channel would be open water. Should the target plot location be determined in the field as a water plot, the contractor will shift the plot location center directly north, south, east, or west into the forested area. The Contractor will determine the closest position of the target plot location center to the top of bank position of the shoreline. From that position, the Contractor will shift the plot location center 50 feet into the forested area. If the COR determines that the plot location is not a water plot, then the contractor will be required to rework data collection efforts at said plot. The rework will require the plot marker magnet to be relocated and data collected at the correct plot location at no additional cost to the Government. The Contractor is to notify the COR promptly of a plot location that requires being shifted out of open water for USACE concurrence. All plot locations that are shifted will be listed in the correspondence of that data submission and will include the miscellaneous entry of “field shifted” in the fix plot misc. attribute.

D. Alternative Plot Location. In the event of prolonged high-water periods restricting work in the identified work areas, or extreme inaccessibility, the Government has full discretion to provide alternate plot locations to conduct work. The provided alternative plot locations will be within the extent of the work area and concurred with the contractor in writing. Alternative plot locations will be used only when provided target plot locations are determined unreachable for data collection during the field data collection timeline. Total number of plot locations awarded with the contract will match the total number of plot locations provided within all data submissions.

4. Field Tools:

The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all field tools. Field tools shall be the following unless otherwise allowed by the Government’s:

A. Wedge Prism/Angle Gauge. Optical device that can be used for initially identifying “count” trees for inclusion and measurement in the prism plot. A ten basal area factor (10 BAF) instrument shall be used. If using an angle gauge, the observer’s eye must be positioned over the plot center and the observer rotates at plot center. If using a wedge prism, the instrument must be held over the plot center and the observer must rotate around the instrument. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE OBSERVER MAKES THE

CALL OF “COUNT” OR “OUT” BASED ON THE DISPLACEMENT AT 4.5 FEET

ONLY, not at any point above or below 4.5 feet. See Figure 1 in Attachment 3: Figures and Tables, for an example of proper use of the wedge prism to determine whether a tree is initially “count” or “out”. Figure 1.a is the usual scenario, neither the top nor the bottom of the bole are displaced in the prism, and the tree is a “count” tree. Figure 1.b is a less common scenario, but especially important for trees with substantial taper or large trees far from the plot center. Note that in Figure 1.b, the bole is NOT displaced at 4.5 feet but IS displaced at the top of the prism. The call would be “count” for a tree in this case and be tallied in the Prism Plot. If the prism is used incorrectly on the same tree (Figure 1.c), and the reading is taken above 4.5 feet, then the tree would be incorrectly called “out” and would not be tallied. Precise use of the prism or angle gauge is imperative, improper prism or angle gauge use may result in inaccurate tallies. Final determination during QA inspections, limiting distance will be used for a final determination of “count” verses “out” trees from the USACE diameter measurement. A prism or angle gauge can be useful in initial determination of most “count” trees.

B. Clinometer. Handheld instrument for measuring vertical angles to determine tree height.

If using a 1:66 clinometer, heights are to be taken by standing one chain (66 feet) from the base of the tree and recording heights directly from the right-hand scale. If there is no line of sight to the treetop from one chain, then the height can be estimated from a 33-foot standoff by dividing that resulting value by two or from a 132-foot distance by doubling the resulting value. If using a percent scale clinometer, heights may be directly read from the right-hand scale at 100 feet from the height tree. Alternatively, heights may be calculated based on the horizontal distance from the base of the tree and the angle measured by the clinometer.

C. Compass. Used to follow directional transect grid lines and to determine where 1/1000th acre sub plots are established for Fixed Plot data recording. The compass used needs to be correctly set to the appropriate declination.

D. Diameter tape. This tape has tree diameter in inches on one side, and the other side measures length in tenths of a foot. This tool shall be used to measure standoff distances for clinometer measurements and to measure the diameter at breast height (DBH) of trees in Prism and Age Plots.

E. Biltmore stick. A graduated tool for direct reading of tree diameters at breast height. If a Biltmore stick is used, trees shall be measured on two perpendicular faces of the tree with the average of the two measurements recorded. A Biltmore stick shall never be used when the diameter of the tree exceeds the maximum gradation on the stick. In this case, a diameter tape must be used.

F. GPS: Used to traverse to plot locations, input plot location data, and to accurately record geographic locations.

G. Increment borer. A hand operated drill no less than 18-inches in length with a hollow bit that extracts a wood core from the stem of a tree. Wood core sample to be used to determine tree age and tree growth.

H. Increment core straw or core case. This will be used to transport the wood core samples from the field collected at Age Plots. Determination of tree age and growth rings during QA by USACE will be conducted from the wood core samples submitted to the Government.

I. Marker. A paint “marker” or timber crayon used to mark trees as they are measured.

These tools reduce error by providing evidence that a tree has already been measured and verify “count” trees for Prism Plot quality assurance.

J. Magnetic locating device. A device capable of locating the magnetic markers placed at plot center (when necessary to relocate plot center).

K. Other approved devices. The contractor may propose use of other devices for the Government’s approval. Approval for alternate devices may be later rescinded if the associated collected data does not meet Acceptable Quality Levels. In such cases, the Contractor is still responsible for ensuring the data provided meets contract standards.

5. SAMPLING DEFINITIONS:

A. Plot location. Generic reference for general location where prism, fixed, and possibly age data are collected from.

B. Plot center. The center point referenced/used in collecting prism and fixed data.

C. Prism plot. Variable radius plot where area of the plot is directly proportional to the basal area of the tree it represents. Radius of the plot increases proportionally to the diameter in tree being surveyed.

D. Fixed plot. Fixed radius plot is used to sample trees that are less than the specified breakpoint diameter. Fixed plot is an area of a measured distance from plot center to a defined radius.

E. Age plot. The Contractor shall extract an increment core from an appropriate tree using an increment borer and provide wood core to the Government.

F. Count tree. A 10 Basal Area Factor (BAF) Wedge Prism, Angle Gauge, “limiting distance”, or other approved method is used to initially determine whether the tree shall be sampled and thus considered a “count” tree using standard forestry practices. Another name typically used for “count” tree is “in” trees for prism plots. Regardless of utilized method by the contractor, the limiting distance and USACE diameter measure by diameter tape will be the definitive method for determining “count” tree status during USACE Quality Assurance. The limiting distance is in feet and used for determining whether a particular tree should be a count tree. Limiting distance can be physically determined and measured by multiplying the diameter at breast height in inches by 2.75.

To determine limiting distance USACE will multiply 2.75 to the nearest half inch diameter at breast height (dbh) rounding down. If the actual distance from the center of the tree at dbh height (not from the face of the tree) to plot center is less than the calculated “limiting distance”, then the tree is a “count” tree.

G. DBH. Diameter at breast height (DBH) which is 4.5 feet off the ground from the high side of the tree. This is the height at which tree diameter measurements shall be taken unless special cases apply. If special cases are encountered, the contractor shall follow all procedures outlined in pages 26 to 36 of the US Forest Service Timber Cruising Handbook, publication number FSH 2409.12, chapter 10 to determine the proper location for tree diameter measurements. In instances where an unusual tree is encountered that does not fit into the special cases described in the Timber Cruising Handbook, the contractor may use professional judgment to best determine DBH. If unusual diameter measurement is conducted the contractor shall record “yes” in the tree TR_UNUS field.

The Contractor shall advise the Government of other types of unusual trees encountered and methodology used for the Government review and approval.

a. Available at:

extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_D OCUMENTS/fsbdev2_029371.pdf

H. Understory species. Any perennial tree or shrub with hardened, lignified stems. This classification includes all trees and shrubs except for poison ivy (TORA2). Perennial herbaceous plants with hardened annual stems shall not be classified as understory species.

6. DATA COLLECTION:

As described above, each forest inventory plot location includes a Fixed Plot and a Prism Plot or a Fixed Plot, Prism Plot, and Age Plot. A specific description of sampling protocols for each plot type is given below. The allowable values for each sampling variable are provided in tables A, B, and C in Attachment 3: Figures and Tables.

7. FIXED PLOT:

A GPS point will be recorded at the plot location center.

A. PL_NUM. This is the unique plot location number provided by USACE. This number is to be used additionally to all Prism Plot and Age Plot data associated with the same plot location.

B. OV_CLSR. Overstory closure standing at plot center, based on ocular estimation and professional judgment, determine the percentage of canopy cover for the 1/50th acre fixed plot area (16.7’ radius). Closure is to be determined by trees no longer considered as understory species by this protocol (trees ≤ 4” dbh). Thus, only consider the crowns and foliage cover of trees > 4” dbh as part of the percentage of overstory closure. Only recorded in increments of 10.

C. OV_HT. Overstory height is the measurement of a single tree…