Exhibit_13_QASP_SCNF_Invasives.pdf

Invasive Species/TESP Vegetation Management IDIQ for the Salmon-Challis

National Forest

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

June 22, 2016

1. Purpose

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is a Government developed document used to ensure that systematic quality assurance methods are used in the administration of the Performance-based Acquisition (PBA) standards included in this Performance Work

Statement (PWS). The intent is to ensure that the Contractor performs in accordance with the performance standards/acceptable quality levels contained in the PWS; that the

Government receives the quality of services called for in the contract; and, that the

Government only pays for the acceptable level of services received.

2. Scope

It is important to understand the responsibilities of the parties and distinguish between the quality control plan and the QASP. The contractor is responsible for managing and developing a quality control plan to meet the quality standards established in the PWS.

The QASP is put in place to provide Government surveillance and oversight of the contractor’s efforts in meeting the performance standards required by the contract. The

QASP is not part of the contract nor is it intended to duplicate the Contractor’s quality control plan. The Government may provide the Contractor with an informational copy of the QASP to support the Contractor’s efforts in developing a quality control plan that will interrelate with the QASP.

3. Government Resources

The following personnel will implement all surveillance activities:

Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer ensures performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensures compliance with the terms of the contract and safeguards the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. It is the

Contracting Officer that assures the Contractor receives impartial, fair and equitable treatment under the contract. The Contracting Officer is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the Contractor’s performance.

Contracting Officer: Brian Wharton

Telephone Number: 801-625-5748

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The COR is responsible for technical administration of the contract and assures proper Government surveillance of the

Contractor’s performance. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf. Any

Invasive Species/TESP Vegetation Management IDIQ for the Salmon-Challis

National Forest changes that the Contractor deems may affect contract price, terms, or conditions shall be referred to the Contracting Officer for action.

Contracting Officer’s Representative: Diane Schuldt

Telephone Number: 208-756-5249

COR Designees. Additionally, COR Designees may be named to ensure that the

Government sufficiently directs, oversees, measures and monitors contractors. COR

Designees will provide information to the overall contract COR.

4. Methods of QA Surveillance

The surveillance methods listed below shall be used in the administration of this QASP.

The specific surveillance method for each performance standard and acceptable quality level is listed in the “Monitoring Method” column of the PWS.

COR Review – Indicates that the COR will be responsible for monitoring the

Contractor’s performance in meeting specific performance standards/acceptable quality levels.

In the case of a written deliverable, COR/COR Designee Review will consist of up to 100% inspection of the specific deliverable and supporting documentation.

In the case of day-to-day support activities, COR/COR Designee Review will consist of periodic inspection or random monitoring.

The results of all monitoring activity shall be documented on the appropriate Surveillance

Activity Summary Forms. The COR and COR Designee shall submit copies of the

Summary Form to the Contracting Officer on a quarterly basis, at the conclusion of contract performance, and whenever contractor performance fails to meet acceptable quality levels.

5. Documentation

The COR and/or COR Designee will, in addition to providing documentation to the

Contracting Officer, maintain a complete quality assurance file. The file will contain copies of all reports, evaluations, recommendations, surveillance checklists, and any actions related to the Government’s performance of the quality assurance surveillance function. All such records will be retained for the life of the contract and forwarded to the Contracting Officer upon completion.

Invasive Species/TESP Vegetation Management IDIQ QASP

Invasive Species/TESP Vegetation Management IDIQ Surveillance Activity Summary Plan

SURVEY/INVENTORY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS & QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

Task/ Critical

Subtask

E.1.1.1 Quality/Performance

Standards

E.1.1.2

Acceptable

Quality Level E.1.1.3 Means of

Measurements

E.1.1.4 Penalties

E.1.1.5 Incentives

E.1.1

Survey/Inventory

– Detection

Detection of 95 percent of invasive plant infestations and Threatened, Endangered, Proposed and Sensitive

(TEPS) plant species within each survey area. Meeting detection tolerances requires a planned inventory grid to cover survey areas with swath widths dependent on invasive plant species and TEPS plant species and plant phenology at the time of survey and inventory.

This detection tolerance allows for missed infestations or TEPS plant populations consisting of very few plants.

Tolerances below 90% will not be accepted and no payment will be made.

Representative random transects in survey areas in habitat suitable to the invasive plant species or

TEPS plant species for which the area is being surveyed.

Prorated payment down to 90%.

Payment will be matched to achieved tolerances between

90% and 95%. Tolerances below 90% constitute grounds for contract termination based on failure to perform and payment will not be made.

Full payment will be made for infestation detection of at and above 95%.

E.1.2

Survey/Inventory

- Data Collection

Accurate and complete spatial and tabular inventory data in proper format per Exhibits 1, 2A and 2B.

Perimeters of all inventoried invasive plant infestations within each inventory area shall be delineated as areas (i.e. polygons) provided to SCNF as ESRI shapefile formats.

Perimeters of all surveyed areas shall be delineated as polygons provided to SCNF as ESRI shapefile formats.

Tolerances below 100% will not be accepted and no payment will be made.

Field-checked survey/inventory data prior to leaving survey site.

Technical soundness of GPS files confirmed within one work week of end of hitch.

Shapefiles for survey areas and detected invasive plant infestations shall be field-checked prior to leaving inventory site.

If not corrected, these defects shall constitute grounds for termination for failure to perform and payment shall not be made.

Correct deficiencies within one work week at no additional cost to the

Government.

HERBICIDE APPLICATION PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

E.2.1 Quality/Performance Standards

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.1.1 – Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall provide a quality control plan detailing how conditions of the contract will be met. Procedures and actions taken to achieve compliance with the following items shall be addressed in the contractor’s quality control plan:

Record-keeping requirements (refer to C.6.5).

Operational Spill Incidents Requirements (refer to C.6.6 and Exhibit 8).

Acceptable Quality Level standards (refer to E.2.2).

Adherence to the Salmon-Challis National Forest Required Mitigation Measures (refer to

Exhibit 3).

Risk reduction measures to prevent herbicide spills, provide for personnel and environmental

(i.e. protection of water bodies, water courses and ground water, translocation of herbicides through soil profile, etc.) safety while transporting, mixing and loading and applying herbicides. Arrange for transportation and temporary storage of herbicides and measures to protect non-target vegetation.

Task/Critical Subtask E.1.1.2 - Herbicide Application

The Contractor shall comply with the following (refer to Section C.6):

All applicable federal and state standards for the application of herbicides.

USDA Forest Service requirements for herbicide application, including Exhibits 4A and 4B.

Adherence to the Salmon-Challis National Forest Required Mitigation Measures (refer to

C.6.4 and to Exhibit 3).

Completion of Qualitative Efficacy Monitoring for treated infestations (C.1.5.2, Item 3 and

Exhibit 5).

Remeasurement of invasive plant infestations as required under C.5.1.2, Item 4.

Inventory of new invasive plant infestations located in the treatment area(s) per C.1.5.2, Items

5 and 6 and Exhibits 1, 2A, and 2B.

E.2.2 Acceptable Quality Level

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.2.1 - Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall cover each item specified in Quality and Performance Standards (above).

Surveillance will include checks for compliance with each item.

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.2.1.1 - Herbicide Application

The Contractor shall achieve the following:

One hundred percent compliance with herbicide application reporting requirements.

Application coverage of each project area must meet or exceed 95 percent of the project area as shown on the maps of the project area (which may be included with Task Orders).

Herbicide application must demonstrate 95 percent mortality of the treated invasive plants.

One hundred percent compliance with NOAA Fisheries consultation requirements.

E.2.3 Means of Measurement Task/Critical Subtask E.2.3.1 - Quality Control Plan

Contractor’s Quality Control Plan containing all necessary components shall be submitted to the

COR.

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.3.2 - Herbicide Application

A determination of successful execution of the contract will be based on either randomly located transects within each treatment area that are representative of the treatment area or, where feasible, an inspection of the entire treatment area. Tolerances will be determined by the COR based on these inspections.

The use of indicator dye is required to assist the COR and Contract Inspectors in determining application coverage. Concentrations of indicator dye will be specified by the COR, Coverage inspections may be conducted separately from mortality inspections.

Indications of herbicide application and incipient mortality will be evident by visual deterioration of the treated plants beyond recovery. Indicators would include two or more of the following:

drooping, wilting, chlorosis, interrupted seed maturation, and/or drying of plant parts (stem, leaves, reproductive parts).

As part of the inspection:

The COR will request and inspect application and monitoring records for completeness and accuracy; this may occur daily if deemed necessary by the COR. Incomplete or inaccurate records will not be accepted and any invoices submitted for payment prior to correcting application and monitoring records will be rejected.

It can take up to three weeks for treated plants to develop signs of herbicide damage.

Therefore, enough time needs to lapse between the treatment and the inspection to determine efficacy. The work for a task order will not be accepted until at least 90% of the invasive plants show signs of herbicide damage. The COR will conduct random, periodic inspections for coverage and mortality beginning approximately 10 days after herbicide has been applied to an area and continuing weekly to bimonthly thereafter as needed.

Areas treated in the fall may not show herbicide effects until the following spring or summer.

Therefore, on fall treatments, payment will be made based on the proper application and coverage of the herbicide and final inspection for mortality will take place the following summer. If it is determined that at least 90% of the invasive plants were not damaged, a meeting with the contractor and COR will be held to discuss retreatment at the contractors expense.

The COR will conduct random, periodic inspections for compliance with NOAA Fisheries consultation requirements for the application of herbicides (see Exhibits 3, 4A and 4B).

In addition, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture may conduct periodic use inspections of the herbicide application operation. These use inspections will cover application technique, application rates, and adherence to pesticide use rules (refer to Exhibit 9).

If, based on the results of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture use inspection, and deemed necessary by the COR, specimens of the target invasive plant species or random samples of the herbicide solution from the contractor’s spray tanks may be obtained for laboratory analysis. The target invasive plant species specimens would be analyzed to determine that the required herbicide was applied. The herbicide solution sample would be analyzed to determine that the required strength was used. The Contractor may observe the sampling and may request a copy of the laboratory analysis.

E.2.4 Penalties Compliance with quality and performance standards and achievement of acceptable quality levels will be among the factors that contribute to the contractor’s performance evaluation.

The following penalties for non-compliance will apply:

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.4.1. - Quality Control Plan

Contractor shall not start work until the quality control plan has been submitted to and approved by the COR.

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.4.1.2 - Herbicide Application

If inspections indicate that quality and performance standards and acceptable quality levels have not been met, the contractor may be required to rework the area at no cost to the

Government. The Government reserves the right to determine re-treatment schedules and application rates.

In the event the laboratory analysis concludes that the required herbicide was not applied to the target invasive plant species or that the herbicide solution does not comply with requirements, the Contractor shall be given one week to correct the deficiency by re-treating the area at no cost to the government.

Non-compliance with quality and performance standards and acceptable quality levels constitutes grounds for contract termination based upon failure to perform.

E.2.5 Incentives Task/Critical Subtask E.2.5.1 - Quality Control Plan

Not Applicable

Task/Critical Subtask E.2.5.2 - Herbicide Application

VEGETATION AND SOIL STATUS AND TREND MONITORING PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS & QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

Task/

Critical

Subtask

E.1.1.1 Quality/Performance

Standards

E.1.1.2

Acceptable

Quality Level E.1.1.3 Means of Measurements

E.1.1.4 Penalties

E.1.1.5 Incentives

E.3.1

Monitoring

Adherence to Protocol

100% compliance with protocol

(refer to Exhibits 1, 6A and 6B).

Tolerances below

100% will not be accepted and no payment will be made.

Representative random inspection of transects once

Contractor has submitted datasheets and spatial data for review.

Performance below 100% constitutes grounds for contract termination based on failure to perform and payment will not be made.

Correct deficiencies within one work week at no additional cost to the

Government for full payment.

E.3.2

Monitoring

– Plant

Species

Identificati on

Native, non-native and invasive plant species shall be identified per the requirements of Exhibits 6A and 6B and per instructions of

COR. Species shall be correctly coded using NRCS plant species codes.

Tolerances below

100% will not be accepted and no payment will be made.

Field-check plant identification prior to leaving transect site, when needed. If taking samples to confirm identification, take samples

10 or more meters away from transect. Consult with COR regarding plant identification issues prior to submitting monitoring data for inspection.

If not corrected, these defects shall constitute grounds for termination for failure to perform and payment shall not be made.

Correct deficiencies within one work week at no additional cost to the

Government for full payment.

E.3.3

Monitoring

- Data

Collection

Accurate and complete spatial and tabular monitoring data in proper format per Exhibits 1, 6A and 6B.

All GPS data shall be provided to

SCNF as ESRI shapefile formats.

Tolerances below

100% will not be accepted and no payment will be made.

Field-check tabular monitoring data prior to leaving transect site.

GPS data shall be field-checked prior to leaving transect site.

If not corrected, these defects shall constitute grounds for termination for failure to perform and payment shall not be made.

Correct deficiencies within one work week at no additional cost to the

Government for full payment.