H._Stone_Nursery_SOW_(AG-3604-S-16-0019).pdf

AG-3604-S-16-0019

WO Operations JHS Risk Assessment

STATEMENT OF WORK

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR PESTICIDE HUMAN HEALTH AND ECOLOGICAL

RISK ASSESSMENT(S), AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS(ES) – J.

HERBERT STONE NURSERY, CENTRAL POINT, OREGON

I. INTRODUCTION

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing National Forest System Land to provide a mix of goods and services to the public.

Each Forest Land and Resource Management Plan details specific resource management objectives and output goals. These plans provide for access to the national forests, livestock grazing, timber management, visual quality, water quality, and vegetation, wildlife and fish diversity. To produce these outputs some pest management and some vegetation management must be done. Different environmental conditions and different management goals and objectives determine the need for, and amount of, pest or vegetation management to be done.

In order to implement any pest or vegetation management program the USDA Forest Service must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended (40 CFR 1500-1508). This law requires the completion of an environmental analysis for each action which may have significant impact on the human environment. In the event that data are incomplete or unavailable for the preparation of an analysis, the law specifically requires that an assessment be made to evaluate potential risks in the area of uncertainty (40 CFR 1502.22).

Pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and many other materials, including semiochemicals, form a significant set of tools for the land manager. Pesticides are often the most effective tools available to combat a vegetation or pest problem. Unfortunately, significant data gaps exist for some pesticides proposed for use. Under the law, and in response to the need to be good stewards, the significance of this missing information must be determined prior to evaluation of project alternatives which propose their use.

To provide the basis for evaluating the human, wildlife, other non-target organism and environmental risks in current or future pest or vegetation management programs, information is needed about: the inherent toxicological hazards of the pesticidal agents proposed for use; the exposure levels that project workers, the general public and specific at-risk groups, wildlife, non-target species and the environment might sustain; and the risks of adverse effects posed by the various hazard/exposure scenarios.

The Forest Service has, since the mid-1980s supported the development and deployment of Risk Assessments of chemicals proposed for use, which are compliant with Council of Environmental Quality regulations for analyzing and providing an evaluation of reasonably foreseeable impacts of the potential use (40CFR1502.22.b.3-4). The contractor selected will (as tasked): generate an original risk assessment and summary documents for pesticides planned for use at the USDA Forest Service J.H. Stone Nursery (JHSN), Central Point, OR. A description of the FS nursery program and the JHSN in particular are given in Appendix 1. The specific pesticides used at JHSN are listed in Table 1.

Under this contract, the Contractor shall provide a broad range of technical support to the FS.

Examples of support needed include: the preparation of reviews of the science relating to specific pesticides, the development of a site-specific human health and ecological risk assessment for pesticide use at JHSN. The Contractor shall also provide support for related activities and research to improve the science of risk assessment as necessary for FS activities, including developing methods and guidelines for assessing exposure to single pesticides, as well as complex exposures, e.g., exposures to multiple applications of pesticides, exposures to multiple pesticides or to mixtures of multiple pesticides, multiple-media (route) exposures of one or more pesticides,, and less-than-lifetime exposures to one or multiple pesticides. The Contractor shall also provide technical support and assistance on site-specific, or up-to- the-minute risk assessment issues, and assistance in preparation of responses to Congressional, governmental (within and outside the Service), professional, and public inquiries relative to documents prepared under this contract, as required. This support and assistance may be in the form of, among other things, documents, letters, responses to comments, or expert testimony, generally relative to the prepared products. The Contractor may be required to develop databases, software, or computer models to support the activities previously described. Specific areas of support are detailed below. All work required under this contract shall be defined in work assignments issued by the Contracting Officer (COR).

II. WORK REQUIREMENTS

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the tasks and deliverables described in this Statement of Work (SOW). The contractor shall provide a best-science Risk Assessment or summaries in other technical formats (as required) of the current knowledge relating to chemicals (both as technical grade materials and as formulated products) under consideration for use in the JHSN management programs; including, but not limited to, herbicides for silviculture work or control of non-native plants, insecticides for the control of insect populations, fungicides for use in forest tree plantings at JHSN. In addition, as required, the contractor shall provide electronic tools which support application of the risk assessment to

JHSN.

B. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

The contract requires a commitment of time and resources of an interdisciplinary nature demonstrating expertise in all phases of risk assessment and in risk characterization, particularly of pesticides and their respective application programs. The contract requires the preparation of technically sound and legally defensible documents, including a human health, wildlife, non-target species, and ecological risk assessment that public officials and the general public can read and comprehend. It also requires the preparation of other documents, including technical papers requiring analysis and assessment of special issues of risk, including effects on sensitive subgroups, associated with the use of pesticides. An essential part of the contract shall be the research and development of innovative methods to characterize unusual exposures and risks to humans and the environment from pest and vegetation management programs at the JHSN.

The contractor shall prepare documents using the most current information available, including current FS program information and pesticide data. This will require that the contractor search all pertinent databases, current literature, published and unpublished data, and results of current research, and also contact Federal, state, local, and private individuals involved in current and recent research, monitoring and regulatory activities associated with pest control or vegetation management efforts or the tools used in those efforts. For each task, the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) may provide a suggested list of individuals (not to be considered inclusive) that the contractor should contact, as stipulated in the work assignment.

The contractor shall also contact individuals who are specifically knowledgeable regarding the current regulatory status of the pesticidal agent’s most recent toxicological information as needed. This includes chemical product managers of each agent and toxicologists at the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the manufacturer's technical representatives or product managers.

A list of all sources of information, including databases searched (with the search strategy) and persons contacted shall be provided to the Forest Service when the document is completed.

The contractor shall establish a quality control and quality assurance process for the conduct of the document. A high standard of accuracy, clarity, completeness and editorial excellence shall be required for the risk assessment, and all other submissions, both in draft form and final form.

The Contractor shall prepare a draft of the document for Forest Service internal review and concurrently shall procure three external technical peer reviews. Review shall be accomplished and changes incorporated before submission of the final document to the COR for evaluation and subsequent modification or final approval. The contractor shall provide continuous interaction with the COR on progress/status and direction of the document.

Contractor shall procure necessary literature as needed. Copies of all literature/references cited by the contractor in carrying out any of the work assignments shall be provided to the Forest Service with the first draft. Copies of any additional literature references that are used in preparing the final products shall also be provided to the FS with the final product.

Work assignments under this contract shall fall within the areas identified below. Initial products shall be delivered in draft form for FS review. Required revisions may be provided by FS to the Contractor for incorporation into the final delivered product. FS reviews of the draft risk assessment shall occur concurrently with three external technical reviews, and shall result in appropriate modification of the draft during preparation of the final document.

1. Pesticide -Specific RA and Related Products for the JHSN

The Contractor shall evaluate, review and update, and/or develop various scientific documents, computer programs, and reports which will be used by FS to assess the nature and degree of hazard/risk posed by pesticidal agents in a variety of formulations from their use in the JHSN pest or vegetation management programs. Specific tasks will include:

a. Prepare rapid and brief technical reports or summaries on pesticides proposed for use in JHSN management programs in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment. (In terms of turnaround time, "rapid response basis" will be defined per work assignment and will be dependent upon specific technical issue and its related time sensitivity.)

b. Prepare, for written or oral presentation, responses to inquiries regarding the risk posed by pesticides proposed for use in JHSN programs in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

Pesticide -specific documents and reports shall provide a scientifically and legally defensible evaluation of the toxic potential of the agents. They must accurately reflect state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and provide a delineation of the nature and extent of all identifiable effects on human health and ecological condition, including effects on wildlife and other non-target organisms and general ecological effects, resulting from exposure to the subject agent.

Pesticide -specific reports shall include accurate summaries of available data in the areas of acute toxicity, chronic and subchronic toxicity (including neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity and endocrine system effects), carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, teratogenicity, and other reproductive effects. In addition, reports shall include discussions of special issues, such as special groups at risk (such as, children, pregnant women and their fetuses, elderly, immune compromised, multiple chemically sensitive individuals, nutritionally deficient). Detailed discussions of the physical and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties of the specific pesticide shall also be included. A comprehensive search of all the pertinent literature and data bases shall be performed when appropriate. The data shall reflect the latest scientific knowledge obtained. The literature shall be critically evaluated, and accepted EPA methods (where appropriate) shall be applied to the data to evaluate human health and ecological hazard. These methods include the use of less-than-lifetime exposures, the calculation and application of oral reference dose (RfD) and inhalation reference concentration (RfC), and the calculation of cancer potency (unit risk) factors, if not previously established by EPA. If these risk values have been established by EPA, but the Contractor determines that there are compelling circumstances requiring that selected values should be different, then discussions shall be included supporting the change.

A listing of pesticides and other Chemicals that have been evaluated in the ongoing program which this contract will support is to be found on the Forest Service’s Washington Office, Forest Health Protection website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/pesticide/risk.shtml. Worksheets supporting these risk assessments (from which methods in current use can be readily determined) are found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/pesticide/worksheets.shtml.

2. Human Health Risk Assessment and Related Products

The Contractor shall evaluate, review and update, and/or develop various scientific documents and reports that assess the nature and degree of human health risk posed by pesticidal agents in a variety of media from their use in FS pest or vegetation management programs, or the human health risk from non-implementation of the same programs. Specific tasks will include:

a. Prepare a new human health risk assessment to analyze the potential risk from either implementing or not implementing pest or vegetation management programs at the JHSN in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

b. Prepare rapid and brief technical reports or summaries of the human health risk posed http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/pesticide/risk.shtml http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/pesticide/worksheets.shtml by new pesticides or those proposed for use in JHSN management programs in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

Work assignments shall require the Contractor to prepare specific critical documents and discussions of components of the risk assessment paradigm (i.e., hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment, risk characterization) for specific pesticides. These documents and discussions may be required to document and support theoretical and/or empirical approaches.

The risk assessment shall be technically sound and legally defensible under NEPA and current case law. It shall incorporate state-of-the-art, currently accepted risk assessment methodology and risk characterization processes. This will require a significant degree of flexibility on the part of the preparer to remain current with methods which are changing in the evolving risk assessment environment. In addition, under some circumstances, it may be necessary to develop creative and innovative methods to characterize risks.

The risk assessment shall, at a minimum, contain: a) a description of the JHSN pest control or vegetation management program being evaluated; b) a hazard characterization; c) a dose-response assessment; d) an exposure assessment; and, e) a characterization of human health risks. The format used shall be guided by the need to clearly identify and characterize the risks and to produce a document that will be easy for the general public and public officials to read and comprehend. The actual format required will be provided in the work assignment for the specific task.

3. Non-target and Ecological Risk Assessment and Related Products

The Contractor shall evaluate, review and update, and/or develop various scientific documents and reports that assess the nature and degree of non-target species and ecological risk posed by pesticidal agents in a variety of formulations from their use in the JHSN pest or vegetation management programs, or the non-target and ecological risk form the non-implementation of the same programs. Specific tasks will include:

a. Prepare a new non-target and ecological risk assessment to analyze the potential risk from either implementing or not implementing pest or vegetation management programs at the JHSN in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

b. Prepare rapid and brief technical reports or summaries of the non-target and ecological risk posed by new pesticides or those proposed for use in JHSN management programs in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

c. Prepare, for written or oral presentation, responses to inquiries regarding the non-target and ecological risk of pesticides proposed for use in JHSN programs in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

Work assignments shall require the Contractor to prepare specific critical documents and discussions of risk assessments or components of the risk assessment paradigm (i.e., hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment, risk characterization) for specific pesticides. These documents and discussions may take the form of theoretical and/or empirical approaches.

The process necessary for the development of ecological risk assessments shall require considerable creative thought and the ability to apply those ideas to innovative methods.

4. Technical Support, Research and Related Products

The Contractor shall prepare various scientific documents and reports to address special issues or to meet special work assignments that might arise. The deliverables may be in the form of:

written memos or letters, verbal or written discussions, technical papers or documents, software, database management, expert testimony, literature research projects, training programs or materials. Specific tasks may include:

a. Prepare various memos, letters, discussions, or technical papers addressing continuing special issues or issues of immediate concern to the FS in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

b. Assist in preparation of various memos, letters, discussions, or technical papers in response to inquiries to the FS from Congress, other governmental agencies, the professional community, the public and others regarding documents prepared under this contract, in the style, scope, and format required in the work assignment.

c. Provide expert testimony on topics (that may be controversial) that are the subjects of documents prepared by the Contractor. Perform various analyses to support pesticide-specific assessments such as the statistical analysis of laboratory, field testing, or monitoring data; comparison of field data to exposure

d. Modeling data; mathematical modeling to determine dose-response relationships;

investigation and documentation of the relationship of exposure time to dermal absorption rate for specific pesticides as assigned; and the estimation of risk of adverse ecological effects or human health effects for given doses, durations, and species in support of documents being prepared for this contract.

e. Prepare site-specific exposure assessments. These assessments determine the nature and magnitude of human and/or environmental exposure occurring for a specific pesticide or group of pesticides at the JHSN.

f. Research and develop innovative methods to characterize exposures or risks to program workers or the public from JHSN programs that, because of special circumstances, do not readily fit into the typical risk assessment paradigm.

g. Develop data bases, software, or computer models, and manage the on-going compilation of data, as required by FS needs, and as provided in the work assignment.

In the preparation of any of the scientific documents required by a work assignment, there shall be critical discussion of each topic, not just a synopsis of the literature, along with a concise summary of the topic. As appropriate, statistical analysis and a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the particular subject shall be presented.

C. SCIENTIFIC REVIEW AND RESPONSE TO COMMENTS

Documents prepared by the Contractor will be subject to intra- or inter-agency review, expert peer review, and/or public review. The Contractor shall provide appropriate scientific and technical support required to update or modify documents based on the results of these reviews.

The Contractor shall provide the COR with recommendations for document revisions, clearly outlining the rationale for such recommendations. The Contractor shall be prepared to respond to comments and queries from within or outside the agency, including the public, the scientific community, or Congress, regarding the scientific integrity of any document prepared. The Contractor shall also be prepared to provide expert testimony and serve as an expert witness in courts, should that become necessary.

D. SCIENTIFIC WRITING AND RISK COMMUNICATION

The Contractor shall provide appropriate scientific and technical support to enable FS to successfully communicate risk assessment information to individuals and organizations within and outside of the risk assessment field. The Contractor shall prepare the information in a variety of formats to meet the specific needs of a range of audiences which may include scientists, decision-makers, those unfamiliar with risk assessment, as well as experts in the field.

Work products may include leaflets and brochures addressing a variety of topics, including pesticide background information, rationale for programs, process descriptions, health and ecological effects, and methods or results of human health and ecological risk assessments and related special issues.

III. PRODUCT QUALITY

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor is responsible for quality control and quality assurance of all tasks and shall adhere to the procedures set forth in the QA Program Plan which has been incorporated into this contract. As required by the WORK ASSIGNMENTS clause in Section B of the contract Schedule, the Contractor shall provide a statement with the work plan describing the procedures which shall be used to arrive at recommendations, and listing the sources and methods proposed for consideration.

Risk assessment (including hazard identification, dose-response, and exposure assessment and characterization) is a technical analysis of many different kinds of scientific information, all of which are used to characterize the expected risk to human health or the environment. Such risk assessment analyses may result in scientific assessments that are less certain than ideal;

therefore, their inherent strengths and limitations must be clearly stated . All risk assessment products provided by the Contractor shall include information that will fully characterize the projected risks to human health and the environment and shall specifically adhere to the following:

1. Risk assessments shall be accompanied by descriptive information carefully selected to ensure an objective and balanced characterization of risk in risk assessment reports and documents.

2. Risk assessment information shall be clearly presented, separate from any non-scientific risk management considerations.

3. Key scientific information and controversies on data and methods (i.e., use of animal or human data for extrapolating from high to low doses, use of pharmacokinetics data) shall be highlighted. A statement of confidence in the assessment shall identify all major uncertainties along with comment on their influence on the assessment.

4. When describing exposure scenarios, information shall be presented on the range of exposures and on the use of multiple risk-descriptors, e.g., measures of central tendency, high end of individual risk, population risk, and important subgroups.

All written products shall be of high quality and written in a clear, concise style, with a logical organization and presentation of ideas and rationales. In most cases standard formats shall be used as specified in the work assignment and provided by FS. The Contractor is responsible for scientific and technical editing of all products. Written products shall be free of grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors, and shall accurately summarize the information with correct and complete reference citations. Scientific information shall be presented in a consistent style that makes it easy for the reader to follow, and utmost care shall be taken to ensure consistent and accurate information content and appropriate data interpretation throughout the document.

Products not adhering to these standards or guidelines will not be accepted.

C. COMPUTER PRODUCTS

The Contractor may develop data bases, software, or computer models. In general, the choice of software shall be based on a balanced consideration of technical requirements, user interface issues, life cycle analysis, advances in computer science, and compatibility with existing systems. Specifically, all computer application development tasks must conform to current FS guidance and standards as promulgated by the Office of Information Resources Management.

IV. LITERATURE SEARCH REQUIREMENTS

During the preparation of documents, reports, and other projects, the Contractor may use expert consultants, pertinent articles in scientific journals, reports, proceedings of scientific conferences, monographs, books, or other documents such as those prepared by select committees or bodies (such as those convened by the National Academy of Sciences or the World Health Organization). To determine the extent and availability of information germane to specific tasks, the Contractor shall conduct extensive and exhaustive searches (consistent with project level of effort) of all relevant databases.

Subject- or chemical-specific independent literature searches shall be conducted by the Contractor. When such a search is required by a work assignment, the Contractor shall conduct computerized and manual literature searches, retrieve/procure pertinent articles, and provide abstracts and summaries as indicated below.

1. Search the periodical literature for the period prescribed by the work assignment, using databases specified in the work assignment.

2. Search for the specified period domestic and international non-periodical literature such as books, technical reports, monographs, and conference and symposium proceedings.

3. Search for the specified period all secondary sources designated in the work assignment.

4. Search sources such as National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Center for Toxicological Research, Inc. for unpublished or interim research reports relevant to the subject of the work assignment.

5. The Contractor may be directed to prepare an abstract of 150- 300 words for each relevant citation found. The abstract shall include the purpose, a summary of developments, and a recounting of the principal conclusions and recommendations from the citation.

During examination of the literature, the Contractor shall place primary emphasis upon the adequacy of experimental design, quality control, and interpretation of results of each study, and determine the article's relevance to the assessment of actual or projected exposure to and risk posed by the material under study.

Work assignment deliverables shall include a printout of the literature search annotated to indicate what was considered, retrieved or not retrieved, and the reasons why. When examining studies, the appropriateness of a study for determining risk values (e.g., RfDs/RfCs and cancer potency) shall be considered and documented. Primary literature sources shall be used except in rare, extenuating circumstances.

V. FINAL REPORT

The specific final report requirements will be, unless stated otherwise in the task order, in the format cited below.

The Contractor shall revise the final draft, both scientifically and technically, by incorporating FS-directed changes, as well as correcting any technical errors identified in the external technical reviews or uncovered in the technical editing of the report by the Contractor.

The Contractor shall then deliver a clean, typewritten, reproducible master copy of the revised report/document to the COR. In addition, duplicate compact disks containing the final, clean version of the report/document (including one .docx and one .pdf form of the file) along with the supporting worksheets (.XLS format at the present time), and the literature files as described below. Final format for the compact disks’ contents will be required to be consistent with FS software current at the time of task award, and the format required will be stipulated at the time of issuance of, and be documented in, the work assignment.

At the time of peer review, copies or reprints of all identified literature (including both articles referenced and relevant articles considered but not referenced) shall be delivered to the COR along with an electronic copy of the draft of the report. An electronic copy of each referenced article, with accurate bibliographic data, must be delivered with the draft, and the final documents. A listing of all literature data bases surveyed (with years searched) along with copies of the search shall be provided to the COR in electronic form at the time of submission of the first draft of any report/document/project.

VI. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Any Contractor-prepared reports that include recommendations to FS shall:

1. Explain and rank the policy or action alternatives.

2. Describe the procedures used to arrive at the recommendations.

3. Summarize the substance of the deliberations.

4. Summarize any dissenting views.

5. List the sources relied on.

6. Provide any other information necessary to make clear the methods and considerations upon which the recommendations are based.

VII. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY

During the preparation of documents the FS will furnish no real property to the Contractor.

The FS will provide data relating to pest and vegetation management programs as is appropriate to the work assignments. It shall be sufficient to insure that accurate details of the FS’s programs are incorporated in the analyses being produced.

Should face to face meetings between the contractor and the Forest Service be beneficial or necessary, the COR will make necessary arrangements for the meeting, either travelling to the Contractor’s location or arranging for an appropriate location for the meeting.

VIII. DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES

All written deliverables shall be phrased in language which can be understood by a knowledgeable layperson. Toxicological, statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms.

The Contractor shall prepare a draft of each document for FS internal review and concurrently shall procure three external technical peer reviews. Reviews of each draft shall be accomplished, and changes incorporated, before submission of the final document to the COR for evaluation and subsequent modification or final approval. The contractor shall provide continuous interaction with the COR on progress/status and direction of the documents.

The FS will complete their review of the draft deliverable within 45 calendar days from date of receipt. The three contractor sponsored technical reviews required for all risk assessments should be completed concurrently with the FS review. The Contractor shall plan and set aside sufficient time from the closure of the review to allow incorporation of necessary changes (based on peer reviews) prior to delivery of the final copy prior to the task termination date.

1. Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables

For this contract the deliverables shall be a draft document with supporting literature file, literature search description, and supporting analytic worksheets as described above. Final documents shall be delivered in both hard copy and electronic format (described above). Final electronic submission shall also include at least the following three supporting electronic files:

literature files (used and reviewed but rejected literature, with explanatory notes detailing reasons for rejection where applicable); mathematical process worksheets; and, a file which includes all technical reviews with non-incorporated issues identified with the rationale for rejecting the comment(s) of a reviewer.

Timely submission of deliverables is essential. Schedules for deliverables shall be developed to allow the Contractor maximum flexibility in scheduling the necessary document development.

All deliverables shall be prepared and submitted according to format, content, and schedule described in this Statement of Work.

2. Reporting Requirements

The contractor is required to provide written progress reports monthly for the period when engaged in production of assigned tasks. This report shall be submitted electronically to the CO and the COR ofrecord . The progress report shall cover all work completed during the specified period and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent period. This report shall also identify any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved and provide an explanation.

Notice to offerors: All information and data related to this project that the contractor gathers or obtains shall be both protected from unauthorized release and considered the property of the government. The contracting officer will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, must not be publicized without the written approval of the contracting officer.

IX. TRAVEL

Travel required under this contract is minimal. Contractor will be expected to make available, as a minimum, the primary analyst assigned to this contract to travel to introduce him/herself and to introduce the proposed product to the FS Regional Pesticide Coordinators who will be supporting the COR in developing the JHSN program descriptions and internal FS reviews.

Sufficient time will be made available at that meeting for a presentation by the Contractor or primary analyst of the risk assessment proposed under the terms of the contract, with emphasis being placed on changes, if any, being proposed to the current methodology and format of the technical documentation to be developed. A minimum of one day should be allocated to the traveler so that both the formal presentation and also informal contacts/meetings may occur. If the Contractor finds it beneficial the traveler(s) would be welcome to attend the full meeting (excluding only any internal discussion of contractual matters) to get a broader perspective of the program within which the produced documents are to be employed.

This travel shall be reimbursed, post travel and on completion of appropriate documentation of the travel by the FS consistent with FS travel regulations. All required travel shall be included with task order proposal pricing and be in accordance with the federal travel regulations at the appropriate per diem rate as prescribed in FAR 31.205-46 Travel Costs.

X. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS – KEY

The contractor shall assign a person or team to produce scientifically and legally defensible documentation as described above. Each professional assigned to develop the technical analysis and the content of the final report shall have as a minimum education and experience as follows:

a Ph.D. in a relevant scientific field and 5 years relevant experience; or, a M.S in a relevant scientific field and 8 years relevant experience; or, a B.S. in a relevant scientific field and 10 years relevant experience. Support personnel shall have as a minimum 3 years experience and a demonstrated proficiency with the tools (software and hardware) necessary to accomplish the tasks assigned.

Production of documentation required under this contract requires expertise in the location of and interpretation of scientific literature, and the presentation of a detailed analysis of information in (at least) the following disciplines:

TOXICOLOGY

• General toxicology (human and wildlife)

• Pharmacokinetics (human and wildlife)

• Reproductive and Developmental (human and wildlife)

• Mutagenicity, teratology and oncology (human and wildlife)

PESTICIDE CHEMISTRY

• Formulated product chemistry and behavior of both the active ingredient and inert chemicals in the formulation (including production byproducts and contaminants)

• Toxicology, breakdown processes and degradation products of concern (including potential for significant responses under the above toxicology headings)

• Potential interactions between the chemical being considered and others found in or introduced into the environment

PESTICIDE ENVIRONMENTAL FATE AND BEHAVIOR

• On-site residence timing

• Off-site movement potential and characteristics

• Potential for impact to non-target plants and animals

• Potential for ecological degradation resulting from use

MODELING (as a minimum)

• Human health risk assessment as a reflection of:

Inherent chemical hazard

Exposure of receptor organism or environment Dose-response

• Ecological risk assessment:

Wildlife risk as a function of the same three items as are to be modeled in human health risk assessment Off-site movement of chemicals applied through soil and in air Interaction of applied chemical(s) both on-site and with chemicals encountered if moved off-site

APPENDIX 1. Background Information on the USDA Forest Service Nursery Program.

The USDA Forest Service broke ground on its first nursery in 1902 and its nurseries have proviced a reliable source of growing stock for reforestation and restoration programs during this time. Currently, as well as tree seedlings for reforestation, the nurseries are responding to the demand for a wide variety of native plants for ecosystem restoration.

At present, much of the native plant material used in restoration of public lands is grown at one of the six Forest Service Nurseries: Lucky Peak Nursery (Boise, ID), J. H. Stone Nursery (Medford, OR), Coeur d’Alene Nursery (Coeur d’Alene, ID), Placerville Nursery (Placerville, CA), Toumey Nursery (Waterstreet, MI), and Bessey Nursery (Halsey, NE). These nurseries have a long history of growing source-identified and locally adapted conifer seedlings for reforestation. Over the last 15 years, the traditional role of the Forest Service nurseries has expanded to include the production of a wide variety of additional native plant species to meet the increasing needs of ecosystem restoration. These opportunities present new challenges to nursery managers because little is known about propagating many of these new species.

The nurseries specialize in planting stock with established root systems. This is often optimal for certain species, or for use in restoration projects that occur on very harsh or disturbed sites. In these situations, native seed is established and grown in nursery beds or in containers in a greenhouse for a period of time ranging from several months to several years. Plant size and stock type depends on several factors, including the number of growing seasons, the number of times the materials are transplanted, and/or the container size that the material is grown in. Most modern nurseries offer a variety of stock types, from bare root and container seedlings that can be grown in less than one year, to container transplants that take longer to produce, but can survive and grow on the most challenging restoration site.

In addition to providing a reliable source of high quality native plant material, Forest Service nurseries are also a source of research and technology transfer in seedling production and quality. Information on how to produce native species and stock types is shared with other nurseries through technology transfer publications and workshops. These efforts enable other state and private nurseries, and nurseries worldwide, to develop successful methods for producing seed and seedlings for reforestation and restoration.

J. Herbert Stone Nursery is a Forest Service nursery located near Central Point, Oregon. The nursery has XXX acres of fields, 5 greenhouses, shade houses, an artificial wetland, and a reservoir that provides irrigation water. Primary crops grown include conifers, grass for seed, and native plants. Additionally, there is a very large administrative site with several buildings and warehouses.

There are 11 different fields (lettered A-K) with complex variations on subsurface and surface drainage. There is sub-surface drainage in all fields, except Field J, in the form of 6" perforated pipe, buried with approximately 3-4 feet cover below the surface. The subsurface drainage for most fields is collected in a sump and then pumped into Jackson Creek. Surface runoff from different areas of the nursery drains into multiple locations.

Setting: JHSN is located in an agricultural area of the Rogue Valley. This area is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7-9. Winters are chilly and rainy with an average of about 9 inches of rain between November and February. The rest of the year normally sees little rainfall with total annual precipitation measuring about 18 inches. Summers are hot, with temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees F.

A nice video about the nursery can be viewed at: http://www.marthastewart.com/912959/profiling-j-herbert-stone-nursery-oregon http://www.marthastewart.com/912959/profiling-j-herbert-stone-nursery-oregon