AG-3604-S-17-0010_WV_Field_&_Urban_Plots_Solicitation_Package.pdf

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SOL NO: AG-3604-S-17-0010

UNIT: FIA

PROJ NAME: WV Field & Urban Data Collection Services

Contents

PART I—THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B--SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SCHEDULE OF ITEMS

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

A. General Information

B. Work Requirements:

C. Supporting Information

SECTION D--PACKAGING AND MARKING

SECTION E--INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 FAR 52.246-1 Contractor Inspection Requirements (APR 1984)

E.2 FAR 52.246-4 Inspection of Services - Fixed-Price (AUG 1996)

E.3 AGAR 452.246-70 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE (FEB 1988)

SECTION F--DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

F. 2 AGAR 452.211-74 Period of Performance (FEB 1988)

F.3 Deliverables

SECTION G--CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G. 1 AGAR 452.215-73 Post Award Conference (NOV 1996)

G. 2 DESIGNATION OF CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE

G. 3 PROJECT MANAGER

G. 4 INVOICE REQUIREMENTS

G.5 GUIDANCE FOR SUBMITTING A PROPER INVOICE FOR PAYMENT

G.6 FAR 52.232-25 -- Prompt Payment (Jul 2013)

G.7 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

G.8 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY

SECTION H--SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 AGAR 452.224-70 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION (FEB 1988)

H.2 AGAR 452.228-71 INSURANCE COVERAGE (NOV 1996)

H.3 AGAR 452.237-74 KEY PERSONNEL (FEB 1988)

H.4 SAFETY

H.5 SUBMITTAL OF A SAFETY PLAN

PROJ NAME: WV Field & Urban Data Collection Services

H.6 SUSTAINABLE ACQUISITION

PART II--CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I--CONTRACT CLAUSES

FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT

PART III--LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J--LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

PART IV--REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K--REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

SECTION L--INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY FULL TEXT

SECTION M--EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

ATTACHMENT A – SCHEDULE OF SERVICES (BASE PERIOD)

ATTACHMENT A – SCHEDULE OF SERVICES (OPTION PERIOD 1)

ATTACHMENT A – SCHEDULE OF SERVICES (OPTION PERIOD 2)

ATTACHMENT A – SCHEDULE OF SERVICES (OPTION PERIOD 3)

ATTACHMENT A – SCHEDULE OF SERVICES (OPTION PERIOD 4)

ATTACHMENT B – SAM Information

ATTACHMENT C – EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE – Page 1

ATTACHMENT C – EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE – Page 2

ATTACHMENT D - SERVICE CONTRACT ACT WAGE DETERMINATION

ATTACHMENT E - PROVISIONS OF FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 1985

PROJ NAME: WV Field & Urban Data Collection Services

PART I—THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B--SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SCHEDULE OF ITEMS

B.1 DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The contractor shall provide appropriate and FIA-certified and approved contract employees (no more than four (4)) for contracting the annual statewide forest inventory data collection effort in the State of West Virginia as described in Section C. The contractor shall provide all necessary management, supervision, manpower, labor, material, supplies, equipment (except Government Furnished Property), and transportation; and, shall plan, schedule, coordinate, and assure effective performance of all services described in Section C.

The term of this contract will be approximately an eleven-month Base Period (from approximately April 17, 2017 to February 28, 2018); and four (4) twelve-month Option Periods from approximately March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2022, if exercised. The base period of this contract shall commence in approximately April 2017.

B.2 OFFER FOR DATA COLLECTION – (Please complete Attachment A – Schedule of Services)

- See Attachment A

B.3 OFFERORS PLEASE NOTE:

A. For all travel costs, the contractor is to follow the Federal Travel Regulations.

Certification/Training for the Base Period shall be held the week of April 24, 2017 in West Virginia or New York.

B. Before preparing your offer, carefully review Sections K, L, and M. All questions must be e-mailed to the Contracting Officer, Maria Evans, at mtevans@fs.fed.us

C. One contract will be awarded in accordance with the evaluation factors in Section L and M.

D. A Pre-Proposal Meeting shall be held via teleconference on Wednesday, 15 February

2017 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (09:00 AM Central Time). You must confirm your attendance by contacting Mr. Michael Effinger by e-mail at meffinger@fs.fed.us

a. Contractor’s may call in to the meeting by dialing the following:

CONFERENCE CALL NUMBER: 1-888-844-9904

ACCESS CODE: 7260702

E. A post award pre-work meeting will be scheduled with the successful offeror/contractor.

This meeting must take place within ten (10) days of contract award.

mailto:mtevans@fs.fed.us mailto:meffinger@fs.fed.us

F. This requirement is a total small business set aside. The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 115310, with a small business size standard of $7.5 Million.

G. Contractors are required to be registered in the System For Award Management (SAM)

[Previously Central Contractor Registration (CCR)] per FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management – See Attachment B.

B.4 PERIOD OF THE CONTRACT

This contract is for approximately an eleven-month Base Period (from approximately April 17, 2017 to February 28, 2018); and four (4) twelve-month Option Periods from approximately March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2022, if exercised. This is a unilateral right of the Government to extend.

Each time an option to extend is exercised; it will be for a period of one additional period.

Contractor will be notified in accordance with appropriate clause contained in Section I.

B.5 TYPE OF CONTRACT

The Government contemplates award of a Firm-Fixed Price Incentive, multiple year contract resulting from this solicitation.

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

Statement of Work (SOW) for Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Data

Collection Contract in West Virginia.

A. General Information

A-1. Introduction

This Statement of Work (SOW) outlines requirements for contracting the annual statewide forest inventory data collection effort in West Virginia. The awarded contractor will provide inventory data to the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station’s (FIA) FIA (Forest Inventory and Analysis) Unit. This data will be collected from predetermined forest inventory plots randomly located across the State(s) of West Virginia. The protocols for this effort, including the inventory plot design, are outlined and described in the following Field Guides:

• NRS Regional P2 Field Guide Version 7.1, which can be downloaded HERE.

• NRS Regional P2+ / P2+ Soils Field Guide Version 7.1 which can be downloaded HERE.

• NRS Regional Urban FIA Field Guide Version 7.1 which can be downloaded HERE.

These Field Guides will serve, collectively, as a reference documents or instruction manuals for the life of the contract and will be referred to throughout this document as the Field Guide. The version number is subject to change in option years 1 through 4.

Additional NRS FIA program information can be found at:

• http://fia.fs.fed.us/

• http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/.

• http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/.

Additional NRS Urban FIA program information can be found at:

• http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/.

• http://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban/fia.

Throughout this document the following terms are defined as follows:

• Contracting Officer (CO): Administers all aspects of the contract. All contract related questions are handled by the CO and the CO is the only person that can make a constructive change to this contract.

• Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): Conducts certification sessions, conducts Hot Checks, inspects Crew Leader’s work, and provides technical assistance to the Contractor, Crew Leader(s), Inspector, and Contracting Officer.

• Inspector: Assists with certification sessions, performs Hot Checks, and inspects Crew Leader’s work.

• Contractor: The owner or proprietor of the company bidding on the contract. In some cases the contractor may also serve as the Project Leader, Crew Leader, and or an Assistant. In this document all references to the Contractor also apply to all of the Contractor’s agents as well.

• Project Leader: Serves as the Contractor’s primary contact for interactions with the Forest Service.

There should only be one Project Leader assigned to this contract. If the Project Leader will also serve as a Crew Leader they must meet all the requirements of a Crew Leader and should be designated as such on the Experience Questionnaire form, Attachment C.

• Assistants: Serves as an assistant to a Crew Leader on a plot. Assistants do not have any experience or education requirements and do not need to be certified in data collection procedures. They are considered the secondary data collector on the plot.

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/field-guides/ver7.1/FG%20NRS%207.1-Complete-Document.pdf http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/field-guides/p2/NRS_FG_6.0-Apri_2014-Complete_Document_NRSP2plus.pdf http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/field-guides/regional/2015%20NRS%20FG-6.1-min.pdf http://fia.fs.fed.us/ http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/ http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/ http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/ http://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban/fia

• Crew Leader: Serves as a primary data collector for the contract. At least one Crew Leader must be present on each plot. The number of Crew Leaders the Forest Service will certify and allow on a contract will depend on the number of FIA plots in each year of the contract. For this contract the Forest Service will certify a maximum number of crew leaders as follows:

o One crew leader for every 120 P2, P2+ and P2+ soils plots o One crew leader for every 75 urban plots.

o A Crew Leader must successfully pass the certification process as well as meet the contract’s experience / education requirements.

A-2. Background and Scope

A-2.1 Background:

The U.S Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program is a national program responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting, and distributing information and data about the extent, content, and condition of the Nation’s rural and urban forests as well as how much forest land exists and who owns it. There are four FIA Units nationally with the Northern Research Station’s FIA unit having the responsibility for the comprehensive forest and urban inventory for 24 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. National, state, and local policymakers, universities, businesses, Tribal governments, National Forest managers, other natural resource agencies, and various interest groups depend on FIA for timely, scientifically credible information about our forests.

FIA inventory plots are randomly located throughout West Virginia with the vast majority of plots occurring on private ownership. Determining ownership of plot locations and gaining permission from landowners to complete the inventory is critical to the success of the project. In some cases more than one owner may need to be contacted to access a plot, this is especially true in urban settings. Communication skills and the ability to work independently are essential requirements of the work.

Use of aerial photography, other imagery, maps, and previous FIA plot records will be necessary to accurately locate FIA plot locations and collect forest inventory resource data. This work requires regular and recurring physical exertion in the form of travel on foot over rough, uneven, and steep terrain. This work requires several hours of driving, several days each week with work locations changing frequently, often on a daily basis. Work areas may range from an urban environment to a remote wilderness area and everything else in between. The urban environment involves working in commercial, residential, and institutional areas; often with high population densities and heavy traffic.

FIA plots are located across the entire contract area and overnight travel to access and complete many of the inventory plots in this contract will be a necessary. Some plots may require the use of a boat or canoe to access them, as well as coordination with other public and private agencies.

FIA’s Three-Phase Sample and FIA six plot types:

Phase 1 (P1):

The FIA sample design consists of a three phase systematic sample of sites located across all lands in the United States. In Phase 1 (P1), approximately 108,514 points are evaluated by aerial photography and other imagery to determine the location of rural and urban forested / vegetated and non-vegetated lands. In order to meet national precision standards, these data are then stratified into Plot and Condition status classifications using satellite imagery and other remotely sensed data. Phase 1 evaluations are completed in the office. In addition, subsets of these are completed in the field with on the ground verifications or Quality Assurance (QA) checks of the office classifications (phase 1 verification plots). The P1 verification plots will assess whether there is any accessible forest land on a sub sample of P1 plots that were evaluated in the office. P1 verification plots will require a significantly reduced data collection effort than P2, P2+ or P2+ Soils plots, and are essentially a verification of the plot status assigned during the phase 1 image interpretation. Office classifications are not part of this contract.

Phase 1 (P1) verification plots and Phase 1 QAQC Special verification plots:

Phase 1 verification plots may not be included in the base year of the contract, but can be added to option years.

These plot types are a 4% QA sample (NTE 25 plots per year) of the classifications completed in the office using imagery. Phase 1 QAQC Special verification plots have identical field data collection procedures to P1 verification plots and normally range in numbers between 0 - 3 per year. If Crew Leader(s) have been previously certified in, and have experience collecting data with, NRS or National FIA Field Guide Version 6.0 or greater P1 plots may, at the Forest Service’s discretion, be included in the base year of the contract.

The following are commonly known as “FIA field plots”.

Phase 2 (P2):

Phase 2 is the on the ground plot data collection effort for plot locations identified in phase 1 as having the possibility of accessible forestland.

Phase 2 plots:

Crew Leader(s) must visit plot locations identified as potentially having accessible forest land in Phase 1 and collect data on land ownership, forest type, tree species, tree size, tree condition, and site attributes (e.g., slope, aspect, disturbance, land use). A complete list of data items collected and the protocols for collection can be found in the field guides. Plot intensity for P2 measurements are approximately 1 plot for every 6,000 acres of forested land (Approximately 125,000 plots nationally).

Phase 2+ and Phase 2+ Soils:

Available in option years only, unless Crew Leader(s) have been previously certified in, and have experience collecting data with, either the NRS or National FIA Field Guides Version 6.0 or greater associated with the plot types listed in this contract. Phase 2+ and Phase 2+ soils are a subsample of Phase 2 plots that have additional data that have to be collected during leaf on conditions.

Phase 2+ plots (P2+):

The P2+ subsample size can vary from 6.25% to 25% of the P2 plot sample depending on current and future fiscal year funding levels/budgets. P2+ plots have the following additional protocols:

1. Additional tree crown measurements of each tally tree on plot

2. Estimates of down woody material on the forest floor

3. Assessment of vegetation structure by growth habitat

4. Assessment of invasive species on plot

5. Tree Seedling Regeneration

Phase 2+ Soils plots (P2+ Soils):

These plots are part of the phase 2+ sub sample that accounts for approximately 6.25% of all FIA plots in the contract area. P2+ Soils plots collect all protocols in the P2+ sample with one additional protocol added:

1. Soil measurements and sampling

Urban FIA Plots:

Urban Plots:

Urban plots are identified in phase 1 that fall within Census defined Urban Areas. These plots contain all the traditional P2 variables in addition to both invasive species protocols and urban focused data items as described in the field guides. Urban plots are installed regardless of the presence of trees or other vegetation and have a different plot design than FIA P2, P2+, and P2+ Soils plots. Many Urban FIA plots have few if any trees present on them while some have the potential to be fully forested. They are sampled at a rate of 1 plot for every 6,000 acres of defined Urban Areas. Additionally, the portion of this sample that is contained within the political boundary of the target city or cities will be further intensified in order to provide a minimum sample of approximately 200 plots per city. Thus the size of the target city will dictate the actual sampling intensity and the proximity of urban plots to each other. Smaller cities in area have a greater sampling intensity and the plots are closer to one another than larger cities. Urban plots are currently completed during leaf on conditions.

Urban Dual Plots:

These plots are a combination of an Urban FIA plot and a P2, P2+, or P2+ Soils plot. At these locations crews will measure both the urban plot and the P2, P2+, or P2+ Soils plot design that is coincident with it at this location.

These plots may only be available in option years, unless Crew Leader(s) have been previously certified in, and have experience collecting data with, NRS or National FIA Field Guide Version 6.0 or greater. The option to offer Urban Dual plots is at the discretion of the Forest Service during each year of the contract. Urban dual plots are currently completed during leaf on conditions.

Urban dual plot types:

Urban/P2 Urban/P2+ Urban/P2+ soils

* Urban/Phase 1 verification – Phase 1 verification plot not yet developed for urban but may be available in option years. Once available, it will mirror what’s done in the field on a P2 Phase 1 verification plot.

* Urban/Phase 1 QA/QC special–Phase 1 QA/QC special not yet developed for urban but may be available in option years. Once available, it will mirror what’s done in the field on a P2 Phase 1 verification plot.

A.2.2 Scope:

Contract Schedule Table:

Year Plot Type Contract Period Work Period

Base YR P2, PI, PI QAQC Special 12 months 03/01 – 02/28 Option YR 1 P2, PI, PI QAQC Special 12 months 03/01 – 02/28 Option YR 2 P2, PI, PI QAQC Special 12 months 03/01 – 02/28 Option YR 3 P2, PI, PI QAQC Special 12 months 03/01 – 02/28 Option YR 4 P2, PI, PI QAQC Special 12 months 03/01 – 02/28

Base YR P2+,P2+ Soils 5 months May 1 – Sept 30 Option YRS 1-4 P2+,P2+ Soils 5 months May 1 – Sept 30 Option YRS 1-4 Urban FIA, Urban FIA Dual 6 months April 1 – Sept 30

Base Year:

This contract will include data collection across / within the following State(s) / Counties:

State: Counties:

West Virginia Cabell, Jackson, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mingo, Pleasants, Putnam, Roane, Tyler, Wayne, Wirt, Wood, Wyoming, Ritchie

The phase 1 work has not been completed for the base year of the contract, so the exact number of plots is unknown. The table below is our best guess estimate for 2017 work but the actual numbers may exceed the upper range estimate given in this table. Please provide pricing for the base and all option years as described below under: Bid considerations for Base year and option years 1-4:

Plot Type # of Plots (Very Rough Estimate) General Location PI / PI Special 1-5 See list of proposed counties above P2 1-100 See list of proposed counties above P2+ 1-10 See list of proposed counties above P2+Soils 1-10 See list of proposed counties above Urban 0 Charleston area / could be state wide Urban Dual 0 Charleston area / could be state wide

Option Years:

The Forest Service, at their own discretion, may add or subtract plots and or entire counties within the following State(s) / Counties:

State: Counties:

West Virginia All Counties within the State Charleston, WV and the urban areas of WV

If Crew Leader(s) are not eligible to collect certain plot types in the base year of the contract they will only bid on these non-eligible plot types in option years, otherwise they will bid on all plot type line items for all 5 years. If these plots were not included in the base year of the contract, the Forest Service may add these plots to the contract after successful completion of the base year at their discretion.

Bid considerations for Base year and option years 1-4:

All Crew Leader(s) are required to show up at the required certification with a working knowledge of the associated field guides and training tools (PowerPoints). These materials are available at:

FIA Field Plots: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/ Urban FIA Plots: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/

Over the course of a 5 year contract, it is very likely that the NRS FIA Field Guide’s version will change. The contractor will be made aware of a change in Field Guide version prior to exercising the option year. New pricing http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/ may be negotiated between the contractor and the Contracting Officer, if the changes in the new field guide version are deemed substantial by the Contracting Officer.

P2+, P2+ Soils, Urban, and Urban Dual plots (Urban/P2+, Urban/P2+ soils), are spatially distributed across the contract area.

In option years the exact numbers of all plot types, Urban, Urban Dual, P2, P2+, P2+ soils and P1 verification, are unknown and will be determined annually from the results of the phase 1 work done in FIA headquarters.

Unknown annual appropriations and changes in FIA federal staffing can also influence the number of plots included in option years. See below possible ranges of plot numbers Estimated plot numbers for the base year of this contact are as follows:

Base year and all option years bid pricing schedule:

Prospective contractors should submit bids on a per plot pricing basis using the following range of potential plot numbers by plot type in any given contract year.

P2 Range of Plots Numbers Bid basis

1-60 plots price per plot 61-120 plots price per plot 121-180 plots price per plot 181-240 plots price per plot 240+ price per plot

Base and option year pricing (1-4) depending on availability and Crew Leader experience.

P2 + Range of Plots Numbers Bid basis

1-20 plots price per plot 21-40 plots price per plot

P2+ Soils Range of Plots Numbers Bid basis

Urban Range of Plots Numbers Bid basis 1-75 plots price per plot 76-150 plots price per plot

Urban/P2 Dual Range of Plots Numbers Bid basis

21-40 plots price per plot Urban/P2+ Dual Range of Plots Numbers

Bid basis

1-20 plots price per plot Urban/P2+ Soils Dual Range of Plots Numbers

Bid basis

1-10 plots price per plot

P1 Verification & P1 QAQC Special Verification Range of Plots Numbers Bid basis 1-25 plots price per plot

A-3 Applicable Documents

Specifics on the data collected as outlined above for all plot types and associated certification tools can be found at the following websites:

• P2, PI, & PI Special Field Guide V 7.1: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/

• P2+ & P2+Soils Field Guide V7.0: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/

• PI,P2,P2+, P2+Soils Certification Power Points: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/

• Urban and Urban Dual Field Guide V7.0: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/

• Urban / Urban Dual Certification Power Points: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/

Specifics regarding scanning and loading plots sheets can be found at:

• http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/

Specifics on the Microsoft Excel QA Score programs, NQCNRS and NUQCNRS(dated version).xlt, This program is used to determine passing or failing QA plot inspections and can be found at the following websites:

• PI,P2,P2+, P2+Soils: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/

• Urban / Urban Dual: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/

B. Work Requirements:

B-1 Technical Requirements

For technical requirements for all plot types refer to the Field Guides and Quality Assurance Score Programs listed in section A-3 Applicable Documents.

Ownership, Permission and Access

PRIVATE LANDS: It is the responsibility of the Contractor to obtain current ownership information on FIA plots that are located on private land. Under no circumstances will a Contractor enter private lands without verbal or written permission from the landowner or the landowner’s agents. Any plot completed without landowner permission, will be evaluated as a failed plot. Additionally, it is strictly forbidden for any contractor to solicit work of any kind from landowner contacts made during FIA data collection work. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in revocation of the contract. Refer to section C-1 Security below. The following information will be required on each privately owned plot to document that permission was provided by the private landowner:

• If the contractor received verbal permission either on site or by phone conversation, the following should be written on the current plot sheet:

o Name of individual, phone number used in the contact, date, time permission was granted, and address of land owner. If on site, make every attempt to collect the person’s phone number.

• If the contractor was given permission in writing through mail correspondence, a copy of the letter or response form used should be included and scanned with the current plot sheets.

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/ http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/ http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/urban/ http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/data-collection/

STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS: The public agency managing these lands may require permission to access these lands or sections of these lands restricted by regulation or policy. Additionally, contractors should inform land managers of these agencies that they are conducting the inventory as a professional courtesy.

DENIED ACCESS OR HAZARDOUS PLOTS: Any denied access plots will be required to have the landowner’s complete mailing address and telephone number included on the plot sheet. DENIED ACCESS will be written in large block letters in the notes section of the plot sheet. Denied access plots will be identified by writing “denied access” next to plot number on invoice along with a note stating the name and phone number of the individual who denied access. If you send out letters/post cards with a YES/NO request for permission, this document will be included and scanned with the plot sheets. All letters/postcards used for requesting permission must first be approved by the Contractor Officer Representative (COR). This method should be used as a last resort. We are now required to make a follow-up contact on all denied access plots. For more details on documentation requirements for denied access plots see “B2 Deliverables – Invoice blocks”

Similarly, for any plot where the entire plot area is inaccessible due to permanent hazardous conditions, “HAZARDOUS PLOT” will be written in large block letters in the notes section of the plot sheet as well as descriptive details explaining why the plot is classified as “HAZARDOUS”. Hazardous plots will be identified by writing “Hazardous” next to plot number on invoice along with a note stating why it was hazardous during the entire contract period. Conditions that are temporarily hazardous due to high water, wildlife, poor road conditions, etc. shall be re-visited at a later date when the temporary hazard is no longer a factor. It is critical to anticipate, to the best of your ability, such challenges at the start of the contract; and plan accordingly in order to complete the contract on schedule. The electronic plot file should be completed as described in the Field Guide. For plots where only a portion(s) of a plot is classified as a hazardous condition, complete the plot file as described in the Field Guide.

Inspection and Acceptance

P2, P2 +, P2+ Soils, Urban, Urban Dual, and P1 verification plots:

Contract compliance to quality data objectives will be determined by the plot scoring program. FIA contract inspectors will use the Microsoft Excel QA scoring programs described in section A-3 to inspect and score plots. Acceptable plots will be defined by plot scores greater or equal to 90%. The Scoring program mirrors the Field Guide layout section to section and each section and variable is assigned a weighted point assessment.

This program is designed to give a comprehensive check of data items on each plot visited for inspection.

Inspections will be conducted proportionally as contractor delivers plot data files described under deliverables.

Additionally, Forest Service reserves the right to inspect any completed plot at their discretion. Plots inspected to verify payment and any additional inspections require access to the plot sheets as well as the plot data; therefore, contractors must scan and upload plot sheets into the FIA database as outlined in B-2 Deliverables.

The QA scoring program is subject to change throughout the contract period including option years. If NRS adjusts the weighted scoring system used in the QA scoring program, the minimum passing score, currently defined as 90%, may change as well.

It is required to run a PDR edit check of the plot to address all PDR warnings and correct any PDR errors before leaving the plot in the field.

B-2 Deliverables

P2, P2 +, P2+ Soils, Urban, and Urban Dual, P1 Verification, and P1 QAQC Special Plots:

To assure that the contractor is making progress toward the completion of the current year’s contract plots, the contractor will meet completion benchmarks through the field season. These benchmarks are in addition to requirements outlined in providing invoice blocks for payment of services rendered.

Specifically, the contractor will follow this delivery schedule for P1 and P2 Plots:

• The first third of the total number of plots will be delivered to the COR by one third of the period from certification to the end delivery date.

• The second third of the total number of plots will be delivered to the COR by two thirds of the period from certification to the end delivery date,

• No fewer than 100% of the total number of plots will be delivered to the COR by the end delivery date.

Specifically, the contractor will follow this delivery schedule for leaf on plots: Urban, Urban Dual, P2+, and P2+ Soils.

• The first third of the total number of plots will be delivered to the COR by one third of the period from the start of the leaf on season or leaf on window certification, whichever comes last, to 09/30.

• The second third of the total number of plots will be delivered to the COR by two thirds of the period from start of the leaf on season or leaf on window certification, whichever comes last, to 09/30.

• No fewer than 100% of the total number of plots will be delivered to the COR by 09/30.

Plots can be completed prior to these specified due dates on an accelerated schedule if the contractor chooses to do so. Our goal is to have the contract completed in by the end date. The end date for the base year is February 28, 2018 but this date is determined by the FS on an annual basis for all option years.

Prior to the start of both the base year and all option years, the Forest Service may select certain plots that need to be completed by certain time of year based on access.

Invoice Blocks:

Blocks of complete plots should: (1) have data files, scanned plots sheets, and any scanned landowner replies (up to 4 pages) uploaded in to the FIA database. (2) Plot sheets should be shipped by a method that has a shipment tracking feature to the Contractor Officer Representative.

In addition to uploading plot files to the FIA database, contractors will be delivering invoice blocks for payment of services rendered. Invoices for payment should be submitted in blocks with a minimum of 10 plots (20 plots for Urban / Urban Dual Plots) and no plot within the invoice should have a field completion date that exceeds 28 days from the date of the invoice submission. This will allow for plots to be inspected prior to significant biological change (growth, removals/harvests, and mortality) since the time of original data collection.

Invoice blocks may be broken up into more than one inspection block per invoice at NRS FIA’s discretion with a goal to inspect approximately 10% or more per invoice. For example, if an invoice block is submitted with 24 completed plots, the COR may break the invoice block into three 8 plot inspection blocks with each inspection block receiving one plot inspection. If the inspection verifies that the plot meets the prescribed accuracy standards, the inspection block will be accepted, and the contractor will be paid for the entire inspected block of plots.

If an inspection block fails the first inspection, the actual plot that failed inspection will never be paid to the contractor. NRS FIA may give the contractor one week to revisit and/or correct any of the other plots in the inspection block that failed initial inspection. A second plot will be inspected. If the second plot passes inspection, the remainder of the plots in the inspection block will be accepted and the contractor will be paid for all but the initial failed inspection plot. If the second inspection plot fails, the entire inspection block is not paid. NRS FIA retains ownership of all data submitted by the contractor and has the option to correct, revisit, or keep data as is in the NRS FIA database without compensation to the contractor.

Breaking an invoice into smaller inspection blocks protects the contractor from not being compensated for larger invoice blocks and helps NRS FIA manage and correct poor quality plot files. Payment will be based on individual inspection blocks opposed to an entire invoice. NRS FIA may designate which plots from an invoice or inspection block are checked and reserves the right to require the order in which plots are completed.

Failed inspection blocks may be cause for termination of the entire contract at the discretion of NRS FIA, and the Contractor may not be awarded future FIA contracts for a specified number of years. Certification invoices:

Invoices for certification payment can be submitted with or without invoices for completed blocks of plots.

If a contractor is awarded multiple NRS FIA contracts or cooperator administered FIA data collection subcontracts for the same work, using the same crew leaders, and field guide version, they can only invoice once for this certification.

When submitting the Certification bid price under B.2 OFFER FOR DATA COLLECTION, the bid price should include the total cost of sending one or more crew leaders to be certified.

Request for payment will require a four-step process as follows:

1. The contractor shall upload the edited digital plot files and plot sheets and send a list of the plots completed (via email) to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

2. The contractor shall mail the corresponding plot sheets to the COR.

3. The COR shall notify the contractor regarding the QA results of the plots submitted for the inspection.

4. The contractor shall input their electronic invoice into the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) system.

In addition, contractors shall attach an invoice listing the plot type, plot number, date completed, and price for each plot submitted. This attachment shall also include non-sampled plots and the stated reason they are not sampled along with the contact information for any DA plots. The (IPP) website is:

https://www.ipp.fms.treas.gov/login/IPPLogon_Index.htm

Invoices shall not be entered into IPP when the plot files and plot sheets are sent to the COR. Invoices are only entered into IPP AFTER the final inspection score is sent to the contractor from the COR.

When plots are classified as entirely denied access or hazardous, contractors will be compensated $50.00 per plot. All denied access and hazardous plots will be listed on each invoice block of plots submitted for payment as encountered (not all at once at end of contract). They must also meet the submission requirement of 28 days since the plot was completed in the field. Inspection of denied access plots will be completed by follow up attempts to gain access by NRS FIA personnel or inspectors. Plots or parts of plots defined as denied access or hazardous by the contractor that are found to be accessible by NRS FIA personnel or inspectors may be defined as failed plot inspections. The contractor will not be paid for these plots as denied access and may be required to revisit and establish plot. If access to the plot is gained by NRS personnel and the plot is returned to the contractor for completion, the contractor will complete the plots and submit it for payment in the next invoice block.

For each plot that is determined to be a denied access plot, the following documentation is required:

• If the contractor was denied access verbally either on site or over the phone, the following should be written on the current plot sheet:

o Name of individual who denied access, phone number used in the contact, date, and time of the denial. If the denial occurs on site, attempt to get the phone number of the individual denying access.

• If the contractor was denied access in writing through mail correspondence, a copy of the letter or response form used should be included and scanned with the current plot sheet.

• Denied access plots will be identified by writing “denied access” next to plot number on the invoice along with a note stating the name of the individual who denied access.

Quality Bonus incentive for Urban, Dual, P2 plots, P2+ plots, and P2+ Soils plots.

At the completion of each year’s contract, if the following quality objectives and delivery schedule are met, the contractor will be paid a quality bonus. Plots with a PLOT NONSAMPLED REASON of 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, or 11 (including denied access and hazardous plots) and P1 verification plots will not be included in the quality bonus incentive determination or payment. Certification costs are also not included in the bonus determination. To qualify for bonus all plot completion benchmarks must have been met and there must be no more than 1 failed Check Cruise for period being considered for the bonus.

Average check plot score of passing plots Bonus added to per plot price 97.00-97.99 5% 98.00+ 10%

C. Supporting Information

C-1 Security

The contractor and their employees will abide by the confidentially clause of this contract as well as the restrictions outlined in the FY2000 Consolidated Appropriations Bill (PL 106-113), Congress included language which modified the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276(d)) to add FIA data collection to a list of items requiring confidential treatment. Among other things, the law prevents FIA from disclosing sample locations in such a way that individual ownership can be determined, and it provides for criminal penalties for violations.

Specifically, awarded contractor and their employees agree to:

1. Sign the USDA Foresst Service NRS FIA confidentiality agreement form

2. Not disclose the plot locations or any of the plot data to any other party, not bound to the Forest Service by the terms of this contract;

3. Not use the plot locations or collected plot data for purposes other than those indicated in this contract;

4. Not visit the actual sites of the plot locations, other than for collecting data for this contract;

5. Not contact, bother, or otherwise infringe upon the landowners of the plot locations including any solicitation for any puposes including but not limited to procurement of forest resources, forest management, or any other consulting advise. Any inquiries to forest or natural resource management should be refered to the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

6. Not conduct destructive or intrusive sampling within the bounds of the Forest Service plot;

7. Not alter what would be normal business operations/forest management activities on the sites of the plot locations;

8. Not disclose the forest inventory data for an individual private or corporate landowner;

9. Store confidential data, including sample site locations, detailed ownerships, and any derived layers from which confidential data could be recovered, on a computer with security restrictions on file access which include password protection and the absence of a connection to wide area networks;

10. Not use the forest inventory data for regulatory actions against the landowner;

11. Delete, purge, or otherwise destroy all hardcopy and electronic files containing the plot locations, and to return all plot navigational aids (plot sheets, photos, etc) to the Forest Service at the termination/completion of work as outlined in B2-Deliverables.

C-2 Place of Performance

Locations are throughout the state of West Virginia on publicly and privately owned properties. Locations are random and are likely to have accessible forestland on at least a portion of the inventory plot; however, some plot locations may be entirely non forest, especially in urban areas.

The Forest Service, at their own discretion, may add or subtract plots and / or entire counties within the state or surrounding contract area in option years.

C-3 Period of Performance

Initial contract duration for one year with options to renew for an additional 4 years. Actual data collection work will occur after certification in the plot types included in the contract (Urban, Urban Dual, PI, P2, or P2+/P2+ Soils protocols) during the correct season based on plot type for each year during designated period stated in the contract.

C-4 Government Furnished Property and Contractor Furnished Property:

The following materials will be furnished by the US Forest Service, FIA:

Urban, Urban Dual, P2, P2 +, P2+ Soils, P1 QAQC Special Plots:

o An aerial photo, digital orthophoto-quad, or respective imagery of each plot location o One photo scale – To match provided imagery scale(s) o Plot sheets – Originally in hardcopy then in digital format as indicated by terms in option years o Printed Field Guides for field reference.

o EMTAC GPS receiver which when provided must be the devise used to collect GPS coordinates o Soil equipment – see “Additional equipment for P2+/P2+ Soils plots” o One data recorder o Data collection software o Computer communication cables o Communication software o FIA DataBase communication software

Additional equipment for P2+/P2+ Soils plots

• Frame for sampling known area of surface litter material. A small bicycle tire (16 x 2.125 in tire size with an internal diameter of 12 in), or similar object/tool/device, has been chosen as the standard size.

• Impact-driven soil core (2-in diameter x 8-in depth) sampler with two 2-in diameters by 4-in long stainless steel core liners for obtaining mineral soil samples.

• Additional bulk density sampling equipment: crescent wrench and universal slip wrench for disassembling bulk density sampler if stuck and brush for cleaning soil core sampler and liners.

• Tile probe (42 in) for measuring depth to a restrictive layer.

• Soil sample labels.

• Backpack to hold the equipment

If there are problems with the government provided GPS or data recorder’s hardware, data collection software or communications software that transfers data from PDR (personal data recorder) to either the hard drive of a PC or compact data disk, contractor will notify COR (or his substitute in case of absence) and cease work until a replacement arrives or the problem is resolved within 10 days of this notification.

All Government furnished equipment and materials shall be returned together with any unused data sheets 15 days of contract completion each year.

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY: The Contractor agrees to furnish the following:

• A computer capable of downloading data from an Allegro Data Recorder (communicating with Allegro via 9 pin connection or USB port).

• Email capability to communicate with the COR and receive data collection and contract information.

• Internet access to interact with the FIA database to download historical data, receive PDR updates, and transfer completed data to the database

• A scanner capable of scanning paper plot sheets for electronic transfer of plot materials with the electronic plot files. Scanned plot sheets must be legible in digital format.

• A safety plan and adequate safety equipment required by OSHA and in accordance with industry standards.

• The Forest Service receives safety plans to ensure safe operation is being considered and is a priority for contractors. The Forest Service does not endorse the safety plan, as contractors are required to meet all Federal, State, and Local Safety requirements

• The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work.

• Reference books on West Virginia tree and invasive species identification.

• Maps or gazetteer of West Virginia for accessing plot locations.

• One increment borer with an minimum borer length of 12 inches

• One clinometer - % and topographic scales

• One Sunto compass – Azimuth (0° - 360°)

• One diameter tape (must be graduated in tenths of an inch)

• One 75' Spencer Loggers Tape (must be graduated in tenths of a foot)

• Laser for measuring distances(optional)

• Chaining pin

• Batteries for Data Recorder and other equipment

• Tree paint - 563 Speedry Paint Markers (blue); estimate approximately 1 marker per dozen plots.

• Postage and shipping costs to deliver FIA plot data, return government provide equipment; obtain landowner permissions, and other correspondence with US Forest Service and the general public.

• A large diameter, 10X hand lens for close examination of plant leaves.

• A forester-grade PLANT PRESS with cardboard inserts to store leaf vouchers collected in the field.

• Envelopes ready for mailing leaf vouchers and other items.

• Stiff paper or cardboard for protecting the leaf vouchers in the mailing envelopes.

• Flagging: for temporary marking of sites or sample plants.

• Aluminum nails and markers for marking plots in wilderness areas or reserved areas

• Subplot and microplot center stakes, spikes, and or pins.

o Specifications for 12" landscape spikes:

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/fasteners-fastener-accessories/nails/common-nails/grip-fast-12-common-spike-nail-50-lb-box/p-1444441530800.htm

•Actual length of 12" •Gauge 3/8" •Head diameter of 3/4" https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/fasteners-fastener-accessories/nails/common-nails/grip-fast-12-common-spike-nail-50-lb-box/p-1444441530800.htm https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/fasteners-fastener-accessories/nails/common-nails/grip-fast-12-common-spike-nail-50-lb-box/p-1444441530800.htm https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/fasteners-fastener-accessories/nails/common-nails/grip-fast-12-common-spike-nail-50-lb-box/p-1444441530800.htm

•Approximately 2 per pound o Specifications for Wire pins:

0.148" dia. Galvanized Steel Wire Cut to 11.00" o Specifications for wooden stakes:

Rot resistant species of Cedar, Locust, Oak, Ash, Hickory 1in x 1in x 1ft stakes w/pointed end in 10in x 10in banded bundles.

Additional equipment for P2+/P2+ Soils plots

• Ruler graduated in tenths of an inch for measuring soil layer depths.

• Garden trowel or hand shovel for sampling forest floor and excavating soil sample hole where soil core sampler cannot be used.

• Small knife with sharp blade for sampling the forest floor layers.

• Pruning shears (very useful in cutting through roots and litter).

• Soil sample bags (9 x 12 in or quart size) for mineral soil samples.

• Soil sample bags (10 x 18 in or gallon size) for forest floor samples.

• Small Indelible ink markers (black thin-line) for marking sample bags.

• Plastic tarp (1 yd. x 1 yd.) to use as a working surface.

• Cleaning cloths.

• Plastic water bottle for use in hand-texturing soil.

• Any government provided piece of equipment that is lost or damaged by the contractor.

Invoicing for adding contractor supplied equipment under C4:

Throughout the term of the contact, the contractor may be asked to purchase additional field/IT equipment that is not currently listed under C4 to meet changing technology needs and improvements. If the Forest Service identifies new equipment needs in any option year of the contract, the contractor will be able to invoice for this added expense, but only after an agreed to cost is negotiated for purchasing this equipment that meets Forest Service specifications.

C-5 Qualifications and Limitations to Key Personnel:

• Contractor: The owner or proprietor of the company bidding on the contract. In some cases the contractor may also serve as the Project Leader, Crew Leader, and or an Assistant. In this document all references to the Contractor also apply to all of the Contractor’s agents as well.

• Project Leader: Serves as the Contractor’s primary contact for interactions with the Forest Service. There should only be one Project Leader assigned to this contract. If the Project Leader will also serve as a Crew Leader they must meet all the requirements of a Crew Leader and should be designated as such on the Experience Questionnaire form, Attachment C.

• Assistants: Serves as an assistant to a Crew Leader on a plot. Assistants do not have any experience or education requirements and do not need to be certified in data collection procedures. They are considered the secondary data collector on the plot.

• Crew Leader: Serves as a primary data collector for the contract. At least one Crew Leader must be present on each plot. The number of Crew Leaders the Forest Service will certify and allow on a contract will depend on the number of plots in each year of the contract.