ATT1__RCW_CONTRACT_SPECIFICATIONS.docx

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER

STATEMENT OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

PART I. SECTION C, SCOPE OF WORK

C. 1 - SCOPE OF WORK

Contractor shall furnish all equipment, labor, transportation, supervision, and perform all work required for Red Cockaded Woodpeckers to include Observation, Installation of Artificial Cavities, Cluster Inspections, And Monitoring.

C.2 - DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

LOCATION: Within the boundaries of the Savannah River Site (SRS) in accordance with the specifications and provisions of the contract.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

LINE ITEMS 0001/1001/2001/3001/4001:

OBSERVE ACTIVE RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER CLUSTERS

Contractor shall observe 95 active red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) clusters on the Savannah River Site. Identify individuals in Potential Breeding Groups (PBGs) or Solitary Birds (SBGs) by re-sighting color bands. Information on bird’s band combination, sex and behavior will be recorded in each cluster. RCW observations shall be conducted during RCW nesting season and after nestlings fledge (from 1 May to 31 August) and will be considered completed when all individual RCWs are identified in the designated clusters. Data from the previous RCW nesting season will be provided to the contractor and will include the band combinations of RCWs observed in a particular cluster. Please note that this is not a complete dataset and not all of the birds were identified in each cluster last season.

RCW observations shall be conducted during RCW nesting season and after nestlings fledge (from 1 May to 31 August)

· Record all data on furnished RCW monitoring sheets.

· Monitor active clusters by recording colored band combinations of all individual birds observed in active clusters.

· If a cockade is observed, note the sex of the bird.

· Record behavior of bird at time of observation (i.e. feeding nestlings).

· Bird identification can be done at any point during the nesting season. However, if no breeding activity is detected by the COR in clusters with active trees by June 1, morning follows will be initiated to determine group status. These groups will be observed for up to an hour immediately after leaving the cavity and will be classified in the following manner: (1) potential breeding group, two birds observed that appear to interact peacefully, (2) solitary bird, a bird observed alone for the duration of the check, or (3) captured cluster, indicated by no birds or a bird that joined a neighboring group to forage. All RCWs observed during early morning follows need to be identified by color band combinations.

· Supply the US Forest Service with a USB flash drive containing all data recorded both in hard copy and electronic form.

· Contractor must meet at the Forest Service Headquarters (FSH) at a time determined by the Contract Officer Representative (COR) to get Forest Service radios and check in as remote workers. Contractor may not exit the site without checking out at the FSH. Any variance to these procedures must be requested by contractor and approved by COR.

· Contractors will be required to attend a pre-work meeting.

· The work schedule will be Monday through Friday (5 days per week) unless otherwise arranged with the COR.

LINE ITEMS 0002/1002/2002/3002/4002:

INSTALLATION OF ARTIFICIAL INSERTS IN DESIGNATED CAVITIES

Contractor shall install artificial inserts in designated cavities, with an option to install new and/or replacement cavities.

Installation of artificial cavities can be completed from 1 September- 30 March of a given year. No inserts will be installed from 01 April to 31 July of a given year.

· All inserts will be constructed in manners described by Allen (1991) in General Technical Report SE-73

· New cavity installation will involve installing an artificial cavity in a new tree. Insert replacement will involve the removing of an existing insert in a designated tree and replacing it with a new insert in the same hole.

· The contractor will be responsible for selection of trees to construct new cavities. The trees selected will be based on the number and type designated on the cluster map.

· Cavities will be constructed as close to existing cavities as possible.

· All cavities will be constructed above 20 ft. unless approved by the COR prior to construction.

· No cavities will be:

· Constructed farther than 300 ft. from existing cavities without the COR's approval prior to construction.

· Constructed within 200 ft. of a road right-of-way.

· Placed in wet areas (drains, bays, streams, ponds, etc.) or other areas where midstory control would be a future problem.

· Placed adjacent to log decks without approval from the COR prior to construction.

· Paint all new or replacement inserts trees with two white bands.

· Ensure that all new cavity trees are tagged with the next available number (ex. last tree recorded was #9, the next new tree would be #10)

· No inserts will be installed from 1 April to 31 July.

· All cavities will be inspected upon completion by U. S. Forest Service personnel. No cavities will be accepted that are in any way not properly constructed.

· Any contractor accepting the contract must have valid permits required to install artificial cavities for red-cockaded woodpeckers

· All artificial cavity boxes with be provided by the US Forest Service Savannah River

· Contractor must meet at the Forest Service Headquarters (FSH) at a time determined by the Contract Officer Representative (COR) to get Forest Service radios and check in as remote workers. Contractor may not exit the site without checking out at the FSH. Any variance to these procedures must be requested by contractor and approved by COR.

· Contractors will be required to attend a pre-work meeting.

· The work schedule will be Monday through Friday (5 days per week) unless otherwise arranged with the COR.

LINE ITEMS 0003/1003/2003/3003/4003:

CAVITY AND TREE INSPECTIONS

Contractor shall perform Cavity and Tree Inspections in known RCW clusters as designated by the COR. A minimum of 96 clusters will be inspected each year. Inspections shall be conducted from 1 March to 1 April of the given year. Inspect natural and artificial cavity trees and cavity starts in RCW clusters on the Savannah River Site (SRS) annually. Information on RCW trees will be recorded, cavities and inserts will be cleaned out and their condition assessed, recommendations for installing inserts and habitat management will be given, a search for new trees will be conducted, and new trees will be GPS’d, and tagged in each cluster.

Cavities on SRS shall be inspected annually. A Peeper may be used for inspection and assessment. The cavities will be cleaned of debris, nest material, etc. if needed. Methods used to clean the cavities may vary (i.e. vacuum or extractor) and it is up to the contractor’s discretion to use the most efficient, effective, and safe method to complete the task. All of the designated clusters are accessible from woods roads and none of the clusters are greater than ¼ mile from a road. All-terrain vehicles are not permitted on SRS.

· Record all data on furnished inventory forms (RCW Cluster Field Data Collection Form, Cavity Competitors Data Form, Management Recommendations and Tracking Data Form). See Attachment 4)

· Record tree species or verify species (longleaf, loblolly, or slash). (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record tree status (active or inactive). (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record tree condition (healthy, distressed, or dead). (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record cavity type (natural cavity, natural start, or insert) for each cavity tree. (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record cavity height and azimuth. (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record cavity status (active cavity, active start, inactive cavity, inactive start, or non-RCW cavity). (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record entrance/chamber condition (normal, enlarged, reduced, or unknown). (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record occupant species (RCW, none, unknown, other). (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record restrictor status (full, half or none) for each cavity tree. (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record if there is a restrictor plate on the cavity. (Cluster Inv Report)

· Record habitat management recommendations (prescribed fire, manual, mechanical, or chemical treatment). (Field Form Mgt Rec_Track)

· Record artificial cavity recommendations (install inserts, or replace inserts). (Field Form Mgt Rec_Track)

· Record cavity recommendations (install restrictor plate). (Cluster Inventory Report)

· Clean out debris in cavities following cavity inspection if needed.

· Record competitor species and number in cavity. (Field Form Cavity Competitors)

· Remove and euthanize flying squirrels if encountered (record number removed, escaped, and sex).

· Search within 750 ft. radius of all cavity trees for new cavity trees.

· Record all data for any cavity trees found in search.

· Check all cavity trees to insure they are properly tagged with the corresponding number on the supplied inventory sheet.

· If tag is missing or improper number is present, place a correctly numbered tag on the cavity tree.

· All new cavity trees will be tagged with the next available number (ex. last tree recorded was no. 9, new tree would be no.10).

· GPS new cavity trees using a mapping grade global positioning system (GPS) unit with computer downloading capabilities to take site location readings for each cavity tree. All GPS locations shall have a horizontal accuracy of 5 meters or less, and documentation of accuracy, such as that typically contained in differentially corrected GPS data files, shall be provided. Recreational grade GPS units generally are not capable of this level of accuracy and are not acceptable for use on this contract.

· Provide GPS data; all electronic files containing GPS data will be in ESRI shape file format and shall be in UTM zone 17 N projection, NAD 83 datum.

· Supply the US Forest Service with data (RCW Cluster Field Data Collection Form, Cavity Competitors Data Form, Management Recommendations and Tracking Data Form) both in hard copy and electronic form.

· Contractor must meet at the Forest Service Headquarters (FSH) at a time determined by the Contract Officer Representative (COR) to get Forest Service radios and check in as remote workers. Contractor may not exit the site without checking out at the FSH. Any variance to these procedures must be requested by contractor and approved by COR.

· Contractors will be required to attend a pre-work meeting.

· The work schedule will be Monday through Friday (5 days per week) unless otherwise arranged with the COR.

Inspections shall be conducted from 01 March to 01 April of a given year.

LINE ITEM 004/1004/2004/3004/4004:

CLUSTER MONITORING OF RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS

Contractor shall perform cluster monitoring of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers. Up to 96 clusters maybe monitored during the RCW nesting season. Nest checks will be conducted in each active cluster every 7 days or as directed by the COR until breeding activity is recorded. Once breeding activity is noted and recorded, monitoring activities will continue until the nest has failed or fledging has been confirmed. Nest checks should be performed by inspecting contents of cavities by climbing or using a video probe.

· Assist the COR with banding nestlings between 7-8 days of age. COR will determine the date banding will occur.

· Nestlings will be sexed in the cavity using a wireless video probe between approximately 18-23 days of age.

· Fledgling checks will be used to determine how many nestlings survive to fledgling. Checks will be conducting using a spotting scope between 2 to 14 days after the projected fledging date. During this time, the sex of each individual will be confirmed.

· Data will be recorded on provided data sheets including clutch size, nestling count, sex, fledgling number, nest cavity type (natural or insert) (FieldForm_Breeding Data)

· During monitoring, paint all cavity trees with two white bands where current paint is insufficient.

· Contractor must meet at the Forest Service Headquarters (FSH) at a time determined by the Contract Officer Representative (COR) to get Forest Service radios and check in as remote workers. Contractor may not exit the site without checking out at the FSH. Any variance to these procedures must be requested by contractor and approved by COR.

· Contractors will be required to attend a pre-work meeting.

· The work schedule will be Monday through Friday (5 days per week) unless otherwise arranged with the COR.

Cluster monitoring will begin in mid-April of a given year and be completed once all RCW fledgings have left the nest.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

Government furnished property should be returned upon completion of work.

· Inventory sheets to record data

· USB flash drive

· USDA Forest Service handheld radio or remote worker pager

· GPS unit

· RCW artificial cavity inserts (For Line Item 002)

· Paint

· Tree Tags

· Motorola Hand-held Radio

· Video probe

· Spotting scope

· Swedish climbing ladders

· Climbing harness and lanyards

· Paint

· Tree scrappers

· Maps

· Data Sheets

· USFWS bands and colored bands ( For Line Item 004)

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY

REFERENCES

Allen, David H. 1991. An insert technique for constructing artificial red-cockaded woodpecker cavities. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-73. Asheville, NC:U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station. 19pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2003. Recovery Plan for the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis): second revision. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Atlanta, GA. 296 pp.

Attachment 1