Outfitter Services SOW.docx

Statement of Work

Animal Packing Duties The USDA Forest Service requires outfitter services to perform specialized animal packing duties, such as packing, securing, and transporting explosives and other sensitive cargo into backcountry wilderness areas by strings of horses and mules. Such activity will support ongoing trail maintenance and construction in Wilderness areas on the Boise National Forest. Services will be needed on an interim basis from June 1 – September 30, 2010. The Government estimates the need for 12-14 round trips during this period of time. See Section B for costs/prices. The government will assume a 3-horse/mule minimum per trip.

Contractor shall follow special safety procedures and regulatory requirements that apply to all aspects of hazardous material handling, storing, and packing when working with cargo such as chemicals, acids, pesticides, combustibles, explosives, munitions, or poisons.

Contractor shall provide all livestock , equipment , and transportation necessary to perform the requirement. Contractor shall load animals into various types of equipment and motorized vehicles for transport. Contractor shall load, and transport the full range of cargo, such as bulky equipment, food stuffs, water, salt, hand tools, long timber, pipe, lookout or camp stoves, long lengths of heavy cable, and other items. Contractor shall load and hitch packaged cargo onto pack animals, balance and adjust side packs, and ensure that packing materials do not cause injuries to the animals or damage the cargo.

The contractor may lead pack animals over rugged mountainous terrain to reach a desired destination, choosing the best route to arrive without injury to the pack animals or cargo.

The contractor shall maintain pack equipment in good repair and make repairs as needed to animal packing equipment, such as ropes, halters, pack and riding saddles, cargo boxes, harnesses, pig-tails, and bridles.

The contractor shall provide the full variety of needs in the handling and care of stock which includes the normal functions of grooming, i.e. shoeing, feeding and watering, and in addition cares for the medical needs of assigned stock which involves the "doctoring" of sick and injured animals for such things as bruises, cuts, sores and/or any other medical needs.