RFQ_AG-8447-S-13-0005.pdf

The complete text of any or all clauses referenced herein may be obtained by submitting a request, identifying this solicitation number, to the Contracting Officer, USDA, FSA, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2222 West 2300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119. Complete copies of the FAR in loose-leaf or CFR form may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

SOLICITATION NUMBER: AG-8447-S-13-0005

DIGITAL AERIAL IMAGERY

Manti-La Sal National Forest, Utah & Colorado

Solicitation Issue Date: May 16, 2013 Proposal Due Date: June 17, 2013

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FIELD OFFICE

NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS :

OFFERORS ARE CAUTIONED TO NOTE THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL CONTRACT

REQUIREMENTS:

The following information must be submitted with any price quotation: Aircraft and camera(s) proposed for use, incomplete contracts, technical capability statement, image processing methods and software, and past performance (See Section A). Responses to this solicitation should be limited to 30 8-1/2”x11” single-sided pages (equivalent double-sided is acceptable). Letters of commitment, camera calibration reports, and documentation to support camera approval may be provided in an attachment without page restriction.

The Base Item includes 4-band, 8-bit per band Digital Orthorectified Quarter-Quarter Quadrangle tiles (DOQQQ) and Compressed Project Mosaic (CPM). Option Items include 4-band, 8-bit per band, Color Corrected, Georeferenced, Uncompressed Image files with Stereo Block Files and 4-band, 16-bit per band, Radiometrically Uncorrected, Georeferenced Uncompressed Image Files with Stereo Block Files.

This solicitation is a Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 52.219-6) and is subject to the Availability of Funds Clause (FAR 52.232-18).

NOTICE TO OFFEROR

Any proposal submitted for this RFP must be identified with the following information labeled on the outside of the mailing package:

SOL.NO: AG-8447-S-13-0005

DUE DATE: June 17, 2013, 4:00 PM

RECEIVING OFFICE: CONTRACTING

Mail To: AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FIELD OFFICE

CONTRACTING OFFICER

2222 WEST 2300 SOUTH

SALT LAKE CITY UTAH 84119

RFQ AG-8447-S-13-0005 2

NOTE: THIS SECTION MUST ACCOMPANY ANY QUOTATION SUBMITTED.

SECTION A

REQUIRED STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

A-1 AIRCRAFT TO BE USED IN COMPLETION OF ITEM(S) IN THIS CONTRACT:

Make/Model Registration Number

Operating Ceiling

Offeror Owned (check appropriate block)

[ ] Yes [ ] No*

[ ] Yes [ ] No* *If the aircraft is/are not offeror owned, a written statement of availability from the owner of the aircraft must be enclosed. (See Section C-3)

A-2 CAMERA(S) TO BE USED IN COMPLETION OF ITEM(S) IN THIS CONTRACT

Calibration Report

Number Camera Make/Model Serial Number Offeror Owned (check appropriate box)

[ ] Yes [ ] No*

[ ] Yes [ ] No* Current calibration report(s) must be enclosed or on file at the Aerial Photography Field Office. *If the camera(s) is/are not offeror owned, a written statement of availability from the owner(s) of the camera(s) must be enclosed.

(See Section C-3)

A-3 INCOMPLETE CONTRACTS AS OF DATE OF OFFER:

2013 Summer Contracts - Remaining Square Miles U.S. Government Contracts:

All Other Contracts:

Total:

Include contracts that would utilize the resources listed in A-1 and A-2.

A-4 TECHNICAL CAPABILITY STATEMENT

A brief statement regarding the offeror’s technical capability and plan to successfully perform this contract must be submitted with the offer: planned technical approach to the job, including a graphic representation of the flight plan and estimated exposure count; project scheduling and site basing of aircraft based on local conditions or restrictions; camera and crew availability; processing methods and software for each of the deliverables in Section B; quality control of processes and deliverables; key personnel qualification summary; and address of incomplete contracts. Please limit the response to 30 8-1/2”x11” single-sided (or double-sided equivalent) pages, excluding letters of commitment, camera calibration reports, and documentation to support camera approval.

A-5 PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCES

If no previous contracts have been held by the offeror with the USDA Aerial Photography Field Office, list at least two (2) references, with which the offeror has held similar contracts. If possible, one reference should be within the Federal government. Include a brief description of the work, company or agency name, address, name of person to contact, telephone number, and email address.

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SECTION B

PROJECT SERVICES AND REQUIREMENTS

B-1 DIGITAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES

1.1 Furnish direct digital aerial imagery and all related services and supplies in accordance with the requirements, specifications, terms, conditions, clauses, and provisions specified herein. For purposes of this combined service/supply contract, the services portion is considered the management, execution, and related services associated with the acquisition of the imagery. The supply portion is considered all material, processing, and activities required to manufacture the end products derived from the raw imagery acquired during the services portion of the contract.

In accordance with FAR 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside, all supply portions of this contract must be manufactured or produced by small business concerns in the United States or its outlying areas.

1.2 Intended Use of Imagery

The imagery shall be used by the United States Forest Service for forest and range resource management, monitoring and inventory. Imagery is used to support the management of land, minerals, vegetation, wildlife habitat, recreation and travel. Additional supported activities include watershed health assessments, riparian monitoring, forest health evaluations, and engineering infrastructure design. Aerial imagery depicting the current vegetation condition is needed to establish structural class, canopy closure, and plant association for use in determining vegetation departure from the historic range of variability and in establishing baseline monitoring data. Natural resource and other data will be collected and evaluated by means of photo interpretation (visual display and stereo viewing), image processing and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies.

B-2 PROJECT AREA(S)

Provide aerial imagery services and related materials for the acquisition and production of 30cm resolution, 4-band, direct digital stereo imagery for the following project areas:

Project Item Project Area Square

Miles

Approximate Acquisition

Period

UTM

Zone

Project Code

Project Identifier

Manti-La Sal

National Forest, Utah & Colorado

2,208 July 1, 2013 through September 30, 2013

12 614100 FS-5-13-1

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B-3 MATERIALS TO BE DELIVERED

All deliverables shall be shipped no later than one hundred twenty (120) days from the end of the acquisition period or any season extension. Early delivery is encouraged to facilitate timely inspection and avoid delays due to peak seasonal inspection workload.

Corrected materials shall be shipped as soon as possible after correction is made, but no later than 30 days after receipt of the materials or data required for corrections. Corrected or resubmitted materials must be delivered on media separate from original materials being submitted and include a separate packing slip. The Contractor shall maintain a copy of the digital data until the Government formally accepts the deliverables.

3.1 DIGITAL ORTHORECTIFIED QUARTER-QUARTER QUADRANGLES (DOQQQ)

Item 1: DOQQQ Orthorectified Imagery Deliverables

Format Metadata Required Media Sample Naming (See Exhibit 2)

Gov’t Approval Required

Quantity & Frequency

Project Flight Plan Section C-5.2

ESRI

Compatible Shapefile

None Email or

DVD

None Review Only

Prior to Notice to Proceed

Pre-production Samples Section C-6.3(e)

GeoTIFF Yes DVD or FTP site m_3311162_ne_12_30_20130721.tif Yes One set of four (4) making up a quarter-quarter quad

Digital Orthorectified Quarter Quadrangles

(DOQQQ)

Auxiliary File Pyramid File Metadata File Section C-6.3

GeoTIFF

AUX

RRD

TXT & XML

Yes, separate file for each

DOQQQ

Internal Hard Drive m_3311162_ne_12_30_20130721.tif m_3311162_ne_12_30_20130721.aux m_3311162_ne_12_30_20130721.rrd m_3311162_ne_12_30_20130721.xml

Yes Entire project, unless ranger district or other area approved

RMSE Accuracy and Quality Control Reports (included with DOQQQ) Section C-8.1

ASCII None Internal Hard Drive

Contractor determined No Include with ortho delivery

Photo Center File Section C-7.3

ASCII

comma delimited text

Yes Internal Hard Drive

612140_pcf_1-13_1.txt Yes Deliver one per project with imagery. Resubmit with reflights or corrections.

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file Submit with imagery, or stereo imagery if option item is awarded.

Seamline Feature Class and Orthorectified Image Index Feature Class included in Project Geodatabase Section C-7.4

ESRI file Geodatabase

Yes, one for geodatabase

Internal Hard Drive or

DVD

seamlines_614100_1dash13_1 ortho_index_614100_30_4_1dash13_1

Yes Include with ortho delivery;

updated with corrections or reflights.

ABGPS/IMU Data in raw, projected, and ecef Section C-6.5

ASCII

comma delimited text file

Yes Internal Hard Drive

None No One set for project. Deliver with imagery, or deliver with stereo imagery if option item is awarded.

Progress Reports Section C-7.1

Content of email See Exhibit 4

No Email N/A Progress Reports

Content of email See Exhibit 4

3.2 COMPRESSED PROJECT MOSAIC (CPM)

Item 1: CPM Orthorectified Imagery Deliverables

Format Metadata Required Media Sample Naming (See Exhibit 2)

Gov’t Approval Required

Quantity & Frequency

Compressed Project Mosaic

(CPM)

Auxiliary File Metadata File Section C-6.4

ECW

AUX

TXT & XML

Yes, separate file for each

DOQ

Internal Hard Drive

614100_1-13-1_m.ecw

614100_1-13-1_m.aux 614100_1-13-1_m.xml

Yes One file per Ranger District;

submit entire project unless partial areas approved

Orthorectified Image Index Feature Class included in Project Geodatabase Section C-7.4

ESRI file Geodatabase

Yes, one for geodatabase

Internal Hard Drive or DVD ortho_index_612140_30_4_1dash13_1 Yes Include with ortho delivery;

updated with corrections or reflights

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B-4 OPTIONAL MATERIALS

The Government may consider pricing on individual optional award items below if funding and pricing permit. Either one or both could be awarded, depending upon funding availability and pricing. Option items will not be awarded without the base item. If awarded, all deliverables shall be shipped no later than ninety (90) days from the end of the acquisition period or any season extension.

4.1 8-BIT COLOR CORRECTED STEREO DELIVERABLES (If Option Item 2 is Awarded)

Option Item 2: 8-bit Color Corrected Stereo Imagery Deliverables (If awarded)

Format Metadata Required Media Sample Naming (See Exhibit 2)

Gov’t Approval Required

Quantity & Frequency

Pre-production Samples for Image File and Stereo Block Section C-6.2(b) Section C-6.7(b)

GeoTIF .blk or .prj

Yes DVD or FTP site

614100_0030_0001_20130827_16b.tif 614100_16b_01.blk

Pre-production Samples for Image File and Stereo Block

One set of images from varying landscape.

One set of 4 images with block file.

4-Band, 8-bit per band, Color Corrected, Georeferenced, Uncompressed Digital Image Files Section C-6.3

GeoTIFF (see Table below for Georeferenced Stereo Imagery File Requirements)

Yes, separate file for each image file

Internal Hard Drive

612140_0030_0001_20130827_8b.tif Yes Entire project, unless ranger district or other area approved

Stereo Block Files for each Ranger District (5) Section C-6.7

Either .blk or .prj Compatible with Leica LPS and Stereo Analyst for ArcGIS 9.3 or newer

Yes, separate file for each block file

Internal Hard Drive

612140_8b_01.blk thru 614080_8b_05.blk

Yes Include with stereo imagery delivery;

updated with reflights

ABGPS/IMU Data in raw, projected, and ecef

ASCII comma delimited text

Yes Internal Hard

None No Deliver with stereo

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Section C-6.5 file Drive imagery if option item is awarded.

Photo Center File Section C-7.3

ASCII comma delimited text file

Yes Internal Hard Drive

612140_pcf_1-13_1.txt Yes Deliver with stereo imagery if option item is awarded

Project Geodatabase Project Acquisition Feature

Dataset Image Footprint Feature Class Flight Line Feature Class Photo Center Feature Class Section C-7.4

ESRI File Geodatabase

Yes, one file per geodatabase

Internal Hard Drive

Project_Geodatabase_612140_1dash13.gdb shoshone_612140_1dash13_1 georeferenced_612140_30_4_8_1dash13_1 flight_line_612140_1dash13_1 photo_center_612140_1dash13_1

Yes One project Geodatabase for project item. Deliver with stereo imagery if option item is awarded and update with additional deliveries and corrections.

(a) Stereo Imagery Support Files

Stereo Imagery Deliverables - Support Files Included with Image Files

Frame-Based Sensor Scanning (Pushbroom) Sensor Files for Each Flight Line

.tif uncompressed, georeferenced image .ads header with pointers to .tif segments

.aux auxiliary statistic/projection file .hist xml file containing histogram

.rrd reduced resolution dataset pyramid file .min minification header

.sup support/orientation file .odf orientation data file

.txt

.xml Metadata in both .txt and .xml format .odf.adj adjusted orientation after AT

.sup support/orientation file

RFQ AG-8447-S-13-0005 8

.tif image segment Metadata and other text files Image naming convention with above extensions, ie: 614100_0030_0001_20130827_16b.rrd

4.2 16-BIT UNCORRECTED STEREO IMAGERY DELIVERABLES (If Option Item 3 is Awarded)

Option Item 3: 16-Bit Uncorrected Stereo Imagery Deliverables

Format Metadata Required Media Sample Naming (See Exhibit 2)

Gov’t Approval Required

Quantity & Frequency

Pre-production Samples for each Image File type Section C-6.1(b)

GeoTIFF

Yes DVD or FTP site

612140_0030_0001_20130827_8b.tif Yes One sample image

4-Band, 16-bit per band, Uncorrected, Georeferenced, Uncompressed Digital Image Files Section C-6.1

GeoTIFF (see Table 4.1(a) above for Georeferenced Stereo Imagery File Requirements)

Yes, separate file for each image file

Internal Hard Drive

614100_0030_0001_20130827_16b.tif Yes Entire project, unless ranger district or other area approved

Stereo Block Files for each Ranger District (5) Section C-6.7

Either .blk or .prj

Yes, separate file for each block file

Internal Hard Drive

614100_16b_01.blk thru 614100_16b_05.blk

Yes Include with stereo imagery delivery;

updated with reflights

RFQ AG-8447-S-13-0005 9

B-5 GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED INFORMATION

The Government shall provide the information listed below. Shapefiles provided may be in projections that differ from the projection requirements of the final product. The contractor is responsible for notifying the Contracting Officer of any discrepancies or problems encountered in using this information within two business days

5.1 Project Boundary Shapefile

The Contractor will be furnished upon award one (1) ESRI compatible shapefile containing the project boundary for each Project Item awarded. Due to the unique footprint of digital sensors the Contractor is responsible for the complete stereo coverage acquisition of the shapefile area, including the boundaries.

5.2 Metadata Templates

The Contractor will be furnished upon award data text files (.txt), as applicable, containing Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata templates with Remote Sensing Extensions where applicable to be used for: (1) the georeferenced uncompressed digital image files in Sections C-6.1 and C-6.2 (if awarded); (2) the DOQQQ files required in Section C-6.3; (3) the Stereo Block Files in Section C-6.7 (if awarded); (5) the Photo Center File in Section C-7.3; (6) the Project Geodatabase in Section C-7.4. Government provided templates will not be provided for other required metadata.

5.3 Ranger District/Area Boundary Files

The contractor will be furnished upon award an ESRI compatible shapefile containing the

Ranger District/Area boundaries for creation of stereo block files in Section C-6.7.

5.4 DOQQQ Shapefile

The Contractor will be furnished upon award ESRI compatible shapefile(s) containing the required DOQQQ for each project item awarded. The shapefile does not include the buffer area required in Section C-6.3. The contractor must add the required buffer to the shapefile provided.

5.5 Project Geodatabase Template

The Contractor will be furnished upon award one (1) ESRI compatible file geodatabase template for use in producing the Project Geodatabase in Section C-7.4.

B-6 EVALUATION OF OFFERS

6.1 Offers shall be evaluated according to the following criteria, including all supporting information furnished by the offeror with their quotation. A total score will be assigned to each response based on the weights indicated below:

RFQ AG-8447-S-13-0005 10

(a) Price: Completed SF-18 including price per unit and total amount for each item listed. In the event of a mathematical error, the unit price takes precedence over the extended price.

The lowest price will receive the highest score. Price is 40% of the total score.

(b) Technical Capability: Completed Section A and brief statements describing the planned technical approach to job, project scheduling and site basing of aircraft, camera and crew availability, processing methods and software for each of the deliverables in Section B-3 & B-4, company’s quality control methodology to ensure products delivered meet specifications, key personnel qualifications, and incomplete contracts. Statements will be evaluated and scored by each member of an evaluation team. Scores will then be averaged.

Technical Capability demonstrated by the statements and information provided will be 35% of the total score.

(c) Past Performance: Past performance record of similar projects or references. If there is no USDA record of past performance, nor a reasonable way to obtain a past performance reference from the information provided, the lack of past performance information will have no effect on the evaluation. Past performance is 25% of the total score.

Please note: Technical capability and past performance, when combined, are more important when compared to price.

6.2 The Government reserves the right to make an award to other than the lowest priced offeror, or other than the highest technically rated offeror, when the perceived benefits and tradeoffs provide the Government the greatest value.

6.3 The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer represents the greatest value and is determined to be in the best interest and the most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The highest scored response from evaluation stated in Section 6.1 is considered to be the best value to the Government.

B-7 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

7.1 Notice to Proceed

The Notice to Proceed will be given by telephone or email, and confirmed in writing by regular mail. Failure of the Contractor to proceed with flights on a project item within ten (10) calendar days after a "Notice to Proceed" is given, may be considered as evidence of failure to perform the work so as to ensure its timely completion. As evidence of performance, Progress Reports shall be submitted.

7.2 Contract Extensions

IT IS THE EXPRESSED INTENT OF THE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE ALL IMAGERY

REQUIRED UNDER THIS CONTRACT COMPLETED WITHIN THE APPROXIMATE

ACQUISITION PERIOD SPECIFIED IN SECTION B-2.

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(a) Acquisition Period Extension: The Government reserves the right to extend the approximate acquisition period of this contract beyond that stated in Section B-2 by written notice to the contractor at any time prior to the end of the period, at no increase in price. A lower minimum sun angle requirement may be necessary to allow the season extension.

(b) Extension of the Term of the Contract: The Government may extend the term of this contract, at no increase in price, by written notice to the Contractor within six (6) months after the acquisition period has ended. The Contracting Officer may extend this option twice. (Refer to FAR 52.217-09 “Option to Extend the Term of the Contract”.)

7.3 Ownership of Materials

The Government shall receive copyright and ownership to all data delivered under this contract, including but not limited to photographic materials, imagery, databases, and paper products, upon formal acceptance. The Contractor agrees to transfer copyright to the Government upon acceptance. The Contractor may maintain copyright and ownership of all original or derived works which are not required submittals under this contract. The Contractor is encouraged to create, market, and sell derived works not related to or in direct competition with the data delivered under this contract. For example, if this contract requires that 30cm georeferenced, uncorrected imagery be delivered to the Government, the Contractor may create 50cm imagery from the original product, prior to its submittal to the Government, and resell it to other Government agencies or the general public. However, the Government also maintains the rights to derive additional products from the data delivered under this contract. No public distribution of the original or derived works shall be made prior to acceptance by the Government unless specified in the contract or authorized by the Contracting Officer.

7.4 Aircraft Regulations and Certifications

All aircraft used in the performance of the work under this contract shall be maintained and operated in accordance with all regulations required by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Aircraft operated in the acquisition of aerial photography under this contract shall be FAA certified to the highest flying altitude specified in the solicitation.

7.5 Wage Determination

The Wage Determination applicable to any contract resulting from this solicitation is determined by the location of the Contractor's establishment. Wage Determination number 1995-0222, Revision 33, dated June 18, 2012, will be applicable for Contractors located nationwide. See Exhibit 6, Wage Determination.

7.6 Industry Small Business Standard

The small business industry size standard for the type of services covered by this procurement, under NAICS code 541922, is the average annual receipts of the concern and its affiliates for the preceding three (3) years not in excess of $7 million.

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7.7 Invoices

Contractor invoices shall be submitted in an original invoice to the Contracting Officer designated in this contract. To constitute a proper invoice, the invoice must include the following information and/or attached documentation:

(a) Contractor’s name, address, and tax identification number (TIN);

(b) Invoice date;

(c) Contract number, or other authorization for delivery of property or services;

(d) Description, price, and quantity of services/supplies actually delivered or rendered;

(e) Shipping and payment terms;

(f) Name (where practicable), title, phone number, and complete mailing address of responsible official to whom payment is to be sent;

(g) Any other information or documentation required by the contract; and

(h) While not required, Contractors are strongly encouraged to assign an identification number to each invoice.

Notice of an apparent error, defect, or impropriety in an invoice will be given to the Contractor within seven (7) days of receipt of an invoice and suitably documented.

7.8 Partial Payments

For a partially completed project item or a partially completed area within a project item, acceptance and payment will be made on a unit price basis at the rate of ninety percent (90%) of the amount due. Any payment thus made is partial payment of the contract. Upon completion and acceptance of the complete project item or area within the project item, the remaining payment will be made, total the full payment due for the project item or line item. Partial Payments must be approved by the Contracting Officer under the conditions stated in FAR 52.232-1, Payments.

7.9 Payment Due Date

The required payment date will be thirty (30) calendar days after the date of the actual receipt of a proper invoice by the officer designated to receive the invoice, or the date contract deliverables are accepted, whichever is later. The date of the payment by electronic funds transfer shall be considered to be the date payment is made.

7.10 Non-Discrimination Statement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its program and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of Discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil

RFQ AG-8447-S-13-0005 13

Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

7.11 Availability of Funds (FAR 52.232-18, APR 1984)

Funds are not presently available for this contract. The Government’s obligation under this contract is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for this contract and until the Contractor receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

7.12 Permits and Responsibilities

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. The Contractor shall also be responsible for all damages to persons or property that occurs as a result of the Contractor’s fault or negligence. The Contractor shall also be responsible for all materials delivered and work performed until completion and acceptance of the entire work, except for any completed unit of work which may have been accepted under the contract.

7.13 Notice to the Government of Delay

The Contractor shall immediately, upon becoming aware of any difficulties in meeting performance requirements during the photographic season or when difficulties are encountered which may delay deliveries under the contract, notify the Contracting Officer in writing thereof.

Such notification shall identify difficulties, the reasons therefore, and the estimated period of anticipated delay.

FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO GIVE SUCH NOTICE MAY PRECLUDE LATER

CONSIDERATION OF ANY CLAIM FOR NON-PERFORMANCE DUE TO WEATHER

CONDITIONS OR ANY REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF CONTRACT TIME.

7.14 Materials Inspection

All materials specified in Section B-2 & B-4 (if awarded), will be inspected to determine conformance to all contract requirements and specifications. Inspection of the image files will be performed utilizing a comprehensive method of quality assurance inspection procedures including a random sampling technique to test for compliance to the horizontal accuracy requirement in the imagery delivered. The Government will make every effort to inspect all material specified within 60 calendar days after they are received at the point designated.

(a) Marginal Deficiencies: If inspection of the materials reveal marginal deficiencies, a review by the user agency may be performed to determine if deficiencies may cause increased time and effort in using the photography as intended.

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(b) Nonconformance with Contract Requirements: If inspection of materials reveals deficiencies that may cause increased time and effort in using the digital imagery and aerial photography as intended, the Government may require the Contractor to re-perform the services and/or reproduce the supplies in conformity with contract requirements, at no increase in contract amount. When the defects in services/supplies cannot be corrected by re-performance, the Government may:

(1) Require the Contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements and

(2) Reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of services/supplies

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SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C-1 SCOPE OF CONTRACT

The general scope of the contract is to procure precise vertical aerial imagery for natural resource inventory and analysis and stereo model review. The Contractor is responsible for furnishing direct digital imagery and related services and supplies in accordance with requirements, specifications, terms and conditions specified herein.

1.1 Technical Requirements and Specifications

The technical requirements and specifications of this contract are described in this section and Attachments A, B, and C which define the essential elements in securing high quality digital imagery. Any deviation from the specifications stated herein may cause increased time and effort in using the imagery as intended.

1.2 Delivery and Performance

All contract materials shall be shipped within the time limits and to the place of delivery specified herein. Performance of the contract shall be authorized and monitored by the Contracting Officer and/or the Contracting Officer's Representative.

1.5 Labor and Materials

The Contractor shall furnish all materials, equipment, transportation, superintendence, and labor as required herein. The Contractor shall execute and finish the imagery acquisition, imagery production and related services for the project specified and shall deliver to the USDA all materials called for in Section B-3 & B-4 (if awarded).

C-2 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

2.1 Attachments

The following documents attached to this solicitation document are considered requirements and specifications under the resulting contract(s), as applicable to the Contractor’s technical proposal:

(a) Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) USDA Specification for Digital Camera Based

Acquisition, Modified for USFS Resource Imagery March 26, 2012 (Attachment A)

(b) Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) USDA Digital Imagery Quality Specification, Modified for USFS Resource Imagery March 26, 2012 (Attachment B)

(c) USDA Digital File Format Specification, Version 1.0, January 24, 2013

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2.2 References

The following documents referenced in this solicitation document are considered requirements and specifications under the resulting contract(s), as applicable to the Contractor’s technical proposal:

(a) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Specification, FGDC-STD-001-1998

(“Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata”)

(b) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Specifications, FGDC-STD-007.3-1998

(“Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standards, Part 3: National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy”)

(c) Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Title 14 (“Federal Aviation Regulations")

(d) GeoTIFF Revision 1.0 Specification, dated December 28, 2000 (Version 1.8.2)

(e) TIFF Specification Revision 6 dated June 3, 1992 (Adobe Systems Inc.)

C-3 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall furnish all materials, equipment, transportation, superintendence, and labor required to plan, acquire, manage, and process digital imagery for the project items as specified in Section B, Supplies or Services and Price/Cost.

C-4 EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Platform/Camera Requirements

(a) The direct digital imagery acquisition requirements will be for the collection of visible (Red, Green, Blue) and color near infrared (IR) imagery captured simultaneously. The digital sensor system shall be a tested, stable, geometrically calibrated system with appropriate documentation and comply with the technical requirements and specifications of this contract, and Attachment A: USDA Digital Camera Specification which defines the essential elements in securing high quality direct digital imagery.

(b) Platform/Camera Approval: Any equipment (platform and cameras) proposed to be used by the Contractor must be approved for use by the Contracting Officer (see Attachment A, paragraph 4.0, Digital Camera Approval Requirements, for instructions and process for platform/camera approval). If the platform and camera proposed for use are not owned by the Contractor, a written statement of availability from the owner of the equipment shall be provided to the Contracting Officer.

(b) System Malfunction: The Contracting Officer shall have the right to require the removal of a camera from use when deficiencies in imagery attributable to the camera are found to exist (see Attachment A, paragraph 3.7, System Malfunctions). Any platform/camera removed from use by the Contracting Officer shall not be returned to use on any APFO contract until the cause of the malfunction is corrected to the satisfaction of the Contracting Officer. That

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determination will be based on acceptable samples, field reports, manufacturer reports, and/or calibration reports.

4.2 Aircraft Requirements

(a) FAA Certification. All aircraft used in the performance of this contract shall be maintained and operated in accordance with all regulations required by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Aircraft operated in the acquisition of aerial imagery under this contract shall be FAA certified to a service ceiling with operating load (crew, sensor system, oxygen, and other required equipment) of not less than the highest altitude required.

(b) Positive Control Airspace. The project item areas may contain areas of controlled or restricted airspace. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to obtain all approvals necessary to assure that required clearances are achieved. When the flight plan and location of any project area coverage fall within positive-control airspace, the aircraft must contain the appropriate equipment to operate in such positive-control areas within the purview of the Federal Aviation Regulations. In addition, 18 USC Section 795 requires permission of the commanding officer to photograph or map some military and naval installations. If any delay to the acquisition or production schedule is caused due to 18 USC Section 795 or similar statutes, the Contractor is required to notify the Contracting Officer in writing within 72 hours and shall include detail information regarding the issue, point of contact at the installation, and estimated delay. (See Section B-7.12, Permits and Responsibilities.)

(c) Aircraft Configuration. The design of the aircraft shall be such that when the sensor system is mounted with all its parts within the outer structure, an unobstructed field of view is obtained. The field of view shall be shielded from the exhaust gases, oil, effluence, and air turbulence. The sensor system port glass shall be free of scratches and of such quality that it will not degrade the resolution or the accuracy of the sensor system.

(d) Airborne Global Positioning System. The aircraft shall have an Airborne Global Positioning

System (ABGPS), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) system capable of generating accurate control points used in the creation of the photo-center data file (see Section C-7.4, Photo- Center Data File).

C-5 IMAGERY ACQUISITION REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Photographic Conditions

Imagery shall be acquired when skies are clear, free from smoke, clouds, cloud shadows, excessive haze, and well-defined images can be resolved. The ground shall be free from snow below timberline, standing water (other than natural or man-made ponds and lakes), flood waters from streams which have overflowed their banks, and wet ground which obscures vegetation or other features. If any conditions besides clouds and cloud shadows noted above are present at time of acquisition, the Contracting Officer should be contacted to determine whether conditions would be acceptable for acquisition due to potential mission time constraints.

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5.2 Flight Planning

The Contractor shall create a flight plan to be submitted to the Contracting Officer for review prior to receiving the Notice to Proceed to commence acquisition of the project area. The flight plan shall provide a layout necessary for acquiring precision, high quality, stereo imagery, and be submitted as shapefiles compatible with ESRI ArcGIS 9.3 and newer version software.

Shapefiles shall include the following: a DEM-applied coverage polygon shapefile, a flight line shapefile, and an exposure station point shapefile. Table attributes should include pre-determined flying altitudes (above sea level) and exposure station locations.

5.3 Flight Requirements

The Contractor shall obtain precise vertical digital imagery in accordance with the following technical requirements:

(a) Spatial Resolution: All imagery shall be acquired at 30 cm ground sample distance (GSD) or better.

(b) Radiometric Resolution: All imagery shall be collected at a minimum of 12-bits per band.

(c) Minimum Sun Angle: All imagery shall be collected during the portion of the day when the minimum sun angle exceeds 45 degrees.

(d) Overlaps: Endlap: Optimum 62%; Minimum 57%; Recommended Maximum 67%

Sidelap: Optimum 30%; Minimum 20%; Recommended Maximum 45%

The minimum overlaps above may not be adequate for stereo viewing in areas of high relief.

The contractor is responsible for determining overlaps necessary to ensure stereo viewing and/or ortho mosaic compilation. The recommended maximum may be exceeded in order to provide this coverage.

(e) Coverage: Imagery shall be collected to provide complete stereo coverage of the project area and boundaries in the government-provided shapefile defined in Section B-5.1, Project Boundary Shapefile.

(f) Tilt. It is desired that exposures be made when the optical axis of the digital sensor is in a vertical position. The Contractor shall not acquire imagery when the tilt (departure from the vertical) of any exposure exceeding four degrees (4º) or relative tilt between any two successive exposures exceeding six degrees (6º). Tilt shall not average more than 2 degrees (2º) in any 16 km (10 mile) section of a flight line and shall not average more than 1 degree (1º) for the entire project.

(g) Crab. Any series of two or more images shall not be crabbed in excess of five degrees (5º) as measured between images in a line and between adjoining lines.

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C-6 DIGITAL IMAGERY PROCESSING

6.1 4-Band, 16-Bit per Band, Radiometrically Uncorrected, Georeferenced, Uncompressed Digital Image Files (Applicable only if Option Item awarded)

The Contractor shall produce radiometrically uncorrected, georeferenced, uncompressed digital image files at the resolution stated in Section B-4.2, to provide stereo coverage of the project area and boundaries defined in the Project Boundary Shapefile, (see Section B-5.1). The image shall be submitted in the native camera footprint. Non-frame based sensors shall submit imagery in a tile format comparable to frame-based sensors. File sizes shall be no larger than 1.3 gigabytes. The file shall be projected in the 1983 North American Datum (NAD83), using the native Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zone specified in Section B-2 in meters. If any digital image files are rejected by the contractor’s quality control process and/or reflights are acquired, only one acceptable image file shall be submitted.

(a) Image Quality. The Contractor shall not make any radiometric enhancements, such as stretching, dodging, or other Look Up Table (LUT) adjustments, to the acquired imagery. The imagery shall not contain any borders, artifacts, or other non-image items.

(b) File Format. The imagery shall be in accordance with the Adobe TIFF and GeoTIFF

Specifications and shall have the following band order: Red, Green, Blue, and Infrared. GeoTIFF files shall be properly georeferenced so that the image is oriented north up when viewed in GIS software including ESRI ArcMap and ERDAS Imagine.). Files shall use the naming convention specified in Exhibit 2, File Naming Convention. The image files and all supporting files shall be stored on a hard drive (See Section C-9) according to the Hard Drive Directory Structure Template, Exhibit 11.

(c) Raster Support Files. The Contractor shall provide an AUX (ESRI and ERDAS compatible Auxilary statistic/projection file) and a RRD (ESRI and ERDAS compatible Reduced Resolution Dataset pyramid file) for each image file. Each AUX file shall have statistics calculated with the Skip Factor in the X and Y as 1, and Bin Type as Direct. In addition, the AUX file shall contain the proper projection information for the tile and shall match the information in the GeoTIFF header. Each RRD file shall be created using a 3X3 kernel, Binomial Interpolation. The files shall use the same naming convention as the image tiles but with an “.rrd” and “.aux” extension respectively.

The Contractor shall also provide a support file containing photogrammetric metadata associated with each image file, with the image path hardcoded to “e:\”.

(d) Pre-production Sample. The Contractor shall submit a single 4-band, 16-bit per band image prior to production for Government review. The sample shall be a TIFF meeting the requirements of the contract, including TIFF and GeoTIFF tags as specified in Attachment C, and submitted on a standard CD or DVD. The Government will evaluate and provide an approval or disapproval letter with comments no later than five (5) business days, with a goal of three (3) business days. Additional project item area samples may be submitted for review if approved by the Contracting Officer.

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(e) Georeferenced Accuracy. The principal point shall have an accuracy not exceeding a 6 meter offset from true ground.

(f) Metadata. The Contractor shall create metadata file(s) for each digital image file compliant with Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), FGDC-STD-001-1998 specification. Metadata must be created in accordance with the template provided by the Government (see Section B-5.2) and parse cleanly through the USGS metadata parser “mp” version 2.9.0 with Remote Sensing Extensions without any errors.

6.2 4-band, 8-Bit per Band Color Corrected, Georeferenced, Uncompressed Digital Image Files

(Applicable only if Option is Exercised)

The Contractor shall produce 4-band, 8-bit per band, georeferenced, stereo-coverage, color corrected digital image files at the resolution in accordance with Section B-4.1. Requirements for this product shall be the same as those listed in Section C-6.1 with the exception of the following elements:

(a) Image Quality: The Contractor shall make necessary radiometric adjustments, including stretching, dodging, color correction, etc., to the acquired imagery in order to match ground conditions at the time of exposure and to ensure the best possible color balance for both natural color and color infrared. It is not the intent of the Government to have images balanced with neighboring images for this set of data. A pixel value of “0,0,0,0” shall be used only for non-data values. All imagery shall meet the quality requirements specified in Attachment B, USDA Digital Imagery Quality Specifications.

(b) Pre-Production Sample: The Contractor shall submit a sample of radiometrically corrected images, meeting the quality requirements stated in paragraph (a) above, prior to production for Government review. If the project area has a diversified landscape, it is recommended that the contractor provide additional samples to properly reflect the overall project landscapes. Refer to Section C-6.1 for file requirements. The Government will evaluate and provide an approval or disapproval letter with comments no later than five (5) business days, with a goal of three (3) business days. Additional project item area samples may be submitted for review if approved by the Contracting Officer.

6.3 Digital Orthorectified Quarter-Quarter Quadrangle (DOQQQ) Tiles

The Contractor shall provide ortho-rectification services to produce 4-band, 8-bits per band, mosaicked digital orthorectified quarter-quarter quadrangles (DOQQQs) for the project area defined in Section B-5.1, Coverage Shapefiles. The DOQQQ shall cover the entire image area of one quarter of a quarter of a USGS standard quadrant, with a 100 meter buffer on all four sides. The 100 meter buffer is not included in the DOQQQ shapefile provided. The DOQQQs shall be projected in NAD83 UTM Zone specified in Section B in meters.

(a) Image Quality: All DOQQQs shall meet the image quality requirements specified in

Attachment B, USDA Digital Image Quality Specifications. The Contractor shall radiometrically balance the images used to create the DOQQQs to eliminate any checkerboard pattern appearance across the project, or for as large of a block practical. Exceptions to this

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requirement may be made in cases where block or project-wide radiometric balancing would cause significant discoloration across the project, such as reflights. Significant radiometric differences among image frames inhibits interpretation of ground features. The DOQQQs shall not contain any borders, artifacts, or other non-image items.

(b) Image Source: The Contractor may use imagery from multiple exposures, i.e., using the

“sweet spot” from a preceding or succeeding image, when creating the tile images. Using “chips” (imagery pieces from other frames) to correct defects is also permitted. All exposures shall be from the same type of sensor and must be from the same acquisition season. When multiple exposures are used in creating a tile, the acquisition date with the largest area shall be used when reporting dates in a single date field, such as metadata or attribute data. An average or mean date shall not be used.

(c) Seamlines: Image seams should be blended to a smooth seam. Visible seamlines within or between tiles which exhibit a noticeable edge or displacement effect are not acceptable. Sharp contrast should not be visible at seams, as it affects image interpretation. Seamlines should be centered on linear features such as roads, rivers, streams, and trails when available. When linear features are not available, seamlines shall be placed at landcover type transition areas such as between a meadow and forested area or based on terrain breaks derived from topographic data such as ridgelines and valley bottoms. Placement of seamlines in tree and shrub vegetation should be minimized.

(d) Coverage: When a DOQQQ partially covers the boundary, the Contractor may elect to submit a partial DOQQQ so that it completely covers the boundary. Any partial DOQQQ shall include a 100 meter buffer on the outside of the boundary.

(e) Pre-Production Sample: The Contractor shall submit a sample set of four (4) DOQQQ’s that make up the same DOQQ prior to production for Government review. If the project area has a diversified landscape, it is recommended that the contractor provide additional samples to properly reflect the overall project landscapes. The samples shall be a TIFF and meet all image requirements in this section, including TIFF and GeoTIFF tags as specified in Attachment C, submitted on a standard DVD (labeling requirements in Section E are not required). The Government will evaluate and provide an approval or disapproval letter with comments no later than five (5) business days, with a goal of three (3) business days. Additional project item area samples may be submitted for review if approved by the Contracting Officer.

(f) Spatial Resolution: Specified in Section C-5.3(a).

(g) Horizontal Accuracy: All well-defined points tested on orthorectified tiles shall fall within

6.0 meters of true ground at a 95% confidence level (see FGDC-STD-007.3-1998, page 3- 10).

(h) File Format. The DOQQQ tiles shall be a 4-band, 8-bits per band georeferenced tagged image file format (GeoTIFF) created in accordance with Attachment C, USDA File Format Specification. Files shall use the same file naming specified in Exhibit 2, File Naming Convention and Exhibit 5, Quarter-Quarter Quad Numbering Logic. The image files and all supporting files shall be stored on a hard drive (See Section C-9) according to the Hard Drive Directory Structure Template, Exhibit 11.

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(i) Raster Support File: The Contractor shall provide an AUX (ESRI and ERDAS compatible

Auxilary statistic/projection file) and a RRD (ESRI and ERDAS compatible Reduced Resolution Dataset pyramid file) for each image file. Each AUX file shall have statistics calculated with the Skip Factor in the X and Y as 1, and Bin Type as Direct. In addition, the AUX file shall contain the proper projection information for the tile and shall match the information in the GeoTIFF header. Each RRD shall be created using a 2X2 kernel, Binomial Interpolation. The files shall use the same naming convention as the image tiles but with an “.rrd” and “.aux” extension respectively.

(j) Metadata: The Contractor shall create FGDC compliant, per FGDC-STD-001-1998 specification, metadata file for each digital image file. Metadata must include a separate lineage section for each georeferenced, uncompressed digital image file used in the creation of the DOQQQ. The lineage title will contain the actual file name of the image tile used. Metadata must parse cleanly through the USGS metadata parser “mp” version

2.9.0 with Remote Sensing Extensions without any errors. The metadata file shall use the same naming convention as the DOQQQ but shall use both a “.met” and “.xml” extension.

A template will be provided by the Government.

6.4 Compressed Project Mosaic (CPM)

The Contractor shall produce a 4-band, 8-bit per band, compressed project…