Attachment_1-_Performance_Work_Statement.pdf

Invasive Species Treatment at Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Performance Work Statement

SUMMARY:

The objective of this project is to treat an infestation of non-native Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera ) (tallow) on 200 acres at St.

Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Adams County, Mississippi, and on 150 acres at Bayou Cocodrie NWR in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. The Contractor will investigate and treat occurrences of tallow on both refuges within identified treatment zones (see maps). The Contractor must provide and maintain valid, current, and appropriate Pesticide Applicator licenses for both Mississippi and Louisiana for the duration of this project. Also, the Contractor must have a GPS unit that will provide a map drawing of the area sprayed plus a calculation of the actual acres sprayed and total volume of chemicals used. The GPS accomplishment reports of treated areas must be sent in on a weekly basis starting on the first Monday after the work has begun.

1. SCOPE OF WORK:

1.1 General:

The Contractor shall locate and treat Chinese tallowtree within the identified treatment zones on St. Catherine Creek NWR (Figure 1) and treatment zones on Bayou Cocodrie NWR (Figure 2), including supplying all labor, products, and materials. Failure of the Contractor to perform to the satisfaction of the Contract Officer or Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will be sufficient cause for the termination of the contract by the Government.

1.2 Location and Description of Work Area:

(a) The treatment zones on St. Catherine Creek NWR (Figure 1) are in Adams County south of the city of Natchez, Mississippi. The sites are primarily within or adjacent to hardwood tree plantations aged 20-35 years. Figure 1 shows areas previously treated for tallow in 2020 where re-establishment is occurring. Tallow is irregularly distributed in 26-50% of the total treatment focal area indicated. The entire acreage within the treatment area is to be investigated and treated where tallow is found and the treated areas/acres tracked, mapped, and reported to the primary Point-of-Contact. Most of the tallow is small in size with the exception of a few larger seed producing trees. The total acres treated must be at a minimum of 200 acres.

(b) The treatment zones on Bayou Cocodrie NWR (Figure 2) are in Concordia Parish southwest of Ferriday, Louisiana. The sites are primarily within or adjacent to hardwood tree plantations aged 25-50 years, with some mature stands of trees exceeding 150 years old. Tallow is irregularly distributed across this refuge as indicated in Figure 2. The areas surrounding each treatment area needs to be investigated and any tallow found shall be treated. These areas/acres need to be tracked, mapped, and reported to the primary Point-of-Contact. Most of the tallow trees are small or medium in size except for a few larger seed producing trees.

The total acres treated must be a minimum of 150 acres. NOTE: The priority area for Bayou Cocodrie NWR for treatment is within the Brooks Brake Unit encroaching on the old growth area (see Figure 2). If, after treating Brooks Brake Unit, the total acres within the Contract have not been exceeded, the next priority treatment zone for the refuge is the Cross Bayou Unit. If the total acres treated in Brooks Brake and Cross Bayou unit have not exhausted the contracted amount, the final priority treatment zone is in the Wallace Lake Unit.

1.3 Description of Work:

(a) Site Investigation and Assessment:

Contractor may perform pre-work site investigation and assessments as needed and coordinated with the primary Point of Contact.

(b) Pre-approval of product:

Contractor will submit and confirm pesticide brand names and application rates with COR to obtain written approval prior to product use. Once project has commenced, investigation and spot treatment may occur concurrently.

(c) Treatment specifications:

Using approved and appropriate herbicide(s) and approved surfactant(s) in accordance with product label(s), treatment method will be as follows:

i. Newly germinated plants will be treated with a foliar application of Arsenal® or Garlon 3A® according to the label ; trees larger than 4 inches (”) in diameter will be treated with a “hack and squirt” method with Arsenal® according to the label; cut stumps can be treated with Arsenal® according to the label . All trees with a stem diameter of 4” or smaller can be treated with a basal bark application of Garlon 4® according to the label with an approved carrier (bark oil, etc.). Solitary small sprouts may be hand-pulled incidentally and/or spot treated. If equal products are identified they should be approved by the COR.

ii. Any chemical used must be tracked and reported by trade name and volume.

iii. All chemical applied shall be dyed a color that is easily visible to the naked eye.

iv. Timing will be within the standards described in Section 7. WORK

PERIOD.

v. Treated areas shall be GPS tracked, mapped and communicated to the COR and primary Point-of-Contact. The GPS accomplishment reports of treated areas must be sent in on a weekly basis starting on the first Monday after the work has begun.

(d) Inspection and Retreatment:

The Contractor will perform an inspection of the treated areas within thirty (30) days post-treatment and will wait a minimum of one month after initial treatment before performing any re-treatments so that the results of the initial treatment are visible, and crews shall then target plants or infestations missed during initial treatments. Final inspection and final billing shall be completed prior to the end of the Period of Performance (PoP).

2. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1 The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (hereafter Service) shall:

1) Confirm with the Contractor the availability of site access.

2) Brief the Contractor on the treatment zones and access routes, and provide the Contractor electronic shapefiles of areas to be treated and/or other information for the purpose of further identification of the areas as requested.

3) Assume no responsibility for equipment, or injury to employees of the Contractor, nor for any damages or injury to persons or property of third parties at any time during the life of the Contract. The Contractor shall hold and save the Service and its officers and agents harmless from all claims arising out of prosecution of the work under this contract.

4) Inspect and approve services, equipment, product used (or to be used), and areas treated.

5) Designate and schedule treatment dates with Contractor.

3. CONTRACTORS RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1 The Contractor shall:

1) Provide written proof to the Service’s COR of valid and current licensing for Pesticide Applicator certification in both the states of Mississippi and Louisiana.

2) The Contractor will provide adequate personnel for the purpose of loading and dispersing of the chemicals. The Contractor will be responsible for all unloading/loading operations. Movement of chemicals, water, and equipment in and around the treatment locations will be the sole responsibility of the contract applicators. All personnel and equipment to be used will be appropriately licensed and certificated as appropriate for the work to be done. The Contractor will be responsible for providing sufficient equipment, fuel (for equipment), safety items, spill response kit, personnel and their subsistence needs during the project period, as well as checking all work sites for hazards of any type which could affect their ability to accomplish the spraying project.

3) Provide all labor, equipment, materials, and products, to perform the work specified herein.

4) Provide the Service’s COR with the access number, office telephone, cellular numbers, and electronic mail address(es) for key Contract personnel.

5) Be familiar with Refuge treatment areas’ existing conditions prior to contract execution. All work shall be conducted in accordance with this Contract.

6) Have an on-site supervisor, who is responsible for all Contract execution, quality control of spraying, work assignments and crew supervision.

Supervisor must be able to communicate effectively.

7) Be responsible for all excess product disposal and removal.

8) Be responsible for all work performed until the completion and acceptance of the entire Contract.

9) Provide the COR the following information in advance of work commencement and will obtain approval from the COR: chemical trade name, percent solution, method of application, means of site access.

10) Any chemical used must be tracked and reported by trade name and volume.

11) Be responsible for furnishing their own sanitary facilities or arrangements, water, and operational necessities.

12) Contractor shall avoid any damage to native vegetation and wildlife other than any identified native vegetation to be treated. The Contractor shall not collect, harass, harm, or molest native plants or wildlife.

13) Contractor shall be held liable if damage was determined to be the fault of the Contractor (negligence), the result of improper treatment techniques, or the result of Contractor control activities.

14) The Contractor may store equipment on site during the PoP, but must not block roads or rights-of-way or any place of passage that may hinder operations of refuge personnel or other refuges users.

15) The Contractor shall be allowed to subcontract work as described herein with prior approval of the Service. The subcontractor must meet the same qualifications and follow all technical or special provisions as the contractor.

Subcontractors are the responsibility of the Contractor.

4. MOBILIZATION

The contractor will not be paid mobilization or demobilization.

5. WEATHER

Treatment operations and site access may be suspended temporarily due to weather conditions such as rain or extended / excessively warm temperatures, flooding, treefall, heavy winds, impending major storms/area warnings, unforeseen circumstances, etc. When drought, excessive moisture, or other unsatisfactory conditions prevail, the work shall be stopped when directed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

6. TIMELINE

This Contract will be completed during the period of performance. The period of performane may be extended with approval by the COR.

7. WORK PERIOD

All work will be performed during the time of year that tallow treatment is typically most effective, from May 1 to September 30. Due to seasonal flooding limiting access to sites on both refuges, the recommended work focal period is August 1 to October 15, prior to leaves turning yellow or red in October. Work is to be performed during daylight hours. No work will be conducted on Federal Holidays or weekends without approval by the COR.

8. INSPECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT

All equipment to be used in the work shall be approved by the COR or refuge employee, prior to its use.

9. SUPERVISION

(a) Equipment: The equipment described herein, for the purpose of ordering work when and as required, determining acceptability of work performed and inspecting equipment furnished by the Contractor, will be under the supervision of the COR. However, this shall not relieve the Contractor or their responsible agents of any responsibility for the proper execution of the work in accordance with the contract and directives of the COR issued thereafter.

(b) Personnel and work: The Contractor shall provide a person at the work site to receive instructions from the COR or their authorized representative.

This person will be responsible for implementing the Government’s instructions and will be responsible for the direct supervision of all Contract employees.

10. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

(a) The Contractor will be required to make their own provisions for parking and staging equipment.

(b) Personal vehicles must be parked at a pre-arranged parking area. Only approved four-wheel drive vehicles may enter and must remain on established vehicle-accessible route to and from the treatment areas.

(c) There are no on-site amenities (restrooms, potable water, electricity, etc.).

(d) No forklift, lift gate, ramp, or loading dock is available onsite. Seller’s transport vehicle(s) and personnel must have the means and ability to offload and mix the products.

(e) The Contractor is responsible for the removal and proper disposal of all refuse, trash, and garbage, including containers of chemicals, flagging, and any items used during treatment. Staging areas and treatment must be in similar condition to pre-work conditions at the close of the contract in regard to litter and soil rutting.

(f) All equipment used by the Contractor must be cleaned off-site of any soil and plant material prior to entering the refuge. If equipment leaves the work site for any reason it must be cleaned of plant material and soil prior to re-entering the refuge. This requirement is to limit the potential for spread of exotic and invasive plants onto the refuge.

(g) Service staff have the authority to halt operations anytime due to unfavorable weather, flooded/closed access routes, damage to non-target vegetation, and non-cooperative operators, negative impacts to wildlife, and other reasons.

(h) Hunting may occur on the refuge during the treatment window. The Contractor and all their agents should wear a minimum of 500 square inches of hunter orange or a high visibility safety vest as a safety precaution while in the field if working between February 1 and May 31. The project area may be temporarily posted as closed to hunting for the safety of the Contractor’s crew while treatment is in progress.

11. EXPENSES OF OPERATION AND REPAIR:

The Contractor shall furnish at their own expense all skilled operators, labor, fuel, and necessary equipment for transportation of materials, including operators, laborers, appliances, appurtenances, equipment, and supplies, and shall bear all expenses incidental to the efficient execution of the project.

12. OBJECTIONABLE EMPLOYEES:

The Contractor will remove from work under this contract any employee who in the opinion of the COR is objectionable or incompetent. The requirement shall not be made based on any claim for compensation or damages against the United States or any of its officers or agents.

13. POINT OF CONTACT:

Primary: Bailey Simpson, Forester, Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex (662) 836- 3004 or joseph_simpson@fws.gov

Secondary: Jared Stroman, Forestry Technician, Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex

(662) 836-3004 or jared_stroman@fws.gov

14. ACCESS:

(a) St. Catherine Creek NWR (Figure 1): Access to the treatment area is via

Bourke Rd south of Natchez, Mississippi (Latitude: 31.495253°N, Longitude - 91.42882°W), accessed via Cloverdale Rd south of Lower Woodville Rd; this entrance is gated and generally closed to public entry so the main gate shall be closed and locked at all times behind the Contractor’s vehicles. The Contractor shall be provided and responsible for a refuge gate key which shall be returned to refuge staff when the project is complete. An alternative access route only for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or utility task vehicle (UTV) is located at 31.490343°N, -91.430131°W, which does not require a key.

Treatment areas are accessible by foot.

(b) Bayou Cocodrie NWR (Figure 2): The work sites are accessed as follows (see Figure 2).

a. Priority Area 1: Brooks Brake Unit: 31.581726, -91.604152 approximately 1,500 feet west of 3391 Poole Road in Vidalia, Louisiana. From the parking area/trailhead, access on the earthen trail is necessarily limited to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or utility task vehicle (UTV), or by foot.

b. Priority Area 2: Cross Bayou Unit: 31.540858, -91.664663 is accessed via Boggy Bayou Road off of Highway 129 in Concordia Parish, Louisiana.

From the parking area/trailhead, access on the earthen trail is necessarily limited to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or utility task vehicle (UTV), or by foot.

c. Priority Area 3: Wallace Lake Unit: 31.490585, -91.624228 is accessed via Boggy Bayou Road off of Highway 129 in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. From the parking area/trailhead, access on the earthen trail is necessarily limited to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or utility task vehicle (UTV), or by foot.

d. Sections of Brooks Brake and Wallace Lake Units that are adjacent to Cocodrie Bayou seasonally accessible by boat.

mailto:joseph_simpson@fws.gov

MAPS and FIGURES

Figure 1. Map of St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Adams County, Mississippi, showing zones of infestation by exotic Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera) and planned treatment focal area.

Figure 2. Map of Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, showing areas of infestation by exotic Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera) and planned treatment zones.

= Access Route