Attachment 1 PWS Invasive Plant Species FY25.pdf

Performance Work Statement (PWS) For

HERBICIDE TREATMENT OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES

For

DOBBINS ARB, GEORGIA

1.0 BACKGROUND

In recognition that military lands have significant natural resources, Congress enacted the Sikes Act in 1960 to address wildlife conservation and public access on military installations. The 1997 amendments to the Sikes Act require the DoD to develop and implement an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) for each military installation with significant natural resources. INRMPs provide for the management of natural resources, including plants, fish, wildlife and their habitats. To the maximum extent practicable, they incorporate ecosystem management principles and describe procedures and projects that manage and maintain the landscapes necessary to sustain military-controlled lands for mission purposes. Executive Order 13751 was enacted in 2016, in order to (i) prevent the introduction of invasive species; (ii) detect and respond rapidly to and control populations of such species in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner; (iii) monitor invasive species populations accurately and reliably; (iv) provide for restoration of native species and habitat conditions in ecosystems that have been invaded; (v) conduct research on invasive species and develop technologies to prevent introduction and provide for environmentally sound control of invasive species;

and (vi) promote public education on invasive species and the means to address them.

The most current National Invasive Species Council Management Plan (FY2024) identifies actions for the Federal government and its partners to take to prevent, eradicate, and control invasive species, as well as restore ecosystems and other assets adversely impacted by invasive species.

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE

The objective of the work described in this statement is to provide herbicide treatment to invasive plant species located within specified areas of forested land on Dobbins ARB, including hand-cutting/treating trunks above 6 feet in height. Portions of the specified areas to be treated may be located near wetlands and/or on-stream banks.

Dobbins natural resources include about 480 acres of unimproved grounds (mostly forested), Big Lake (10 acres), Little Lake (2 acres), 23 acres of wetlands, and about 7 miles of streams and creeks as detailed in the Dobbins ARB INRMP. All herbicides used shall be limited to those approved for use on Air Force property as listed in the Dobbins ARB Integrated Pesticides Management Plan (IPMP). This is a 4-year (base + 3 option years) contract.

2.0 DESCRIPTION OF WORK

2.1 CLIN 0001 Foliar Spray for Invasive Species.

Dobbins ARB approved herbicides to be applied as foliar spray for invasive plant species and shall be a finish spray solution. Dobbins approved herbicides shall be applied to visible invasive plant species, to include English ivy, Chinese privet, Chinese wisteria and Japanese honeysuckle within upland forested areas. Application method will be by backpack sprayer or equipment capable and calibrated to low volume per

FA670325Q0009 Attachment 1 acre broadcast application. This application method will be completed via task order and shall be applied at least twice per year, between the dates of 29 September and 28 September, one in Spring and one in Fall.

2.2 CLIN 0002 Cut Stump/Vine Application of herbicide for woody invasive plant species.

Woody plant species greater than 6 feet in height shall be severed by hand and the rooted stump shall be treated with herbicide. Cut stump applications are required for stems greater than 6 feet tall. Any brush from cut stump treatments must be piled in no greater than 8’x8’x4’ piles. Create brush piles atop non-grassland vegetation such as on leaf litter. The contractor shall apply herbicide to the cut stump within 5 minutes following severance. The contractor shall apply a marking dye to severed stumps. Hand-cutting tools may include machetes, axes, saws, and chainsaws. No heavy equipment will be permitted (e.g., skid steers, bulldozers, backhoes, excavators, etc.). Small ATVs and UTVs are not considered heavy equipment. These areas shall also include foliar application of herbicides for smaller invasive plant species as specified in Section 2.1 of this PWS. Foliar and cut/stump vine application treatment under this CLIN will be completed via task order between the dates of 29 September and September 28, one in Spring and one in Fall.

2.3 Herbicide Effectiveness

Contractor is required to obtain an approximately 90% kill within 8 weeks of application of each treatment area and will be solely responsible for herbicide effectiveness. The COR will evaluate chemical effectiveness within 8 weeks following treatment to assess results. If vegetative kill is inadequate, the Contractor must re-apply within 1 month following treatment, at no cost to the government. All treatments must be conducted during a period when target species are susceptible to the herbicide being used.

2.4 Application Area

Treatment will be approximately 10 – 15 acres in the fall and 10 – 15 acres in the spring, as specified per task order, and may not be the same areas since many invasives can be treated at different times of the year. Total cost for each treatment is based on per acre unit cost. Invoices shall not be submitted for incomplete or partially completed work. Maps specifying the requested treatment areas (in acres) will be provided to the Contractor with the task order.

3.0 QUALIFICATIONS

Contractor or Subcontractor shall provide a sufficient number of state-certified/ licensed, trained and competent personnel to accomplish the work of this contract. All work shall be completed to standards specified below and/or as included in the latest publication of Georgia’s Best Management Practices (BMP) for Forestry (State BMP guidelines). The Contractor or Subcontractor and each individual directly involved with the application and/or supervision of the application of specified chemicals shall possess a State of Georgia Pesticide Contractor’s License and a State of Georgia Commercial Applicator License in the Forest Pest Control (23) category (DoD 4150.7). The Contractor or Subcontractor and personnel must be certified in accordance with DOD Directive 4150.7, state requirements, and AFMAN 32-1053.

Copies of individual licenses shall be furnished to the COR at the time of bid. Only state- certified contract pesticide applicators may mix or apply pesticides on CONUS Air Force installations (AFMAN 32-1053). The contractor will carry liability insurance that will cover the application of herbicides as defined in this specification.

4.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS

Base personnel will provide installation access to Contractor personnel (presuming they meet security review requirements) and facilitate access to appropriate locations on the installation from which to conduct the survey. Dobbins ARB will also provide applicable common installation picture layers, drawings, and other pertinent existing data.

5.0 HERBICIDE, MATERIALS, LABOR, & EQUIPMENT

Contractor shall supply herbicides, mixing water, surfactants, mixing/storage tanks, vehicles, and all materials, parts, labor and equipment necessary to perform the work. All unused materials shall be removed by the Contractor. A water source may be provided for tank mixing on the military installation as designated by the COR, and back flow prevention is required. Tank mixing is subject to be spot-checked by the COR or his representative. All herbicides must be secured within vehicles at all times while on the installation. Vehicles shall not be left unattended unless properly locked and secured. All vehicles shall be maintained with a clean and orderly appearance, free from observable herbicide spills, residues, or build-up. Equipment, tanks, and transport vehicles shall have observable signage stating “Pesticide Storage” when in use with herbicide application. Overnight parking of equipment and vehicles shall be in a place designated by the COR. The contractor will be required to provide the categories of equipment and materials for approval prior to the start of work. Contractor is required to supply COR with appropriate proof of quality and quantity on all materials used. Contractor shall provide all necessary equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), for completing specified work and in accordance with product label. One (1) copy of the label and safety data sheet (SDS) shall be furnished to the COR for approval and approved prior to work performance. The Contractor shall have a label and SDS on site at all times and readily available for inspection at any time during application.

Bidders shall submit with their bids a general description detailing his/her methods of operation to accomplish each task. Include within this description the manpower, types/characteristic of equipment to be used and the method of operation to make foliar and cut stump/vine applications of herbicides, vegetation removal and a timeline for completion.

6.0 GENERAL

6.1 CLEAN WATER ACT: All work shall be accomplished in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act and State of Georgia stream buffer official code OCGA §12-7-6. The Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Control Act generally prohibits any land disturbance or trimming/removal of vegetation within buffer zones, however, thinning or trimming vegetation (invasive species) within the buffer may be allowed in some cases, as long as water quality and aquatic habitat are protected. Care shall be taken to prevent chemicals from entering streams, wetlands and open water and all herbicide is to be applied in accordance with chemical labels and EPA guidelines.

6.2 WASTE: If any hazardous materials (gasoline, used motor oil, etc.) are released into the environment during operations, it must be accumulated, managed and manifested off the installation in accordance with the regulations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (40 CFR 260 – 280) and State of Georgia hazardous waste regulations. All waste manifests shall be signed only by authorized Dobbins ARB Hazardous Waste personnel. The COR and Dobbins Environmental Office (CEV) shall be notified immediately of the occurrence of any such event. Contractor shall be responsible for reporting, cleanup, and proper disposal of any hazardous waste generated. No petroleum products, oils, or lubricants (POL) may be willfully discharged into the environment, including spills due to negligence. Care must be taken when maintaining equipment not to release POL’s onto the ground, and the contractor is responsible for immediate cleanup and reporting of any such accidental release as discussed at the pre-work conference. Contractor shall reseal and dispose of empty pesticide containers off the installation at an authorized disposal site. All containers shall be tripled rinsed and the rinsate shall go into tank sprayer and sprayed on target vegetation.

The work area shall be cleared daily of cans, containers, or lunch articles (general trash) deposited by the contractor.

6.3 ACCESS: Ingress/egress of all equipment deliveries shall be accomplished through use of the contractor’s gate. Contractors without common access cards (CACs) shall be required to register all vehicles, equipment, and personnel with Base Security Police prior to commencement of work. Contractor shall submit a completed Dobbins ARB visitor Form 4 (provided by CEV) to the natural resource program manager (NRPM) in CEV, at least 7 business days in advance of arriving on base for work and/or site visits. The NRPM will submit the form to Security for processing and approval. The information you must provide on Form 4 includes: Last Name, First, MI, Citizenship, Last Four of SSN, Date of Birth, Driver's License Number, and Driver's License State of Issue. This work requires access to parts of the Base with restricted access. Permission to work in these areas shall be coordinated by the COR or with CEV. Herbicide treatment of the forest stands on the south side of the base is near one explosive safety arc. Dobbins Safety office (94 AW/SE) may require an AF Form 4437 be completed by CEV, and the contractor will be notified when the Risk Assessment is completed.

6.4 MONITORING WELLS: Several active monitoring wells are located in the vicinity of the work. These wells appear as a section of pipe or a steel post approximately three feet (3’) in height from ground level, or a marked cement square. No work shall be allowed within forty feet (40’) of these wells. Manholes for underground utilities exist along some of the work area. All efforts shall be taken not to damage these wells, manholes, or any other fixed utility or structure occurring on the base.

6.5 SPECIAL CARE: While herbicide application is located in unpopulated areas, the herbicides shall be applied in such a manner as to prevent toxic exposure to personnel, pets, wildlife, ornamental plants, and the state protected Pink Lady's Slipper orchid and any other non-target (e.g. wetlands/waterways) components of the environment. Applications shall not be made during or prior to imminent rainfall, immediately after heavy rains, rainfall of more than 1 inch in 24 hours, or while runoff is occurring, or following frost. Care shall be taken to prevent chemical drift. The Contractor shall perform in strict accordance with the provisions of the Clean Air Act as applicable to this contract, including, but not limited to, no open burning or fugitive emissions. Extra care shall be taken to prevent drift off installation property to include, but not limited to, proper consideration of wind direction and variability at time of application. Care must be taken when operating equipment through natural areas not to damage seedlings or mature trees. Herbicide treatments must be accomplished in such a manner as to limit the spray to the target plants and minimize drift onto non-target vegetation on the site. The contractor shall take all these variations into account when submitting a quote. No equipment shall be operated in, or herbicides applied within a 10-foot diameter around the state protected Pink Lady's Slipper orchid areas within designated forested areas. Pink Lady's Slipper areas have been identified and mapped. A map will be provided by the COR or CEV prior to commencement of work.

6.6 DELIVERABLES: Accurate records/logs of the amounts (pounds) of herbicide used shall be maintained and presented to the COR and CEV to ensure proper reporting of quantity of active ingredients applied. The Contractor shall provide a weekly written summary (Word doc) to include:

1. Locations and plant species that were treated

2. Date and time of completed work and weather conditions at the time of application.

3. Complete the Herbicide Tracking Form for Invasive Species each Monday.

The completed form shall be emailed, along with the summary, to the COR and the NRPM in CEV. Email addresses shall be provided to the Contractor by the COR at the pre-work conference.