ATTACHMENT 1 Ride-A-Horse_FY24_SOW_10.pdf

03/RIDE-A-HORSE BOTANICAL FIELD INVENTORY

C.01 - GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

1.1 - Scope of Contract

The purpose of this contract is to conduct field inventories for special status and invasive species for the Ride-A-Horse Project located in Fannin County on the Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The survey area is approximately 566 acres. These inventories will provide the documentation for biological evaluations and other analysis prepared by the Forest Service for the project. Completion of the USDA Forest Service survey forms (see attachments) will be considered part of the survey cost per acre. Contractor will provide all labor, supervision including safety, equipment, supplies (except those provided by the government), materials, tools, and other incidentals necessary to perform the surveys.

The contractor shall conduct surveys for all targeted species that are likely to occur on the Blue Ridge Ranger District. If species that are federally listed, R8 Forest Service Sensitive or maintained as locally rare listed are located (see attachments for complete list), then those species should be inventoried.

Targeted special status species on the Blue Ridge Ranger District:

Common Name Scientific Name Status Small whorled pogonia Isotria medeoloides Threatened Smooth Coneflower Echinacea laevigata Endangered Swamp Pink Helonias bullata Endangered White Fringeless Orchid Pantanthera integrilabia Threatened Cuthbert’s turtlehead Chelone cuthbertii R8 Forest Service Sensitive Small spreading pogonia Cleistesiopsis bifaria R8 Forest Service Sensitive Whorled stoneroot Collinsonia verticillata R8 Forest Service Sensitive Smith’s sunflower Helianthus smithii R8 Forest Service Sensitive Butternut Juglans cinerea R8 Forest Service Sensitive Fraser’s loosestrife Lysimachia fraseri R8 Forest Service Sensitive Sweet pinesap Monotropsis odorata R8 Forest Service Sensitive Largeleaf grass-of- Parnassus

Parnassia grandifolia R8 Forest Service Sensitive

Ash-leaf bush pea Thermopsis fraxinifolia R8 Forest Service Sensitive Hairy false lupine Thermopsis villosa R8 Forest Service Sensitive Porter’s reed grass Calamagrostis porteri Locally Rare Blue Ridge (silky) bindweed

Calystegia catesbiana spp.

sericata

Locally Rare

Manhart’s sedge Carex manhartii Locally Rare Rough sedge Carex scabrata American chestnut (nut Castanea dentata

Common Name Scientific Name Status bearing) Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea Locally Rare Yellowwood Cladrastis kentuckea Locally Rare Sweet fren Comptonia peregrina Locally Rare American lily-of-the-valley Convallaria majuscula Locally Rare Fraser sedge Cymophyllus fraserianus Locally Rare Yellow lady’s slipper Cypripedium parviflorum Locally Rare Ground cedar Diphasiastrum tristachyum Locally Rare Appalachian fir clubmoss Huperzia appalachiana Locally Rare Golden seal Hydrastis canadensis Locally Rare Largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum Locally Rare Blue Ridge St. John’s wort Hypericum buckleyi Locally Rare Naked-fruit rush Juncus gymnocarpus Locally Rare Sheep laurel Kalmia carolina Locally Rare Sand myrtle Leiophyllum buxifolium Locally Rare Southern twayblade Listeria smallii Locally Rare Climbing fern Lygodium palmatum Locally Rare American ginseng Panax quinquefolius Locally Rare Dwarf ginseng Panax trifolius Locally Rare Fire cherry Prunus pensylvanica Locally Rare Canada burnet Sanguisorba canadensis Locally Rare Purple pitcher plant Sarracenia pupurea Locally Rare American mountain ash Sorbus americana Locally Rare Hardhack Spireae tomentosa Locally Rare Tufted club rush Trichophorum caespitosum Locally Rare Bearberry Vaccinium erythrocarpum Locally Rare Turkeybeard Xerophyllum asphodloides Locally Rare Ginseng Panax quinquefolius Watch

Target non-native invasive plant species on the Chattahooche-Oconee National Forest.

Scientific Name Common Nam Ailanthus altissima Tree of heaven Albizia julibrissin Mimosa; silktree Arctium minus Common, or lesser burdock Arundo donax giant reed Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry Carduus nutans Musk thistle; nodding plumeless thistle Celastrus orbiculatus Oriental bittersweet Cirsium vulgare Bull thistle Dioscorea oppositifolia Chinese yam Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn olive

Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian olive Elaeagnus pungens thorny olive Euonymus fortunei Winter creeper Hedera helix English ivy Lespedeza bicolor shrub lespedeza Lespedeza cuneata Sericea lespedezas Ligustrum sinense Chinese privet Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckles Lygodium japonicum Japanese climbing fern Melia azedarach Chinaberry Microstegium vimineum Japanese stiltgrass; Nepalese browntop;

Nepal grass Miscanthus sinensis Chinese silvergrass Myriophyllum aquaticum Parrotfeather Nandina domestica scared bamboo Paulownia tomentosa Princess tree Polygonum cuspidatum Japanese knotweed Poncirus trifoliata Trifoliate orange Pueraria lobata Kudzu Ranunculus ficaria fig buttercup Rosa multiflora Multiflora rose Schedonorus phoenix ** (Lolium arundinaceum)

Tall fescue

Sorghum halepense Johnson grass Spiraea japonica Japanese spirea; Japanese meadowsweet Triadica sebifera Chinese tallow Vinca major Large periwinkle Vinca minor Small periwinkle Wisteria sinensis Chinese wisterias

** applies only to endophyte-enhanced cultivars (e.g. KY 31 tall fescue)

1.2 - Performance Time and Order of Work

Inventories will be conducted during June, 2024. All reports will be submitted by October 1, 2024 at the latest.

1.3 - Definitions

GPS – Global Positioning System

Non-native Invasive Species (NNIS) – A species that does not naturally occur in a specific area and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. For a complete list of invasive species, see attachments.

Special Status Species – For the purpose of this contract, this term will refer to vascular and non-vascular (bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) and lichens) plant species that meet the following requirements. These are species which are proposed for listing, officially listed as threatened or endangered, or are candidates for listing as threatened or endangered under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA); those listed by a State in a category such as threatened or endangered implying potential endangerment or extinction; and those designated by the Regional Forester as sensitive; and those species of local importance (locally rare). For a complete list of special status vascular plant species, see attachments.

1.4 - Government Furnished Property

Except for Government-furnished property listed below, the contractor shall furnish all tools, labor, transportation and miscellaneous items necessary to carry out the project. Government-furnished property is available at the District office prior to beginning the surveys.

The Forest Service shall provide as needed:

1. Chattahooche National Forest District map.

2. Available plant location information on Forest Service land as PDF files, as requested.

3. Electronic data files (ArcMap shapefiles or geodatabases) with survey polygons

(compartment and stand) and roads. Vegetation data is also available if desired.

4. Flagging tape for plant location.

5. Modified TESP Survey Field Guide and Field Form in eletronic format.

6. Modified TESP Element Occurance Field Guide and Field Form in electronic format.

7. Modified NNIS Field Guide and Field Form in electronic format

C.02 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 - Survey Areas

In each project area, the Forest service has conducted a risk assessment to identify stands likely to contain special status plants (federally listed, R8 Forest Service sensitive, or locally rare plant species). Inventories are required in those stands where the Forest Service has determined that suitable habitat occurs, where the likelihood of occurrence is present because of nearby occurrence, or where habitat suitability cannot be assessed without field visits.

The Ride-A-Horse area is located on the Blue Ridge Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Fannin County. Maps of compartments are available in attachments.

Schedule of Items lists compartment, stand, forest type, and acres requiring field inventories.

The project area is located a few miles northwest of Suches, GA in the Coopers Creek WMA.

Main access to the project area is via Ride-A-Horse Road, FS RD 774 off of Mulky Gap Road, FS RD 4.

The minimum required area to be surveyed is 586 acres reflected in the attached Ride A Horse Min needs FY24 bid schedule. Depending on the cost per acre and avalible funding additional acres may be assigned up to 903 acres reflected in the attached Ride A Horse Max needs FY24 bid schedule.

2.2 - Inventory Requirements

2.2.1 - Inventory Method

Floristic surveys shall be performed in sufficient depth and in a manner that conforms to the standards in the Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plants Survey Field Guide. The contractor shall complete a thorough ground inventory of the stands or portions of stands focusing on target species and their habitats including special habitat features (wet areas, bogs, outcrops, roads). Exceptions are dense areas of rhododendron and mountain laurel (“laurel slicks”), or dense briar or white pine seedling thickets where no sunlight is reaching the forest floor. Survey methods and intensity will depend on the size of the area, size of the target species, topography, and phenology.

Field surveys shall be performed when potentially occuring special status species are identifiable and visible. Two or more entries into portions of the units may be needed in order to identify the special status and/or invasive plant species likely to occur during its flowering period or other characteristic needed to confirm identification.

If potential habitat is encountered for a plant species, but that species is in a state that can no longer be accurately located or positively identified (i.e. an early spring growing species during a drought), then the contractor shall identify that area on a quad map or aerial photo with GPS locations and discuss in the unit (area) survey report. This discussion should include what special status species could be found in that habitat (and why) and when it should be re-surveyed.

GPS points will be reported to the Forest Service in latitude and longitude decimal degrees with NAD 1983 projection (datum). GPS files should be differentially corrected with an accuracy of 20 feet, or less. Shapefiles shall have projection the State Plane NAD 83 Georgia West attached to the file.

While conduction surveys, the contractor shall notify the COR or District Inspectors by phone or e-mail of units to be surveyed weekly.

Blue Ridge Ranger District – John Stephens (706-745-6928, ext 114) (706-897- 1546), john.r.stephens@usda.gov

2.2.2 - Field Documentation

All field work shall be fully documented using the forms provided . In order to receive full payment, all required fields must be properly filled in. Forms completed and GPS data gathered to date shall be submitted bi-weekly to the COR to allow for timely inspection.

A) For every stand specified in Schedule of Bid, the following shall be completed by the

Contractor:

1. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest TESP/NNIS Plant Survey Form:

A Survey Form will be completed for each stand that is inventoried. All fields on the Survey Form are required. All major associations in the stand are to be described if more than one occurs. A brief characterization of the stand overstory and associated midstory and understory on the “Species List of Surveyed Area” portion of the form. The Contractor may wish to develop a checklist of species to attach to this portion of the form. Completed survey forms will be submitted electronically or hardcopy every two weeks.

2. Intensity of survey will be documented. This can be acoomplished in several ways. Map or shapefile (or other ESRI ArcMap compatable) showing the approximate locations of the survey routes traveled can be provided. This can be accomplished by using GPS to record survey routes and providing electronic data. Scale of maps should be 1:24,000. A written description of survey intensity of each stand can also be provided.

3. Additional Acerages may be added. The minimum regiured area to be surveyed is 586 acers reflected in the attached Ride A Horse Min needs FY24 bid schedule. Depending on the cost per acer and avalible funding additional acers may be assigned up to 903 acers reflected in the attached Ride A Horse Max needs FY24 bid schedule.

B) When a special status plant species site is found, the following shall be completed by the

1. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Special Status Species Site Form:

A Site Form will be completed for each species occurrence or site. All fields on the Survey Form are required. This will include a description of the habitat which shall include the major associations and a brief characterization of the stand overstory with associated midstory and understory species. The species will be documented on the “Species List of Surveyed Area” portion of the form. The Contractor may wish to develop a checklist of species to attach to this portion of the form. Completed survey forms will be submitted electronically or hardcopy every two weeks.

2. Population boundaries shall be flagged using flagging provided by the government.

Exception: Do not flag ginseng.

3. Shapefile (or other ESRI ArcMap compatable formats) showing the boundary of the special status species with metadata including projection.

The boundary of each species status plant sites shall be mapped as a polygon feature with GPS coordinates for the geographic center of the occurrence. For sites less than 0.1 acres in size, the center of each special status plant site can be mapped as a point. The contractor has latitiude in how polygons are delineated, i.e. GPS tracks, digitized from hand drawn maps or other techniques (use 1:24,000 scale mapes), so long as the final polygons accurately depict the locations and extent of the occurrence.

Multiple subpopulations may be mapped at one “site” as multiple polygon features.

Subpopulations are defined as discontinuous occurrences within the same habitat area (for example, patches along a riparian area). The goal of mapping each occurrence is to record as many patches/subpopulations as appropriate on as few forms (as few occurrences) as practicable, while retaining enough detail for managemnet and monitoring purposes. It is expected that the contract will rely on a considerable amount of professional judgemnet to map species status plnat populations, and will donfer with the Forest Service SOR or inspector, if there are any questions. The Forest Service will have final authority on delineating the boundary of an occurrence.

4. High resolution color digital photograph(s) of special status plant and habitat:

At least one photograph shall be taken of the special status plant and at least one photograph of the general habitat where it is located. This documentation shall be of a quality and quantity to provide verification of species identification and to depict general habitat characteristics of each site found. Each photograph shall be labeled with an Image ID number and recorded on the Special Status Speices site form. Photographs will become the property of the Forest Service. Photos will be submitted electronically on a bi-weekly basis.

C) When a NNIS plant site is discovered during survey, the following shall be completed by the

1. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest NNIS Site Form:

A NNIS Form will be completed for each species occurrence or site. All fields on the Survey Form are required. If more than one species is present, it will be given a unique Site ID number and recorded separately. This will include a description of the habitat which shall include the major associations and a brief characterization of the stand overstory with associated midstory and understory speices. The species will be documented on the “Species List of Surveyed Area” portion of the form. The Contractor may wish to develop a checklist of species to attach to this portion of the form. Completed survey forms will be submitted electronically or hardcopy on a bi-weekly basis.

2. Population boundaries shall be flagged using flagging provided by the government.

Exception: Do not flag Microstegium vimineum, Lespedeza sp., or Schedonorus phoenix (tall fescue).

3. Shapefile (or other ESRI ArcMap compatable formats) showing the boundary of the special status species with metadata including projection.

The boundary of each species status plant sites shall be mapped as a polygon feature with GPS coordinates for the geographic center of the occurrence. For sites less than 0.1 acres in size, the center of each special status plant site can be mapped as a point. The contractor has latitiude in how polygons are delineated, i.e. GPS tracks, digitized from hand drawn maps or other techniques (use 1:24,000 scale mapes), so long as the final polygons accurately depict the locations and extent of the occurrence.

Multiple subpopulations may be mapped at one “site” as multiple polygon features.

Subpopulations are defined as discontinuous occurrences within the same habitat area (for example, patches along a riparian area) more than 100 feet apart. If a species is scattered throughout the same disturbed habitat area, the infested area will be mapped as one large, low-density infestation.

4. High resolution digital photograph(s) of NNIS plants and habitat:

At least one photograph shall be taken of the NNIS plant and at least one photograph of the general habitat where it is located. This documentation shall be of a quality and quantity to provide verification of species identification and to depict general habitat characteristics of each site found. Each photograph shall be labeled with an Image ID number and recorded on the NNIS Site Form. Photographs will become the property of the Forest Service.

Photos will be submitted electronically on a bi-weekly basis.

D) Final electronic data files submitted by the Contractor shall include the following:

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest TESP/NNIS Plant Survey Form Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Special Status Species Site Form Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest NNIS Site Form Shapefiles of points and polygon data with the projection attached using Any additional electoric location data (GPS data, tracks, points, polygons) Photo documentation

E) Plant Collection:

Voucher specimens will not be collected for special status species unless arrangements are made with the Forest Botanist. Any other vouchers specimens made will be label and delivered to the Forest Service. All voucher collections will be pressed, dried, and labeled with the Site ID, species scientific name, survey area name, unit number, GPS corrdinate and projectsion, collector, and date collected. Do not mount voucher specimens.

All forms, voucher specimens, and electronic data will be submitted to the Forest Service and are to be sent directly to the COR.

USDA Forest Service 1755 Cleveland Highway Gainesville, GA 30501

The contractor will provide completed forms and field notes by September 1, 2024.

C.03 - QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTORS

1) A degree in botany, plant ecology, or related natural resource field, or under the close supervision of such a qualified individual. Applicants lacking such a degree but habing extensive field survey work in the area may be considered.

2) Skill in plant identification, use of plant taxonomic keys, and use of vegetation habitat guides. Stong knowledge of the flora of the area to be assessed is preferred.

3) Skills related to conducting rare plant surveys and knowledge related to Forest Servcie methodology in conducting plant surveys.

C.04 - ACCEPTANCE AND PAYMENT

When all stands in a particular compartment have been surveyed, the contractor shall submit forms, maps, electronic location data and photo documentation to the Government. The Forest Service will review these within 14 calendar days. Payment will be made as the work is completed and accepted, and partial payments may be requested during the contract period.

Payment will be based on the unit price shown on the order. For payment purposes, the stand acreage shown in Schedule of Items is considered to be true acreage and will not be remeasured.

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT METHODS AND ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVELS

(AQL) FOR PLANT SURVEYS

TASKS AND

CRITICAL

SUBTASKS

QUALITY

STANDARDS

ACCEPTABLE

QUALITY LEVEL

(AQL0

MEANS OF

MEASUREMENT

PENALTIES AND

INCENTIVES

TESP/NNIS

Plant Survey Form Submission

Survey form shall be completed for each individual stand listed in Schedule of Items

Survey form shall be turned in every two weeks to the COR for document inspection purposes. An electronic version shall be turned in 14 calendar days after all survey work is completed on the task order.

1. Contractor submission

2. Government’s verification of survey forms within 14 days of reciept.

No payment will be made for units on the task order that have a missing or incomplete survey forms.

The survey field forms will be returned to the contractor for completion at no additional cost to the Government.

Special Status Species Site Form and NNIS Form Submission

Site forms shall be completed for each corresponding sighting discovered during survey.

Site forms shall be turned in every two weeks to the COR for document inspection purposes. An electronic version shall be turned in 14 calendar days after all survey work is completed on the task order.

1. Contractor submission

2. Government’s verification of site forms within 14 days of reciept.

No payment will be made for missing or incomplete site forms.

The forms will be returned to the contractor for completion at no additional cost to the Government.

Electronic Data Electronic data Electronic data files for the 1. Contractor submission No payment will be

File Submission files shall include survey routes, waypoints and boundaries (when applicable), and photos for special status plant and invasive species sightings.

corresponding survey and site forms shall be submitted every two weeks to the COR. Electronic data files shall be submitted for the entire task order 14 calendar days after all survey work is completed on the task order.

2. Government’s verification of the electronic data file made for missing or incomplete electronic data files.

The data will be returned to the contractor for completion at no additional cost to the Government.

Government Field Inspection

1) Special status plant populations are identified.

2) NNIS

populations are identified.

3) Location data is accuarate.

4) Sites are properly documented in the field.

1) Special status plant populations greater than 0.25 acre.

2) NNIS sites greater than

0.25 acre are identified.

3) Sites are relocated based on GPS coordinates.

4) Sites are flagged according to contract specifications.

1. Government shall conduct field inspections at the COR’s discrepancy.

2. Government’s field inspection.

1. Contractor shall resurvey any units/sites that are not acceptable at no additional costs to the Government.