Attachment 1_SOW.pdf

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Statement of Work

Contents Project General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

2.0 Background

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

4.0 Government Furnished

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

6.0 Travel

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

8.0 Data Rights

Project RPBB Surveys on the MNF

General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

The MNF currently has several known High Potential Zones (HPZ), areas with known occurrences of RPBB, however the full scope of distribution on the MNF is not known. The purpose of this project is threefold, to survey areas and identify new records for this species on the MNF, to gain a better understanding of floristic resources and habitat used by the RPBB, and to provide a minimum of 20 hours of field training to MNF wildlife staff to help them learn to identify the species and its habitat so MNF can better implement required project conservation measures to aid in the species recovery. It is not currently known how many surveys would be required to fill the species distribution and ecology data gaps, however it is reasonable that surveys should be conducted for a minimum of five years if/as funding is available to do so.

2.0 Background

The Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) (RPBB) was listed as an endangered species in 2017 due to an estimated 90% reduction in their historic range. Little is known about the natural history of the species, including the floral resources it uses and distribution in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. It is imperative that the USFS gains information on the resources allowing this species to persist in the Appalachian portion of the bumble bee's range and its current distribution on the MNF to guide current, on-going, and future habitat restoration and conservation efforts, to reduce land management impacts and support the species recovery, and aid the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in project planning consistent with the Endangered Species Act and NEPA.

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

Tasks:

1. Provide a minimum of 20 hours of field training in rusty patched bumble bee and/or its suitable habitat identification. Training may be calculated by person hours.

2. Conduct surveys for RPBB on the Monongahela National Forest consistent with survey guidance from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service protocols.

3. Provide new RPBB occurrences to the MNF weekly, or as they occur if less frequently than weekly. Include latitude and longitude point data and date at a minimum.

4. Submit annual performance report including hours spent conducting training and surveys, habitat data collected (if applicable) and all tabular format survey results by December 31 annually.

Technical Requirements:

Bee identification coupled with plant identification specific to the MNF in Appalachia is a highly specialized task that requires prior experience with the specific geographic area and its invertebrate and floristic resources, USFWS handling permits for rusty patched bumble bee, the ability to capture, handle, photograph, and collect samples from RPBB, the ability to identify rusty patched bumble bees and distinguish them from other bumble bee (Bombus) species common in the area, detailed knowledge of RPBB literature, ecology, and life history. The contractor also must have experience and possess the knowledge and ability to train others in species identification.

• Contractor must hold a valid Native Endangered Species Recovery permit, issued by the US Fish and Wildlife

Service under Section 10 of the ESA (16 USC 1539(a); 50 CFR 17.22, 50CFR 13 for the field seasons of surveys. Permit conditions must allow for capturing, handling, and collection of genetic, pollen, pathogen samples from individual RPBB in West Virginia.

• Contractor must have previously located RPBB in the project area and have species and habitat expertise sufficient to locate and capture the rare species, RPBB, in the forests of eastern West Virginia in significant numbers.

• Contractor must have proven ability to handle bumble bees and collect pollen samples in a non‐lethal manner from individual bumble bees.

• Contractor must be able to correctly identify Bombus species present in the Appalachian Mountain region, including both common and rare species to the species level. Contractor must also be able to identify workers, males, and queens.

4.0 Government Furnished

MNF Gate Key able to access gated areas in the field shall be issued to contractor to permit access to sites that are not open to the public to reduce access time to survey sites thereby increasing quantity of surveys performed.

Contractor will be required to sign a property transfer form prior to receipt of key. Some gates may have entry prohibited.

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

Key Deliverables

Item No. Deliverable Objective Due

1 Training Provide a minimum of 20 hours RPBB field RPBB or habitat training annually. Ref. Task 1

By the end of the calendar year.

2 Weekly New Occurrences of RPBB emailed to Forest Biologist

Provide timely information on new occurrences of RPBB to aid in project planning and distribution mapping. Some weeks may not have new occurrence records. Ref. Task 3

Weekly during the active survey field season.

3 Annual Performance Report

Report documenting tasks completed, hours spent conducting surveys and training, all survey results in tabular format. Ref Task 4

By December 31 annually until the contract expires

6.0 Travel

The contractor is responsible for all travel to and from the survey sites, located on the MNF, at no additional cost to the government.

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel: PROJECT MANAGER

The Project Manager must maintain the abilities and permits listed in the technical requirements or the contract will be terminated.

All work must be performed by the Project Manager and no substitutions of this key position will be accepted.

8.0 Data Rights

Survey data collected belongs to the contractor and USFS jointly. All survey data should be shared with USFS, USFWS, and WVDNR. The data may be used for USFS planning purposes and included in corporate databases. The contractor has sole rights to publish professional journal articles or other professional publications.