Attachment 1 SOW NRI WY.docx

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Statement of Work (SOW) for National Resources Inventory (NRI) – Wyoming Federal USDA-BLM and Non-Federal On-Site Private Grazing Land (OPGL) Data Collection FY2026 to FY2031

Contents

1. General

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture is mandated (through the Rural Development Act of 1972, the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, and other supporting legislation) to assess the status, condition, and trends of soil, water, and related resources on the Nation's Non-Federal lands. Resources inventory legislative authorities, NRCS policy, and responsibilities for conducting the National Resources Inventory (NRI) are contained in NRCS General Manual 290, Part 400. Separate authorities govern NRCS completing NRI on Federal lands under agreement with other federal agencies. To accomplish this task, the NRCS will award one contract that requires the successful contractor to collect rangeland resources data on selected sample sites (points) for the 2026 National Resources Inventory (NRI) Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection in Wyoming.

2. Objective and Scope

The objective of this solicitation is to acquire specified inventory data at data collection points found within selected sample segment boundaries in Wyoming. Data will be collected on federal and non-federal lands in accordance with the standards outlined in the most current and applicable NRCS National Resources Inventory Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection Handbook of Instructions and its supplements, amendments, and appendices (hereafter referred to in this document as the Handbook), as referenced in Section P. Reference Materials, and elsewhere. Sample segments are in remote areas situated on federal or non-federal land. Access may require 4-wheeled vehicles and/or hiking long distances over rough terrain.

NRCS policy requires obtaining landowner/operator permission before entering onto private property. Permission to access private lands is an important issue. The Contractor, acting on behalf of NRCS, shall strictly adhere to NRCS policy of securing permissions to access non-federal lands prior to entry onto the land where the point is located. Contractors shall make every reasonable effort, using all publicly available information sources to obtain ownership information for all assigned points, following the procedures in the Handbook and this SOW for securing and documenting permissions to access or transit non-federal land prior to data collection.

Required data to be collected on non-federal segments is detailed in the Handbook referenced in Section P. Highlights in the protocol are covered below.

GPS Navigation and Point Coordinate Capture – navigate to and record data point position with the Computer Assisted Survey Instrument (CASI) collection device and Bad Elf GPS Transect Layout; (2) 150 foot linear transects NE/SW-NW/SE intersecting as an “X” at the 75-foot mark

(9) Digital photos of the transects and soil pit per point labeled as per instructions Ownership – NRI ownership code Land Cover/Use – NRI cover/use code Soil Observation(s) Determine/verify the soil component

· Dig a hole to a depth of at least 20 inches

· Take a photo of the soil profile as per instructions

· Conduct soil evaluation

· Record details (i.e. depth, texture, soil texture modifier, effervescence class, any unusual features) for each mineral soil horizon

· Determine and select soil component Landscape parameters

· Vertical Slope Shape

· Horizontal Slope Shape

· Slope Percent

· Slope Length

· Slope Aspect Ecological Site Information

· Rangeland Cover Type Name

· Historic Major Land Resource Area (MLRA)

· Ecological Site Number

· Ecological Site/Soil Correlation

· Apparent Rangeland Trend Rangeland Health

· Indicators of Rangeland Health (17 attributes to achieve indicator summary of Soil/Site Stability, Biotic Integrity and Hydrologic Function) Disturbance Indicators Identification of Conservation Practices Applied and needed; Yes/No (18)

· Brush management (314)

· Prescribed Burning (338)

· Pond (378)

· Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380)

· Fence (382)

· Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)

· Filter Strip (393)

· Irrigation Water Management (449)

· Forage and Biomass Planting (512)

· Pipeline (516)

· Prescribed Grazing (528)

· Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment (548)

· Range Planting (550)

· Spring Development (574)

· Trail and Walkways (575)

· Watering Facility (614)

· Water Well (642)

· Forest Stand Improvement (666) Identification of Resource Concerns; Yes/No

· Soil erosion (6 concerns)

· Soil condition (3 concerns)

· Water quantity (1 concerns)

· Water quality (2 concerns)

· Plant condition (5 concerns)

· Domestic Animals Soil Stability Test – when insufficient root mat exists (9 samples) Transect Vegetation Data

· Line Point Transects for Cover Composition

· Record plant canopy cover by species at three-foot intervals along two 150 foot transects

· Record basal cover at the same points by plant species, or lichen cover, or moss, or rock fragments, or none (bare soil)

· There are 50 points on each transect Line Intercept Transects: for Canopy Gaps

· Record the beginning and end of plant canopy gaps (all foliar, perennial) greater than 1.0 foot to the nearest 1/10th of a foot

· Plant material may be dead or alive

· Uses the same transects as the Line Point Transects Plant Height

· Record the maximum height, in inches, of the tallest rooted plant that is nearest to the three-foot intervals along two 150 foot transects

The Contractor shall enter the data collected into hand-held computers using NRCS approved software - the Computer Assisted Survey Instrument (CASI). All data will be submitted to the server at Iowa State University CSSM (ISU server) located in Ames, Iowa. All data will be collected in accordance with the Handbook and related references.

The specific segments and points are announced annually by the National NRI program manager as a segment map during the second quarter of the Federal fiscal year and final allocation with be determined by the COR. A task order will be issued once the annual list of segments and points is published. Note: No amount will be guaranteed on the contract beyond the minimum guarantee.

3. Definitions, Roles, and Responsibilities

1. Contractor – as used in these specifications refers to the service provider selected to perform the work defined in this contract.

2. Contracting Officer (CO) – The duly appointed and warranted government NRCS person authorized to enter into, administer or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings. The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only person authorized to contractually obligate the government. The CO is responsible for ensuring performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensuring that the requirements of all pertinent laws, regulations, etc. have been met, ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract, and safeguarding the interests of the United States in its contractual relationships. The contracting officer ensures that sufficient funds are available for government contractual obligation and ensures that all contractors receive impartial, fair, equitable treatment in the solicitation process.

3. Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) – The CO will appoint and delegate in writing limited authority for certain contract-related decisions to an NRCS employee who will serve as the COR. The COR Appointment Letter details exactly what responsibilities lie within the scope of the COR's authority. The COR will notify the CO of recommendations for technical acceptance or rejection by the Government of all articles and services required to be furnished and/or performed under the contract; will receive, for the Government, all articles and services called for by the contract and will represent the Contracting Officer in the technical phases of the work. The COR monitors the Contractor's performance to ensure compliance with technical requirements of the contract, verifies and certifies that the items have been inspected and meet the requirements of the contract. The COR notifies the CO if performance does not meet the requirements of the contract.

4. State Resource Inventory Coordinator (SRIC) – SRIC will provide training and assistance throughout the contract for technical matters.

5. Segment - (formerly referenced as PSU). A bounded area of land from 40 to 640 acres in size. Within the segment, sample points are assigned. Certain data elements are collected for the entire segment, while others are collected at the segment points. The size of the segment is based on the shape, size, and complexity of the resources being inventoried. In the Western United States, segments are often 40 to 640-acre square areas; the 40-acre units are used in most irrigated areas, and the larger segments in homogeneous areas containing large tracts of range, forest land, or barren land. Certain data elements are collected for the entire segment, while others are collected at the sample points. For Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection, data are collected at the sample points; data are collected for up to two points for each sample segment. A segment contains two or three assigned points. A segment with two or more points is considered a full segment.

6. Point - refers to a known location contained within a segment boundary line, identified by a pair of coordinates using a global coordinate system derived from the official NRI database where data is collected. Contractor performance is, in large part, determined by completed inventory data collection competently concluded at the Point.

7. OPGL - Onsite Private Grazing Lands (OPGL) are those non-federal range and pasture lands where assigned segments and points are owned by non-federal entities. These segments are subject to securing explicit, documented permission for access prior to commencing data collection activities.

8. Ineligible - a point designation made by the COR or contractor, more commonly made in the office. It is unnecessary to physically navigate to an ineligible Point if it is clear from ancillary information that the Point is not eligible for data collection following the Handbook or COR guidance. The ineligible designation may result from a change to an ineligible ownership, or a conversion to an ineligible land use/cover type.

9. Inaccessible-office - the point is determined in the office during pre-screening to be eligible for data collection, but available ancillary information show conditions that would prevent data collection. These conditions include but are not limited to permanent topographic or other features that indicate dangerous/impassible conditions to the Point; excessive distance; or permission to transit private land necessary to access the Point is sought but not approved.

10. Inaccessible-field - certain other barriers encountered in the field during an attempt to data collection that prevent access to the Point for field data collection. Contractor will document Inaccessible-field designations 1) by field-capture of the GPS location of that barrier; 2) assignment of the barrier reason on the invoice; and 3) upload of a photograph of the barrier.

11. Handbook - This refers to the most recent handbook available on the NRI website (https://grazingland.cssm.iastate.edu/reference-materials)

4. Confidentiality Agreement

The NRI program is based upon rigorous scientific sample survey protocols. These protocols include maintaining and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of data gathering sites. USDA and NRCS policy states that: "The geographic locations of data gathering sites used for USDA's NRI are not public information and are to be used only for purposes of official NRI data gathering activities or for such purposes approved by the Secretary". The Contractor's data team leaders and all data collectors shall sign a Confidentiality Statement under United States Code (USC), Title 18, Section 1905; USC, Title7, Section 2276 and USC, Title 7, Section 2240 for non-disclosure of confidential information relative to data site locations and/or private/corporate non-use of composite data. All confidentiality statements shall be signed and transmitted to the COR prior to starting data collection. The NRI data that identifies owners, operators, or data collection sites are never to be released to the public.

5. Period of Performance and Deliverables Table 1. Wyoming Parameters

See Section H.

CASI data transmission

Sample segments must be electronically transferred to the Iowa State University (ISU) server no later than 10 days after commencing field data collection at the point. All segments (to include digital camera images meeting all Handbook requirements) must be returned to the ISU server no later than midnight October 15 each year.

later than October 15th of each year.

MAP 1. Expected NRI data collection periods across Wyoming

6. Description of Work

A. The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, labor, materials, transportation and space, and perform the work in accordance with the contract specifications and with the various NRCS manuals, Handbooks, technical releases, and other as transmitted by the COR.

B. Materials to be furnished by the Contractor include but are not limited to:

· Two (2) 150’ flexible tape measures with 0.1-inch increments

· 100’ flexible tape measure for woody plots (21’ X 21’)

· Quadrate frames (circular; 1.92 sq. ft., 4.8 sq. ft., 9.6 sq. ft.)

· Survey pole or some other measuring stick for plant height measurements

· 6-inch radius vertical cylinder (Plant Height component)

· Metal dimeter measuring tape (metric) with multimeter gradations

· Gram scales: 0-100gram x 1.0-gram increment, 0-300gram x 5.0-gram increment

· Hand lenses 10x power

· One dozen (12) metal survey pins

· One dozen (12) wire flags

· Grass clippers

· Pruning shears

· Tile spade, soil auger, spud bar, cleanout shovel, or sharpshooter shovel

· Soils knife

· Penetrometer or steel rod for soil compaction detection

· Paper bags for containing and weighing vegetation samples

· Dry-erase board, markers

· Clinometer

· Compass with rotating dial (bezel) for taking bearings

· 10% hydrochloric acid solution to test for calcareous soils

· pH meter or reagents with spot plate

· Munsell soil color book

· Soil stability test kit (see the Handbook)

· Distilled or deionized water (any noncarbonated bottled water except mineral water) for soil stability test

· Small spray bottle with very fine mist

· Digital Camera (8-mega pixel or better) and applicable download software (.jpg)/ or CASI Collection Device Camera

· Laptop or desktop computer with the Microsoft™ operating system Windows 2000, 2000

· Professional, XP or XP Professional with communications hardware and software enabling connection to the internet.

· Internet access to the ISU server for segment data transmission

· Other items required, but not provided for under this contract by the US Government

C. Overview of Work Quantity to Be Completed in 2026 Wyoming NRI Data collection teams are to consist of a team leader and at least one crew member. Team leader and data collector qualifications and experience requirements are outlined in Section G of this SOW. The Contractor shall enter data into a handheld computer loaded with the NRCS computer-assisted survey instrument (CASI) software. The Contractor shall work with the COR to achieve the transmittal of the data to the server at USDA-NRCS Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology located in Ames, Iowa. Alternatively, the Contractor - at their option - may use NRCS-approved paper data forms to collect the data in the field to enhance data collection efficiency, prior to the Contractor entering the data into the CASI for review and transmission. Paper forms will be clearly labeled, retained, and sent to the COR prior to invoicing of the completed segment.

Assigned BLM and OPGL segments will have one, two or three sample points available per segment. The Contractor shall seek permission to access all assigned BLM segments that cross private property first and verify permission access on OPGL points from the appropriate owners of property requiring transit to the point, prior to passage or initiating onsite data collection. If permission is not granted do not attempt to access the property.

Up to two points per segment shall have data collected at assigned BLM and OPGL locations. OPGL points have additional protocols that are required for data collection – see the Handbook for additional guidance.

The Wyoming contract area NRI USDI-BLM and Onsite Private Grazing Lands (OPGL) expected workload for FY2026 and (*) estimates for the option years are in Table 1. FY2026-2029 are the estimated segment numbers and final determination will be made each year by the National Lead. Final OPGL segments available to the contractor will be determined by the COR based on available NRCS staff to complete these segments each year and will be incorporated into the task order. BLM and OPGL county break downs for the 2026 fiscal year are detailed in Table 2 and 3.

Table 2. Unit qualities for BLM and OPGL range and pasture non-federal study points Note numbers are estimates for FY26-30 and will be determined each year by the National Lead.

*Estimated quantity

Table 3. FY 26 BLM segment and point by county

Table 4. FY 26 OPGL segment and point by county

D. Range and Pastureland Access Permissions:

· Data collection shall proceed only on all assigned points where permissions have been granted by the owner or their authorized designee. Permission to access or transit non-federal (private) land enroute to or on private land must be granted by the owner or their designated, approved representative, and documented per the Handbook Appendix C guidance, prior to Contractor attempting entry and data collection of the intended segment.

· Acquisition of private landowner permission shall be obtained by the Contractor for all assigned points, as necessary. Access approval or disapproval by private landowners for NRI data collection is neither implied nor guaranteed to Contractor by this agreement.

· A properly documented report of attempts to secure permission to access a point shall include all dates of attempted/successful access permission as requested on the Access Record (see Appendix

· Contractor shall furnish the COR a copy of these Access Records at the time of invoice, or as requested. Contractor may not receive payment for NRI data collection activities on points where the Contractor does not include, or provide upon request, sufficient documentation (following Appendix C guidelines and including all dates of contact or attempted contact) documenting private landowner approval to access the point(s).

· The number of non-federal segments where permissions are sought prior to data collection will equal or exceed the actual number of points where private land access is approved for data collection. The Contractor shall collect and invoice range or pastureland inventory data only on OPGL sample points where access permission has been documented to have been expressly granted by the owner or their authorized designee, and access is ensured at the time permission is granted.

· If after reasonable efforts following Appendix C guidelines, Contractor transit and/or access to a BLM or OPGL segment is still not affirmed, Contractor shall deem the point inaccessible-office for the purposes of NRI data collection that data year. Contractor shall keep COR advised of limits on access that reduce work quantities produced under this agreement.

E. The Contractor shall collect data in accordance with the standards outlined in the Handbook (see section P. Reference Materials), and/or as directed by the COR, for full payment. The following identifies certain expectations during the contract period:

· Segment site location maps and aerial photographs will be made available to Contractors by the COR.

· The NRI data collected shall be free of errors and collected in a logical order to minimize the number of trips to the field for data collection.

· To be complete, range and pasture data collection protocols in the Handbook will be followed, and all data elements populated and verified by the Contractor as complete and accurate for each point required on a segment.

· NRI data shall be entered into the NRCS CASI software. Sample points and segments will be considered complete when all field data is collected and entered the NRCS CASI software, data has fully passed all electronic completion checks in the CASI (designated as "completed/CO" status), and is successfully transmitted electronically to the ISU server as per specifications outlined in the Handbook, or as advised by the COR. All sample segments and point data elements must pass the completion check on the CASI to meet "completed/CO" status before being transmitted to the ISU server.

· To ensure data safety and security, sample segment/point data elements must be electronically transferred to the ISU server no later than 10 days after commencing field data collection on sample points and segments.

· Work shall begin and conclude in accordance with the table set forth at section 4 (Period of Performance) of this Statement of Work. Deadlines for completing OPGL non-federal Range and Pasture points, were established by using generalized USDA Plant Hardiness Zone information; these dates may be subject to change by the COR and Government in response to conditions.

· The NRI data collection option in the CASI software will be used.

7. Required Education/Experience/Contractor Proficiency

The Contractor's Team Leader (s) must meet the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard for a GS-454-11 Rangeland Management Specialist. Qualifications for this position are described below and are published in the "OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions". Refer to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/index.htm.

Note: College transcripts, resumes and references may be requested by the government to verify education, experience and performance.

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: in range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows: Range Management - at least 18 hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning. Directly related plant, animal, and soil sciences - at least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable. Related Resource Management Studies - at least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forage and outdoor recreation management.

-OR-

B. A Combination of education and experience - at least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown in A above, plus appropriate experiences or additional education.

-AND-

One year of specialized experience in rangeland plant identification and rangeland site inventory methods equivalent to at least the GS-457-9 level or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduated education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree.

Additional Requirements:

The Contractor's Team Leader(s), in addition to meeting the OPM Qualification Standard for a GS-454-11 Rangeland Management Specialist, shall have experience in the following:

· Work experience on rangelands in Western U.S. states doing range and pastureland assessments and inventories, managing range, knowledge and understanding of all aspects of range and pastureland plant growth patterns, using data and correctly interpreting seasonal climate patterns to on-the-ground conditions, and experience training others on plant production estimates on range and pastureland.

· The ability to use Wyoming NRCS Ecological Sites (or Range Sites) information to correctly correlate and interpret them against onsite conditions.

· Global Position System (GPS) equipment to navigate to sample sites.

· Use of soil survey information and ability to identify and describe the soil component at the point location (depth, texture and modifier, effervescence, other features).

· Observe and interpret apparent rangeland trend indicators.

Training and experience in conducting rangeland health assessments using the 17 indicators of rangeland health.

· Wyoming plant identification.

· Identification of resource concerns.

· Identification of disturbance indicators.

· NRCS Conservation Practice Standards.

· Establishing and inventorying rangeland vegetation using line transects - plant cover, canopy gaps.

· Vegetation cover density and height measurements.

· Soil stability measurements.

· Sagebrush identification and shape.

Crew Member data collectors shall have experience in the following:

· Global Position System (GPS) equipment to navigate to sample sites.

· Use of soil survey information and ability to identify and describe the soil component at the point location (depth, texture and modifier, effervescence, other features).

· Wyoming plant identification.

· Working in Western states in rangeland management and conducting rangeland inventories, including understanding plant growth patterns, correctly interpreting seasonal climate conditions, and conducting plant production estimates on range and pastureland.

· Establishing and inventorying using line transects: plant cover composition and canopy gaps.

· Vegetation cover density and height measurements.

· Soil stability measurements.

· Sagebrush identification and shape.

8. Contractor Staff and NRCS-Provided Training

A. Contractor shall provide a full list of proposed staff and their qualifications to be employed in field data collection prior to the start of field data collection each year to the COR.

B. Training requirements each year may be subject to change. All field data collectors must be authorized by the COR before collecting NRI grazing land on-site data for the current field season. Authorization is granted on an annual basis; previously authorized data collectors must be authorized for the current field season before they are permitted to collect data. Mandatory yearly training may be delivered either at the regional or state-level. Contractors shall submit a list of all contractor staff requesting training, and the COR will authorize attendance through consultation with Contractor.

C. There are two levels of authorization of data collectors: Team Leader and Crew Member.

D. All Contractor field personnel must be authorized before collecting NRI grazing land data. Each field crew must have at least one authorized Team Leader; all crew members collecting and inputting data must have at least crew member level authorization.

E. To be granted Team Leader authorization, you must:

· Have participated in two previous NRI Grazing Land On-Site Study trainings;

· Pass a written test, if offered;

· Pass a performance-based test;

· Successfully perform calibration exercises; and

· Sign an NRI confidentiality certification agreement.

F. To be granted Crew Member authorization, you must:

· Participate in assigned NRI Grazing Land On-Site Study training, as approved by the COR;

· Pass a written test, if offered;

· Successfully perform assigned calibration exercises; and

· Sign an NRI confidentiality certification agreement.

G. State NRCS personnel may provide training to Contractor staff, as coordinated with the parties by the POC

H. In addition, all Contractor staff completing NRI data collection will be required to complete at least two additional quality assurance calibration exercises onsite with the COR or designee during the data collection season. All staff will be required to attend these calibrations, together, at a time, date, and location jointly determined by the COR and the Contractor.

I. The Contractor will schedule the quality assurance calibration exercises with the COR by written notification following commencement of the field data collection season.

J. In addition, the Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to schedule an in-person coordination conference in Casper, WY NRCS State Office, or at a location of mutual convenience. This coordination conference shall be attended, at minimum, by all Contractor technical team leaders. The in-person meeting should last no more than 8 hours, with a purpose of addressing logistical and other matters supporting data collection. The meeting will be scheduled concurrent with the time of exchange of Government Furnished Property (GFP) and/or Government Furnished Materials (GFM). The Contractor shall schedule these meetings directly with COR upon initiation of contract, to be held before commencement of the field season data collection.

9. Quality Assurance (QA)/Performance Based Requirement

A. The COR and/or their designee will coordinate and carry out evaluations of Contractor performance. For each activity required of the Contractor the following Quality Assurance (QA) standards will be applied:

Task - Collection of Wyoming NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection on USDI-BLM and non-federal lands.

Indicator(s) - Timeliness and Accuracy; Access permissions properly documented for collecting data at assigned points, as prescribed.

Standard - data accurately reflects field conditions at the assigned point, and meets the specifications as defined in the Handbook. Data collection is free of errors, work is performed in a logical order, with minimal number of trips to field for information gathering. Work is to begin at a date climatically appropriate to optimizing the collection of seasonal range and pastureland attributes at the point, but be completed by September 30th of the year as described in Section E, and with good quality as defined elsewhere in this statement of work.

QA data entry – The data collection software has quality assurance built into the data entry software. The Contractor must resolve all (100 percent) errors and warnings identified by the software.

B. All Contractor work shall be performed in a professional manner in accordance with the Handbook and guidance provided by the COR, as applicable.

C. NRCS shall provide for Quality Assurance Reviews (QAR) for a minimum of 10% of collected data for sample segments. The QARs will consist of an in-field review, and/or review of data submitted to the ISU server by the Contractor. Any issues relative to the quality or correctness of collected data brought to the attention of the Contractor by the COR will be corrected by the Contractor as soon as possible and before submission of an invoice for payment. The Contractor will transmit corrected sample segments, as needed, to the ISU server, and notify the COR concurrent with transmission.

D. The Contractor's team leaders and/or data collectors may be required to participate in additional quality assurance calibrations during the data collection period, if and when the circumstances warrant, as determined solely by the CO and/or COR. An announcement of need and justification of the requirement for additional quality assurance activities involving the Contractor staff will be transmitted in writing to the Contractor by the Contracting Officer and/or COR. These additional quality assurance calibrations would be in addition to those described elsewhere in this SOW, and intended to redress a specific technical need. Once requested by NRCS in writing, the Contractor shall affirmatively respond within seven (7) days of the date of NRCS request, and schedule a quality assurance calibration within 30 days of NRCS request at a time, date and place mutually agreed-upon by the parties.

10. Government Furnished Property, Materials, and Facilities

A. Government Furnished Property (GFP): The property supplied by the NRCS shall only be used for direct performance of the work specified in this contract. Use for purposes other than this contract is prohibited. NRCS will provide the following GFP items:

Hand-held computers loaded with the NRCS Computer Assisted Survey Instrument (CASI) software Spare batteries Cables and wall/vehicle chargers if available and applicable.

B. All GFP must be returned by the Contractor to the COR at the end of the performance period, as identified in Section E, in full working condition. The final invoice will not be processed for payment until all equipment have been returned, in good working order, to the COR or their designee.

C. Government Furnished Materials (GFM): The NRCS will provide GFM in the form of NRI sample segment casefile support materials including legal descriptions and photographs of each sample segment with the sample segment boundary and data collection segments located and labeled. Additional information may be provided by the NRCS. Materials will be delivered by the performance start date by mutual arrangement of the Contractor and NRCS. All NRI support materials provided shall be returned to the COR by the date identified in Section E, if requested. The Contractor final invoice will not be processed for payment until all requested equipment and NRI support materials have been returned, in good order, to the COR or their designee.

D. Government Furnished Facilities (GFF): NRCS may provide the Contractor temporary, intermittent use of Government workspace within NRCS facilities as needed and available. Use of Government workspace shall be coordinated with the COR in writing 14 calendar days prior to scheduled need, but is not guaranteed under this agreement. Contractor may travel in GOV vehicles on occasion, but not operate them without specific written authorization.

E. Contractor Responsibility for GFP and GFM: The Contractor shall notify the COR in writing within two working days after the discovery of lost, damaged, or destroyed GFP, GFF, or GFM. The notification shall include the specific Property Number or other identifying codes and property nomenclature; the circumstances surrounding the loss, damage, or destruction; estimated cost of alleviating the problem, if appropriate; and the expected impact on provision of Contractor services. The Contractor may be held financially liable for any shortage, loss, damage, or destruction of GFP or GFF as determined by the contracting officer (CO).

11. Contractor Furnished Property

The Contractor shall furnish all property, etc. to perform this contract that is not specifically identified as GFP, GFM or GFF above.

12. Communications

"As-needed" teleconferences with NRCS shall be scheduled whenever requested by the CO, COR, or the Contractor to review items including progress, questions relating to the project, work revisions, or decisions needed when involving expediting/delaying the completion of the contract. All contracting inquiries shall be directed only to the CO. All technical inquiries shall be directed only to the COR. Communications can be verbal or in written form, via email, text, phone, or hand-delivered. The CO or COR may also request follow-up written communications regarding any specific inquiry.

13. Progress Review and Invoice Procedures

Progress reports detailing work accomplished for the period will be transmitted to the COR every 30 days following initiation of data collection activities, as detailed below. Progress reports may be as brief as a report of no data collected for the period, but are still required.

Any field work represented as “complete” in the ISU system shall be viewed by the COR as eligible for immediate government quality assurance and control auditing.

The designation of “complete” includes having uploaded all required on-site photo imagery meeting Handbook standards to the ISU server and providing notice to the COR or their designee in writing, prior to invoicing. Invoices will be rejected if not accompanied by properly formatted uploads of point site imagery as required in the Handbook.

Invoices for work completed in the monthly Progress Report shall be submitted to the COR no earlier than 7 business days after submission of said monthly progress report, but no later than 15 business days after submission of that monthly progress report. For example:

May 15, 2026 Contractor begins data collection June 15, 2026 First Monthly progress report is due June 25, 2026 Earliest date First Invoice can be submitted to IPP for data collection Seven (7) business days following June 15 July 8, 2026 Latest date First Invoice can be submitted to IPP for data collection Fifteen (15) business days following June 15

Invoices are submitted electronically through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). Completed work properly invoiced by the Contractor will normally be approved in IPP within three (3) business days of IPP invoicing. Invoices may be rejected as a result of missing onsite photo images uploaded to the NRI site, technical issues, non-conformance with the contract requirements, or absence of an itemized list of segments by county submitted for payment. Final Invoice for this contract year must be submitted by 4PM October 17, 2026.

Final invoice will be automatically rejected unless and until all remaining segment data and site photo images have been uploaded to ISU servers, QA’d, including review of segments identified as inaccessible/ineligible.

Invoices may also be rejected unless sufficient documentation related to ineligible, inaccessible, and/or private land access permissions accompany the invoice, as explained elsewhere in this SOW.

14. Changes

Throughout the contract period, the Contractor may anticipate government-directed changes in data collection instructions and data collection software. Directives outlining these changes may be written communications, or verbal followed up by written communications. The Contractor shall immediately implement changes to processes approved by the CO and COR that result in a decrease to or no change in the contract price. Requests documenting the decreased cost will be submitted within 10 working days. Any changes that result in decreases or increases in cost can only be approved by the CO. A proposal showing the revised work and changed cost must be submitted to the CO and approved in a written modification before commencing the change in work.

15. Payment Payment will only be made for deliverables that meet contract quality standards and protocols of this SOW and are successfully submitted and accepted. Payment for invoices shall be made in accordance with the contract requirements as outlined below under items 1 – Full Payment; 2 – Non-Payment; and 3 – Partial Payment, below.

A. Full Payment: Payments shall be made in accordance with the contract requirements at the unit price of per point, for the work at each assigned point within assigned sample segment. Sample points within an assigned segment become eligible for unit payment, as described in Section F. of this SOW.

The Contractor invoice shall list in an attachment to the IPP invoice those points subject to the invoice and completed since the last invoice. Payment will only be made for a completed data point (as defined above) that meets contract quality standards and is transmitted to the ISU server and accepted by Government. Invoices for this deliverable shall be submitted against the CLIN titled “Federal Points” or “Non-Federal Onsite Private Grazing Land (OPGL) Points”, whichever is applicable.

The final invoice will be processed for payment once all assigned points are documented as complete or otherwise evaluated and communicated for non-payment or partial payment. Final invoice payments will be rejected if any GFP or GFM have not been returned to the COR following the close of the data collection year (see Section E).

B. Non-Payment

No payment will be made for points where no, or incomplete, NRI data has been collected. The final invoice will not be processed for payment until all GFP and GFM have been returned to the COR.

No payment will be made for points if all required site photo images have not met quality standards identified in the Handbook and have been properly uploaded to ISU servers.

Points with obvious topographic, geologic, or other CLEARLY observable hazards identified using publicly available ancillary sources shall be classified as “inaccessible office” and are not subject to payment. Contractor shall consult with COR as needed to confirm an “inaccessible office” determination before attempting access to the segment point.

Points determined to be inaccessible-office will not be subject to payment, or partial payment, under this agreement. No payment will be made for any contracted points where permission to transit non-federal lands was required but not sought by the contractor in coordination with the local BLM office.

Points where the land use type can be readily determined on sequential aerial imagery provided by the Government or otherwise commonly accessible to the Contractor as not meeting a land use type definition subject to data collection per the Handbook definitions and guidelines (e.g. 4-lane highways, roof-tops, baseball fields, active mines, etc.), are to be designated inaccessible-office and are not subject to payment. Contractor may consult with COR as needed to make a “inaccessible office” determination before attempting access to the segment point.

C. Partial Payments

Partial payments for data collection activities at any segment/point determined ‘ineligible’ may be made in this contract under these conditions:

· Partial payments may apply, under certain circumstances. Partial payments for data collection activities at any point determined to be “inaccessible-field or not required” may be made as enumerated in this contract.

· Points may be designated “inaccessible office” in circumstances where the site map, commonly used ancillary references, GIS or other data, or previous inventory attempts indicates the point is CLEARLY ineligible or inaccessible”, as discussed in the Handbook. Contractor will consult with COR as needed to make a “inaccessible office” determination before attempting access to the segment point.

· Partial payments will not be made if no Contractor staff travel costs are accrued towards completing an “inaccessible office” point. Partial payments may not be approved if no other successful data collection on other accessible, nearby points were successfully completed by the Contractor within two workdays following the attempted access to the “inaccessible office” point.

· Contracted points may be subject to partial payment of the Contractor’s unit data collection payment rate, at the sole discretion of the COR. Here, the Contractor must have attempted travel to the segment point, as documented by field capture of a GPS waypoint and a photograph at the closest possible location the Contractor was able to traverse to; and while attempting to do access, was prevented inventory due to one or more of the following circumstances:

i) A locked gate (Requires a photograph of the locked gate as documentation).

ii) The only way to access the point is by traversing very steep, and/or dangerous terrain, consistent with previous attempts by NRI staff to access the point.

iii) A subsequent change in ownership resulting in denied permission to access point (Requires documentation of new ownership to be provided).

iv) Point is greater than 2.5 miles from a road or trail, consistent with previous inventory attempts by NRI staff to access the point (Contractor shall document on a topographic map).

v) Change in land use/cover at the point, unbeknownst to the Contractor and not discernable from most recent imagery, that causes the land use/cover selection to dis-quality the point from inventory as assigned where current or post-wildfire hazards put personnel at an unreasonable risk of injury.

vi) Road washouts or similar travel hazards prevent access (Contractor shall document by a GPS waypoint location and a photograph of the barrier).

vii) Permission to access the point(s) is withdrawn by the private landowner after the Contractor has begun to incur travel costs (documentation required).

viii) Other conditions or circumstances deemed reasonable by the COR

16. Reference Materials

A. Instructions from the most current, or the 2025 NRI Handbook of Instructions for Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection https://grazingland.cssm.iastate.edu/reference-materials

B. Appendix C - Landowner Contact Guide, Access Record, and Contact Letter Example https://grazingland.cssm.iastate.edu/reference-materials

C. Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils USDA NRCS. ftp://ftp fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NSSC/Field Book/FieldBookVer2.pdf/

D. Technical Reference 1734-4, 1999, Sampling Vegetation Attributes http://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/techref.htm/

E. NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, Wyoming: https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/state/WY/documents

F. NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook, 1997 as amended http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/landuse/rangepasture/?&cid=ste lprdbl043084

G. Technical Reference 1734-6 2005, Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, Version 4 http://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/techref.htm/

H. USDA NRCS National Plants Database at http://plants.usda.gov/java/

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