Attachment 1_SOW _SoCal NRI.pdf

Statement Of Work (SOW) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

National Resources Inventory (NRI) – Southern California Federal BLM Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection

A. 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 (1) 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 Southern California.

B. OBJECTIVE/SCOPE:

The objective is to acquire specified inventory data at data collection points found within selected sample segment boundaries on Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Southern California. Data will be collected 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 2026 Handbook), as referenced in Section P Reference Materials, and elsewhere. Sample segments are often located in remote areas on steep, rugged terrain. Access to segments may require 4-wheel drive vehicles and hiking long distances over rough terrain.

The Government anticipates the award of one (1) firm fixed-priced purchase order with a base period (FY26 measuring season) and 4 option periods (FY27 - FY30 measuring seasons) as a result from this solicitation. The number of Federal points for the option years are unknown. The specific segments and points are announced annually by the National NRI program manager during the second quarter of the Federal fiscal year. Spatial data will be provided which identifies the coordinates of each point for the fiscal year season.

Data collection will be conducted on public land managed by BLM. The NRCS will clear the points for data collection with BLM prior to release of the data to the contractor for data collection each season. The contractor can contact the local BLM office for directions if needed but should not rely solely on BLM for this information. If crossing private land to access the BLM site is necessary, the contractor will coordinate with the local BLM office and/or the local NRCS office to gain landowner permission to cross said private land. However, the contractor should not rely solely on the government for private landowner permission to cross private land. The contractor has ultimate responsibility to secure private landowner permission prior to accessing the site. Private landowners may refuse permission to access or cross their land to reach the points on the BLM land. When this occurs, the contractor will not enter or cross the private land and will not be paid for that point.

The Contractor shall enter the data collected into hand-held computers using NRCS approved software -the Computer Assisted Survey Instrument (CASI). All data is to be collected in accordance with National Resource Inventory Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection Handbook of Instructions (2026).

C. 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 agent authorized to enter, administer or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The 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 CO ensures sufficient funds are available for Government contractual obligations and that all contractors receive impartial, fair and 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 a Government employee that will serve as the COR.

The COR Appointment Letter details precisely what responsibilities are 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 the contract and will represent the CO 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. Segment (formerly referenced as Primary Sampling Unit or PSU) and Points. The NRI sample was selected on a county-by-county basis, using a stratified, two-stage, area sampling scheme. The two-stage sampling units are nominally square segments of land, and points within the segments. The segments are typically one-half mile-square parcel of land equivalent to 160-acre quarter-sections in the Public land Survey System, but there are some exceptions in the western and northeastern states. Three

(3) specific sample point locations are selected for most selected segments, although two (2) were selected for 40-acre segments in irrigated portions of some western States, and some segments originally contained only one (1) sample point. 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 (2) points for each sample segment.

D. 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.

E. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERABLES:

Attend NRCS sponsored Training Training and calibration must be completed prior to commencing field data collection. See Section H.

Field Data Collection Field Data collection may commence as early as March 15 of each year and must conclude no later than July 31st of each year. (Unless otherwise negotiated)

CASI data transmission

Sample segments must be electronically transferred to the Iowa State University (ISU) server no later than 15 days after commencing field data collection at the point. All segments (to include digital camera images meeting all 2026 Handbook requirements) must be returned to the ISU server no later than midnight August 15 each year.

Segment data deemed inaccessible in field determination

Required documentation must be delivered to the Government no later than 5 working days after determination property cannot be accessed to collect data.

Progress Reports and Invoicing Progress reports detailing work accomplished for the period will be transmitted to the COR every 30 days. Any work represented as “complete” shall be viewed as eligible for immediate government quality assurance and control auditing. Invoices for work completed shall be submitted to the COR no earlier than 10 business days AFTER submission of a progress report to ensure work invoiced has undergone quality audits prior to invoicing. Invoices are submitted electronically through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). Final Invoice to be submitted by 4PM August 30th of each year. Final invoice will be automatically rejected unless and until all remaining point data and site images have been uploaded to ISU servers, QA’d, including review of points identified as inaccessible.

Government Furnished Property/Material (GFP/GFM)

All GFP/GFM shall be returned to the Government no later than August 30th of each year.

Final Invoicing No later than August 30th of each year.

MAP 1. Expected NRI data collection periods across California

F. DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

1. The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, labor, materials and transportation required to perform the work in accordance with the contract specifications and applicable NRCS manuals, handbooks, technical releases and other releases transmitted by the COR.

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

a. (2) 150’ tapes with 0.1-inch increments

b. 6 to 10 survey pins

c. 6 to 10 wire flags

d. Compass

e. Clinometer

f. Soil auger or sharpshooter shovel

g. 10x magnifying lens for plant identification

h. Plant keys (including grass, forbs, and woody species)

i. Soil stability test kit (see Chapter 11 of the 2026 Handbook of instructions)

j. Deionized water (any noncarbonated bottled water except mineral water, for soil stability test)

k. Small spray bottle with very fine mist

l. Small bottle of 1N or 1M HCL for testing soil effervescence class

m. Soil knife

n. Penetrometer or steel rod for soil compaction detection

o. Metal dimeter tape (metric) with multimeter gradations

p. Laptop or desktop computer with the Microsoft™ operating system with communications hardware and software enabling connection to the internet.

q. Internet access to the ISU server for PSU/point data transmission

r. Transportation to and from sample sites.

s. Other items required, but not provided under this contract by the US Government

3. Overview of Work Quantity to Be Completed in Southern California NRI:

There are approximately 138 inventory segments with a maximum of 276 points selected for the 2026 data collection season. These segments are in Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino, and potentially adjacent counties (i.e. Imperial, Mono, Kern) in Southern California. Each inventory segment is roughly 160 acres in size and typically contains three (3) points; field data will be collected for a maximum of two (2) points at each segment. In some instances, only one (1) point within a specific segment may be available due to accessibility, eligibility, or cultural resource issues.

Data collection teams should consist of a team leader and at least one (1) 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 the completed point.

Data collection will be conducted on public land managed by BLM. The NRCS will clear the points for data collection with BLM prior to the release of the data to the contractor for data collection each season.

The Contractor will coordinate with the local BLM office for directions if needed but should not rely solely on BLM for this information. If crossing private land to access the BLM site is necessary, the Contractor will coordinate with the local BLM office and/or the local NRCS office to gain landowner permission to cross said private land. However, the Contractor should not rely solely on the Government for private landowner permission to cross private land. The Contractor has ultimate responsibility to secure private landowner permission prior to accessing the site. Private landowners may refuse permission to access or cross their land to reach the points on the BLM land. When this occurs, the Contractor will not enter or cross the private land and will not be paid for that point.

The Contractor shall collect data for the following elements in accordance with the standards outlined in the Handbook of Instructions for the NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection, reports, site locations maps and aerial photographs furnished by the COR. The data shall be free of errors and be collected in a logical order with a minimal number of trips to the field for data collection. To be considered complete, range data collection protocols will be collected for range points and certified by NRCS. Work shall begin on or about March of the current inventory year and be completed in accordance with the table set forth at section E (“Period of Performance”) of this SOW. The Handbook is available online; the link is listed in section P (“Reference Materials”). Highlights in the protocol are covered below.

a. 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 (or equal)

b. Transect Layout; (2) 150 foot linear transects NE/SW-NW/SE intersecting as an “X” at the 75-foot mark

c. (9) Digital photos of the transects and soil pit per point labeled as per instructions

d. Ownership – NRI ownership code

e. Land Cover/Use – NRI cover/use code

f. Soil Observation(s) Determine/verify the soil component

1) Dig a hole to a depth of at least 20 inches

2) Take a photo of the soil profile as per instructions

3) Conduct soil evaluation

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

5) Determine and select soil component

g. Landscape parameters

1) Vertical Slope Shape

2) Horizontal Slope Shape

3) Slope Percent

4) Slope Length

5) Slope Aspect

h. Ecological Site Information

1) Rangeland Cover Type Name

2) Historic Major Land Resource Area (MLRA)

3) Ecological Site Number

4) Ecological Site/Soil Correlation

5) Apparent Rangeland Trend

i. Rangeland Health - Indicators of Rangeland Health (17 attributes to achieve indicator summary of Soil/Site Stability, Biotic Integrity and Hydrologic Function)

j. Disturbance Indicators

k. Identification of Conservation Practices Applied and needed; Yes/No (14)

1) Brush management (314)

2) Prescribed Burning (338)

3) Pond (378)

4) Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380)

5) Fence (382)

6) Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)

7) Pipeline (516)

8) Prescribed Grazing (528)

9) Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment (548)

10) Range Planting (550)

11) Spring Development (574)

12) Trail and Walkways (575)

13) Watering Facility (614)

14) Water Well (642)

l. Identification of Resource Concerns; Yes/No

1) Soil erosion (6 concerns)

2) Soil condition (3 concerns)

3) Water quantity (3 concerns)

4) Water quality (2 concerns)

5) Plant condition (5 concerns)

6) Domestic Animals (1 concern)

m. Soil Stability Test – when insufficient root mat exists (9 samples)

n. Transect Vegetation Data

1) Line Point Transects for Cover Composition

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

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

4) There are 50 points on each transect

o. Line Intercept Transects: for Canopy Gaps

1) 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

2) Plant material may be dead or alive

3) Uses the same transects as the Line Point Transects

p. 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

California NRI BLM Grazing Lands workload for FY2026 and later, estimates for the option years are identified in Table 1 below. For FY2027 – FY2030 are estimated segment numbers. Final determination will be made each year by the National Lead. BLM county breakdown for FY 2026 is detailed in Table 2 below.

Table 1. BLM segments by Fiscal Year. Note numbers are estimates for FY27-30 and maybe different each year.

Fiscal Year BLM Segments 2026 138 2027 165* 2028 165* 2029 165* 2030 165*

Total 825*

Table 2. FY 26 BLM segment and point by county.

County (Code) # of Segment # of Points

Inyo (027) 29 58 Riverside (065) 17 34 San Bernardino (071) 92 184 Total 138 276

The Contractor shall collect data in full accordance with the standards outlined in the 2026 Handbook (see section P. Reference Materials), and/or as directed by the COR. The following identifies certain expectations during the contract period:

a. Segment site location maps and spatial data (coordinates of each point) will be made available to Contractors by the COR.

b. 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.

c. To be complete, range data collection protocols in the 2026 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.

d. NRI data shall be entered into the NRCS approved CASI software. Sample points and segments will be considered complete when all field data is collected and entered in 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 2026 Handbook, or as advised by the COR.

e. To ensure data safety and security, sample segment/point data elements must be electronically transferred to the ISU server no later than 15 days after commencing field data collection on sample points and segments.

f. Work shall begin and conclude in accordance with the table set forth at section E (Period of Performance) of this SOW.

G. REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/CONTRACTOR PROFICIENCY:

- Data is to be collected by data collection teams consisting of two (2) or more members; each team shall have a Team Leader and one (1) or more crew members.

- Data collection teams proposed by the offeror must, at a minimum, include an individual with at least six (6) semester-hours of soils courses (including at least one (1) course in Soil Morphology and in Soil Survey).

- The Contractor's Team Leader(s) must meet the qualifications described below.

Note: College transcripts, resumes and references will 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 nine (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, forages, 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-

c. One (1) 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 above, shall have experience in the following areas:

a. Working in rangeland management and conducting rangeland inventories on rangelands in western states.

b. Ecological Site Descriptions (ESD) (Technical Guide Sec II; Part F) and Forage Suitability Groups (Technical Guide Sec II; Part E)

c. Use Global Position System (GPS) equipment to navigate to the sample sites.

d. 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)

e. Apparent rangeland trend indicators

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

g. State-specific plant identification

h. Identification of resource concerns

i. Identification of disturbance indicators

j. NRCS Conservation Practice Standards

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

l. Vegetation cover, density, and height measurements

m. Soil stability measurements

n. Sagebrush identification and shape

Minimum crew member qualifications and requirements are as follows:

a. Data collectors must have a minimum of two (2) years of formal undergraduate training in biological or earth sciences.

Crew members shall have experience in the following:

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

b. 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)

c. Plant identification

d. Rangeland inventory

e. Vegetation sampling/monitoring

Use of additional personnel (other than those listed on the offer/bid) will be reviewed and approved by the COR prior to performance of work.

Physical Fitness. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor personnel meet the physical requirements to perform the function(s) and task(s) to which they are assigned. At all levels, the work involves regular and recurring prolonged walking over fields and rough terrain, bending, lifting and stretching when setting up and using survey instruments and equipment.

Subcontractors to be used in the performance of this Contract shall be submitted to the COR for concurrence prior to performance of work or any change. Subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same personnel requirements as specified herein. Subcontractor information shall include company names, contact names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

H. NRCS-PROVIDED TRAINING:

1. 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 regional or state-level. There will be no charge for the NRCS provided training. Contractors shall submit a list of all contractor staff requesting training, and the COR will authorize attendance through consultation with Contractor.

2. There are two (2) levels of authorization of data collectors: Technical/Team Leader and Crew Member

3. All Contractor field personnel must be authorized before collecting NRI grazing land data for each field season. Each field crew must have at least one (1) authorized team leader; all crew members collecting and inputting data must have at least crew member level authorization.

To be granted Team Leaders’ authorization, you must:

a. Have been previously qualified as a crew member and acted as a crew member for data collections at five or more points, led by an authorized team leader.

b. Have attended an NRCS approved NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection training for the year conducting data collection as a team leader. The current year training may be waived if the team leader was also a team leader the previous year, acted as team leader for data collections at five or more points, and attended an approved training session.

c. Successfully perform yearly calibration exercises; and

d. Sign an NRI confidentiality certification agreement.

To be granted Crew Member authorization, you must:

a. Have attended an NRCS approved NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection training. The current year training may be waived if the crew member was also a crew member in the previous year, conducted data collections at five or more points, and attended an approved training session.

b. Successfully perform assigned yearly calibration exercises; and

c. Sign an NRI confidentiality certification agreement.

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

5. In addition, all Contractor staff completing NRI data collection will be required to complete additional quality assurance calibration exercises onsite with the COR or designee during the data collection season.

All staff will be required to attend the calibration at a time, date, and location jointly determined by the COR and the Contractor.

I. QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA)/PERFORMANCE BASED REQUIREMENTS:

1. 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:

a. Task – Collection of NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection on BLM lands in Southern California.

b. Indicator(s) – Timeliness and Accuracy.

c. Standard – data accurately reflects field conditions at the assigned point, and meets the specifications as defined in the 2026 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 optimize the collection of seasonal rangeland attributes at the point but be completed by July 31 of each year as described in Section E, and with good quality as defined elsewhere in this SOW.

d. 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.

2. All Contractor work shall be performed in a professional manner in accordance with the 2026 Handbook and guidance provided by the COR, as applicable.

3. NRCS will provide for Quality Assurance Reviews (QAR) for a minimum of 10% of data collected 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 related 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 for the point. The Contractor will transmit corrected sample points and segments, as needed, to the ISU server, and notify the COR concurrent with transmission.

4. 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 COR and/or their designee. 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, under extraordinary circumstances intended to redress a specific technical need. Once requested by NRCS in writing, the Contractor would be required to affirmatively respond to this call for additional quality assurance calibrations at a time, date and place mutually agreed-upon by the parties within one (1) week of the date of NRCS request for this additional quality assurance requirement.

J. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND MATERIALS:

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

a. Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Smart Phone with CASI app, screen protector, and protective case

b. Bad elf Mini with Case + Cable

c. Portable charger/power bank

d. Car/wall charger + cable

All GFP/GFM must be returned in working conditions by the Contractor to the Government POC at the end of the performance period, as identified in Section E. The final invoice will be processed once all GFP/GFM has been returned.

2. Government Furnished Materials (GFM): The Government 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 points located and labeled. Materials will be delivered by the performance start date by mutual arrangement of the Contractor and the Government.

All NRI support materials provided shall be returned to the COR by the date identified in Section E, if requested.

3. Contractor Responsibility for GFP and GFM: The Contractor shall notify the COR in writing within two (2) working days after the discovery of lost, damaged, or destroyed GFP 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; 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 GFM as determined by the contracting officer (CO).

K. CONTRACTOR-PROVIDED PROPERTY:

The Contractor shall furnish all property, (outlined in Section F), etc. to perform this contract that is not specifically identified as GFP, or GFM above.

L. COMMUNICAITON:

"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 revised, or decisions which need to be made with the intention of expediting the completion of the contract. All contracting inquiries shall be directed to the CO and CS. All technical inquiries shall be directed to the COR.

Communications can be verbal or in written form, via email, text, or hand delivered. The CO or COR may also request follow-up written communication regarding any specific inquiry.

M. PROGRESS REVIEW:

Progress reports detailing work accomplished for the period will be transmitted to the COR every 30 days following initiation of data collection activities. 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, unless otherwise communicated to the COR by Contractor.

The designation of “complete” also includes having uploaded all on-site photo imagery to the ISU server and provided prior 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 2026 Handbook.

Invoices are submitted electronically through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). A minimum of one

(1) week prior to invoicing in IPP, a list of the completed segments/points shall be submitted to the COR and/or their designee for review. Any issues related to the quality or correctness of collected data will be corrected by the contractor as soon as possible.

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

Invoices may also be rejected unless sufficient documentation have been provided for points deeded Inaccessible in Field, as explained in Section O.

N. CHANGES:

Throughout the period of this contract the contractor can expect to receive 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. A proposal documenting the decreased cost will be submitted within 10 working days. Any changes that result in changes in price shall be approved by the CO. A proposal showing the revised work and increased costs must be submitted to the CO and approved in a written modification before commencing the change in work.

O. 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 in items 1 – Full Payment; 2 – Non-Payment; and 3 – Partial Payment below.

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

The Contractor invoice shall list in an attachment to the IPP invoice, the points subject to the specific invoice and completed since the last invoice. Payment will only be made for a completed data point (as defined above) that meet contract quality standards and is transmitted to the ISU server and accepted by the Government. Invoices for this deliverable shall be submitted against the CLIN titled “Federal Points”.

The 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/GFM have not been returned to the Government POC following the close of the data collection year (See Section E).

2. Non-Payment: No payment will be made for points where there are no or incomplete NRI data collected.

Points shall be designated as ‘Inaccessible in Office” and no field visit shall be attempted in circumstances where the site map, commonly used ancillary references, GIS or other data, or previous inventory attempts indicate the point is CLEARLY ineligible or inaccessible as discussed in the NRI Handbook. The Contractor shall consult with the COR as needed, to confirm an ‘Inaccessible in Office” determination prior to attempting to gain access to the point. Points deemed ‘Inaccessible in Office’ will not be subject to payment or partial payment under this contract.

Points where the Contractor is unable to obtain permission from private landowners to cross their property for access to the BLM site, will not be visited and therefore not subject to payment or partial payment under this contract.

3. Partial Payments: Partial payments may apply under certain circumstances. Partial payments for data collection activities at any point determined to be ‘Inaccessible in Field’ may be made as enumerated under this contract.

Points are deemed as “Inaccessible in Field” after the contractor has attempted travel to them and the following conditions are met:

1. In the event transit across private land is necessary to access the BLM segment, permission was obtained from the private landowner.

2. Contractor notifies the Government POC regarding access problems within 5 working days of attempted access, and

3. Contractor must physically have attempted travel to the point and document it by field capture of a

GPS waypoint at the nearest location the Contractor was able to traverse to before concluding access was not possible. This field-captured GPS location shall be provided to the COR or their designee, and

4. While attempting to access the point, Contractor was prevented from accessing the point by any of the following circumstances:

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

b. 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.

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

d. 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);

e. 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-qualify the point from inventory as assigned (photograph as documentation)

f. Where current or post-wildfire hazards put personnel at an unreasonable risk of injury.

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

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

i. Other conditions or circumstances deemed reasonable by the COR.

For Points Deemed Inaccessible in Field, payment will only be made after the required documentation has been reviewed and accepted by the COR or their designee. Documentation may include but is not limited to:

a. GPS coordinates of location where access was impeded

b. Dated photographs of access situation (locked gate, washed out road, etc.)

c. a detailed description of the circumstances which prevented data collection at the point.

Payment will be made for a maximum of two (2) points per segment.

P. REFERENCE MATERIALS:

1. Instructions, NRI Handbook of Instructions for Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection https://grazingland.cssm.iastate.edu/site-data-collection-handbook-instructions

2. Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils Version 4.0; USDA NRCS https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/field-book-for-describing-and-sampling-soils

3. Technical Reference 1734-4, 1999, Sampling Vegetation Attributes; see https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2021- 02/Sampling%20Vegetation%20Attributes_1999_1734-4.pdf https://grazingland.cssm.iastate.edu/site-data-collection-handbook-instructions https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/field-book-for-describing-and-sampling-soils https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/field-book-for-describing-and-sampling-soils https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2021-02/Sampling%20Vegetation%20Attributes_1999_1734-4.pdf https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2021-02/Sampling%20Vegetation%20Attributes_1999_1734-4.pdf

4. NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, select California; see https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/

5. NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook, Revision 1, December 2003 https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/animals/livestock/national-range-and-pasture-handbook

6. Technical Reference 1734-6 2020, Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, Version 5; see https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/Interpreting_Indicators_1734-6_ver5_08272020 %281%29.pdf

7. Ecological Site Descriptions; https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/catalogs/esd

8. USDA NRCS National Plants Database; see http://plants.usda.gov/index.html

9. USDA NRCS Plants Invasive; see https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants

10. California Invasive Plant Species; see https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/inventory/

End -https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/ https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/animals/livestock/national-range-and-pasture-handbook https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/natural-resource-concerns/animals/livestock/national-range-and-pasture-handbook https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/Interpreting_Indicators_1734-6_ver5_08272020%20%281%29.pdf https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/Interpreting_Indicators_1734-6_ver5_08272020%20%281%29.pdf https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/catalogs/esd http://plants.usda.gov/index.html https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/inventory/ https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/inventory/

3. Contractor Responsibility for GFP and GFM: The Contractor shall notify the COR in writing within two (2) working days after the discovery of lost, damaged, or destroyed GFP or GFM. The notification shall include the specific property number or othe...