Attachment_1_Statement_of_Work_1.pdf

Statement of Work

Las Animas County Tribal Landscape

Royal Gorge Field Office

Bureau of Land Management

I. Purpose

a. The purpose of this project is to complete a landscape level ethnographic study of the Las

Animas County area of Colorado. This study will 1) aid BLM in the management of cultural and natural resources within the region through ethnographic research and partnership with traditionally associated tribal communities, 2) provide opportunities for elders and cultural experts from associated tribal communities to participate in onsite field research to share Indigenous Knowledge and preliminarily identify natural and cultural resources of cultural significance, 3) solicit additional tribal input regarding future ethnographic, Traditional Cultural Property, ethnobotanical, traditional use and/or cultural landscape studies, 4) (only as appropriate and approved by the participating

Tribe(s)) generate tribally-approved educational and public outreach material to be used both in tribal communities, BLM, and local communities. As part of this project, the

BLM Archaeologist will also be conducting targeted inventory of BLM surface and approved other lands in order to enhance our understanding of what cultural sites remain.

II. Statement of Work

a. Background

The Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan (ECRMP) directs the Royal Gorge

Field Office (RGFO) to “in collaboration with tribes, develop an inventory program to annually seek out and record at least one ecological landscape and the culturally sensitive locations within it. Document traditional cultural properties, sacred sites, traditional uses, and cultural landscapes.”

The RGFO has selected Las Animas County, an area in southeastern Colorado that encompasses Pinyon Canyon Maneuver Site (US Army) and portions of the Comanche

National Grasslands (USFS), which show a high density of indigenous cultural resources.

Apache, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute, and other Tribes lived in this region in the past and many vestiges of their lives are still present. This region has been identified by

Tribes as an area of tribal significance, including being an important Comanche migration route.

b. General Description of Work

The Contractor will complete an ethnographic study of the Las Animas County area.

Multiple tribes see themselves as connected to this landscape. Ethnographic data will help the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office (RGFO) with its management of BLM administered lands and sub surface minerals in this area. This project proposes to compile and archive cultural information in the region, for the benefit of current and future generations of

Tribes. The project would support research that expands knowledge of Tribal resources and contributes to science-based decisions, based on tribal information. The project would have the benefit of identifying traditional cultural properties, sacred sites, traditional uses, and cultural landscapes within Las Animas County.

Completion of the ethnographic study will include:

i. Compiling and synthesizing existing ethnographic and ethnohistorical data for the region.

ii. Reviewing known late prehistoric, protohistoric, and historic aboriginal site records within the study area.

iii. Sharing results of the literature review with Tribal representatives to identify locations for field visits and discuss potential ethnographic significance and management considerations.

iv. Organizing and conducting field visits with Tribal representatives to identify traditional cultural properties or landscapes within the study area.

v. Conducting interviews with Tribal cultural resource staff as well as additional

Tribal representatives about cultural and natural resources, physical environmental features, places, and landscapes by using both formal and informal ethnographic methods.

vi. Developing a final report including ethnographic results and management recommendations. A portion of the report needs to contain a component that is available for external use that does not contain confidential information.

vii. Tribal traditional cultural values need to be determined and potential impacts from land management decisions need to be outlined.

Completion of this project would be done in a phased approach as detailed in the table below.

c. Location of Study Area: Las Animas County, Colorado

d. Contractor Furnished Material:

i. The Contractor will furnish qualified personnel (See 43 CFR 7.8 and BLM

Manual 8150.2), transportation, and all field equipment needed for the project.

ii. The Contractor will also be responsible for coordinating with Tribes during the literature review and during field visits.

e. BLM Furnished Material:

i. BLM will provide access to existing cultural files for site record review.

ii. BLM will be available to help answer questions and provide data and a copier for completing the records review.

iii. BLM will provide on the ground support for site visits.

f. Timeline

Year 1:

Task Description Target Timeline*

1 Preliminary research, scoping meetings, travel to/for tribal outreach

Fall/Winter 2024/25

2 Kick off Meeting with all partners Spring 2025

3 On Reservation Interviews or Site Field Visits Summer 2025

4 Transcribe interviews and begin analyzing data Fall/Winter 2025/2026

Year 2:

Task Task Description Target Timeline

5 Annual Report from Year 1 September 2025

6 On Reservation Interviews or Site Field Visits Summer 2026

7 Transcribe interviews and begin analyzing data Fall/Winter 2026/2027

Year 3:

Task Task Description Target Timeline

8 Annual Report from Year 2 September 2026

9 On Reservation Interviews or Site Field Visits Summer 2027

10 Transcribe interviews and begin analyzing data Fall/Winter 2028/2027

Year 4:

Task Task Description Target Timeline

11 Compile Draft Report Spring 2027

12 Conduct Tribal Review Sessions Summer 2027

13 Complete Final Report Fall 2027

14 Manager’ summary suitable for broad public dissemination Fall 2027

III. Qualifications

a. Contractor must show their company has the ability and capacity to manage a project of this nature and scope.

i. Contractor will qualify under Appendix II Professional Qualifications:

Ethnography in the National Park Service (NPS) National Register Bulletin #38:

Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Traditional Cultural Properties.

b. Past Experience

i. Previous experience conducting and completing Ethnographic studies.

ii. Previous experience conducting interviews and site visits with Native American

Tribal members.

IV. Performance

a. Security and Safety

i. The Contractor will ensure compliance with all applicable security regulations, and all Program security operations requirements, for facility access, and handling of materials.

ii. The Contractor must comply with local security requirements for entry and exit control for personnel and property at the Government facility.

iii. Sensitive and Non-Public Agency Data: Maps and associated data provided to the

Contractor may contain sensitive information. Therefore, no data/materials provided to the Contractor may be made available to parties/individuals outside of the BLM and/or Contractor’s employees without clear written approval by the

BLM. After completion of the project, the Contractor must return or destroy their copies of maps and data that are not contained within the final deliverables.

b. Standards

i. The Contractor shall follow all established BLM, DOI, laws, regulations, guidelines, processes, and procedures.

c. Payment

i. The Contractor will be paid upon completion of each task upon receipt and acceptance of deliverables for each task. Meeting(s) will be held as needed between the Contractor and the RGFO to facilitate communications, progress of contract, and the need of any work corrections, extensions, holdovers, or modifications.

d. Deliverables Schedule

i. At the end of Task 1 the contractor will submit to the RGFO for approval of payment for 1/3 of payment.

ii. At the end of Task 5 (If option year is added, the payment schedule will be adjusted accordingly) the contractor will submit to the RGFO for approval for 1/3 of payment.

iii. At the end of Task 11 the contractor will submit to the RGFO for approval of final payment.

iv. All data and products created and produced by Contractor will be delivered to the

RGFO. However, confidential data may be exempt from this requirement per request of the Contractor or Tribal representatives.

V. Key Personnel:

a. The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel who will have the full authority to act on behalf of the Contractor during performance of efforts hereunder:

i. To be determined during negotiations (Individual names shall be included in the resultant contract as an attachment. Revisions in accordance with the provisions of this clause will be made by superseding letters to be included as a bilateral contract modification).

ii. Supervision shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Any Contract employee problems in performance, attendance, or other personal problems shall be referred to the On-Site Supervisor to be referred on to the Contractor.

b. The Contractor shall make no substitutions of those personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, termination of employment, or otherwise approved by

RGFO. The Contractor shall notify RGFO within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide information required by paragraph (c) below. After the initial year, the Contractor shall submit the information required at least 15 calendar days prior to making any permanent substitution.

c. Substitution of key personnel shall require the written approval of the RGFO. The

Contractor shall provide an explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the RGFO. Proposed substitutions should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The RGFO will notify the

Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The key listing of personnel shall be modified by superseding letters as a bilateral contract modification as stated in (a) above.

i. The Government reserves the right to refuse any contractor employees recommended or referred by the Contractor.

VI. Professional Standards and Ethics:

a. All personnel furnished by the Contractor shall be fully qualified for the services they are assigned. If any services performed by an individual do not conform to the contract requirements, or jeopardize successful performance of the contract, the RGFO may require the Contractor to immediately remove the individual from the contract at no additional cost to the Government. The Contractor shall conduct only business covered by this contract during period paid for by the Government and shall not conduct any other business on Government premises. Contractor employees assigned to this contract shall not solicit business that may be within the scope of this contract.

VII. Pay and Benefits:

a. Regular hourly rates shall include fringe benefits, G&A, and overhead.

b. Holiday pay and vacation time shall be in accordance with the Wage Determination, and all revisions made to those Wage Determinations as they become effective.

c. Contractor personnel are not entitled to administrative leave for such functions as picnics, blood drives, luncheons, dedications, etc.

d. Contractor employees are not eligible to receive monetary awards from the Government.

VIII. Certified Employee Time Records:

a. The Contractor shall maintain certified employee time records for the life of the contract.

The records shall consist of a daily time log for each employee. The log shall be signed or initialed and certified as correct by the employee and the On-Site Supervisor. The time records for the period covered by an invoice shall be submitted with the invoice.

IX. Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement:

a. The Contractor shall hold harmless and indemnify the Government against any and all liability, claims, and costs of whatsoever kind and nature for injury to or death of any person or persons and for loss or damage to any property occurring in connection with, in any way incident to, or arising out of the occupancy, use, service, operation or performance of work under the terms of the contract, resulting in whole or in part from the negligence acts or omissions of the Contractor, any subcontractor, or any employee, agent, or representative of the Contractor or subcontractor.

X. Key Officials

Bureau of Land Management, Royal Gorge Field Office

Point of Contact

Alia Wallace, Archaeologist, awallace@blm.gov, (719) 426-1651

Erica Schell, Archaeologist, eschell@blm.gov (on leave till Fall 2024) mailto:awallace@blm.gov mailto:eschell@blm.gov