Attachment_1_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Cima Dome Packing Services Contract

Mojave National Preserve

PART 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION

The intent of this project is for the contractor to use pack animals to haul water jugs and crates of Joshua trees seedlings approximately 2.5 miles to a remote site within federally designated Wilderness near the town of Cima, California in the Mojave National Preserve.

In August 2020, Mojave National Preserve experienced one of the worst wildfires in recorded history.

The Dome Fire burnt over 44,000 acres in one the largest and densest Joshua tree forests in the world. It is estimated that over 1 million Joshua trees were killed in the fire. Researchers have been working on computer models to predict how Joshua tree populations will respond to climate change. They have identified large areas throughout their current range where suitable environmental conditions will no longer exist. The areas where suitable conditions will continue to exist are called climate refugia. The Dome Fire burn perimeter almost exactly overlaps with one of these climate refugia. Joshua trees also have a very poor seed dispersal rate due to the loss of its co-evolving natural seed disperse, the giant ground sloth. These ground sloths could move seed many miles in a single generation. Currently, the only seed disperser is a tiny antelope ground squirrel which usually travels no more than 100 ft from its burrow. Therefore, Joshua trees can only migrate about 100ft in a single generation which is roughly 20 years. In Fall 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) began a project to plant 4,000 Joshua trees over 4 years to help jump start seed production in the worst areas of the fire where Joshua trees are not likely to recolonize naturally. Planting events occur every fall, usually in October. Plants will also need to be watered throughout year. Some planting sites are located more than 3 miles from the nearest road.

Therefore, NPS identified a site that was central to a remote restoration area where plants and water could be delivered via pack animal to maximize the efficiency of staff and volunteers.

1.1 DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The contractor will use pack animals to transport water, Joshua Trees, and fencing materials to a single drop sight (see map below). This requirement is for the transportation and loading/unloading of the items only. All tree-planting and watering will be performed by NPS staff once the items have been delivered.

All items will be packed out by NPS staff. This requirement consists of one base year and one option year:

Contract Period Period of Performance Base Year 09/30/2023 – 09/29/2024 Option Year 09/30/2024 – 09/29/2025

A. Water will be contained within 5-gallon plastic carboys (water jugs) provided by the NPS. Up to

120 gallons will be delivered to the site 2 times for the base year and 2 times for the options year.

(October 2023, March 2024, October 2024, and March 2025). Each jug will weigh approximately 45-50 Lbs. each when full.

B. Joshua tree saplings will be contained within 16x16 (width x length) inch open-top crates. Plants extend approximately 4-6 inches above the top of the crate and so they cannot be stacked. Up to 20 crates of plants will be delivered to the same location 1 time for the base year and 1 time for the option year (October 2023, October 2024). Each crate will weigh approximately 35-40 lbs.

C. The fencing materials include approximately 75 feet of 24-inch chicken wire and 10 pieces of 30-inch rebar. The fencing material will weigh approximately 20 lbs total.

D. The contractor will contact NPS staff, Erin Knight (502-640-7731) or Ryan McRae (805-300- 2419), to setup a kickoff meeting during to be held during the last week of September, and will contact Erin or Ryan at least 2 months in advanced of the future delivery periods to schedule the event.

E. The contractor must be able to transport all material no later than three days from mobilization and must ensure a steady supply of materials so the NPS staff can continuously make progress on planting and watering the saplings.

F. Approximate Delivery Schedule:

Base year - October 2023 120 Gallons of water (24 x 5-gallon jugs) Up to 16 crates of Joshua trees

Base Year - March 2024 120 Gallons of water (24 x 5-

Option Year - October 2024 120 Gallons of water (24 x 5-

Up to 16 crates of Joshua trees

Option Year - March 2025 120 Gallons of water (24 x 5-

1.2 LOCATION:

A. This project is located on Cima Dome approximately 68 miles southwest of Las Vegas, NV and 82 miles east of Barstow, CA (or 25 miles east of Baker, CA) within the Mojave National Preserve. The drop site is located off an old, closed road at the coordinates: 35.259661, -

115.629876 (see map below). This location is within federally designated Wilderness which prohibits the use of motorized tools or mechanized transport. The closest point vehicles can access the site is from the end of Deer Spring Road at the coordinates: 35.285147, -115.610623.

1.3 CONTRACTOR’S USE OF PREMISES:

A. Construction Camp: No human camping at Deer Springs will be permitted. Overnight corralling of pack animals may be permitted in the Deer Springs corral upon approval from Wildlife Biologists, Neal Darby (760-590-9304) or Michael Burchett (760-221-0689). Dispersed camping is allowed at any other previously established campsite in the Preserve. Please contact CORs to get a list of suitable locations near Deer Springs.

B. Contractor shall at all times conduct his operations to ensure the least inconvenience to the public.

Road closures will not be permitted.

C. Waste Disposal: The Contractor is fully responsible for containing all waste generated by the horses, removing all waste from the Project Site and the Park, and disposing of it in a legal manner outside of the park. No Government waste containers shall be used for collection or disposal of construction waste and/or trash resulting from the Work and/or Contractor’s personnel.

1 .4 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

A. None

1 .5 FIELD VERIFICATION & EXAMINATION OF SITE

A. All bidders are urged to visit the job site and examine existing conditions before submitting bids.

All bidders will be held to have the same knowledge concerning the site and the on-ground conditions as if they had inspected the job site.

1 .6 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

A. No packing materials will be Government furnished.

PART 2 – DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall complete and submit the following deliverables in a timely fashion (as soon as feasible after award) to the NPS contacts listed below:

• Plan for hauling materials: equipment used, estimated time frames, etc.

• Safety Plan

PART 3 – NPS ROLES AND CONTACT INFORMATION

• Contracting Officer; final authority on contractual matters: Caleb Overbaugh, Contract Specialist. (801) 696-0366. (caleb_overbaugh@nps.gov)

• Contracting Officer’s Representative; field point of contact for logistics:

o Erin Knight, Vegetation Specialist, Mojave National Preserve, (502) 640-7731, Erin_Knight@nps.gov o Ryan McRae, Vegetation Specialist, Mojave National Preserve, (805) 300-2419, Ryan_McRae@nps.gov

Overview Map