Attachment 2 - Statement of Work ANF BAT 2024 - UPDATED.docx

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

DIVISION 100 – GENERAL DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS

110 - Scope of Contract – The scope of this contract is to conduct mist-net surveys of locations in the Bradford and Marienville Ranger Districts of the Allegheny National Forest. Emphasis will be placed on northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), tri-colored bat (Pipistrellus subflavin), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).

The location of each net set will be recorded using NAD83 conus datum or NAD83 Zone 17 North for UTM.

The Contractor will furnish all the supervision, labor, transportation, and other incidentals, except as otherwise provided by the Government. Government provided items are listed in section 140 below.

111 – Contract Period: Mist netting must occur between June 15 and August 15th unless an exemption is made by the Allegheny National Forest.

112 – A draft report will be submitted to the COR no later than October 31, 2024.

113 – The final report must be submitted to the COR no later than December 31, 2024.

114 – Contractor or QBS will be required to attend a Pre-work Conference prior to beginning work. The purpose of this meeting will be to review the contract, safety plan requirements, and the distribution of USFS vehicle identification placard, USFS gate key sign out, USFS MVUM map, transmitters, and transfer of telemetry receiver and/or other USFS equipment as outlined in the ‘Government Agencies shall provide section’. The conference will take place at the Bradford Ranger District (29 Forest Service Drive Bradford, PA 16701) at a time that is mutually agreeable to the contractor and Allegheny National Forest personnel.

115 – The Contractor during the normal course of duties, will exercise extreme care to protect all visitors and their property from injury, harm, and/or damage. The Contractor shall be liable for any and all such claims arising from negligence resulting from performance under this contract. The Contractor will not hold the Allegheny National Forest liable for the unlawful removal/damage of any personal or Government furnished equipment during the performance of this contract.

120 – Location and Description:

121 - Areas to be mist-netted are located on the Bradford and Marienville Ranger Districts of the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania. Areas to be surveyed occur in the following counties: McKean, Warren, Forest, and Elk. Maps located in Bid Items attachment.

122 - Private ownership lands are scattered within the Proclamation Boundary of the ANF. Boundaries are not consistently well marked. Permission to drive, park, or walk on these lands must be secured from the landowner by the Contractor.

123 – The project areas may be accessed by County, Township, State, oil/gas/lease, or Forest Service System roads. Vehicle travel must be on established roads unless otherwise approved by the Forest Service. The Forest Service assumes no obligation to perform special maintenance to keep roads open. Some Forest Service Roads may be barricaded by water bars, earthen barrier or boulders equating to foot travel access only.

A. Forest Service System roads are marked with a sign post next to the road.

B. The use of any vehicles will be subject to conditions of the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) September 30, 2016. The MVUM shows which roads, trails, and areas of the National Forest that are designated for motor vehicle use pursuant of 36 CFR 212.51. The MVUM will be provided to the contractor.

130 – Contract Administration:

131- The Contracting Officer (CO) will designate a Contracting Officers Representative (COR) for the purpose of insuring compliance with the specifications and provisions of the contract.

140 – Government Furnished Property:

The Forest Service shall make available to the Contractor the materials, supplies, property, or services (hereinafter referred to as "government furnished property) as listed below. The Contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage of the items provided by the Government until completion and acceptance of final report as required in this contract. The items listed below will be available to the Contractor at the time and place of the pre-work conference. The Government furnished property will be returned to the Forest Service upon contract completion.

List of items available to the Contractor during the Pre-work conference prior to start of work:

1. ANF Forest map

2. Topographic maps of site locations

3. 30 radio transmitters Nanotag system

4. Gate keys (1 per crew)

5. Flagging

6. Radio receiver (3) Antennae (3)

7. ANF placards for vehicle identification 150 – Contractor Furnished Property - At a minimum, equipment necessary to:

a. Survey and successfully capture bats in a forested setting including mist nets, poles, ropes and pullies.

b. Accurately measure and record information required per this contract including GPS unit, clip boards, data sheets, writing implements, scales, ruler, camera, holding bags, thermometers, wind speed recorders, head lamps.

c. Appropriately attach transmitter to a bat including solder gun, surgical glue, and scissors or razor to remove fur.

160 – Substitution of Personnel:

During the course of the contract, the Contractor may add or replace any personnel, only after reviewed by the COR and obtaining written approval. All substitutions must comply with the minimum level of expertise required for the total net sets deployed any given survey night.

170 – Housekeeping:

a. All refuse resulting from the Contractor’s operations shall be removed from National Forest lands.

b. Open campfires will not be permitted during netting activity.

180 – Special Uses and Easements:

Oil and gas wells, pipelines and power lines are a common occurrence on National Forest land. Driving on pipeline or power line easements is not permitted.

DIVISION 200 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

210 – Netting location Mist netting sites will be on the Allegheny National Forest in areas delineated on maps, as ½ mile radius. Actual locations will be within the ½ mile designated areas and will be selected by the Contractor / QBS with input from Forest Service biologists. Sites will be chosen to maximize the likelihood of capturing the target species. To assist in site location, maps will be furnished by the Forest Service, who will have final approval of selected locations. The location of each net set will be recorded using NAD83 conus datum or NAD83 Zone 17 North.

211 – Mist Net Surveys Mist nets will be operated during nighttime hours to determine the species of bat(s) using these areas during summer months. Beginning and ending temperature, time, cloud cover, and wind speed will be recorded on an accepted data sheet. Each net set will be opened and monitored for five hours commencing at dusk. A minimum of two net sets greater than 30 meters apart will be established for each of the two nights of survey. Each net set will be checked at regular intervals of approximately 10 minutes and not to exceed 15 minutes. The scope of this contract is on a per site basis. Therefore, the contractor is responsible for any additional time beyond the two complete net sets (i.e., rain-outs or other situations that necessitate extra net-night efforts to meet the technical specifications outlined for this contract).

Mist nets will remain opened for the entirety of the designated sample times for each survey night.

The following information must be collected and recorded on accepted data sheets for all bats captured:

a. Species identification

b. Sex, age, reproductive condition

c. Time, date, ambient temperature at capture

d. Forearm length, digital images

e. Weight All bats captured must be released within 1 hour of capture at the location of capture.

211.1 Target Bats:

After a bat has been radio-tagged, it is the contractor’s / QBS responsibility to notify the COR the following day and then locate that bat during the day for the next two (2) consecutive days following capture, though days do not need to be consecutive if weather makes it unsafe to proceed on a given day. The identified roost locations will be GPS recorded, flagged in the field, and plotted on a topographic map for inclusion in both the draft and final report. A digital photo of the roost site and description of the roost to tree species will be provided to the COR during the survey period.

Transmitter distribution: Target Species

1. No more than 2 males of any species from a single site will be tagged. All captured females will receive transmitters up to 30 transmitters.

Any target species captured during this contract must be verified by color digital photographs of the face, tragus and calcar.

212 – Mist Net Specifications:

Nets will be of the finest and lowest visibility weights available (50 denier 2-ply polyester) which is denoted as 50/2 with a mesh size between 1 ¼ inch to 1 ¾ inch.

213 – Mist Net Placement:

Mist nets must be set perpendicular across corridors such as old logging roads, hiking trails, ponds, or streams. Net sets should fill the corridor from side to side and up to the canopy to eliminate potential bat escapes.

Depending on net size, two to three nets stacked may be required to reach the canopy in some areas. Nets will be hung in the standard manner to provide sag in the panels. Overstretched nets that eliminate panel bagging will not be permitted.

214 – Weather Condition Prohibiting Deployment or Suspending a Survey

a. Rain, steady drizzle, or heavy fog that would result in soaking the nets.

b. Temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

c. Sustained winds greater than 9mph for 30 minutes or more.

If weather conditions change and become unfavorable during a survey period, the COR will make the final determination as to whether the survey night is sufficient to meet the requirements of the contract.

215 – Vaccinations Required:

The Contractor and any crew members handling bats must have undergone and kept current the rabies pre-exposed vaccine series.

220 – Draft Report A digital draft of the final report must be submitted to the COR by October 31, 2024. The Forest Service will have 30 days to review the draft and provide written comments to the contractor. The following information will be required in the draft report and supplied to the Forest Service:

· Topographic map showing the locations of all net sets with labels.

· Each site location recorded using UTM’s (NAD83 UTM Zone 17) coordinate system in decimal degrees.

· A topographic map (at a scale of 1:24,000) showing roost sites of each radio telemetered bat.

· A data sheet from each net set location that will include the following information on all bats captured: species of bats caught, sex, reproductive status, the date of capture, weather conditions, age, time of capture, and weight.

· A description of the forest structure and composition at each net site.

· Photographs of all Target species captured and a photograph of at least one individual of the other species captured during the contract.

· A summary of results (no recommendations) at the end of the contract that includes a compilation of results of all site data sheets (summary of species, sex, reproductive status, date, by net site), number of net nights, and habitat description of the areas netted.

· An electronic file (Thumb drive or external drive) of coordinates for each net site is required. Coordinates can be supplied in UTM’s (NAD 83 UTM Zone 17). The file name must indicate the net site number associated with each set of coordinates.

· All data must be recorded by net night and location. Data should be neat and legible. Unreadable or damaged data sheets will not be accepted.

230 – Final Report After review and acceptance of the draft report (Forest Service is required to complete review not later than November 30, 2024), by the Contracting Officer’s Representative, the Contractor must incorporate the review comments and submit 6 hardbound copies (including survey sheets) and 1 electronic copy (word format on thumb drive or external drive) of the final report to the Forest Service by December 31, 2024. All information obtained during the contract period becomes the property of the Forest Service. The Contractor will not disseminate information from this study or copies of the report to outside parties without the written consent of the Forest Supervisor of the Allegheny National Forest.

240 – Safety Crews of two or more people are required when working on the ANF bat contract for each net set and follow up telemetry tracking.

It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the work environment is safe for themselves as well as their employees. If the Contractor feels that a requirement of this contract would place them or their employees in an unsafe environment, then work should stop on that area of work and the contractor should contact the COR/Inspectors. Work on other areas of the contract that the Contractor does not view as unsafe should continue.

The Qualified Bat Surveyor(s) will be in contact (2-way radio and/or cell phones) with site workers, or if not possible the Qualified Bat Surveyor will visit all sites every hour.

It is highly recommended that the successful contractor utilizes appropriate personal protective safety equipment/clothing, which may include, but is not limited to, a hard hat, eye protection and hand protection while working in project areas. Cell phones or radios may be appropriate to facilitate communication during the night.

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

52.246-4 Inspection of Services--Fixed-Price (AUG 1996)

· Each net site will be inspected at least 1 net night.

· Sites must be surveyed during the specified time in the contract- 100%

· Surveys must begin on time each evening – 100%.

· Adhering to weather condition restrictions will be required 100%.

· The net specifications will be followed. The net condition during inspection will have no more than four 12” holes per net set (2-3 nets high). 100%

· Forms will be fully completed and need to be legible. 100%

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

Time Of Performance It is currently estimated that work will commence June 15, 2024. It is required that all work be completed December 31, 2024.

Performance Timeline:

1. It is required that all field work (mist netting and telemetry) must be completed August 15, 2024

1. It is required that the “Draft Report” be completed by October 31, 2024. (Ref Clause 220 of Specifications)

1. It is required that all work, which includes a “Final Report”, be completed/received by Forest Service appointed COR, by December 31, 2024; note that this segment is contingent upon timely Forest Service review of Draft (see Clause 230), and accordingly may be adjusted to reflect changed timeline(s).