Attachment 5 - Bidder Notes.docx

BIDDER NOTES

1. Net night – defined as one survey night where two net sets are deployed within a survey site defined area. Each survey site will have 2 net-nights. They do not need to be consecutive but within the dates of Jun 15 and Aug 15, 2024.

2. To be considered for Award all items must include a bid price.

3. Award will be made to one Bidder.

4. There is no ‘Show-Me’ tour scheduled for this work. Prospectives bidders are encouraged to view the sites to make their own estimate on the degree of effort and staffing required for completion of work within the defined dates. Additional technical information or assistance with locating the specific project areas may be obtained by contacting Ashlee Simmons, Bradford Ranger District Wildlife Biologist (814-363-6084), Gary Kolesar, Marienville Ranger District Wildlife Biologist (814-927-5755) or Linda Ordiway, Forest Wildlife Biologist (814-748-6170).

5. To be eligible for Award, the Contractor must be or have on staff a Qualified Bat Surveyor (QBS), by obtaining a permit from the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to handle and/or conduct surveys for State or federally listed bats, and who holds a USFWS Recovery Permit. The QBS(s) is required to be present in the field at all times during the survey(s) as specified by the permit.

a. The Qualified Bat Surveyor(s) must have experience leading bat mist netting projects and conducting radio-telemetry in the eastern region of the United States.

6. The Qualified Bat Surveyor(s) will act in the capacity of a principal investigator for field oversight for:

a. Ensuring all bat permitting requirements are met.

b. Selecting net locations within the proposed bid items sites.

i. Avoidance of State, Township, and non-FS system roads open to public travel unless contractor has obtained permission prior to implementing surveys.

c. Placement of net sets to maximize bat captures.

d. Proper handling of captured bats including but not limited to attachment of transmitter to target species as indicated in this contract.

e. Bat identification

f. Follow up telemetry of tagged bat(s)

g. Adherence to White Nose Syndrome (WNS) disinfection protocols

h. Digital documentation of captures, (including key identifying features), and all net sets

i. Completeness of all field data forms

j. Ensuring report accuracy and completeness

k. Submission of reports to the appropriate agencies by the deadline(s) defined in this contract.

7. The Qualified Bat Surveyor(s) will be in direct communication with site workers during active net set deployments and throughout each survey night. If direct communication is not possible the Qualified Bat Surveyor(s) will visit all active sites every hour to ensure captured bats are not held more than 1 hour.

8. The Contractor or Qualified Bat Surveyor(s) may select experienced personnel as Bat Identifiers (BI) who are qualified and have expertise in ALL the following:

a. Identification of bats of the Allegheny National Forest region to species

b. Collection of biological and morphological information on bats of the Allegheny National Forest region

c. Proper net set deployment to maximize bat capture potential

d. Proper transmitter attachment

e. Radio tracking and recording of information gained through telemetry

f. Digital documentation of study sites including net sets and appropriate representation of identifying characteristics of all captured bats listed as target species.

9. The Contractor may employ assistants under the supervision of either a Qualified Bat Surveyor or Bat Identifier.

a. Assistants are only responsible for assisting in site set-up, take-down and removal of bats from nets.

b. All bats must be held until verified by a QBS or BI within 1 hour of capture.

c. Assistants may conduct the radio-telemetry tracking aspect of the work if they have prior experience in tracking bats in conditions similar to those encountered on the Allegheny National Forest.

10. The Contractor must have available at least three (3) two-person crews working full time on this project. Assistants are permitted to be part of a two-person crew if previous levels of expertise requirements for on site or within direct communication of QBS are satisfied.

a. Resumes for each primary crew member must be provided with proposals.

Resumes / qualifications of additional BI’s and assistants brought on after contract is awarded must be provided prior to implementing the work and approved by the FS before they can start work.