Attachment G_SOW_Boardman_WGS_HabitatRestoration_FY26_2026-03-10.pdf

OregonBuys Bid #S-24800-00016210 for Intermediate Procurement W912JV26C3001 Att G

ATTACHMENT G – STATEMENT OF WORK

Habitat Restoration and Enhancement for the Construction of the Oregon Army National Guard

Multi-Purpose Machine Gun Range at the US Navy Boardman Bombing Range, Boardman, Oregon

1. Background and Purpose

The Oregon Military Department (OMD) on behalf of the Oregon Army National Guard (ORARNG) is seeking a Request for Proposal to complete habitat restoration and enhancement per mitigation requirements under the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the construction of the Oregon Army National Guard Multi-Purpose Machine Gun Range (MPMG) on US Navy Boardman Bombing Range managed and operated by the US Department of the Navy (DON).

Signed in 2013, the EIS Record of Decision (ROD) stated that the proposed construction of the MPMG would result in unavoidable impacts to historically occupied and suitable Washington ground squirrel (WGS) habitat. At that time, the WGS was proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act, therefore, during the development of the EIS, a Conference Opinion (CO) was developed and signed in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to avoid potential impacts to the species by the proposed action. Although the USFWS determined that listing was not warranted shortly after the ROD was signed, mitigation measures described in the CO were adopted into the EIS and remain unchanged as listing of the species was precluded by USFWS in large part due to the population that persists within the Bombing Range. Therefore, the habitat restoration and enhancement requirements below were extracted from those solidified within the EIS.

Habitat related requirements to reduce adverse impacts to WGS habitat from the construction and use of the MPMG include both pre- and post-construction Best Management Practices (BMPs) and mitigation measures. These include habitat restoration of temporarily disturbed ground within the range construction footprint and vegetation enhancement to existing WGS habitat. In general, both restoration and habitat enhancement efforts would include the following components: obtaining plant materials, site preparation, planting, and post-planting weed control.

Background information is provided for context only. Enforceable requirements are identified through “Contractor shall” statements, defined tasks, deliverables, and success criteria.

2. Project Overview

The work under this Contract consists of habitat restoration and habitat enhancement activities intended to mitigate impacts associated with construction of the Oregon Army National Guard Multi-Purpose Machine Gun Range. Work will be implemented in three phases as described below.

3. Phase 1: Restoration of Temporarily Disturbed Areas

Restoration for the development of the range states that areas temporarily disturbed during construction would be revegetated with native grass species and the inoculation of soil crusts salvaged immediately prior to or in coordination with construction, as scheduled by the Agency.

Ground disturbing activities would include up to 30 acres, 14 acres of which would be temporarily disturbed and require revegetation.

3.1. Pre-Construction Soil Crust Salvage:

Prior to construction, BMPs require that cryptogamic soil crust would be salvaged for post-construction habitat restoration on 14 acres within the MPMG footprint. Based on field surveys completed in October of 2020, the soil crusts on the MPMG are primarily composed of short mosses, (twisted moss, Syntrichia ruralis, and fire moss, Ceratodon purpureus) with no obvious lichen component. Soil crusts composed primarily of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are also likely present but were not identified during the field survey as they are very difficult to identify with the naked eye in their early stages of development (Rosentreter et al. 2007). Results from the survey estimated cryptogamic soil crust cover to be 1 to 5 percent in less disturbed areas of the range, but were absent or minimal near the existing roads, parking areas, and firing positions subject to recent ground disturbance. In May of 2023, a fast-moving range fire burned approximately 2,000 acres including most of the proposed MPMG footprint. That fall, herbicide (Plateau and Milestone) to control emerging annual grasses and invasive knapweed were applied. It is unknown if soil crust cover estimates have since changed.

Pre-construction soil crust salvage must consider the following:

• Methods for salvage and storage should follow those described in the 2021 Boardman Cryptogamic Soil Crust Salvage Plan (OMD 2021) or similar methods that use current practices based on the best available science.

• Salvage shall be limited to the 30 acres of authorized ground disturbance associated with construction of the range. Salvage activities shall be coordinated with the construction contractor and may occur only after the authorized disturbance area has been surveyed and clearly delineated. Timing of salvage activities shall be coordinated to align with construction sequencing as directed by the Agency.

• The quantity and therefore availability of existing soil crust within the 30 acres is unknown, therefore soil crust would be salvaged until there is either no crust available to salvage or enough crust has been salvaged to successfully inoculate the required 14 acres.

• Salvaged soil crust must be salvaged and stored such that it remains viable throughout construction of the range (~12-18 months) to ensure successful reestablishment.

• Vacant WWII munitions storage igloos located at the Rees Training Center near Hermiston, Oregon may be available if the igloo environmental conditions meet the requirements to maintain viable crust during construction operations. The Contractor shall identify and implement alternative storage options in the event Agency-provided facilities are unavailable or unsuitable.

3.2. Post-Construction Revegetation:

Once construction of the range is completed, all temporarily disturbed areas (up to 14 acres) must be revegetated. Proposed revegetation must consider the following requirements and meet restoration success criteria established by the EIS listed below.

• Soil crust inoculation must be timed accordingly with reseeding efforts and applied using scientifically sound methods and current practices to create successful re-establishment.

• Soil crust inoculation will be considered successful upon completion of the action.

• Reseeding must use the approved native perennial grass seed mix listed below (Table 1). Seed sources should be obtained from within the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion.

The native grass mix was selected for its value as WGS foraging habitat and resiliency against future wildfire. Proposed changes to the species mix will be considered but must be justified using current restoration practices and/or best available science.

• The final approved native grass seed mix should be applied using methods, timing, and at rates necessary to meet success criteria for revegetation.

• Fertilizers should not be used for plantings as they promote unwanted non-native species growth.

• Monitoring should be included to ensure success criteria for reseeding are met and documented.

• Reseeding will be considered successful if a uniform coverage of at least 80% of a representative bunchgrass stand is established within three years of seeding.

• Temporarily disturbed areas will be located adjacent to or near permanently disturbed areas and likely experience future wildlife impacts, therefore methods and materials used that reduce non-native plant reestablishment and reduce fire risk are preferred.

4. Phase II: Habitat Enhancement for WGS

The purpose of habitat enhancement for WGS is to mitigate the permanent loss of habitat from the development of the range and associated facilities and long-term habitat degradation from range operations and noise. The overall mitigation goals stated in the EIS are no net loss of habitat quantity or quality and to provide a net benefit of habitat quantity and quality for the WGS. Habitat enhancement at degraded sites would provide the structure of the pre-disturbance plant communities, increase resistance to further weed invasion, and reduce the risk of high-intensity, frequent fires.

All habitat enhancement would occur within the Boardman Resource Management Area (RMA) located in the southern portion of the installation (Exhibit 1). The RMA was selected for its connectivity to habitats affected by the range development, as it’s located within an area that is compatible with current and proposed military readiness training and is within currently or historically occupied WGS habitat.

During the development of the EIS, potential mitigation sites within the RMA were assigned an ecological condition class to support impact assessment and mitigation planning efforts.

Approved locations within the RMA have a medium-low ecological condition class. Medium-low condition class is described as burned areas previously dominated by native shrubs (mainly sagebrush) and currently dominated by non-native annual plant species. More specifically, these areas are dominated by cheatgrass, other exotic species, and can include disturbance-adapted native species such as rabbitbrush. Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda) is often the only native perennial bunchgrass present. Overall enhancement objectives for these areas aim to increase native sagebrush densities, increase perennial bunchgrass densities, and detect and control noxious weeds. Noxious weeds are those listed as noxious by Morrow County.

4.1. Habitat Enhancement Methods:

• Habitat enhancement methods would generally follow those implemented in the past within the RMA (Elseroad 2007, Elseroad 2008) and/or similar methods that incorporate the best available science and current restoration practices necessary to meet the success criteria listed below.

• These methods generally would include the following components: obtaining plant materials, site preparation, planting, and post-planting weed control.

• Planting must use native species listed below (Table 1). Materials should be sourced from within the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion. The list of species was selected for its value as WGS foraging habitat and resiliency against future wildfire. Proposed changes to the list will be considered but must be justified using current restoration practices and/or best available science.

• All planting should use methods, timing, and at rates necessary to meet the success criteria listed below.

• Fertilizers should not be used for plantings as they promote unwanted non-native species growth.

• Monitoring must be included to ensure success criteria are met and documented.

• All planting activities that involve soil disturbance greater than 6” in depth within the RMA will require the immediate area of disturbance be scanned using a hand-held metal detector provided by OMD to ensure avoidance of any munitions of explosive concern (MEC). This generally only applies when planting plugs and does not generally apply to drill seeding or imprint seeding methods of planting. MEC awareness will be provided annually during the initial site briefing for all contractors working on Boardman.

4.2. Success Criteria:

• Increase native shrub density to one seedling per square meter over a 10 square meter area in each seedling focus area with five focus areas per acre.

• Increase native plant density to provide uniform coverage of at least 80% of a representative bunchgrass stand within 3 years of initial restoration effort.

• Detect and control noxious weeds annually for a minimum of 3 years following initial restoration efforts, continue as necessary to maintain conditions.

Table 1. Pre-approved native species list for planting on US Navy Boardman Bombing Range.

Common Name Genus Species Bunchgrass

Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicatum Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis Needle and thread grass Hesperostipa comata Squirrel-tail bottlebrush Elymus elymoides Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides

Shrubs (Phase II only) Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata

5. Phase III: Optional Habitat Enhancement (Optional Work)

Two areas have been identified and approved for habitat enhancement within the RMA that may be used for Phase II base work and Phase III optional work, as authorized by the Agency. Each area is listed below. Using the methods and success criteria listed above, Phase II enhancement work in Area 1 would be prioritized. Additional enhancement work may be authorized in writing by the Agency on a per acre unit price basis, subject to available funding and the terms of the Contract, to support progress toward defined success criteria within the applicable performance period.

5.1. Area 1:

Habitat enhancement to 112 acres within the RMA was initiated in fall 2022 and continued until January of 2024, but not completed. This site was classified as having a medium-low ecological condition class. Once dominated by sagebrush, this area experienced wildfire in 2015 resulting in the loss of sagebrush and an increase of non-native plants. Therefore, our Phase II priority is to complete habitat enhancements within the 112-acre site as needed to meet the success criteria within three years of re-initiation.

In fall of 2022, the pre-emergent herbicide, Rejuvra, was applied at a rate of 4.92 oz per acre to control the germination of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and other invasive species using a boom sprayer. In early January of 2024, 55 acres of the northern portion of the site was imprinted with native perennial grasses and forbs. Immediately following seeding, 5,600 sagebrush plugs grown in 10 cubic inch pots were planted within 560 planting islands at a density of roughly 5 islands per acre across the full 112-acre site. Within each planting island 10 plugs were installed using hoedads spaced approximately 3 meters apart.

Preliminary monitoring in November of 2024, observed sagebrush survival within 10 sampled planting islands was 81%. From experience with previous plantings of sagebrush on Boardman, we anticipate future surveys across additional planting islands will increase overall survivorship. Assessment of native seed success was not possible since seed requires time to germinate and establish. Based on these preliminary results, some shrub planting may be needed, but additional herbicide applications and seeding will be required to meet the success criteria.

5.2. Area 2:

This site was classified as having a medium-low ecological condition class. Similar to Area 1, this once sagebrush dominated area experienced wildfire in 1998, 2008, 2015 and 2018 resulting in the loss of sagebrush and increase of non-native plants. Adjacent areas contain higher quality habitat patches as well as a recently completed 18-ac habitat enhancement site.

Besides monitoring surveys conducted at sampled plots within the 18-acre site, this area has not had any recent floral surveys conducted.

6. Project Deliverables:

The Contractor shall submit the following deliverables in a format acceptable to the Agency:

6.1. Final Work Plan and Schedule – within 30 days of Contract award.

6.2. Quarterly Progress Reports – summarizing work performed, issues encountered, and upcoming activities.

6.3. Final Report – summarizing completed work, monitoring results, and achievement of success criteria.

6.4. Raw Data and GIS Layers – provided in electronic format compatible with Agency systems.

Note: Invoicing requirements are addressed in the Contract for Services and are not included in this Statement of Work.

7. Work Plans and Performance Requirements:

The Contractor shall prepare and submit Phase-specific Work Plans for Agency review and approval within 30 days of Contract award (or other timeframe approved by the Agency).

Approved Work Plans shall govern execution of the work and shall be updated as necessary with Agency approval.

Each Work Plan shall, at a minimum, address the following technical elements, as applicable to the Phase:

7.1. Phase I – Soil Crust Salvage and Restoration

• Methods for soil crust salvage, storage, and inoculation for restoration of the MPMG.

• If methods differ from those recommended in the 2021 salvage plan, the Contractor shall provide technical justification demonstrating why the proposed approach would be more effective and/or efficient, supported by current restoration practices and best available science.

7.2. Herbicide Application

• Proposed herbicide application methods, including product selection, amendments (if any), application rates, timing, and frequency.

• Measures to avoid impacts to non-target species and to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.

7.3. Native Species Planting and Habitat Enhancement

• Site preparation methods;

• Types of plant materials to be used;

• Timing and species mixes;

• Application rates for seeding;

• Shrub planting design; and

• Monitoring approaches.

7.4. Sequencing and Coordination

• Proposed sequencing and anticipated work windows, including identification of weather- and soil-related constraints and coordination requirements with construction or other activities, as applicable.

• Implementation schedules are subject to Agency review and approval and may be adjusted based on site conditions or coordination needs.

7.5. Success Criteria

• A description of how the proposed tasks and deliverables support achievement of the applicable success criteria within the performance periods identified in this Statement of Work.

8. Contractor Responsibilities

The Contractor shall:

• Attend a project kick-off meeting via Microsoft Teams within 14 business days following Contract award.

• Ensure all onsite crew members attend a range brief conducted by Department of the Navy (DON) Range Control staff prior to beginning work and annually as required.

• Coordinate scheduling of work at least 30 days in advance to account for military training and range availability.

• Coordinate daily site access with DON Range Control or the Agency-designated point of contact.

• Maintain ongoing communication with the Agency Project Lead and provide written updates on progress, shortfalls, and anticipated challenges affecting the Work Plan or schedule.

• Provide all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies, and incidentals unless otherwise authorized.

• Operate on existing roads unless otherwise authorized and repair any negligent damage at the Contractor’s expense.

• Ensure all project personnel possess valid identification required for site access.

• Participate in site walk-throughs or inspections as required to validate completed work prior to acceptance.

9. Herbicide Treatment Requirements

For all herbicide treatment activities, the Contractor shall:

• Maintain a current Oregon Public Pesticide Applicator License in the appropriate category for rangeland applications. A copy of each applicator’s Oregon State Applicators License is required to be submitted prior to the project start.

• Apply herbicides in accordance with product labels and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

• Follow all label directions; the label is the law.

• All herbicides must be listed on the attached Department of Navy approved pesticide use list for the Boardman Bombing Range (Exhibit 2).

• Provide all chemicals, storage, handling, and disposal in compliance with applicable regulations.

• Promptly report any spills to Range Control and the Agency Project Lead.

• Complete and submit pesticide use reporting documentation (AGO Form 200-1-16 or equivalent) within the month of application and prior to invoicing for pesticide services.