B08_Attach_1_PWS_2021_0722.pdf

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

PWS Page 1

PROJECT TITLE:

Bishop Field Office Wildland Seed Purchase

Contents

PWS 1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

PWS 2.0 General Scope of Work

PWS 3.0 Overall Objective(s)

PWS 4.0 Specific Tasks & Specifications

PWS 5.0 Acceptance / Performance Schedule

PWS 6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

PWS 7.0 Security and Administrative Matters

PWS 8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions

PWS Page 2

PWS 1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bishop Field Office (BIFO) is seeking contractual services to obtain native, wildland collected seed for post-fire seeding treatments within several wildfire burn areas within the field office.

The seed must meet the specifications outlined in this document.

PWS 2.0 General Scope of Work

The Contractor will provide the BLM BIFO with native seed that has been collected from wildland sources. Desired species are listed below in PWS Section 4.0., Tables 1 and 2.

The collected seed must meet the criteria described in this document which includes that the seed be collected from specific seed transfer zones and/or from specific geographic areas within Inyo and Mono County, California.

Seed collection amounts, depending on species, range between 25 pounds of Pure Live Seed (PLS) up to 600 PLS pounds. The contractor shall be responsible for furnishing labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, operating supplies, and incidentals to harvest, dry, clean, test and deliver harvested seed to the BLM.

Place of Performance:

Seed collection shall occur in the listed geographic areas and/or the Great Basin Provisional Seed Transfer Zones listed for each species listed in Table 1 and Table 2 in PWS Section 4.0. Tables 1 and 2 in PWS Section 4.0 list different collection areas.

Seed cleaning shall occur at the Contractor’s facility.

Seed testing shall be done at a California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico or Utah State Seed Laboratory.

Maps and spatial data for Great Basin Provisional Seed Zones can be found on the USDA Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center – WWETAC webpage (https://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneData.php) https://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneData.php

PWS Page 3

PWS 3.0 Overall Objective(s) The objective of this work is to obtain native, wildland collected seed from specific native species growing in specific geographic areas and/or collected from specific seed zones.

Seed shall meet the specifications and requirements described below and include cleaning, seed testing and shipment of seed to the BLM for inspection and acceptance.

PWS 4.0 Specific Tasks & Specifications

The Contract has three (3) Tasks:

• Task 1 - Seed Collection - Includes scouting for seed in the specified geographic locations and/or seed zone areas, obtaining proper permits for collection, and collecting the seed.

• Task 2 – Seed Cleaning, Sampling and Testing – Includes all aspects of seed handling, storage, cleaning and seed sampling and testing.

• Task 3 – Seed Shipment – Following testing, and in coordination with the BLM, seed shall be shipped to a BLM facility for inspection and acceptance by the BLM.

TASK 1 – SEED COLLECTION

Table 1 and Table 2 below lists the desired species, the areas the seed shall be collected from, the desired amounts (listed as PLS pounds) and the minimum acceptable* PLS for each species.

• Desired species listed in Table 1 (“North Zone” seed) & Table 2 (“South Zone” seed) have different geographic location and/or seed zones from which they shall be collected from.

• * See PWS 5.0 Delivery/Acceptance/Performance Schedule for more information on minimum acceptable PLS.

SPECIFICATIONS

Source and Origin of Seed

• All seed shall be collected/harvested from the Central Basin and Range ecoregion in either the species-specific geographic location or the species-specific Great Basin Provisional Seed Zone. See https://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneData.php for seed zones.

https://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneData.php

PWS Page 4

• The Contractor is responsible for obtaining all appropriate permissions/permits to collect seed under any resultant order. The COR may request to see proof of seed collection permits.

Harvesting Methods

• Seed shall be collected by hand collection methods only.

• Prior to approximately July 15 each year, commercial seed collection permits issued by the BLM Bishop Field Office in most portions of Mono County will include stipulations to reduce the potential for impacts to lekking and nesting sage-grouse. Stipulations will be included with permits when seed collection will occur in areas where sage-grouse use is high. Examples of stipulations that may be included are;

➢ Seed collection crews shall be no more than 4 people in size in active sage-grouse areas.

➢ Seed collection from shrubs in high activity grouse areas may be delayed until after nesting season (approximately mid-May to early July).

➢ Seed collection in areas of high grouse activity may not occur prior to 9

AM.

➢ If nesting sage-grouse are encountered in area while collecting, that area shall be avoided by a minimum in of 200 Feet.

➢ If sage-grouse are encountered in the same location two days in a row or

2 days out of 3, that area should avoided for the next two days.

• The requirement is that BLM shall receive approximately 40-60% of the seed (meeting all Task specifications and those listed in PWS 5.0) within the first two years of work. BLM understands that there are outside forces that can change availability of seed for collection, If the requirement will not be met timely, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) as soon as they are aware of the situation and what issues caused the delay.

PWS Page 5

Task 1 - TABLE 1 – Desired seed for “North Zone”

Scientific Name Common

Name

Seed Location Requirements for “North Zone”

Seed for "North Zone" shall be collected from areas that meet ALL the following criteria:

1. Collected within the Central Basin and Range level III ecoregion

2. Collected from within any of the following Great Basin

Provisional Seed Zones:

15-20 Deg. F./AHM 3-6 AND/OR

20-25 Deg. F./AHM 3-6 AND/OR

20-25 Deg. F./AHM 6-12

3. Collected within 150 miles of the town of Walker in Mono

County California.

Desired

Pounds

(listed as

PLS

pounds) to

Purchase

Minimum

Acceptable

PLS

Shrubs Purshia tridentata Antelope

Bitterbrush See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 1

– Task 1 600 0.8

Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana

Mountain big sagebrush

The contractor may choose to collect from the Empirical Seed Zone

ARTRV Gridcode 19 and/or Gridcode 14 instead of the GB

Provisional Seed Zones listed above.

75 0.19

Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata

Basin big sagebrush

The contractor may choose to collect from Empirical Seed Zones

ARTRT/ARTRW Gridcode 8 instead of the GB Provisional Seed

Zones listed above

50 0.19

Ephedra viridis Green ephedra See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table

1 – Task 1 50 0.45

Grasses Elymus elymoides Squirreltail The contractor may choose to collect from Empirical Seed

Zones ELEL 5 or 2 instead of the GB Provisional Seed Zones listed above.

300 0.7

Stipa speciosa Desert needlegrass See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above 150 0.5

Stipa hymenoides Indian ricegrass See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in

Table 1 – Task 1 200 0.76

Leymus cinereus Great Basin wildrye The contractor may choose to collect from Empirical Seed

Zones LECI4 Gridcode 5 instead of the GB Provisional Seed

Zones listed above.

100 0.77

Poa secunda Sandbergs bluegrass The contractor may choose to collect from the following

Empirical Seed Zones POSE Gridcode 8 / M1L2L3 instead of the GB Provisional Seed Zones listed above.

125 0.72

Forbs Balsamorhiza sagittata

Arrowleaf balsamroot See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in

Table 1 – Task 1 50 0.42

Crepis species

(acuminate or occidentalis)

Hawksbeard See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in

Table 1 – Task 1 75 0.75

Lupinus argenteus Silver lupine See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in

Table 1 – Task 1 50 0.75

Achillea millefolium

Western yarrow See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in

Table 1 – Task 1 25 0.8

Machaeranthera canescens

Hoary aster See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in

Table 1 – Task 1 40 0.75

PWS Page 6

Task 1 – TABLE 2 – Desired seed for “South Zone”

Scientific Name Common

Name

Seed Location Requirements for “South Zone” Seed for “South Zone" shall be collected from areas that meet ALL of the following criteria:

1. Collected within the Central Basin and Range level III ecoregion

2. Collected from within any of the following Great Basin Provisional Seed Zones:

25-30 Deg. F./AHM 6-12 and/or 25-30 Deg. F./AHM 12-30

3. Collected within 50 miles of the town of Independence, Inyo County California.

Desired Pounds

(listed as

PLS

pounds) to

Purchase

Minimum Acceptable*

PLS

Shrubs

Purshia tridentata Antelope bitterbrush

Inyo County CA between 4,000 - 6,500' elevation 400 0.8

Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana

Mountain big sagebrush

See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

75 0.19

Ephedra nevadensis Nevada ephedra

See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

100 0.45

Grasses

Elymus elymoides Squirreltail See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

100 0.7

Poa secunda Sandbergs bluegrass

See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

100 0.72

Stipa speciosa Desert needlegrass

See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

75 0.5

Forbs/Sub-shrubs

Eriogonum fasciculatum

California buckwheat

See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

75 0.64

Malacothrix glabrata

Desert dandelion

See "Seed Collection Location Requirements" listed above in Table 2 – Task 2

25 0.45

PWS Page 7

TASK 2 – SEED CLEANING and TESTING

Handling, Storage and Cleaning

• Seed shall be collected handled and stored in such a way as so not be infested with disease, fungus, insects, etc.

• All seed shall be cleaned so no stems or debris longer than ¾ inch remain. Seed will be visually inspected on a random basis.

Bags and Labels

• It is requested all seed shall be delivered in 50 pound or less bags (40 or less for sagebrush); however, smaller size bags will be accepted. All seed bags shall be sound, clean, and made from standard poly, cotton, or woven sacks of similar strength and characteristics. Burlap bags will not be accepted. The lot number for all seed shall be marked on the bag (stenciled or marked with indelible ink).

• A label (analysis tag) must be attached to each bag of seed. All seed shall be delivered with analysis tags including the following information:

(a) Lot Number

(b) Name and Address of Collector

(c) Species (Common and Latin Names)

(d) Purity

(e) Germination/TZ

(f) Test Date

(g) Crop Seed

(h) Weed Seed

(i) Inert

(j) Noxious Weed Seed and State(s) Tested for

(k) Weight of Bag

(l) Location of Seed source/origin including Great Basin Provisional Seed

Zone, state, county, elevation, and geographic coordinates.

Seed Sampling and Testing

• Seed Sampling and Testing costs will be the responsibility of the Contractor.

• Seed will be sampled by a certified seed sampler (Certified Bonded Professional Seed Sampler, Seed Certification Agency Representative, or County Agent).

Samples will be drawn from each lot of seed delivered in accordance with the methods prescribed in the Journal of Seed Technology, Rules for Testing Seeds, Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) http://www.aosaseed.com. The quantity of seed in the sample, fully representative of each lot of seed furnished, must be enough to provide for retesting, should this be necessary.

http://www.aosaseed.com/

PWS Page 8

• Harvested seed will be tested for purity (inert, other crop, weed seed, and noxious weed content), germination (TZ), and may be tested for moisture. The certified seed sampler shall submit the pulled sample to the California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico or Utah State Seed Laboratory and request seed results be furnished to the BLM COR, as coordinated.

• The Contractor shall have the seed sampling and test analysis performed prior to shipment of the seed to the Government. The shipment must include the lab test number and lot number on all tested seed samples. Seed tests must be less than six months old at the time at the time of acceptance by the BLM.

Federal Seed Act, State Laws, Noxious Weeds All seed offered must meet all requirements of the Federal Seed Act (7 U.S.C. §.

1551-1610 incl.) and the seed laws of the state of California.

Licensing Requirements

Contractors shall comply with the California Seed Law. Reference the following site for the California Seed Law:

https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/nsc/docs/seed/SeedLaw_2020.pdf

TASK 3 – SEED SHIPMENT

• The Contractor shall coordinate with the BIFO COR by email and phone to arrange shipment of seed. Seed will be delivered either to BLM Seed Warehouse or the Bishop Field Office shipping location is dependent on receiving capabilities. The BIFO COR will direct the Contractor as to where the seed shall be delivered. If delivering seed in person, a Government designated official shall be present. Seed damaged due to improper handling or protection from the elements will not be accepted.

• Wildland collected seed shall be delivered with a signed source/origin and species statement. The contractor by submission of this statement, is certifying that seed meets origin and source requirements. The information provided regarding source/origin of seed will be considered proprietary information and will not be released.

• Addresses where the Seed might be shipped to which is dependent on receiving capabilities:

Bishop Field office 351 Pacu Lane Suite 100 Bishop, CA 93514

BLM Boise Seed Warehouse 1962 Commerce Ave, Boise, ID 83705

BLM Ely Seed Warehouse 11111 Medlyn Way, Ely, NV 89301

PWS Page 9

PWS 5.0 Acceptance / Performance Schedule

Final acceptance of all seed to be delivered under this contract shall be the responsibility of the Contracting Officer. Quality of the deliverables is subject to verification by a Seed COR, with payment to be withheld pending inspection and acceptance of the seed.

Where more than one lot of seed is furnished under a single schedule item in the contract as whole, payments will be made on the basis of the test results on each individual lot of seed from each location making up the total quantity under such schedule item. Seed from individual lots not meeting the minimum requirements set forth in the Schedule will be subject to deductions or rejection, as hereinafter provided.

Acceptance

Inspection and Testing: All seed will be subject to visual inspection by a Seed COR and a favorable seed test.

Seed Quality: All seed offered must meet or exceed the following seed quality standards.

(a) Visual: All seed will be inspected for cleaning requirements as stated in these specifications

(b) PLS (percentage of pure live seed): Seed must meet minimum PLS requirements as stated in these specifications.

(c) 0.5% weed seed (or less).

(d) 2% other crop (or less).

(e) 12% moisture content by weight (or less).

Weed and Other Crop: The % weed and % other crop must meet the minimum seed quality standards or seed will be rejected.

Noxious Weeds: Seed must qualify for acceptance by meeting all combinations of noxious weed for the State of California.

(a) The Government shall comply with USDA State Noxious Weed Seed

Requirements recognized in the Administration of the Federal Seed Act.

Reference:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/StateNoxiousWeedsSeedList.

pdf

(b) Seed delivered under this Contract shall also comply with the noxious weed species listed on the California Department of Agriculture web site at:

https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/IPC/encycloweedia/weedinfo/winfo_table-sciname.html.

PWS Page 10

Minimum PLS: See PWS 4.0 Table 1 and 2 for minimum acceptable PLS. For the purpose of determining the percentage of pure live seed (% PLS) the following formula shall be used:

(% Purity) x (% Germination (TZ)) = % PLS

If the tested PLS of the first test is less than the minimum PLS the Government at its option, may:

(a) Elect to reject the seed and require the Contractor to recondition or replace the lot of seed with a second delivery of seed meeting all seed quality testing standards. Or,

(b) Elect to reject the seed without replacement. Or,

(c) Elect to purchase the seed at a price reduction without a second test. Payment at a reduced unit price shall be the full compensation due and payable to the Contractor for seed accepted under this condition. Payment will be computed using the following formula.

Reduced Unit Price = Tested % PLS X Offered Unit Price Offered % PLS.

Or,

(d) When the PLS test results fall just below the stated Minimum Acceptable PLS, the government may elect to have the Contractor supply additional seed to meet the desired PLS pounds equivalent. Payment will be made based on full contract price. Or,

(e) Elect to retest the purity and TZ of the seed and an average of the two tests will be used to determine acceptance, price reduction, or rejection.

Performance Schedule Performance begins following the contact award and completion of a post-award orientation/conference between the Contractor and the BIFO COR.

Progress meetings may be called by either the COR or the Contractor. Request shall state who should attend. Meetings shall be held at the BLM Bishop Field Office, or as determined by the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Leading up to and during the collection season, the Contractor shall keep the COR apprised of the progress.

PWS 6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

PWS Page 11

General:

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform the work tasks defined in this Performance Work Statement, except for those items specified as government furnished.

PWS 7.0 Security and Administrative Matters

Regular Work Hours:

The performance period established for this contract is where work can occur 7-days a week.

Communications:

“Time” for communications received after 3:00pm, after 12:00 pm locally on Fridays, or after 12:00 pm locally prior to a holiday will not start until the next business day. All times are local Pacific Standard Time.

Federal Holidays:

The following Federal Legal Holidays are observed:

New Year’s Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Juneteenth

Fire Danger Season:

The BLM-Bishop Field Office operates an interagency vegetation and fire management organization with the Inyo National Forest. The attached Forest Service Fire Plan for Construction and Service Contracts (using the Project Activity Level (PAL) system) will govern the fire pre-cautions required on this contract, including partial or full shutdown days due to fire danger conditions.

If the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) allows the Contractor to continue work during periods of declared fire danger or season, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable state laws relating to fire prevention and with all special conditions of work as directed by the COR.

PWS Page 12

PWS 8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions Standard Definitions:

Contracting Officer (CO) The Secretary of the Interior or designated authorized representative who is the only agent capable of signing a federal award or obligating funds.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) The Contracting Officer’s designated representative as indicated in a delegation of authority letter.

Quality Assurance (QA) Surveillance of Contractor performance to determine performance requirements are met.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) (see Technical Exhibit below) The PRS identifies the key performance indicators of the Contract that will be evaluated by the Government to assure Contract performance standards are met by the Contractor.

Quality Control Those actions taken by the Contractor to control the production of goods or services so that they meet the requirements of the performance work statement.

Technical Definitions:

AHM: Represents aridity and is the second set of numbers listed for a seed zone.

It was calculated as the annual heat:moisture index (AH:M). For information see:

https://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneMapper.phpAHM

Pure Live Seed (PLS): For the purpose of determining the percentage of pure live seed (% PLS) the following formula shall be used:

(% Purity) x (% Germination (TZ)) = % PLS

PLS Pounds: For the purpose of determine PLS Pounds of seed, the following formula shall be used:

(Tested % PLS of Seed) x (Bulk Pounds Cleaned Seed) = PLS Pound

Example: 125 pounds of bulk clean seed with a tested PLS of 80% = 100 PLS pounds of seed.

https://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneMapper.phpAHM

PWS Page 13

(125 bulk pounds) x (0.80 PLS) = 100 PLS pounds

PWS Page 14

EXHIBIT X: Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

Work Tasks to be Performed

Acceptable Quality

Level

Method of

Surveillance

Consequences, Remedies, and/or Deduction(s)

Task 1- Seed

Collection

All seed must be those species listed in PWS

4.0, Task 1 Table 1 & 2 and sourced from geographic locations and/or seed zones specified in Tables 1 &

2. Acceptable quality shall adhere to specifications.

All seed must be those species listed in PWS

4.0, Task 1 Table 1 & 2 and sourced from geographic locations and/or seed zones specified in Tables 1 &

2. Acceptable quality shall adhere to specifications.

For 1 unsatisfactory inspection, the

COR will document this and inform the Contractor what must be improved.

For 2 unsatisfactory inspections, a

5% deduction from the invoice for that Period of Performance.

Task 1- Seed

Collection (cont.)

Seed collection shall follow specifications listed in PWS 4.0 Task 1

"Source and Origin of

Seed" and "Harvesting

Methods". Acceptable quality shall adhere to specifications.

The COR or another

Government

Representative may preform periodic collection site inspections during collection

For 1 unsatisfactory inspection, the

COR will document this and inform the Contractor what must be improved.

For 2 unsatisfactory inspections, a

5% deduction from the invoice for that Period of Performance.

Task 2 - Seed

Cleaning and

Testing

See PWS 4.0 Task 2 and

PWS 5.0 "Acceptance" for specifications.

Acceptable quality shall adhere to specifications.

The COR or another

Government

Representative will inspect seed sampling documents, seed tests, seed bags and their labels and the seed upon delivery to the

BLM but prior to BLM acceptance.

Seed not meeting "Weed or Other

Crop" or "Noxious Weeds" specifications listed in PWS 5.0 will not be accepted.

Seed not meeting "Minimum PLS" will handled following one of the options listed in PWS 5.0

"Minimum PLS"

Task 3 - Seed

Shipment

See PWS 4.0 Task 3 for specifications.

Acceptable quality shall adhere to specifications.

The COR or another

Government

Representative will receive the seed and inspect documents.

For 1 unsatisfactory inspection, the

COR will document this and inform the Contractor what must be improved.

For 2 unsatisfactory inspections, a

5% deduction from the invoice for that Period of Performance.