C04b Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement 1284LM26Q0129.docx

Rare Plant Monitoring Surveys – Sheyenne National Grassland Attachment 1: Performance Work Statement A. General Information

1. Background and Purpose This requirement is for rare plant monitoring surveys on behalf of the USDA Forest Service (the Agency), revisiting all 20 monitoring sites included in previously conducted 2009 and 2018 surveys. The data collected will be used by the Forest Service for future management and planning decisions.

1.1 Location

Sheyenne National Grassland, Ransom and Richland Counties, North Dakota.

B. Contractor Requirements

2. Contractor Tasks The contractor shall attempt to re-locate and survey 20 rare plant monitoring sites. All sites shall be surveyed regardless of whether plants were absent in previous monitoring years and georeferenced (GPS). It is the contractor’s duty to determine survey timing and number of surveys required for a given locale. A minimum of one visit to each site is required; however, more may be necessary depending on the phenology of the plant. Surveys will cover sites identified on the attached map.

The rare plant monitoring sites represent populations of:

· Apios americana

· Campanula aparinoides

· Carex formosa

· Cypripedium reginae

· Equisetum palustre

· Euonymus atropurpureus

· Galium labradoricum

· Gymnocarpium dryopteris

· Menyanthes trifoliata

· Onoclea sensibilis

· Platanthera aquilonis

· Solidago flexicaulis

· Cypripedium parviflorum

· Cypripedium planipetalum

· Dryopteris carthusiana

· Athyrium flilix-femina

· Dryopteris cristata

· Thelypteris palustris

The contractor will review the 2009 and 2018 historical reports to determine plot specific details including: GPS coordinates, plot ID numbers, plot size and shape, directional orientation (e.g., NW–SE, S–N), quadrat size, sampling method (frequency, density, census).

The contractor will navigate to each site using the GPS coordinates provided. Data shall be collected using the Forest Service field form provided. The historical plot stakes will be relocated if possible. Collecting plant specimens is prohibited without prior approval from the Forest Service.

The following will be documented at each site:

· Presence/absence or plant counts using the same notation as historic reports

· Associated species listed previously for each site

· Description of habitat conditions, including trampling, flooding, shading, shrub expansion, cattail dominance, beaver impacts, or other changes

· Presence of other Regional Forester Sensitive Species (Appendix A)

· Presence of ND noxious weeds (Appendix B) and other invasive species

· Record the location of any rare or RFSS plants, noxious weeds, and invasive graminoid species using a Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS coordinates will be stored in UTM, NAD83.

· Polygons shall be used to document the size of the occurrence (a point can be used for occurrences with minimal number of plants).

· Photos should be taken to document occurrences. Include an overview photo per site showing plot orientation, photo of the rare plants observed, photo of where stakes were found, and photos documenting disturbance or habitat concerns. Photo labels should include site ID.

3. Deliverables Prior to doing field surveys, provide the COR with a survey plan. After the field season start date, the contractor shall provide monthly reports in the form of e-mail addressed to the Contracting Officer Representative and District Contact. At a minimum, these monthly reports shall include a description of where, how, and when surveys were conducted, and any problems encountered.

The contractor must submit a report summarizing the results of the field survey. The report must be in Microsoft Word, will accept PDF in addition to Word. No hard copy reports are needed. The final report shall meet professional standards and shall be subject to review by the COR. If the report does not meet professional standards, the contractor may be required to edit or resubmit the final report.

Final report must include:

· An introduction summarizing the purpose of this project.

· A description of the survey areas, methods, and techniques used.

· A results section giving the status and data for each rare plant plot.

· Summary of RFSS plants, noxious weeds, and invasive graminoid findings

· A listing of the native plant communities found in each occurrence site.

· List of all plant species seen in each occurrence site shall be recorded. Latin names should be used.

· Maps (USGS 7.5 degree topographic quads or acceptable alternatives) indicating location data for each population.

· An appendix containing written legal descriptions (Universal Transverse Mercator method (UTM) for location data.

· An appendix containing a copy of survey field notes.

In addition to the report, the following will be submitted to Forest Service:

· Completed Rare Plant Occurrence Form (one per site and others as needed if any new occurrence of RFSS plants are found during the survey).

· GPS shapefiles of polygons and points of rare plants, other RFSS plants, noxious weeds, and invasive graminoids.

· Photos of the monitoring site as described above.

4. Schedule The field season for this rare plant survey project is defined as the period from July 10, 2027, through September 30, 2027. Work shall be completed during the appropriate phenological window. Past surveys occurred between July 10–25.

By November 30, 2027, the contractor shall submit to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) a draft report for review. The Forest Service shall return comments on the draft report by December 31, 2027. The contractor will submit the final report in electronic format (Word or PDF), by January 31, 2028.

5. Government Furnished Property The Government will provide shapefiles of known historical rare plant occurrences in the project area, historical survey plot locations, ArcGIS Online (AGOL) access, and field forms. The Government will provide access instructions and consider application for off-road vehicle use if needed.

The Contractor must furnish all equipment, labor, materials (except government furnished items), transportation, lodging, supervision, and incidentals necessary to conduct the rare plant survey.

Data collected and reports prepared under this contract are the property of the USDA Forest Service. Data publication is prohibited without prior consent of the Forest Service and the Forest Service reserves the right to edit any potential publications. The Forest Service will be acknowledged in any publications using such data.

6. Travel Any travel related costs will not be reimbursed as a separate line item. All travel expenses must be built into the Contractor’s quote.

7. Section 508 All final reports will be 508-compliant.

8. Performance Requirement Measures All draft and final reports must follow professional standards for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The Forest Service will not provide clerical services for the purposes of completing contract requirements.

9. Attachments Attachment 2 Area Map Attachment 3 SCA Wage Determination Appendix A (at the end of this document) Appendix B (at the end of this document)

Appendix A-Regional Forester’s Sensitive Plant Species American Groundnut (Apios americana) Barr’s Milkvetch (Astragalus barrii) Leathery Grape-fern (Botrychium multifidum) Least Moonwort (Botrychium simplex) Marsh Bellflower (Campanula aparinoides) Foxtail sedge (Carex alopecoidea) Handsome Sedge (Carex Formosa) Small White Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium candidum) Showy lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium reginae) Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre) Meadow Horsetail (Equisetum pratense) Variegated horsetail (Equisetum variegatum) Slender Cottongrass (Eriophorum gracile) Northern Oak Fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) Plains Frostweed (Helianthemum bicknellii) Sand-heather (Hudsonia tomentosa) Upright Pinweed (Lechea stricta) Loesel's Twayblade (Liparis loeselii) Bog Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) Adder's Tongue (Ophioglossum pusillum) Broadleaf Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) Purple Sandgrass (Triplaspsis purpuea)

Appendix B-North Dakota State Noxious Weeds Noxious Weeds | North Dakota Department of Agriculture (nd.gov) Absinth Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.). ) Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. ) Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria genistifolia spp. dalmatica) Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa Lam.)

Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale L.)

Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula L.)

Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans L.)

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L., Lythrum virgatum L., and all cultivars) Russian Knapweed (Centaurea repens L.)

Saltcedar (Tamarisk spp.)

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa Lam.)

Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)